Dear John....

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.

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.

Alongside the over-rated and welcome-outstaying Only Fools & Horses, John Sullivan wrote this little beauty. It only ran for two years, in my early teens, but I remember it as if it were yesterday. Rewatching it on VHS recently has been such a treat.

Pathos. Bittersweet. These are some of the best words to describe the rather cynical and negative look at love that is presented here. Poor old John: living in a vile flat, paying for his ex-wife's nice house and the ex-wife's boyfriend's new car. Unfulfilled at work. Desperate for excitement. The "One 2 One Club" is a club for divorcées, singles and lonely-hearts, and the complex personalities who attend, week-in week-out, become the stars of the show. Some very understated performances and some startlingly heart-rending moments give Dear John a real element of ordinariness that OF&H lacks.

Louise's catchphrase, "were there any sexual problems?", as she leans in for a bit of gossip. Ralph's bizarre Polish ex-wife and his curious mode of transport. The OTT Kirk, who hides a truly shocking secret. The Ice Maiden "Frigid Brigid" (wonderfully played by Belinda Lang), whose determination to remain single raises many questions about why she attends the club. Mrs Arnott, who rarely says anything. The terribly cackling woman whose nerves always get the better of her. These people, mostly, seen very real: again something lacking in OF&H.

Best moment? When John is offered the chance to spend Christmas with his ex-wife. Something he has been dreaming of for weeks. Until Mrs Lemenski, the angry next-door neighbour, gives him a better offer. Marvellous stuff. Truly believable, and very much worth tracking down on VHS (it's out there somewhere!).

This was a great series. I just wish it would get repeated so I can enjoy it some more, now that I am older there may be some subtle stuff I missed first time round. As someone else commented about, it was a tragi-comedy, like a lot of the classics (Steptoe and Son as an example) and I think this is one of the keys to its success. I did like the episode where Kirk tries to take a leaf out of Johns book and take some of the heat for a party host with a bit of gas. I saw it was released on video, but decided to wait for the DVD.... still waiting. Although I recently found out there were ninety episodes, which seems a lot for a British comedy of that time. Of course if that is the case, then there was an awful lot of episodes that I missed.

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.