Career: Atkinson's first professional success came in 1978 via the radio show The Atkinson People; it was co-written by Curtis and produced by Griff Rhys Jones. He then became part of the Not the Nine O'Clock News team before creating the character of Edmund in The Black Adder 1983. The sitcom ran for four series and a number of specials. He also created the affable idiot Mr Bean, who appeared in a number of one-off TV specials and two hugely successful films. Other projects include Johnny English and its sequel, The Thin Blue Line, The Witches, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Rat Race. Atkinson also appeared at the Olympics opening ceremony and returned to the West End stage to star in Quartermaine's Terms. He was awarded a CBE in 2013.

Career: After several well-received theatre roles he was cast as Lord Percy in Blackadder and has been linked to the comedy masterpiece ever since. Subsequent hits include Wetherby (1985), Erik the Viking (1989), a film production of Shakespeare's Richard III (1995), FairyTale: A True Story (1997), Notting Hill (1999), 102 Dalmatians (2000), The Emperor's New Clothes (2001), and Severance (2006). TV hits include Spooks and Trial and Retribution. He also played Dr Frank-N-Furter in the 1990 West End production of The Rocky Horror Show.

Career: Robinson's first TV appearance was on the children's show Play Away in 1971, and he made his film debut in 1975, with a small part in the John Wayne movie Brannigan. He featured in Channel 4 satire Who Dares Wins in 1983, but his big TV break came that same year when he played Baldrick in The Black Adder, which ran for six years. In 1989, he wrote and starred in Bafta award-winning children's series Maid Marian And Her Merry Men. Five years later, he began presenting Channel 4's archaeology series Time Team and has since hosted The Worst Jobs In History and documentaries about figures including Macbeth and Boudica. Away from TV, he has toured the country with his one-man show and is a prolific children's author.

Career: Earned her Equity card at Manchester's Library Theatre in 1979. Two years later, she made her TV debut in sitcom Agony, while her first movie was Underworld in 1985. Her big break came later that year, playing Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain, in Dance with A Stranger, but it was the role of Queen Elizabeth I in Blackadder that made her a household name. She turned down the Glenn Close role in Fatal Attraction, and has since played numerous tough or unusual women in projects such as The Crying Game and Sleepy Hollow. Miranda provided the voice of Mrs Tweedy in Chicken Run, and gained Oscar nominations for Tom & Viv and Damage. She appeared in the acclaimed, Oscar-nominated movie The Hours, while recent offerings include The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle and Made in Dagenham. TV successes include thriller Rubicon.

Career: After graduating, Fry and Laurie enjoyed a successful comedy partnership. Fry was a millionaire by 30, thanks to a successful rewrite of the Noel Gay musical Me and My Girl. He has appeared in numerous films and TV projects, including Blackadder, Jeeves and Wooster, Wilde, Thunderpants, Kingdom and The Hobbit. He's also written several books, and is well-known as a charming raconteur. He made his movie debut as writer and director with Bright Young Things, based on Evelyn Waugh's book, Vile Bodies. Fry is the presenter of comedy quiz QI, he has also made several acclaimed documentaries, including ones about manic depression and Aids, and he is the reader for the British versions of JK Rowling's Harry Potter series of audio books.

Career: In the early 1980s, Richard became a regular writer on Not the Nine O'Clock News, which starred Atkinson, and they went on to work together on Blackadder and Mr Bean. In 1989, Richard gained plaudits for writing the film The Tall Guy, but his real movie breakthrough came five years later when he penned Four Weddings and a Funeral, which went on to become the most successful British movie of all time. In 1999 he scored another huge hit with Notting Hill, and went on to work on the adaptation of Bridget Jones's Diary before making his directorial debut with Love Actually in 2003. His new film, The Boat That Rocked, hits cinemas this week. Curtis is also behind the sitcom the Vicar of Dibley, acclaimed TV film The Girl in the Cafe, and is one of the founders of Comic Relief.

Career: Elton was 23 when he gained his first major success, co-writing cult comedy series The Young Ones. In 1985, he embarked on a writing partnership with Richard Curtis. Together they created the award-winning Blackadder series. Elton was still doing his stand-up, most notably appearing on Friday Night Live, but during the 1990s moved away from performing to concentrate on writing. His CV includes The Man From Auntie and The Thin Blue Line. He has also published several novels, including Stark and Popcorn, and made his directorial debut with the comedy Maybe Baby, based on his book Inconceivable. He has penned lyrics for stage musicals The Beautiful Game, We Will Rock You and Love Never Dies. In 2005, Elton returned to stand-up with the show Get a Grip.