Early Years
So who is John Sullivan? Born in London in 1946 and grew up in the South London district of Balham. John Sullivan was an intellectually gifted boy who nonetheless wasn’t too interested in the academic side of things. At school he remembers an English teacher being the turning point of his English lessons. He recalls, “Mr Trowers made the books come alive.” Apperently the teacher gave character and voice to his readings. Certainly the strength of characters comes to the fore in John Sullivans Only Fools and Horses scripts. Always certain of his own creativity, he left school at 15 to focus on his ambition to be a professional writer.
John Sullivan - Writer of New Prequel
John Sullivan’s Breakthrough
After many years John had a breakthrough where he managed to get work as a scenery shifter and handyman in the props department at the BBC.
While at the BBc John managed to persuade Denis Main Wilson to allow himw to write a comedy scipt. Eventually Wilson agreed for John to go away and write a pilot episode. John took two weeks’ leave and went to his In-laws home in Crystal Palace where he wrote the first episode of Citizen Smith.
The next chapter in John Sullivans life was made during a meeting with Ray Butt. Sullivan had an idea for a comedy about a South London street trader, a wheeler-dealer. Ray Butt thought it was a great idea. A few weeks after his conversation with Ray Butt, John delivered a draft script to his office for a pilot that was called Readies. Ray Butt took the script to Head of Comedy, John Howard Davis, and within weeks a full series was given the green light. John then dropped the working title of Readies and replaced it with Only Fools and Horses, because he felt that it summed up the character of Derek Trotter, whose philosophy in life was reflected in the saying that “only fools and horses work”. The legendary sit-com was born.
Other scripts from John Sullivan include Just Good Friends. John also wrote a two part comedy drama set during the Second World War called Over Here. Late 1990s John wrote Roger, Roger. This was set around a mini-cab firm and Heartburn Hotel.
Spin-offs
Due to the success of Only Fools and Horses, Spin-off series have also been in the making. Boycie & Marlene in The Green Green Grass and most recent “Rock n Chips”
What makes John Sullivan so respected is the quality from one man as ooposed to the American sitcoms that are written by big teams of writers, John Sullivan single-handedly wrote every single episode of Britain’s best-loved sitcom – Only Fools and Horses, now that is some acheivement and understandably he was recognised for this, with recent name change to John Sullivan OBE
John if u happen to read this or someone, i have been an avid fan since the start of only fools, have all the dvds im nearly word perfect on some!
I would like the theme tune to take me into & out of church at my funeral, morbid i know, but what an entrance & exit!!,
& i cant think of any thing else i would want. so help me plz
RESPECT!!!!!
John Sullivan, bless him! All of humanity owe him so much. A long and happy life to him! Gotta get his autograph…