BBC Confirm OFAH Return08 August 2001 The BBC today confirmed that Only Fools and Horses Writer, John Sullivan is currently working on a new script for the show. The Guardian reports the BBC plan to spend £1 million per episode on the new series which is hoped to be ready in time for Christmas. A BBC spokesman said: "We can confirm John Sullivan is working on a script for Only Fools and Horses. "All parties involved are keen to work on it." Kenneth MacDonald Dies at 50!08 August 2001 Actor Kenneth MacDonald, famous for playing Mike the landlord in BBC TV's Only Fools And Horses, has died aged 50. MacDonald died from a heart attack on Sunday whilst on holiday in Hawaii with his family. He had been taking a special family break to celebrate the birthdays of his wife and daughter. MacDonald was also a familiar face as Gunner Nobby Clark in another favourite BBC sitcom, It Ain't Half Hot Mum. In more recent years he also appeared in the Channel 4 soap Brookside. On hearing of MacDonald's death, Only Fools And Horses star David Jason said: "It is a terrible shock. "It is like losing a member of the family, because he was one of the warmest, kindest people that I have had the good fortune to meet in my career." MacDonald's family are making arrangements to return his body to the UK for a quiet family funeral next week. He leaves a wife, Sheila, and children Charlotte, 14, and William, 15. Residents Up In Arms07 August 2001 Residents of an upmarket city suburb are up in arms about the name of their street because they fear it makes people think of Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses. The majority of people in Trotter Haugh, a small development of new houses in Morningside, Edinburgh, have asked for the name to be changed. One resident, political researcher Peter Warren, 33, believed the street would be called Mortonhall Place because that was the working title used by the developers. He said: "When people hear the word Trotter, they think of Del Boy or pigs. "It is the combination of trotter and haugh which is impossible to convey across the phone apart from anything else. Mike Voted Runner-Up in New Poll01 August 2001 Nags Head landlord, Mike Fisher was runner-up to former Rovers Return Landlady, Bet Lynch in a survey by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). The survey, in which 1,000 people were questioned nationwide to see who their favourite TV landlord is, found that 17% of women voted for Bet Lynch, with 16% of men favouring Mike from Only Fools and Horses. Londoners voted for their fellow Londoners as their favourites, with Peggy Mitchell getting 10% and Mike from Only Fools and Horses with 14%. Lancashire people voted Manchester-based Coronation Street's Bet Lynch as their number one. JINGLE DELS!By Gary Bushal, The Sunday People, July 15, 2001 Only Fools And Horses is back for Xmas TV extravaganza BRITAIN'S favourite comedy Only Fools And Horses will be back for CHRISTMAS DAY - and that's pukka! John Sullivan, the genius who created our best-loved sitcom, last night confirmed that the Trotters will return in a brand new episode as the highlight of festive viewing on BBC1. Speaking from his holiday villa in Majorca, John told me: "I've got the story mapped out and now I'm working flat out on the script."We've got studio dates booked for November and all the gang are up for it - including David Jason." John had originally agreed to write three festive episodes of the hit show for Christmas - but abandoned the plan when BBC bosses FAILED to book Del-Boy star Jason, 61, in time. John said: "Luckily David has made room in his busy schedule to film one of the shows. "I'm still writing the other two episodes and they will be shown as specials in the New Year, possibly at Easter." The Christmas Day show will begin with the funeral of Uncle Albert. Much-loved Buster Merryfield, the actor who played the old salt, died aged 78 in 1999. Albert's funeral will bring Del and Rodney - played by Nicholas Lyndhurst, 39 - back to Peckham, but John said it will not be a gloomy affair. The news will delight the 24.3 million fans of the South London sitcom who tuned into the last trilogy of new Only Fools shows five years ago. In the final episode, on December 29, 1996, an antique timepiece discovered in Del's garage finally fulfilled the Trotter clan dream and made them "mullionaires". Actor Ken MacDonald who plays Nag's Head barman Mike told the Sunday People: "John Sullivan ended the show on such a high he vowed he wouldn't bring it back unless he could think of a storyline that was even more special. He has." Only Fools is