Dear John....

A fantastic show from the late, great writer John Sullivan. Somewhat darker than "Only Fools and Horses", it still had the knack of popping up with the well scripted comedy situation.

By many standards, the show is far more basic then OFAH but I feel that it was also far better. I love OFAH and DJ has that sympathetic, endearing quality that is only touched upon in OFAH.

John is a recent divorcée who decides to meet new friends in the 1-2-1 club. Run by Louise whose interests seem more to do with digging up the dirt than allowing people to open up and share experiences.

Regulars include Kirk who tells tall stories and is full of swagger, dressed like a 1978 disco diva and brimming with confidence. The main question being, "Why is he at a singles club?" with such obvious confidence? Pretty Kate, who is self confessed frigid and gets mercilessly abused about it by Kirk (who secretly has the hots for her). Ralph who is the victim of a marriage for repatriation scam, which is obvious for all to see but himself, who he still holds a torch for. Also, Louise who is your typical middle class housewife type who wants to run the club for people to get their love lives on track but is far more interested in the juicy gossip their stories bring.

Although the show was a little slow in getting going, it warms up after a couple of episodes and we follow the life of John, whose wife has shacked up with John's best friend, has the house, car and custody of Toby while John lives in a one room flat.

In summary, 14 episodes of enjoyable sitcom. It doesn't feel like enough but, upon review, is just about right.

The late great John Sullivan was one of the finest comedy writers this country has ever produced, and whilst his other shows Fools and horse's and Just Good Friends get repeat airings this gem from the mid 80s hardly gets a look in. Which is a real shame as it's every bit as funny as those shows. Maybe the idea of a divorced and singles club isn't relevant today in a world of internet dating and Tinder. The characters are terrific each with there own individual relationship issue with Ralph Bates(John) the only sane one amongst them. Full of very funny set pieces and some great one liners from Sullivan Dear John is a minor classic which deserves more exposure.

Ralph Bates (Letters to an Unknown Lover) played John Lacey a divorcee who finds a support group for people who are also divorced. There is myriad of people with all kinds of emotional problems. They are so problematic and neurotic that sad things become funny in this comedy. I watched the show on occasion and found it funny on a silly side. They all came to this room and spilled out their problems and their responses and solutions to conflicts presented to others was the really funny part of the show.

John Sullivan was one of the best comedy writers that Britain has ever produced and while this sitcom doesn't get as fondly remembered as perhaps Just Good Friends or Only Fools and Horses it is a fine sitcom and produces more laughs per episode than anything on television today.

It has charm, it has genuine warmth and actors who play their roles to perfection with Ralph Bates being at the centre of this as the unlucky but nice John Lacey. Sullivan writes characters like the meek yet hilarious Ralph with such skill while making others like the ridiculous Kirk seem so real.

From catchphrases to a rich sense of pathos this show has it all and if you are a fan of John Sullivan's other works then this is one well worth searching for on DVD.

In my opinion, this is the best comedy John Sullivan wrote. The characters are superb, the cast are amazing talents and the jokes funny.

There are many repetitive jokes, especially by the character, Louise and also Kirk.

Peter Denyer plays the role of the 'loser' Ralph perfectly.

The two episodes Kevin Lloyd is in at the start of Series 2 are probably the two funniest.

Although it is a serious subject of marital breakdown, John Sullivan has managed to pitch this perfectly.

It is well worth a watch.