Two New Specials with Sir David Jason come to Gold

Two new retrospective specials featuring Sir David Jason are set to arrive at Gold in honour of the channel?s 25th Birthday celebrations.

Sir David Jason

Two new retrospective specials featuring Sir David Jason are set to arrive at Gold in honour of the channel's 25th Birthday celebrations.

David Jason: My Life on Screen is a tribute to one of the nation's best love comedy actors and will features some of his most iconic starring roles, from Shiver to Only Fools and Horses.

For the first time, Sir David Jason will look back at his incredible life in television in this exclusive three part special. This revealing, highly personal insight into the life and career of the actor, who has become a national treasure, will be told in his own words.

"As my life on screen has now gathered variety and quantity, I am hoping that I can offer a documentary which gives the audience an accurate range of my work. Fingers crossed, it should make for an enjoyable programme to reflect the enjoyment I've had in making each and every show," he said.

Sir David will talk about the comedy stars who inspired him, including the pivotal role his friend and mentor Ronnie Barker played in his career. He'll recall his first big television break, working alongside future Monty Python stars Michael Palin and Eric Idle on the comedy sketch show Do Not Adjust Your Set.

Sir David Jason will also treat viewers to a tour of his childhood roots in Finchley and the theatres where he first trod the boards. Plus visits to the locations of some of his most well-known shows including, Only Fools & Horses, The Darling Buds of May and A Touch of Frost.

In addition to this show, a new special series, The Story of Only Fools & Horses will also be arriving to Gold.

The Story if Only Fools & Horses is the definitive story of Britain's best-loved TV family. This five-part series features rare and unseen footage from the Trotter archives and specially re-created moments from Del Boy's family and friends.

Sir David Jason and other members of this tight-knit crew analyse their favourite sequences, experiences and memories, giving viewers unprecedented access to John Sullivan's Peckham-based masterpiece. Plus an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how certain scenes arose and how stories developed to create those well-loved comedy moments.

"It has taken a lot of persuasion for me to take part in an official documentary about Only Fools & Horses," says Sir David.

"But, as time has gone on, it seems to have been imprinted in television history and I thought it was only right that I tried to give an accurate insight into how the show was put together. In doing so, I hope we can create a definitive programme which appeals to the many fans which have been the stalwarts of the show and are growing with the next generation. It should be fun!"

Ordered by Steve North, General Manager for Gold, and Richard Watsham, UKTV's Director of Commissioning, both series are commissioned by UKTV's Senior Commissioning Editor, Iain Coyle. David Jason: My Life On Screen will be executive produced by Mark Robinson for Shiver. The Story of Only Fools & Horses will be produced by North One TV with John Quinn as executive producer.

Iain Coyle said, "What a day. I'm just so immensely proud to be working with a television icon in Sir David Jason, paying tribute to a British cultural phenomenon in Only Fools & Horses and the extraordinary legacy of John Sullivan."

Steve North added, "I am so excited to be working with Sir David Jason to help celebrate Gold's 25th birthday this year, and really delve into one of the most loved shows and actors on the channel. Gold viewers will get a real treat from both series, and I personally can't wait to get to know more about the man behind some of our best performing comedies on Gold. "

Mark Robinson, Creative Director of Shiver, said: "We feel totally privileged to be working with Sir David on this project. He is an actor who has constantly been voted the nation's favourite TV star, so it is a dream project to be asked to tell the story of his life on screen, and to help celebrate over 50 years of an incredibly diverse career, combining classic comedy with award-winning drama. We want to reveal not just how Sir David's television journey has evolved but also why it evolved in such a way; in Sir David's story there are so many twists of fate, without which some of our all-time favourite TV moments might never have taken place".

John Quinn, Executive Producer for North One TV said, "Thanks to the late John Sullivan's family, we have access to some exclusive behind-the-scenes material. Driven by first-hand insights and anecdotes by many of those who were there, including Sir David, this will be a fresh, we hope definitive, telling of the Only Fools & Horses story."