Fry, 48, who fronts the highbrow BBC quiz QI. "He has some brilliant ideas. Maybe it will happen."

The original series came to a moving end in 1989 when Blackadder was seen leading his doomed troops through the trenches in the First World War.

The cast, which also included Fry's comedy partner Hugh Laurie, as well as Tony Robinson and Miranda Richardson, was briefly reunited for a one-off Millennium special, which was initially shown inside the Millennium Dome.

Fry, meanwhile, admits he still has reservations about a Blackadder reunion. "There's a lot of feeling that we left it

on such a high note that it would be a bad idea to go back," he says.

"There's nothing worse than an overweight boxer past his prime lumbering into the ring past his sell-by date."

Elton, who was drafted in to work with Curtis for the second series onwards – the first and less successful Blackadder series was penned by Curtis and Atkinson – has enjoyed mixed fortunes since the show ended.

While enjoying a successful career writing novels and hit West End musicals such as We Will Rock You, he has faced growing criticism in recent years for abandoning his anti-establishment roots.