so popular that repeats still make the Top 15 TV shows, and rate at No 2 in TV's Top Ten entertainment shows with viewing figures of 6.75million. Thousands of fans backed newspaper campaigns for a spin-off called Nag's Head featuring all the cast except the Trotters. Sullivan said that was a possibility but first he wanted to make a prequel show about Del and the gang - as young Mods set in the Peckham of the 1960s. Carry On Star Joan Sims Dies28 June 2001 Carry On star Joan Sims has died aged 71 after a lengthy illness. The star of more than 20 Carry On films had been ill for some months. Her most recent movie was the BBC TV film Last Of The Blonde Bombshells in which she starred with Dame Judi Dench. Other TV roles included the Only Fools and Horses 1987 Christmas Special The Frogs Legacy where she played Triggers Aunt Renee. Only Fools and Horses Wins Heritage Award17 June 2001 Stars and writers from the world of entertainment lined up in London for The Heritage Foundation Awards. The awards celebrate outstanding comedy achievements from television and radio alongside comedy performances and script writing groups. Sun newspaper readers and a panel of directors voted for comedy favourite Only Fools and Horses as Best Television Comedy Show. Fools and Horses stars too busy for comeback14 May 2001 Star David Jason told reporters at the BAFTA awards that the cast were too busy to return to the series. He said they had tried to sort out dates for filming, but had too many commitments. Creator John Sullivan has reportedly written three hour-long specials, based around the funeral of Uncle Albert. Ananova users vote Del Boy favourite TV character04 May 2001 Nearly half of Ananova users say Del Boy from Only Fools And Horses is their favourite TV character. While 44% voted for the wheeler-and-dealer played by David Jason, 29% voted or John Cleese's Basil Fawlty. Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous and Doctor Who were also popular favourites. This weekend Channel 4 will announce the winner of its 100 Greatest TV Characters poll. The four hour special on Saturday and Sunday will be hosted by Ardal O'Hamlon. Viewers voted for characters including Basil Fawlty, Victor Meldrew, Hilda Ogden and Ralf and Ted from The Fast Show Birth was like scene from show20 April 2001 David Jason says the birth of his daughter was like a scene from Only Fools and Horses. He said medical staff in the delivery room expected him to turn round and say "Oh, it's a little baby" in his Del Boy accent, like the moment Damien was born into the Trotter household. The 61-year-old, speaking on BBC1's Parkinson, became a father for the first time in February when partner Gill Hinchcliffe gave birth to Sophie Mae. Only Fools And Horses makes a comeback02 March 2001 Creator John Sullivan has written three hour-long specials, based around the funeral of Uncle Albert. Stars David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst are reportedly keen to return to the show. Sullivan told The Sun "We're on. All the studio dates have been pencilled in. The stars are up for it and I have the bones of the story in place." The episodes are expected to be screened at Christmas with BBC bosses hoping to match the 24 million viewing figure for the last Only Fools And Horses episode five years ago. The last show saw the Trotters become millionaires at last after finding an antique watch. Only Fools and Horses set for Christmas return17 February 2001 Only Fools And Horses is to return to TV screens with the first new episodes since a one-off Christmas special in 1996. Both David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst are believed to be free to start filming the comedy in the autumn. BBC bosses are thought to hoping the series will be finished in time for Christmas, although a spokesman declined to say when it will be aired. The Daily Mail reports that the BBC is hoping the show will help it to improve on last year's Christmas Ratings Del Boy beats Popstars in TV ratings15 January 2001 ITV's Popstars failed to win audience ratings on Saturday night. The new entertainment show was beaten by a repeat of Only Fools And Horses on BBC1, reports the Media Guardian. Popstars was watched by 6.7 million compared to Only Fools And Horses' 6.9 million, according to unofficial figures |
Click on a link to go directly to a news article Mike Voted Runner-Up in New Poll Only Fools and Horses Wins Heritage Award Fools and Horses stars too busy for comeback Ananova users vote Del Boy favourite TV character Birth was like scene from show Only Fools And Horses makes a comeback |