Rock & Chips

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. ***

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.

Don't go into it thinking it's the same as Only Fools and Horses, because you'll be disappointed, and miss a great series. All the locations were appropriate for the time it's set. The characters are all well played, and none of them feel out place. The story is great, and the drama and jokes are both well timed.

Rock and Chips is an intriguing show and provides further insight to Del Boy's up bringing as often referenced in OFAH.

The three episodes are set in the 1950s and feature a young Del Boy and his mates, including Boycie, Trigger, Denzil and even Roy Slater. There is even appearances of other school friends that were never seen in OFAH. The cast are brilliant playing each role and you can clearly see they are each playing to the mannerisms of each character introduced by the actors in OFAH.

The story however mainly focuses on Del and Rodney's Mum Joan Trotter, her relationship with Del's Dad and the affair she had with Freddie the Frog played fantastically by Nicholas Lyndhurst.

The series looks great, but if you are after comedy there isn't too much to be found. This is a 'period' drama first with some light humor here and there.

The show is well written and provides an interesting insight to the history of the characters we love in OFAH and the characters we have heard of.

I prefer the second 2 episodes to the first which I found too long. There seemed to be more humor in the later two.

It's a shame the series was never completed due to John Sullivan's untimely death and as a result we only have part of the story leading up to Only Fools and Horses. I understand we were going to see the death of Joan Trotter and also Freddy the Frog, resulting in Del and baby Rodney living with Grandad.

Worth a watch for OFAH devotees but not essential viewing. Out of the spin offs I prefer The Green Green Grass which was a true continuation of the sitcom format.

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