Only Fools and Horses: BBC initially rejected John Sullivan’s sitcom ‘Didn’t want to know’

Only Fools and Horses was recently named the most loved BBC television series of all time. However, fans of the John Sullivan sitcom will be surprised to hear the extremely successful comedy was initially turned down by the broadcaster before going on to become one of the BBC’s most iconic shows.

Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter (played by Sir David Jason), Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst) and Grandad (Leonard Pearce) were introduced to the world in 1981.

Over 40 years later, the iconic comedy sitcom is still watched and loved by audiences all around the world.

But in Only Fools and Horses – The Official Inside Story, John explained the BBC weren’t initially interested in his idea for a new comedy.

After the success of John’s sitcom Citizen Smith, the writer found himself wondering what his next project would be.

The writer had an idea about a wheeler-dealer street market trader who dealt only in cash and would sell anything to anyone.

Only Fools and Horses: Del Boy, Rodney and Grandad were introduced to viewers in 1981 (Image: GETTY)

Only Fools and Horses: The BBC sitcom is one of Britain’s most-loved shows (Image: GETTY)

However, John knew the BBC wasn’t keen on the idea after pitching it a few years before.

He’d spoken to Corporation’s Head of Light Entertainment Jimmy Gilbert who had rejected the premise.

The writer explained: “I’d written a one-page treatment thing explaining the idea.”

“It was all about modern working-class London,” he continued.

“I was so sick to death of the kind of comedies I saw on telly which were almost always based in the forties or earlier with toffs and that sort of tugging the forelock ‘Gor bless you guv’ type of stuff which didn’t exist.

Only Fools and Horses: The BBC initially rejected John’s idea for Del Boy (Image: GETTY)

“Now we had a modern, vibrant, multi-racial, new slang London where a lot of working-class guys had suits and a bit of dosh in their pockets and that was a very different thing.”

“That’s what I wanted to write about,” John remarked.

“I would be a bit more aggressive and feature the pubs, clubs and tower blocks and even touch on the drug problem.

“Jimmy just looked at me for a while and he went away.

“I got a message back sometime later through someone else that the BBC didn’t want to go along that road and that was that.”

Luckily for BBC comedy fans Only Fools and Horses was later commissioned by the broadcaster.

The show was not a big hit when it aired in 1981 and the BBC considered cancelling it.

However, when seasons one and two were subsequently repeated, viewing figures began to rise.

In 2016, Only Fools and Horses topped a chart of the most-watched programmes in the 80-year history of British television.

“That’s what I wanted to write about,” John remarked.

“I would be a bit more aggressive and feature the pubs, clubs and tower blocks and even touch on the drug problem.

“Jimmy just looked at me for a while and he went away.

“I got a message back sometime later through someone else that the BBC didn’t want to go along that road and that was that.”

The episode titled Time on Our Hands was the final part of a Christmas trilogy and featured Del Boy and Rodney finally hitting the big time after auctioning an antique watch.

Three more episodes of the comedy appear in the top 20 including the other two episodes aired over the festive period, Heroes and Villains and Modern Men.

The following special If They Could See Us Now which aired five years later in 2001 also took a spot in the top 20.