Since 1981, Only Fools and Horses has been as much a part of British culture as bad weather and fish and chips. With beloved characters injecting such phrases as Luvly jubbly and He who dares wins into the nations lexicon, the Trotter clans antics have transcended the sitcom.
We sat enthralled as Del Boy raised Rodney, as they suffered through the death of their beloved Grandad, as they found love and even became millionaires albeit only for a brief spell. Hell, after 22 years, we were still so interested in what the gang was up to that we even settled for watching Boycies escapades as he and Marlene ditched the city life and fled to the country in fear of the Driscoll brothers.
Youd therefore be forgiven for thinking that the BBC was doing little more than milking a lucrative cash cow by commissioning a prequel to the countrys greatest situation comedy. However the truth is that Rock & Chips is much more than a shameless cash-in its a long overdue peek at the familys history that Del has been banging on about since day one. Not only that, but it also explores Rodneys shocking heritage that was revealed in the last episode of the series.
Set in the 60s, Rock & Chips follows Joan Trotter as she juggles being a working mother with trying to keep her eccentric family fed, watered and in check. Stuck in a rut, shes looking for something to kick start her happiness when local gangster Freddie The Frog Robdall returns to town and sweeps her off her feet with promises to offer her a new life in the lap of luxury.
While some balked at the more dramatic direction the prequel took when it first aired, the truth is that Rock & Chips is everything it should have been. Its frequently funny, the production values are incredible, the original John Sullivan script is brimming with wit and charm and the cast are little short of superb thanks to being utterly respectful of their powerful roots.
Kelly Bright delivers a stunning performance as Del and Rodneys beautiful and charismatic mother, Joan. Creating a character so naturally likeable, shes everything Del warmly reminisced about and more. Conversely, its utterly refreshing to see Nicholas Lyndhurst playing an utter bastard as opposed to Britains favourite little brother. Still, lets be honest, its James Buckleys rendition of a teenage Del Boy that was always going to make or break it. Thankfully, the Inbetweeners star nails it. A far cry away from his best-known role as the potty-mouthed Jay, Buckleys wheeling, dealing teenage Trotter is bang on. A sweet kid whos looking to help his family and stand up for his mother, its abundantly clear that this is a character from which David Jasons Del could have easily evolved. The only real issue is that hes criminally underused. Elsewhere there are some hiccoughs. The teenage Boycie and Trigger arent up to much for instance and, in all honesty, it could do with a few more gags. But these are
minor grumbles that barely register when compared with the rest of this superb prequel.
As for the disc itself, theres nothing in the way of extras. Nevertheless, its still a fantastic title that any self-respecting fan of Only Fools and Horses fans just needs in their collection.
Overall Verdict: A welcome change of pace for the Trotter tribe that will hopefully be made into a full series. If not then Rock & Chips remains a superb feature length companion piece to the UKs best sitcom. Ace.
Special Features:
None
Reviewer: Jordan Brown