The Green Green Grass

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The Green Green Grass
A typical The Green Green Grass intertitle
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	John Sullivan
Written by	John Sullivan Keith Lindsay Jim Sullivan Derren Litten James Windett Paul Alexander David Cantor Robert Evans Gary Lawson John Phelps
Directed by	Directors Tony Dow Dewi Humphreys Assistant Director Steve Roberts
Starring	John Challis Sue Holderness Jack Doolan David Ross Ivan Kaye Peter Heppelthwaite Ella Kenion Alan David Lisa Diveney Nigel Harrison Samantha Sutherland
Theme music composer	John Sullivan
Opening theme	"The Green Green Grass"
Composer(s)	Graham Jarvis
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	32 (List of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)	Producer Gareth Gwenlan (2005; 09) Julian Meers (2006-07) Series/Line Producer Julian Meers (2005) Gareth Gwenlan (2006-07) Associate Producer Paul Alexander (2006-07) Jed Leventhall (2009) Executive Producer Tim Hancock (2005-07) John Sullivan (2009)
Location(s)	Oakham, Shropshire, England
Running time	29x 30 minutes [1] 1x 40 minutes [2] 1x 45 minutes [3] 1x 50 minutes [4]
Production company(s)	Shazam Productions
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC One/BBC HD
Picture format	1080i50 HDTV
Original run	9 September 2005 – 5 March 2009
Status	On hiatus
Chronology
Related shows	Only Fools and Horses Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Chips

The Green Green Grass is a British sitcom, created and initially written by John Sullivan, produced by Shazam Productions and broadcast by the BBC. It is a spin-off of the classic comedy series Only Fools and Horses.^[5] Four series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 2005 and 2009, with Christmas specials broadcast from 2005 to 2007.^[5]

Set in Oakham in Shropshire, it stars John Challis as Aubrey Boyce, a gentleman farmer, Sue Holderness as his wife Marlene and Jack Doolan as their son Tyler. The series chronicles their sudden move from Peckham and Boyce’s fears of the Driscoll Brothers.^[5] After the brothers found Boycie, the series focused on the daily strains of living on Winterdown Farm.

The sitcom was a ratings success from its debut to the last episode in 2009. The debut episode attracted an enormous nine million viewers and later episodes regularly attracted audiences of around five to six million – a large number of viewers for a modern day situation comedy. The fourth series, in 2009, attracted around four million viewers per episode, still a successful level of viewership, however the BBC took the decision to shelve the series.

It was announced in The Mirror, that the series had been axed,^[6] however it was later revealed that the series had been shelved – meaning a possible return for the sitcom in the future.^[7]

The original series, Only Fools and Horses, ran from 1981 to 2003.^[8] A total of seven series and numerous specials were broadcast. Four characters from the parent series appeared in total. These were: Denzil (Paul Barber), Sid (Roy Heather), Danny Driscoll (Roy Marsden) and Tony Driscoll (Christopher Ryan).

Contents 1 Background 2 Cast 2.1 Guest appearances 3 Scenario 4 Regular characters 5 Other characters 6 Episodes 7 Production 7.1 Writers 7.2 Crew 7.3 Filming 7.4 Theme music and titles 8 Origins 9 Reception 10 Merchandise 11 References 12 External links

[edit] Background

In 2004, John Sullivan, a successful long time writer for the BBC, proposed a spin-off series following secondary characters, Boycie and Marlene. It had been confirmed that the 2003 feature-length special of Only Fools and Horses would be the last and Sullivan contemplated retiring, however, one more successful sitcom was still lurking in the darkness.^[9] Spin-off series, The Green Green Grass would follow Boycie, Marlene and Tyler as they escape the London Mafia and attempt to live in the countryside of Shropshire.

