Rock 'n' Chips - Only Fools and Horses Prequel
Only_You
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Comedy Production and Shazam Productions have been commissioned by BBC One to make a new 90-minute comedy drama which focuses on the earlier years of Peckham's most famous family, the Trotters, it was announced today.
It's 1960 and Peckham's answer to Brigitte Bardot, Joan Trotter, is not-so-happily ensconced with the work-shy, Reg Trotter and her teenage son, Derek. But the reappearance of "art connoisseur" Freddie Rodbal, fresh from a 10-year stay as a guest of Her Majesty, is set to ruffle some feathers in the Trotter household.
Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips is written by Only Fools And Horses creator John Sullivan, will be produced by Gareth Gwenlan and executive produced by Mark Freeland for BBC Comedy.
Mark Freeland, Head of Comedy at the BBC, says: "'Once upon a time in Peckham...' How incredibly tantalising. Nearly 30 years since Only Fools And Horses hit our screens, now we'll have the chance to see the vivid, bittersweet drama that underpinned the iconic series."
A co-production between in-house BBC Comedy and John Sullivan's production company Shazam Productions, Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips will start shooting, entirely on location in London, in August, for transmission next year.
The comedy drama will centre on the relationships between the glamorous (certain neighbours might say "tarty") Joan Trotter, Del-boy's useless father Reg, the safe-cracker, Freddie Robdal and the young Del-boy himself.
And there will be a chance to see the teenage incarnations of some familiar faces including Boycie, Trigger, Denzil and Jumbo Mills.
The Trotter family haven't yet moved into their flat in Nelson Mandela House, but there'll be some recognisable settings such as the mean streets of Peckham and the Nag’s Head circa 1960.
Writer John Sullivan says: "Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips will be set in the real Sixties, before The Beatles and Mary Quant made London the coolest place on the planet."
"The drama will feature South London at its least glamorous, where money was scarce, the staple diet was rock salmon and chips, and the flicks offer the only hint of glamour. And it will give us a bit of an insight into why Del and Rodney turned out they way they did."
Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips is a co-production between Shazam Productions and BBC Comedy and was commissioned by Jay Hunt, Controller, BBC One and Lucy Lumsden, former Controller, Comedy Commissioning.
This sounds great!
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Comments
I have 5 words for you
First of the Summer Wine
I feel that some things, like Del & Rodney's mum (who of course said so many things on her death bed!) are best left off-screen and to the imagination.
It might be good, and I'm sure I'll watch, but I'm sceptical.
(Sarcasm mode off.)
Why do we need a prequel? Annoyingly, all the people will tune in because "Oh look, it's Del and Rodney, dear!" and the viewers will soon disappear. That's what I predict anyway.
Only Fools and Horses will always be a hard act to follow. Any other incarnation will just smack of riding on the coattails.
It was words that were acceptable at the time. Del used two words to describe certain people but they were never used in a racist sense and that time people did pop down to the **** shop or to the word that is apparently not longer acceptable to describe a chinese take away.
That's my point- they weren't acceptable to the viewing public even in 1980. I remember being shocked. Words like P**i have never been acceptable in my lifetime and I'm almost 40. Johnnie Speight wanted to make Alf Garnett out to be be a racist bigot. I don't think that was John Sullivan's intention to make Del and Rodney like that at all. I've always found John Sullivan a generation or two out of touch.
I quite like it!
I wouldnt have said those words shocked many in 1980. I was only 2 in 1980 so i dont know but i remeber watching repeats on the bbc and it wasnt bleeped out or cut, im guessing that was mid to late 80s.
It was only when uk gold got the scissors out as they do with everything that the words were cut.
terrible writing
1) It's very difficult to find good child actors and it is near impossible to imagine anybody else as Del Boy.
2) If the recent episodes of OF&H and most episodes of Green Green Grass are anything to go by,John Sullivan lost his touch years ago.
A better idea was the prequel/spinoff series about Freddy Robdal starring Nicholas Lyndhurst.At least that didn't have the task of trying to endear the public to a new Del Boy.On second thoughts,they might as well just make another episode of Only Fools for Xmas.
Seconded.
I think its going to be very good and i ask the menber of this forum and the press to give it a chance.
I refer my learned friend to the O.F.A.H Episode "A Royal Flush" where Sullivan changed Del Trotter's persona, but changed his mind on completion of said episode and had it re-edited
yes i do take your point on board and it is a good one.