I had always thought 'Dear John' ran for years on B.B.C.-1, until I checked I.M.D.B., and it turns out there were only 13 episodes, plus a 50-minute special. Maybe I got it confused with the U.S. version ( of which there were 90 ). Anyway, it was John Sullivan's fourth big comedy hit in a row, following 'Citizen Smith', 'Only Fools & Horses' and 'Just Good Friends'. The late, much-missed Ralph Bates played the 'John' of the title, a mild-mannered schoolteacher who goes home one day to find wife 'Wendy' ( Wendy Allnut ) gone, and a note on the kitchen table explaining that she has run off with his best friend, who happens to be Welsh ( the swine! ). Depressed beyond measure, he joins an encounter group for divorced people - 1-2-1 - headed by 'Louise' ( Rachel Bell ), a jolly hockey sticks type with an abnormal interest in other people's sex lives. His first visit is almost a disaster - he goes to an alcoholics anonymous meeting by mistake.
The other group members are nerdy 'Ralph' ( Peter Denyer ), 'Mrs.Arnott' ( Jean Challis ) who never spoke, frigid 'Kate' ( Belinda Lang ), and, last but by no means least, 'Kirk St.Moritz', a man so boastful and vain as to give 'Ralph Tanner' of 'The Other One' a run for his money ( in a later episode, it was revealed that 'Kirk' was a fraud with no existence at all. He was the alter-ego of 'Eric', who was even more nerdy than Ralph! ).
As the group slowly got to know one another, newcomers joined, such as faded pop star 'Rick' ( the late Kevin Lloyd ). In one of the most memorable episodes, Rick's comeback at a charity event was unexpectedly usurped by Freddie & The Dreamers. You would have needed a heart of stone to be unmoved by Rick's humiliation. Another strong episode had Ralph agreeing to a date with an attractive young girl, only to discover she was a pupil at the school where he taught. Ralph ran a mobile disco in another - adopting the alias 'Dazzling Darren Drang' - who delivered phrases like 'get on down then' and 'boogaloo' in a deadpan tone. Irene Prador played 'Mrs.Lemenski', a Polish woman from the flat upstairs to John. Terence Edmond was John's teacher friend 'Ken'.
This was adult comedy alright, not adult comedy in the sense of lots of swearing and vomiting and so on, but comedy by and for adults. It had characters you cared about and laughed with, not at. Holding the thing together was Bates, a one time star of Hammer horror movies. His early death from pancreatic cancer in 1991 robbed us of a great talent.
The American version began a year after the British version ended. Starring Judd Hirsch ( from 'Taxi' ), it was shown over here as 'Dear John U.S.A.' and occupied a 10.45 slot on Sunday nights. John Sullivan rewrote many of his scripts, and the theme tune was retained. British actress Jane Carr played 'Louise'. The 'Rick' episode featured Trevor Eve in the Kevin Lloyd role.
'Dear John U.K.' has just been released on D.V.D. and is a must for John Sullivan fans.
The other group members are nerdy 'Ralph' ( Peter Denyer ), 'Mrs.Arnott' ( Jean Challis ) who never spoke, frigid 'Kate' ( Belinda Lang ), and, last but by no means least, 'Kirk St.Moritz', a man so boastful and vain as to give 'Ralph Tanner' of 'The Other One' a run for his money ( in a later episode, it was revealed that 'Kirk' was a fraud with no existence at all. He was the alter-ego of 'Eric', who was even more nerdy than Ralph! ).
As the group slowly got to know one another, newcomers joined, such as faded pop star 'Rick' ( the late Kevin Lloyd ). In one of the most memorable episodes, Rick's comeback at a charity event was unexpectedly usurped by Freddie & The Dreamers. You would have needed a heart of stone to be unmoved by Rick's humiliation. Another strong episode had Ralph agreeing to a date with an attractive young girl, only to discover she was a pupil at the school where he taught. Ralph ran a mobile disco in another - adopting the alias 'Dazzling Darren Drang' - who delivered phrases like 'get on down then' and 'boogaloo' in a deadpan tone. Irene Prador played 'Mrs.Lemenski', a Polish woman from the flat upstairs to John. Terence Edmond was John's teacher friend 'Ken'.
This was adult comedy alright, not adult comedy in the sense of lots of swearing and vomiting and so on, but comedy by and for adults. It had characters you cared about and laughed with, not at. Holding the thing together was Bates, a one time star of Hammer horror movies. His early death from pancreatic cancer in 1991 robbed us of a great talent.
The American version began a year after the British version ended. Starring Judd Hirsch ( from 'Taxi' ), it was shown over here as 'Dear John U.S.A.' and occupied a 10.45 slot on Sunday nights. John Sullivan rewrote many of his scripts, and the theme tune was retained. British actress Jane Carr played 'Louise'. The 'Rick' episode featured Trevor Eve in the Kevin Lloyd role.
'Dear John U.K.' has just been released on D.V.D. and is a must for John Sullivan fans.