The much-loved BBC comedy Goodnight Sweetheart, starring Only Fools and Horses legend Nicholas Lyndhurst, is reportedly set to return after a decade away from screens.
Originally airing on BBC One between 1993 and 1999, Goodnight Sweetheart followed the life of accidental time traveler Gary Sparrow, played by Lyndhurst. Using a mysterious time portal, Gary lives a double life—one with his wife Yvonne in 1990s London and another with barmaid Phoebe in 1940s London during World War II.
After a successful one-off special in 2016 titled Many Happy Returns, which garnered nearly five million viewers, the co-creators of the series, Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, have hinted that the show could return for another special to conclude the story—if the right offer comes their way.
Laurence Marks told The Sun: “If the BBC asked us to do another one-off, and we called Nic and the girls, they would probably say yes. But they’d want to make sure they are playing the ages they are now. We would only do it if we had our cast back.”
Maurice Gran added that with the right funding, a return could definitely happen: “If someone found a few million quid to fund it, we could make it.”
Excitingly, the writers have already written the final episode of the show in novel form, with Goodnight Sweetheart: Many Happy Returns set to be released in May. The novel takes place just before the events of the 2016 special, which is set in the spring of 1962—during Marilyn Monroe’s performance at President Kennedy’s birthday party. This special twist plays into Gary’s past with Phoebe, where he told her that his lost love in Los Angeles was Marilyn Monroe herself.
Marks and Gran, who are also behind The New Statesman and Birds of a Feather, previously brought the show back in 2016 for the BBC’s Landmark Sitcom Season, celebrating 60 years of comedy. However, a full series revival was not pursued by the BBC, much to the writers’ frustration.
As for Nicholas Lyndhurst, his role as Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses remains his most iconic, though he also played Rodney’s father, Freddie ‘The Frog’ Robdal, in the prequel series Rock and Chips between 2010 and 2011.
Meanwhile, Gwyneth Strong, who played Rodney’s wife, Cassandra, alongside Tessa Peake-Jones (Raquel), has revealed that she’s working on a new TV project that will reunite her with Tessa. Strong teased that the show would reflect their long-time friendship, with elements of their real-life experiences woven into the story.
Fans of Goodnight Sweetheart and Only Fools and Horses may have much to look forward to in the coming years as these iconic shows seem set to bring more surprises.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