Previously, John Sullivan had considered creating a prequel to Only Fools and Horses and it was almost commissioned in 2003^[10], however, Sullivan also proposed a spin-off series and the BBC favoured the latter option. Thus a pilot episode was produced and filmed on 24 November 2004, almost a year before the series would hit television screens. The prequel has remained persistent in John Sullivan’s mind, and as of 2009 rumours of the prequel’s commission are still circling the internet and papers.^[11]

The Green Green Grass chronicled the Boyce family’s sudden dash to the countryside in an attempt to escape the infamous Driscoll Brothers, after Boycie provided vital evidence against them that resulted in their imprisonment. The brothers had previously appeared in a single episode of Only Fools and Horses - Little Problems. Sullivan had watched a repeat of this episode and this had given him the idea for the spin-off. The brothers visited Winterdown Farm twice, once in 2006 and once in 2009.

The series notably expanded on the characters, giving them greater depth and, particularly in the case of Boycie, more warmth and humanity then previously displayed in the parent series.^[5] The series introduced many new characters played by actors who are relatively unknown. The casting of Jack Doolan as Tyler and Peter Heppelthwaite as Jed are examples of this. Characters from Only Fools and Horses did not pass over to the spin-off, however there are four exceptions to this stated below.

The series was the first program to be made by John Sullivan’s company, Shazam Productions. It is also the first multi-camera British television series to be shot in high definition and as a result is simulcast on the BBC HD channel. Sitcoms such as Last of the Summer Wine and Life of Riley have followed suit and since been produced in high definition too.

Boycie and Marlene have always been a warring couple. This was extremely noticeable in Only Fools and Horses as they were almost always engaged in a game of snide one-upmanship. This was toned down considerably for The Green Green Grass, so that the characters seemed more like a couple who sparred occasionally, but obviously felt deep affection for one other.

Several cast members of Only Fools and Horses have made guest appearances. The first was Denzil (Paul Barber), who appeared in the debut episode. The Driscoll Brothers have made three appearances since the show’s debut. Sid (Roy Heather) made a brief cameo appearance in the 2005 special. Boycie has also made many veiled references to Del, Rodney and Uncle Albert. John Sullivan made it clear from the beginning that no characters from Only Fools and Horses would make an appearance, as if one character appears then viewers would expect the rest to follow, damaging the show’s ability to stand alone.

"It survives on its own. It’s strong enough [therefore] it doesn’t need anything from the past." —John Sullivan on the show’s ability to stand alone.[12]

He indicated in February 2007, to the Only Fools and Horses Appreciation Society that ‘some old faces may appear over the next couple of series’. A rumour that began circling before the first series was that David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Roger Lloyd-Pack would back an appearance. This was confirmed by John Challis who stated that they would appear in the second series, however they did not. Sue Holderness recently said that they would appear in series five, if it was commissioned, she was later backed up with a report in The Sun.^[13] Through his production company, Sullivan had planned to extend assistance in later series to include additional actors, directors and technicians alongside co-writers, however the series was shelved during 2009.

A total of thirty two episodes, including three extended length specials aired between 9 September 2005 and 5 March 2009.^[5] The show may return in the near future with a final special or even a further series. The Green Green Grass was recorded at Teddington Studios, Greater London, in front of a live studio audience. There was one exception to this, the 2005 special was recorded at Pinewood Studios. Location shooting of Boyce's farm is recorded at John Challis's own home near Leintwardine, Shropshire and the surrounding area.

[edit] Cast

Main Article: List of The Green Green Grass characters

Actor	Character	Duration	Episodes
John Challis	Terrence Aubrey Boyce (Boycie)	2005 – 2009	32
Sue Holderness	Marlene Boyce	2005 – 2009	32
Jack Doolan	Tyler Boyce	2005 – 2009	30
David Ross	Elgin Sparrowhawk	2005 – 2009	31
Ivan Kaye	Bryan	2005 – 2009	30
Ella Kenion	Imelda Cakeworthy	2005 – 2009	30
Peter Hepplethwaite	Jed	2005 – 2009	30
Alan David	Llewellyn	2005 – 2009	15
Lisa Diveney	Beth	2005 – 2007	15
Nigel Harrison	Ray	2006 – 2009	12
Samantha Sutherland	Sara	2009	2

