‘Only Fools and Horses’ enjoyed a once-in-a-generation kind of appeal to audiences, with its sweet, flawed working-class characters, fail-safe schemes and wafer-perfect comic timing, but the BBC will be hoping it can repeat the magic with a brand new sitcom.
The Radio Times reports that the BBC is developing a “working-class sitcom” called ‘Scaffs’, short for ‘Scaffolders’.
The show, written by Rhys Thomas who brought us the wonderful ‘Brian Pern’, is set in Essex, at Frinton-on-Sea, and is inspired by the experiences of Rhys’s own father, who lived on a caravan site for many years. Rhys is hoping to cast his two favourites actors, Christopher Eccleston and Michael Kitchen, who previously appeared in ‘Brian Pern’.
Rhys tells Radio Times: There aren’t many things that really represent working class life on telly. That’s why I want to do it.”
This will come as a boost for fans, following Sir David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst’s repeated affirmation that ‘Only Fools’ will never return, following the death of creator John Sullivan.
Sir David has returned, however, in the comedy ’Still Open All Hours’, the sequel to his classic show with Ronnie Barker from the 1970s and 80s. He has hinted that a fourth series will be filmed this year, but the BBC hasn’t confirmed.
Meanwhile, ‘White Gold’ is coming our way on BBC Two later this month, a new comedy from ‘Inbetweeners’ writer Damon Beesley, also set in Essex, about a bunch of double-glazing salesmen on the make. It stars Ed Westwick, Joe Thomas and James Buckley, and is similarly inspired by the antics of Damon Beesley’s own father.
