A long-lost script for a Blackadder Christmas special, abandoned in the 1980s because it was considered too offensive for television, has been put up for sale for £10,000. The proceeds from the sale will benefit the children's education charity Theirworld.
The Script That Never Made It to Screen
Before the beloved Blackadder's Christmas Carol aired in 1988, writers Richard Curtis and Ben Elton had a different festive idea. Titled Blackadder in Bethlehem, the script was written by Curtis but was ultimately shelved. On a typewritten note accompanying the script, the Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral writer explained it was dropped "for fear it would cause too much offence".
Curtis himself described the unmade special as "a strange mixture of Fawlty Towers and Life of Brian". The script was never even sent to his co-writer Ben Elton before being abandoned. The pair then pivoted to create the now-classic Blackadder's Christmas Carol.
Plot of the 'Blasphemous' Special
The special would have starred Rowan Atkinson as the titular Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as his dim-witted servant Baldrick. In this iteration, Blackadder was reimagined as a Basil Fawlty-esque innkeeper in Bethlehem, bullying his skivvy Baldrick.
The plot kicks off when a young couple, Mary and Joseph, arrive seeking lodging. After being turfed out of his room to accommodate them, a furious Blackadder threatens to cut out Baldrick's tongue with a pair of scissors. The inn then becomes a chaotic hub as shepherds, kings, and even a Roman soldier requesting strippers and lion tamers descend upon it.
The script contained several jokes that likely contributed to its controversial status. In one scene, Joseph mishears a sneezing Baldrick say "tishoo!" and considers "Jesu" as a potential name for his unborn son. Another scene features a talking turkey who discovers, to its horror, that it is on the menu for Christmas dinner.
Legacy and Charity Sale
While audiences in the 1980s never got to see if the special was indeed too blasphemous, the original script is now available for a wealthy fan. The sale is being conducted in aid of Theirworld. The successful bidder will not only receive the original script but also handwritten notes from the filming of the famous Blackadder Goes Forth episode, Corporal Punishment.
An extract from the script was previously published in comedy historian Jem Roberts's 2012 book, The True History of the Blackadder. Reflecting on the script's release, Richard Curtis wrote: "Now that the Blackadder series has definitely and definitively come to an end, there's no harm in people reading it."
Interestingly, co-writer Ben Elton had mixed feelings about the special that did get made. In his memoir, What Have I Done?, he called Blackadder's Christmas Carol his "least happy memory on the Adder", lamenting that about half of their script was altered in rehearsal.
This rare piece of comedy history offers a fascinating 'what if' for fans of the iconic series, which ran for four series and 24 episodes on BBC One between 1983 and 1989, followed by several specials.
