‘Lovely jubbly’ - This is a timely and affectionate tribute to one of Britain’s most popular and enduring comedies and its creator John Sullivan. 30 years on Only Fools and Horses is still being shown around the globe and has even spawned new words in the Oxford English Dictionary. Long live Hooky Street.

Synopsis

In September 1981, BBC One screened the pilot episode of a British sitcom set in a high-rise block of council flats in Peckham, south London - 9 million people tuned in. 15 years, seven series and over 60 episodes later, 24.3 million people watched the final instalment of Only Fools and Horses - over a third of the British population, and the largest audience for a sitcom ever recorded. In the 30 years since viewers first visited Nelson Mandela House, Only Fools and Horses has won countless awards and is still Britain's most-watched and best-loved sitcom. Del Boy's overwhelming popularity has even inspired the Oxford English Dictionary to include a selection of his most famous words and phrases - 'lovely jubbly' and 'twonk' are now found within its pages. In this fascinating, entertaining and meticulously researched book, acclaimed biographer Graham McCann goes behind the scenes to tell the inside story of Britain's most enduring comedy. With major contributions from the people who wrote, produced and starred in the programme and material drawn from the BBC archives, it's time to take one last trip down Hooky Street ...

Reviews

'What is not to love about this book? It is meticulous, exact, intelligent, affectionate and somehow inspirational. McCann, who has written on Cary Grant and Morecombe & Wise, has delivered his best one yet.' - Guardian on Dad's Army

About the Author

Graham McCann is the most trusted and admired entertainment writer working in the UK today. He is the critically acclaimed and best-selling author of books on Dad's Army, Fawlty Towers, Frankie Howerd, Cary Grant, Spike Milligan, Terry-Thomas, Woody Allen, John Le Mesurier, Morecambe and Wise, and Marilyn Monroe. He also writes regularly on politics and culture for a wide range of publications. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation