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“Oh, Christmas!”: Forgotten Steptoe and Son script unearthed by University of York archivists

“Oh, Christmas!”: Forgotten Steptoe and Son script unearthed by University of York archivists

Posted on 24 December 2025

A piece of television history has been discovered in the archives of the University of York, shedding new light on the nation’s favourite rag-and-bone men.

Keeper of the Archives and Special Collections at the University of York, Gary Brannan, looks at the script.

Archivists at the Borthwick Institute for Archives have uncovered an unseen Steptoe and Son script intended for Christmas 1963. Written during the golden age of television, when the show regularly commanded audiences of over 28 million, the script offers a glimpse into a festive special that never made it to the screen – at least, not in the way originally intended.

Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson – the duo credited with inventing the British sitcom – the script was likely penned for the BBC’s Christmas Night with the Stars in 1963. The pair had successfully written for the 1962 edition, for which records show they were paid £52 10s (approximately £4,000 today).

Festive spirit

The storyline features the classic dynamic between the aspirational son, Harold, and his manipulative father, Albert. The sketch sees Harold trying to throw a lavish party for his trendy, upwardly mobile friends while dealing with Albert’s lack of festive spirit - but in the end, it all goes wrong as they both come down with a case of chicken pox on Christmas morning.

Gary Brannan, Keeper of the Archives and Special Collections at the University of York, describes the script as a capsule of British culture: “It’s very much all centred around the humour of being miserable at Christmas. It’s a very British thing to want to laugh at horrible people having a miserable time at Christmas and all the ingredients of the way Christmas is shaped by our national identity are there: The food, the rows, the moaning, unwanted gifts and dodgy decorations.”

The script features quintessential comedic misery, including Albert making punch in a chamber pot.

Recycled

However, despite the quality of the writing, there is no record of a contract for the 1963 script. Gary Brannan explains the likely reason for its abandonment: “I think the main reason they didn't proceed is that they had just performed a sketch at the Royal Variety Performance at the start of November and were about to begin recording the second series of Steptoe and Son in December. So, I guess there just wasn't enough time or availability to do it.”

While the 1963 production was shelved, the writers did not let the material go to waste. Parts of the storylines were eventually recycled and used for a Christmas special ten years later, in 1973. The episode sees Harold attempting to escape the festive family arguments by booking a solo trip to Majorca for the entire Christmas period. However, in true Steptoe fashion, his plans are thwarted when he is guilt-tripped into staying in Shepherd's Bush by his wily father.

Laughter at Christmas

“Luckily, this script saw the light of day eventually,” adds Brannan. “Its discovery shows we’re always enjoying comedy, laughter and entertainment at Christmas and a good idea never stops being a good idea, even 10 years later.”

Galton and Simpson, whose partnership began in a tuberculosis ward in 1948, went on to pioneer the genre that paved the way for classics like Only Fools and Horses and Fawlty Towers. This discovery at the University of York serves as a reminder of their enduring legacy and the timeless nature of a good family row at Christmas.