The Stage

TV review

Published Monday 1 February 2010 at 17:50 by Harry Venning

Not that Del Boy would have even been troubled by the absence of quality control, but Only Fools and Horses continued several series past its sell-by date and ended up a pale, and stale, imitation of its once great self. Writer John Sullivan then flogged the dead horse even further by giving the least interesting supporting character, Boycie, an ill-judged and mirth free spin-off, The Green, Green Grass.

So my expectations were suitably low as I approached Rock and Chips, a feature length Only Fools And Horses prequel set in 1960.

Guess what? It was terrific. Freed from the tyrannical demands of a studio audience, Sullivan was able to explore his characters in greater depth, fashioning a genuinely moving love story infused with poignancy and charm. The laughs may not have come as thick and fast as in Only Fools’ sitcom heyday, but the comic moments were of the highest quality and beautifully crafted into the narrative. For once the description comedy-drama was fully appropriate.

Sixteen year old Del Boy (James Buckley) and his Nags Head cronies were all present and correct, seen mounting the first rung on the entrepreneurial ladder by selling nylon fibre carpets that electrocuted anyone who set foot on them. However, the focus of the film fell upon Del’s mother Joan (Kellie Bright), and how she met Rodney’s father, career criminal Freddie “The Frog” Robdal. In a crowd-pleasing piece of casting, Nicholas Lyndhurst played Robdal and did a fine job of it, nicely capturing the conflicted emotions of a ruthless, self-serving, amoral ex-con bewildered by love.

The period setting was lovingly recreated, the performances top notch and the script - apart from a couple of instances where Sullivan needlessly spelt out the jokes - was first class. Lovely jubbly work, John. Now leave it alone.

Danny Dyer - I believe in Aliens (alternative title Danny Dyer - I Believe in Doing Any Job that I’m Offered) followed the actor/reporter/professional geezer around the UK and across the Atlantic in search of extraterrestrials. This is a bit of a change for Dyer, who is more used to interviewing unintelligent life forms on behalf of Bravo’s The Real Football Factories, but he rose to the challenge with a winning combination of enthusiasm and credulity. Danny really wanted to believe.

First stop, Sir Patrick Moore, whose reputation so intimidated Dyer that it prompted the concern, “He’s gonna frow me aht the ahs.” Far from being unwelcoming, the eminent astrologer was charming, open-minded and encouraging, even if he did leave the cricket on throughout.

Then it was off to chat with sundry crop circle experts, farmers with mysteriously decapitated sheep, alien abductees and the like. At the end of an hour the evidence for extraterrestrial life was inconclusive, and I’m not sure Dyer is real either, but it had been fun looking.

Charlie Brooker’s Newswipe came close to being made redundant by the earthquake in Haiti, a news story of such horrifyingly tragic proportions that even the reporting of it was almost beyond satire.

Brooker promised a review of the Haiti coverage next week, presumably to allow time for a considered and sensitive response.

Meanwhile, there was more than enough other rubbish on air to keep him busy, belligerent and brilliant. Highlight of a consistently amusing show was a parody outside broadcast constructed entirely from the visual cliches so beloved of television news reporting.

Rock and Chips, BBC1, Sunday, January 24, 9pm

Danny Dyer - I Believe in UFOs, BBC3, Tuesday, January 26, 9pm

Newswipe, BBC4, Thursday, January 28, 10pm