Rock & Chips

I can take or leave 'Only Fools', bit too slapstick for me - the canned laughter, the crammed-in gags - but I like it enough to check this out. What I saw was a pleasant surprise.

If you want 'Only Fools', approach carefully. Yes, this is comedy, but much more a 'family drama' than 'Only Fools' ever was. R&C wants you to invest in the characters - Del and Rodney's parents, grandparents, Del himself, and Lyndhurst - 'Only Fools'' Rodney - pulling off a surprisingly convincing suave yet thuggish criminal - and by the end you feel more for them than you can from watching 'Only Fools' in its entirety. It is, dare I say it, more intelligent fare than 'Only Fools' and benefits from it.

Indeed, R&C may have profited from having no connection with 'Only Fools' at all. Knowledge of subsequent events constrains R&C in plot development, so much of what's to come we can surmise from our knowledge of 'Only Fools', stripping R&C of some potential tension. Moreover, 'Only Fools' fans tuning in to this as a prequel may find themselves disappointed while others, perhaps not great fans of 'Only Fools', may miss out on a treat for the association.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

John Sullivan managed to keep the Only Fools and Horses legend running for nearly twenty five years, and delivered something that is undoubtedly a true British institution that grew so it couldn't be constrained by the mere format of a TV show. Although it had undoubtedly been stretched as far as it could go by the time the last feature length special was shown in 2003, there was something in the sub-conscious of each fan, that could easily take on knowing, something even just a little bit more about the characters, so durable in the memory were they. The easiest, but probably the most effective thing to do, would be to re-trace the story of Del's early life, before becoming the character we stuck with for so many years.

And so we are taken to Peckham in the 1960s, where the mystical Joan Trotter (Kellie Bright) lives in a run-down street with her thoughtless, abusive pig of a husband Reg (Shaun Dingwell) and the young Del boy (James Buckley.) She ekes by a living as a cinema usherette, having to put up with her pervy boss and the thought of never escaping this run down life...until a chance encounter with recently released con Freddie Robdal (Nicolas Lyndhurst) comes by, setting the course of her life and the lives of those closest to her on a rickety collision course that will change everything forever.

The shiny, camcorder like lens that it's filmed in gives it a cheap look that detracts from it a bit, but this is something you just learn to overlook. The Inbetweeners's Buckley is an inspired choice as the young Del Boy, as well as Daniels as a younger version of Leonard Pearce's Grandad. Lyndhurst is quite a subversive choice to play Robdal, but given who we later learned who he was in relation to Rodney, who better? What's disappointing is the under developed younger side characters in the shape of Del's mates, including Boycie, Denzel, Trigger, Slater et al...which could have been quite interesting.

Played more for drama than for laughs, this has a reputation that precedes it and so makes it even more affectionate for long time fans. Doesn't quite deliver in every way, but not a bad effort for something that was always going to come along eventually. ***

Rock and chips will always in my mind be a shining example of what could of been if John Sullivan hadn't been taken from us to soon. Great glimpse into the earlier Trotter family capers only a limited run but you've got to take what you're given in these cases It just leaves you sadly wanting more

As others say this was an enjoyable prequel to Only Fools with a good amount of early stuff mentioned in OFAH explained. It was well cast throughout and the period detail was a good attempt! The "errors" included the tone of 1960 being very rose-tinted. Denzil for a start had a 70s afro & his manner in 1960 would have been much less loud due to how life was & the limited views of the day. The other black guy however, looking very like Muddy Waters the blues legend, was spot on.

The incessant music & record references were a bit OTT, ooh we got the original record! You could see they had no-centre ex-jukebox records & reproduction London sleeves! The music chosen was certainly the pick of the era all USA artists even though many happily listened to UK pop like Max Bygraves & other MOR artists.

The purple pill popping was wrongly called "drugs" which is not even how we spoke of such in the 80s. Slater dancing stoned saying he was like a "rock star" was foolish, such a term not used until well into the 70s.

The "intense" cinema manager was a bit out of place perhaps, it appeared to be an attempt to appeal to today's TV crowd, although it ended up hilarious & the final joke subtle enough to only be understood by those old enough, which is a nice bit of writing. The Coffee joke was nice too in typical OFAH style.

Kellie Bright & James Buckley were perfect castings. Nicholas Lyndhurst was the obvious choice for Freddy, but he wasn't consistent & ended up more like Gary from 'Goodnight Sweetheart' simply as NL is known as a nice guy.

The title itself 'Rock & Chips' was a bit feeble after the working title & only a mention of it eating such on the bus.

Overall certainly the best show of the year so far & not to continue with it would be a shame, although having covered all the story we knew about having watched OFAH anything further would need some strong writing to keep the quality. One of those shows guaranteed to please those familiar with OFAH & being over 30 but it may just confuse those younger without the show knowledge.

This seems to be the BBC motto as they frantically try and drag another success out of the Only Fools and Horses hat. They've tried a spin off so why not try a prequel.Luckily for them they have struck gold.

John Sullivan has created a warm and funny comedy drama that captures the love story of Del Boy's mum and Freddie the frog that was touched upon in Only Fools. It has iconic music in it throughout and some wonderful moments that prove that Sullivan is still at the top of his game.

Kelly Bright is good as Joan and Nicholas Lyndhurst makes a passable villain as Freddy the Frog. Much was said about James Buckley taking on the iconic role of Del Boy but to be honest he doesn't really have a lot to do and it's the Joan and Freddie love story that carries the piece.

Sure it may not have been what everyone expected but at the end of the day everyone loves the trotters and this drama only makes us love them more.