Dear John....

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.

When John Lacey (the wonderful Ralph Bates) finds a letter from his wife announcing she's leaving him, he signs up to a singles club to try to find the next 'someone special'.

John's adventures and the hilarious supporting characters (sex-mad Louise, played by Rachel Bell; medallion man Kirk, played by Peter Blake; weedy Ralph ('Rafe'), played by Peter Denyer; and flighty Kate, played by Belinda Lang), made this short series a must-watch, although it has only been given one re-run on the BBC since.

Ralph Bates played John as an vulnerable, accident-prone, bumbler who gets very little right in his life. His landlady Mrs Lemenski (Irene Prador) is a thorn in his side, and his son (played by Bates's real-life son) is at that difficult age where he's asking questions and up to all sorts. Watching all this is great fun and I prefer this comedy to others of John Sullivan's such as 'Only Fools and Horses'.

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.

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.

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!).