Ready, aim, bid for Blackadder scripts
Richard Curtis donates unique memorabilia for auction
Need a cunning plan for a Christmas present for the Blackadder fan in your life?
A rare, lost script called Blackadder in Bethlehem from an un-filmed Christmas special of the iconic comedy is up for auction, along with an original studio script with handwritten notes from the famous court martial episode of Blackadder Goes Forth: Corporal Punishment.
It’s the one featuring the fallout after Blackadder shoots and eats General Melchitt’s beloved carrier pigeon Speckled Jim - or, as Blackadder described him, a “delicious, plump-breasted pigeon”.
Curtis and co-writer Ben Elton wrote the un-broadcast Blackadder in Bethlehem in 1988 and it had Rowan Atkinson’s character as an innkeeper Mary and Joseph ask for a bed for the night. But the writers didn’t finish it as, according to Curtis in 2012, they thought it would “cause too much offence”.
Now you can own these unique pieces of TV history, with the money raised from the auction of the scripts going to children’s charity Theirworld.
According to Theirworld, which is being supported by leading media analysts Enders Analysis: “Your winning bid will not only secure these extraordinary items but also help support Theirworld, making a lasting impact beyond the screen.
“The scripts were donated to Theirworld by Richard Curtis himself in order to help with our fundraising efforts. All money raised from the winning bid will go directly to our work to give every child the best start in life, a safe place to learn and skills for the future. Even better the winning bid will be DOUBLED at no extra cost to you thanks to our generous match funder!”
The auction ends on 1 December and bids can be made here.