Rock & Chips videos are now appearing on Youtube from the BBC
Take a look at some of the episode and the latest interview from creator John Sullivan , hewrites…Rock & Chips is advertised as the prequel to Only Fools and Horses, but it’s much more than just a prequel. It’s an opportunity to solve many mysteries, bury some lies and put a few ghosts to rest.
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Rock & Chips, the Only Fools and Horses prequel, attracted 7.4 million viewers and a 28% share between 9pm and 10.30pm.
John Sullivan Continues…The first episode of OFAH (“Big Brother”) was transmitted on 8th September, 1981 and within the first two minutes Del had evoked their late mother’s memory to disarm Rodney. And captured there, in that little living room on the 12th floor of Nelson Mandela House, was the heart of the whole series which, although I wasn’t to know at the time, was set to run for the next 22 years.
Del, Rodney and Grandad, representing the three ages of man, lived there in a state of almost-happy guerilla warfare and yet the most important person in the flat was never, ever seen; it was the spirit of Del’s (and Rodney’s) beloved mother Joan who had passed away 17 years before, and throughout the run of the series Del constantly referred to her and past events within the Trotter Family.
But much of his historical information was at best contradictory, and at worse outright lies. We were left with a situation where the only person who really knew what had happened was an unreliable witness, so I decided to return to those misty days of 1960 to meet all those characters we’d only ever heard about: Joan’s husband (and Del’s father) Reg Trotter. Was he really as horrible as Del always described him? The younger Grandad, what was he like back then? And what part did the villain Freddy Robdal play in the Trotters’ lives?
We also get the chance to meet the teenage Del Boy, Boycie, Trigger, Denzil, Jumbo Mills, the already snidey Roy Slater, and Del’s “bestest” friend, Albie Littlewood. It was round about 1960 that the teenagers of Great Britain invented sex and Del and the gang are enthusiastic supporters of this wonderful innovation – they see it as the future – and try to introduce every girl in the area to the new fashion.
This back-story to the Trotter saga and all its ghosts has been locked away somewhere in my mind for the last couple of decades and I thought it was about time I released them all and gave them their time in the sun. So on Sunday 24th January at 9pm on BBC One I hope you’ll join them in 1960 and embark on a 50 year journey back to the truth.
Rock & Chips is written by John Sullivan, directed by Dewi Humphreysand produced by Gareth Gwenlan. The executive producers are John Sullivan (Shazam Productions) and Mark Freeland (BBC).
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It’s February 1960 in Orchard Street, Peckham, and the glamorous Joan Trotter is off to work at the Ritz Cinema, strutting down the road with her clickety-clack heels and swinging hips, drawing disdainful glances from her jealous neighbours.
Through a leafy country lane, a 1959 Jaguar Mark 9 races towards London with Freddie “The Frog” Robdal at the wheel, Gerald “Jelly” Kelly alongside.
And a young Del Boy sits with his mates Trigger, Boycie, Denzil and Jumbo Mills polishing off their half-pints of beer while Bobby Day’s Rockin’ Robin plays on the jukebox of the Nag’s Head.
Welcome to Rock & Chips, the bittersweet, feature-length comedy-drama from the pen of John Sullivan, starring Nicholas Lyndhurst,Kellie Bright and James Buckley.
Kellie Bright is Joan Trotter. Stuck in a loveless marriage to the workshy Reg (Shaun Dingwall), her only escape is the movies, working as an usherette at the Ritz Cinema and losing herself in the glamour of the black-and-white films on the silver screen.
Here she shares a joke with her friend Reenie and does her best to evade the “hands on” approach to uniform inspections from her manager, Mr Raynor (Robert Daws). Outside, life is hard as she holds down two jobs to feed her family including Reg’s dad (Phil Daniels), who has moved in with them.
Then Freddie (Nicholas Lyndhurst) arrives back in town, fresh from a stay at Her Majesty’s Pleasure. He soon spots Joan and starts to befriend the family, offering Reg work as a way to ingratiate himself. But he also has big plans which need paying for… despite his best intentions to stay on the straight and narrow!