[edit] Guest appearances

Actor	Character	Year(s)	Episodes
Paul Barber	Denzil	2005	1
Roy Heather	Sid	2005	1
Roy Marsden	Danny Driscoll	2005; 2006; 2009	3
Christopher Ryan	Tony Driscoll	2005; 2006; 2009	3
Paul Bown	Colin Cakeworthy	2006; 2007	2
June Whitfield	Dora	2007; 2009	4
Karen Paullada	Rhian	2007	2
Michael Usher [1]	Footballer	2007	1
Ricky Hatton	Himself	2007	1
George Wendt	Cliff Cooper	2007	1
Paula Wilcox	Pertunia	2006	1
David Jason	Del Boy	2009 (Flashback)	1
Nicholas Lyndhurst	Rodney Trotter	2009 (Flashback)	1

[edit] Scenario

Boycie (played by John Challis) is forced to flee Peckham after providing crucial evidence against the infamous Driscoll Brothers regarding illegal immigrants. He is the lead witness (aka ‘supergrass’) in the case and finds himself in trouble when every single other witness changes their statement and the Driscoll Brothers walk free. In an attempt to live to an old age, Boycie and his wife, Marlene (Sue Holderness) and son Tyler (Jack Doolan) move overnight to the secluded town of Oakham in Shropshire. Upon arrival at Winterdown Farm, Boycie begins to realise that death was perhaps the easier option.^[14]

The situation focuses primarily on their futile attempts to run the farm efficiently through utilising the current staff consisting of Elgin (David Ross), Bryan (Ivan Kaye), Jed (Peter Heppelthwaite) and Imelda (Ella Kenion) – the farm’s loyal, if a little eccentric staff. As the series progressed, Boycie and Marlene began to settle into their surroundings however, situations arose occasionally – usually involving their Welsh neighbour, Llewellyn. Tyler was soon sent to school to finish his GCSEs, something he really didn’t want to do but again problems arose as Tyler fell in love with his English teacher.

The snob in Boycie is often his downfall, as he found out when he attended the Agricultural Ball in 2005 where his photo was taken and published in a magazine that stated where he would be that Christmas however, luck ensured that Boycie remained at home when he was snowed in and missed his plane thus not getting scammed by the con-men and not getting killed by the Driscoll Brothers who’d travelled to his desired destination to meet him.

As the series progressed further, Boycie started to use artificial fertiliser on his organic farm, applied to be mayor, fired a member of his staff only to rehire her and, to Marlene’s disgust, became infatuated with Tyler’s french exchange. He also ended up starkers in front of Tyler’s girlfriend through no fault of his own and took part in a pub quiz in which ten thousand pounds of his money was up for grabs.^[15]

In 2006, a whole year after they did a runner, Boycie allowed Marlene to invite her sister Pertunia up to stay, however she was followed by the Driscoll Brothers without anyone knowing. They attacked the farm’s staff and tied them up in the barn – including Boycie’s dog, Earl. When Boycie realised something was wrong he went to investigate the barn only to come face to face with two sawn-off shot guns.^[16]

Following the terrifying events of the Driscoll Brother’s visit, life on Winterdown Farm is calm. Marlene, Tyler and Boycie have settled down and are beginning to enjoy village life. However, they cannot return to Peckham due to a deal between the Driscoll Brothers and Boycie – he would allow them to bury something on his land and he must protect it. The events of 2006 still had repercussions in 2007 even though Farm Idol was accepting auditions and Earl was missing in the woods. Also, Boycie began to worry about his health after finding out about a genetic similarity between him and past generations. A death was about to hit the farm hard though, as Paxo the turkey passed over to the other side.

The departure of Lisa Diveney as Beth was soon filled with the arrival of Samantha Sutherland who played Sara – Tyler’s new girlfriend. Boycie fell in fear of the Driscoll Brothers once more when they turned up at The Grange and machine gunned his front door down when he refused to answer it. Also, paranormal experts investigate the house, