RIP John Sullivan

[Guest]

Passed away earlier today, aged 64.

From an utterly selfless point of view, i hope the BBC show plenty of Fools re-runs, it's much better watching it without the ad breaks on Gold.

[wingco]

RIP John Sullivan

Oh, rotten news. Rock & Chips is broadcast this week too. Not really his finest work but OFAH in its prime deserved the highest praise it was heaped with.

[E10 Rifle]

RIP John Sullivan

Yeah it's easy to be snooty about OFAH these days, what with the endless Christmas reruns and what have you, but in its prime it was popular British comedy at its best. Like much good comedy, it was at its very best when its central characters were a bit sad and single.

RIP

[Sundeporino]

RIP John Sullivan

1. Sidney Poitier.
2. Their gonna name him Rodney... after Dave.
3. The Chandeliers.
4. Triggers Broom.
5. The Bar Flap.

[Arturo]

RIP John Sullivan

Sad news. Although his standards had slipped a bit lately, his success rate was pretty impressive (Just Good Friends, Citizen Smith, Dear John). At it's peak, 'Fools' was as good as any sitcom ever broadcast on British TV.

Time to watch some OFAH repeats methinks.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

RIP John Sullivan

The reason OFAH was so, so, popular was that it wasn't just slapstick two-dimensional comedy, but that it worked in some moments of such unbelievable pathos that you couldn't help but come to love the characters.

Rodney's wedding, where Del Boy takes the beating from the local hoodlums (and even that was "funny" in itself, as the most feared person in the whole of Peckham turns out to be played by Mike the small guy from The Young Ones) rather than give up the money he owes them in order to be able to pay for the do; and then Del, at the end of the party, stood alone at last among the disco lights as everyone has gone ... absolute, gold-plated, tear-jerking genius.

There were some episodes, too, that were just so cleverly plotted as to transcend funny. One that sticks out in my mind is where Del Boy agrees to "grass up" someone who's stolen something or other, so as to protect his family, to the bent copper, despite them pleading with him not to turn himself into a grass. After receiving written guarantees from the bent copper that no matter who Del names, he and his family will be immune from any further prosecution in relation to the matter, Del announces to the gleeful copper, "alright, I'll tell you who did the job ... it was me!".

Absolutely superb.

[Gerontophile]

RIP John Sullivan

I hated Only Fools, with a passion, but like other stuff, I can see why it was enamoured.

The chandelier was utterly hilarious, and my favourite, when the barkeeper lifted the ... 'keep em talking Trig' STILL has me in stitches after the 700th watch.

[erwin]

RIP John Sullivan

I'm with you, Gerontophile ... but in my case, it may be because I was out of the country when it was aired and came to it very late. So when I finally caught up with it, it felt a bit dated, and it always seemed like the actors were just trying too hard.

But having said that, a BBC director interviewed on telly a couple of days ago was saying how Sullivan worked his way up from office-boy, and his heartfelt respect and affection for the man seemed to reflect a good bloke. And 64 is no age.