Meanwhile, Del (James Buckley) is making use of his new friend Denzil’s dockyard connections, taking care of “damaged” stock that’s arrived from America. LPs, watches, clothes, and even some brand new carpet, Del can sell anything: “I guarantee you, one day I’m gonna be a millionaire,” he boldly claims.
This bittersweet love story sheds new light on the lives of South London’s most famous family, the Trotters.
I was (and still am)a huge fan of OFAH. I got turned on it when I lived in England. I am a Yank and we sadly never got OFAH here. I moved back to the states right before Rock and Chips aired on the BBC. I had heard about it and was excited to see it.
I finally was able to catch the series on You Tube. Unfortunately Episode 1 was missing the ending on there. I really enjoyed the episodes so much and did some research to see if there will be any more Rock and Chips on the BBC. I then came to find out John Sullivan had passed. I was greatly saddened by this news.
I know in the event of Mr. Sullivan’s death and the fact Rock and Chips did poorly in the ratings there wouldnt be any more episodes shot. I feel a bit cheated as I was hoping we would at least see this series play out to the deaths of Joan and Freddie. Not that this is a happy ending but ultimatately what I believe was John Sullivan’s vision for Rock and Chips as to basically give more insight into the life of Joan Trotter who was so idolized by his son and so present on OFAH that it would be sad not to see Rock and Chips through to the end.
I am hoping perhaps some colleagues of Mr. Sullivan would maybe feel fit to at least write or complete, if written, the scripts of what John Sullivan was working on for RandC before his death. I would just love to see some closure to this fascinating bit of Trotter history right to the end. Does anyone else agree???
sullivan has past r.i.p m8 rock & chip’s was so good i watch it like a movie i would love there 2 be more but only fool’s will not be the same with out him:(
top draw tv we must see more , please you know it make sence
John you have to make a series of this (if you hav’nt already!).
It was simply great the first one! Everyone has been waiting for this (even del boy!), Please continue the fantastic work, looking forward to it so so much
Rock and chips, fantastic, John Please please please do some more :-)
the bbc wont make more unless u contact thm
IF YOU ENJOYED ROCK & CHIPS – CALL THE BBC NOW
ON 0208 743 8000
the nutz ,class
IF YOU ENJOYED ROCK & CHIPS – CALL THE BBC NOW
ON 0208 743 8000
Wow more rock and chips now, make it a large portion.
Well Mr Sullivan, 1st the green green grass and now this. Brilliant! This was truely amazing and was facinating to see how all our fave fools characters were in the 60s. My Fave character is and always will be grandad, his one liners were so so funny and in the original too. Before seeing this I did have difficulty in seeing how John could turn it into a series, but after seeing his latest masterpeice I now know how he can extend it. Death of Joan, etc etc I am all for another series but obviously has to be more funnier but sure that wont be a problem so BBC let him make more rock and chips or else lol
I loved Rock and Chips last night and thought it would be rubbish but i love it. Like anything John Sullivan writes is good We need this to be a series and im sure John would love to write more but will the bbc actually air it. The era was good for the 60’s the acting was brilliant and a really good story line we would love to see What acvtually happens on Joans death bed lmao. I am really impressed and would love to see it as a series thumbs up John ur the best Nathan ofah till i die
It done exactly what people wanted & explained lots too..would love to see more from sir john o’sullivan..keep up the good work..and who knows ? this time next year we ‘l be millionares..you know it makes sense
I really enjoyed this show. Having been a fools fan for 25 years, i was a little apprehensive as to how rock and chips would turn out. But i needn’t have been, it ticked all the boxes for me!! i just loved the references to things we already know about the characters, eg, reg trotter singing to adam faith, aunt reenee, grandad complaining about the jockeys strike (he always enjoyed a bet). I would love to see more of rock and chips, especialy the scene of joan trotter (on her deathbed) telling del boy to ”send Rodney for the fish” ;-)
must do a new prequel series based on the success of last night! absolutely fantastic!
Waited for this for so long and it was definitely worth it! Lovely Jubbly!
@Lee – it certainly looks like a quality production
i am absolutely well excited about this piece of the puzzle, finally being placed in the hilarious series of “only fools”! It looks so so authentic to the era it was set in, well impressed! Although not intended to be a comedy itself, it naturally lends itself to laughter, with the genius, John Sullivan, behind it all the way. Bonjour!