James Buckley: Another Rock and Chips was planned

10 January 2023

Another episode of 'Only Fools and Horses' prequel 'Rock and Chips' was planned before John Sullivan's death.

James Buckley starred as a young Del Boy in Rock and Chips

James Buckley, who portrayed a young Del Boy Trotter in the mini-series - which ran for three episodes from 2010 to 2011 - has told how late screenwriter John, who passed away in 2011 aged 64, wanted to pen another ep to "tie everything together".

He is quoted by The Sun newspaper's TV Biz column as saying: "John was really keen to write one more to tie everything together between the prequel and Only Fools.

"Sadly, John died just before the third episode of 'Rock and Chips' came out."

Sir David Jason played Del Boy in 'Only Fools' opposite Nicholas Lyndhurst as the market trader's soppy younger brother Rodney Trotter.

Nicholas starred in 'Rock and Chips' as Rodney's biological father Freddie "The Frog" Robdal, but he has previously ruled out there ever being more 'Only Fools' made following John's death.

Speaking in 2017, he said: "We can't do 'Fools and Horses' again as the writers are not there. It will never happen. It ended on a high."

'Only Fools' came to an end on Christmas Day 2003 with feature-length episode 'Sleepless in Peckham', and the show's creator John passed away eight years later.

David recently admitted he can't see another episode ever being made because John is the "only person" he would "trust" with the script, but he recalled the pair once turning down the chance to make an 'Only Fools' movie.

He said: "I think the company that wanted us to make that film was the same that made the Carry On films. They were very popular and I suppose quite successful. But John and I were not that impressed because they were made quite cheaply.

"Although they were successful and funny, they didn’t look like they were made in Hollywood, did they?

"So we turned it down. And that was the only time we ever considered doing that. It wasn’t given the ideology that it would have some class about it, let me put it that way."