David Jason reflects on his ‘journey’ from making his TV debut at Christmas to the success of Only Fools

Sir David Jason has said he “never thought” he would go from airing his first TV show on Christmas Day to starring in one of the highest-rated festive specials in British history.

The veteran actor made his television debut on December 25, 1965 playing King Goose in a ` production of the pantomime Mother Goose.

His classic ` sitcom Only Fools And Horses went on to have several successful Christmas specials, with the December 29, 1996 episode in which his character Del Boy finally got rich after auctioning off an antique clock was watched by 24.3 million people in The Audience Research Board of Broadcasters (Barb).

This was one of the highest ratings ever recorded for a single transmission of a television program in the UK.

Sir David Jason as Del Boy Trotter and Nicholas Lyndhurst as his brother Rodney in Only Fools And Horses (UKTV/`)

Speaking on ` Breakfast on Christmas Day 2022, the 82-year-old said: “It’s been a journey. There is no way on planet earth that you would have thought of a possibility that would happen to me.

“It’s like Derek Trotter always said, ‘By this time next year we’ll be millionaires.’ You will go somewhere and be something.

“But you never thought that this could happen to you playing the King of Goose Land on TV … you’re lucky if you have another job.”

He added: “That wasn’t why I started out as an actor – it was about acting, not fame or fortune.

“I wanted to be successful, and to be successful means you wanted to get better at your job and be recognized for it. Yes of course I did, I think most actors do.

“But the idea of ​​having a reputation for those millions of viewers or whatever … No, it was the journey that just happened.”

Written by John Sullivan, Only Fools And Horses first aired on the ` in 1981 and followed the colorful antics of market trader Derek Trotter (Del Boy) – and his less crafty younger brother Rodney Trotter, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst, as they scale the heights and lows of life and trying to get rich.

The story goes on

Only Fools And Horses followed the colorful antics of market trader Del Boy and his less savvy younger brother Rodney (PA).

The seventh regular series aired in 1991, followed by sporadic Christmas specials until the show ended in 2003.

Although he continued to enjoy great success, Sir David said he started from humble beginnings when he first appeared in the 1965 ` production of Mother Goose.

He recalled that his whole family had gathered to see it as it was a “big event” at the time.

“The thing is, you come from a poor, ordinary, working-class family, and because television was pretty new back then, it wasn’t in everyone’s house like it is today, it was just starting to make its way into everyone’s house,” he said .

“But then having one of your own, actually having one in your family on TV itself was an amazing achievement.”

The actor said they were all proud of his achievement but revealed they were the kind of family that “never made a big deal” and his dad would just say, “Oh you stupid bastard, are you flying about?” around as a cop?” which, he joked, kept him humbled.