17
This Time Next Year
Posted by Paul on December 17, 2009
One of the so-called benefits of BT Vision is that you can get a load of TV shows on demand. And of course in the run-up to Christmas they have lined up a load of Christmas specials from over the years. The first bundle is 17 episodes of Only Fools and Horses.
Now I am a sucker for comedy, and this is a chance to re-evaluate the series that was such a huge hit but ended with a few dodgy episodes that have soured most peoples memories.
As they play in the background they evoke memories of childhood when the show and its specials were a thing to be anticipated and cherished. I distinctly remember watching the two part 1991 special when the family went to Miami at a schoolfriends house, there must have been a big video scheduling issue at our house, with two older brothers there was always a fight over something!
Of course the great beauty of John Sullivan’s sitcom, and the secret of most great British sitcoms, is the bringing to life of the dreamer who never succeeds but always keeps on trying. Del-boy’s “this time next year, we’ll be millionaires” was the basis of his dreams, when he succeeded the story should have ended.
As my son has just dribbled and wiggled past his first 5 months, this old sit-com has gotten me thinking. Now I have so much more responsibility, and so many more dreams, what do I want to be “this time next year”. Maybe it’s time for the sitcom to come to an end.
Luvvly Jubbly.
Let’s get it out of the way now – I am a sentimental kind of guy. Especially at Christmas. I get excited about the release of the Christmas edition of the Radio Times for goodness sake – it brings back memories of my younger self walking our first dog down the road to buy the Christmas Radio Times and the TV Times. No I didn’t just like to buy a number of magazines, those were the days when the RT only listed BBC stuff, and TT had the other channels – I am that old!