WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.
An Antiques Roadshow guest was in disbelief when he was told just how much is “thank you” work experience gift was really worth.
Filmed at Roundhay Park in Leeds, the popular series invited guests to showcase their unique items to experts, hoping to learn more about their history and potential worth.
Starting the evaluation, expert Clive Farahar remarked: “I can’t believe that I’m actually handling the original script from one of Dad’s Army’s programmes.
“This is all in handwriting. This is David Croft, presumably, who wrote it? Well tell me all about it.”
The guest explained: “Well I acquired it back in the mid 1990s. I had a work placement at the attached to the comedy department. Did the week with David Croft’s office.
“Wrote to David to thank him and afterwards he sent me that as a thank you.
“At the time, I was thinking maybe going into scriptwriting.”
Antiques Roadshow guest’s eyes bulge as ‘tremendous’ work experience gift worth a small fortune (Image: BBC)
An Antiques Roadshow guest brought in a handwritten original Dad’s Army script. (Image: BBC)
Examining the script for the episode Sergeant, Save My Boy, Farahar beamed, saying that it features “all [Croft’s] first thoughts”.
“This is quarrying at the coalface. This is where all the thoughts lie, where everything is tidied up, tremendous,” he said. “And he sends you a wonderful letter here, which you’ve also included.”
Reading the letter, the expert shared: “‘Thank you for your letter. I’m enclosing a script of a Dad’s Army programme.’
“‘Unfortunately, the first page is missing,” he noted, to which Farahar humourously responded: “Clumsy.”
Croft clarified that the script was for an episode aired a few weeks prior and was written in his “own bad handwriting”, prompting Farahar to chuckle: “Well I can’t read it.”
Croft’s letter further explained: “I can write better than this but in trying to keep up with my thoughts, legibility goes out of the window.”
Describing it as “absolutely wonderful”, Farahar examined the script more closely, thrilled to find the famous line “stupid boy” included.
The guest revealed that although he didn’t pursue screenwriting, he was inspired to work in television.
Antiques Roadshow expert Clive Farahar valued a Dad’s Army script for £5,000 to £10,000. (Image: BBC)
“These pieces of paper are probably terribly rare. I can’t imagine that there are anymore around really,” Farahar commented.
“These would all be typed up and all the actors would have a copy, they’d all make their own notes on it and that sort of thing.
“Whereas this, the original nugget from which the whole thing came, was just completely discarded.
“Give it to somebody who popped in for a week or so, work experience and all that sort of thing. This is amazing. Absolutely amazing.”
Wrapping up the evaluation, the expert admitted: “Well I suppose I’ve got to value it which is the most difficult thing, because I don’t think I’ve got anything to compare it with.
“I would say you have something between £5,000 and £10,000.”
The guest was visibly taken aback, pulling a face and his eyes widening as he exchanged glances with his companion on the show.
Farahar continued to explain: “Which sounds like a lot of money but when you think how rare these scripts can possibly be, this, which I think is the most golden piece of Dad’s Army, this is where the heart of Dad’s Army is. So congratulations.”
At a loss for words, the guest could only muster a stunned: “Wow.”
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on One and iPlayer.