Rock and Chips: I Was Wrong

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Mark

I’m sure there are many who read my “reviews” and feel I am too up myself when it comes to the art of television, if so then you will enjoy this entry. In a previous post I made much of the BBC commissioning a Only Fools and Horses prequel with Nicholas Lyndhurst, I felt it smacked of recycling and turning to the same old names and faces in a desperate attempt to remind people of something that used to be funny. I was wrong.

Rock and Chips was exceptionally good because it was 100% not what I thought it was going to be, and that was because I jumped to conclusions. I had avoided all press on it and as such missed two key points: 1) It was a one off 2) It was a one off Comedy/Drama. Set in 1960 the show focussed on Joan (Kellie Bright), Del and Rodney’s mother, and her life. Joan is doing her best to hold down two jobs to provide for her family, her husband is workshy and a bit brutish (by modern standards) and Granddad is his useless self. Her hard life is interrupted by the arrival of Freddie Robdal (Lyndhurst) a cultured ex-con who offers her a romantic escape. Del was played by James Buckley, of The Inbetweeners fame, and he did a good job of channelling Del rather than doing an impression but too be honest I was very impressed how the story was not really about him and that he featured just enough to set up Del and his friends without just drawing on every possible link to the future. The story was actually set up in an Only Fools and Horses episode but this was not about getting to the end points it was about watching the people involved get there. It was also funny but no so funny as seem out of place when it happened.

Lyndhurst really excelled as both an actor and comedian and I doubt I would have liked it half as much if he had not played the role. However the standout has to be Kellie Bright who has always been a favourite of mine because she seems always to look like she is not acting, that has to be one of the great advantages to being a good radio actress- you concentrate on the words and what they mean to your character, not what you are doing. This show was a great example for her acting ability as she was very natural all the way through and you came to really understand and like Joan. All things considered I am very happy to say I was wrong about this show.