Blackadder's Christmas Carol

Blackadder's Christmas Carol is a 1988 episode of the British historical comedy television series Blackadder, created by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis. The episode serves as a parody of Charles Dickens' famous novella, A Christmas Carol. It tells the story of Ebenezer Blackadder, a benevolent miser who is visited by a mysterious and genial spirit on Christmas Eve. The spirit shows Ebenezer visions of his unscrupulous ancestors, who lived in the Elizabethan era. The episode begins with Ebenezer Blackadder, played by Rowan Atkinson, enjoying Christmas with his family in Victorian England. However, Ebenezer's joy is short-lived, as he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, played by Jim Broadbent, a mysterious and gentle spirit who takes him back in time to the Elizabethan era. In the past, the spirit shows Ebenezer that his great-grandfather Baldrick-like ancestor, Lord Percy Blackadder, is a cunning and ruthless opportunist who has made a fortune by exploiting the English people. Ebenezer witnesses his ancestor's brutal treatment of his servants, including his valet, which shocks him into becoming disillusioned with his own generous ways. However, his disillusionment takes a different turn when he witnesses the execution of Sir Walter Raleigh. Lord Blackadder is executed by King James I, who becomes obsessed with his executioner, who is Sir Walter's friend. As he observes his ancestor's execution, the spirit appears to Ebenezer once more and reminds him that he must learn a lesson from this event. Ebenezer begins to rationalize with the thought that this event teaches his unscrupulous and manipulative side. The spirit takes Ebenezer to the Ghost of Christmas Present, played by Brian Blessed, who serves as a physical representation of Christmas past, present, and future. The Ghost of Christmas Present is a robust and boisterous spirit who reveals to Ebenezer that his ancestors lived even more devious and selfish lives than he had initially realized. In a comedic twist, Ebenezer becomes increasingly disillusioned with his generous nature, embracing the ruthless side of his ancestors. He becomes cold-blooded, calculating, and manipulative, making decisions based on profit rather than people. The spirit is disheartened to discover that instead of learning and changing his ways, Ebenezer has become exactly like his unscrupulous ancestors. As he witnesses visions of his ancestors, including his forefather, the Blackadder family's history becomes more disturbing and dark, as each Blackadder is shown exploiting his time period. With each episode, we are shown how they take advantage of people to further their own interests, making Ebenezer a ruthless individual. In the final scenes of the episode, Ebenezer's transformation is complete, and he is a man changed, cold-hearted, and ruthless. As the Christmas bells chime, Ebenezer Blackadder, now embracing his ancestor's dark nature, returns to his own time. However, instead of returning as a changed individual, Ebenezer finds himself struggling to maintain this new persona, as the spirit reminds him that this is not a new lesson, but an old lesson that has haunted the Blackadder family for generations. In the end, Ebenezer realizes the gravity of his family's dark past, and he resolves to mend his generous ways, returning to his original self. However, this is a twist on the original A Christmas Carol tale as instead of a changed individual, Ebenezer now has a deeper understanding of his family's dark past and the Blackadder family's history. The episode ends with the spirits appearing once more, reminding Ebenezer of the lesson he has learned, that he and his ancestors are flawed individuals, and by confronting the dark past, he is able to reconcile with his original personality, but with a wiser perspective on his family's history and his own place in it.