Wheeler-dealer to return to TV

Published on Friday 3 July 2009 22:20

DELBOY Trotter, the nation's favourite wheeler-dealer, is to return to television screens in a new comedy drama about his teenage years.

The BBC yesterday announced that it has commissioned the 90-minute show, Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips, which will focus on the escapades of the Trotter family in the 1960s.

As well as the young Derek Trotter, the show will include teenage versions of many of the familiar names from Only Fools and Horses, including Boycie, Trigger and Denzil.

Casting for the show is only just beginning, so the hunt is on to find an actor to play the young version of the Peckham trader.

The programme, written by Only Fools and Horses creator John Sullivan, is set in 1960, with Del aged just 16 – too young to be driving his legendary yellow Reliant Regal van.

"Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips will be set in the real 1960s, before the Beatles and Mary Quant made London the coolest place on the planet," Sullivan said.

"The drama will feature south London at its least glamorous, where money was scarce, the staple diet was rock salmon and chips, and the flicks offer the only hint of glamour. And it will give us a bit of an insight into why Del and Rodney turned out the way they did."

Much of the drama will focus on the relationships between Del's glamorous mother, Joan, his useless father, Reg, safe-cracker Freddie Robdal and Del.

Filming, which begins next month, will take place entirely on location in London, with transmission due some time next year.