Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Update – 14 January 2010: since this press release was posted on 3 July 2009 the title of the programme has been changed to Rock & Chips.

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Filming is commencing on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One's Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips (working title), the new comedy drama which focuses on the early years of South London's most famous family, The Trotters, with Nicholas Lyndhurst returning to Peckham to play "art connoisseur" Freddie "The Frog" Robdal and Inbetweeners star James Buckley stepping into the teenage shoes (Sixties winkle-pickers) of the nation's favourite wheeler-dealer Del Boy Trotter.

Also joining the cast are Kellie Bright (Kinky Boots, Bad Girls, Jericho) as Del Boy's glamorous (certain neighbours might say "tarty") mother Joan Trotter and Shaun Dingwall (Soldier Soldier, Above Suspicion, Dr Who) as her work-shy husband Reg Trotter. Phil Daniels (Outlaws, The Long Firm) appears as Del's granddad, Ted Trotter and Robert Dawes (The Royal, Roger Roger) features as Joan's boss, the sleezy Mr Raynor.

Writer John Sullivan says: "Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips hurtles us into the rough and unglamorous world of London in 1960 to discover the circumstances that led to Del and Rodney Trotter turning out the way they did.

"Nick Lyndhurst is a comedy genius and I can't think of anyone better suited to bring the shady but charming Freddie Robdal to life and James Buckley has a tough act to follow but is sure to do for leather bomber jackets and winkle-pickers what David Jason did for camel-haired coats and cocktail umbrellas!"

Shooting entirely in London from 5 October, Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips picks up the Trotter story in 1960 as Peckham's answer to Brigitte Bardot, Joan Trotter, is not-so-happily married with bone-idle Reg and her teenage son, Derek.

But the reappearance of "art connoisseur" Freddie "The Frog" Robdal, fresh from a 10-year stay as a guest of Her Majesty, is set to ruffle some feathers in the Trotter household.

Centering on the relationships between Joan, Reg, safe-cracker Freddie and teenage Del, the comedy drama will also feature the teenage versions of Only Fools And Horses faves Boycie, Trigger, Denzil and Roy Slater.

Mark Freeland, Head of Comedy at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, says: "It's nearly 30 years since Only Fools And Horses first hit our screens and we've taken great care to pull together a mixture of exciting new faces and highly experienced talent to do justice to a fantastically popular and iconic series and bring this bittersweet new chapter of the Trotter story to life."

Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips is written by Only Fools And Horses creator John Sullivan, will be produced by Gareth Gwenlan, directed by Dewi Humphreys and executive produced by Mark Freeland for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Comedy.

A co-production between In House Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Comedy and John Sullivan's production company Shazam Productions, Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips was commissioned by Jay Hunt, Controller, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One and Lucy Lumsden, former Controller, Comedy Commissioning.

FW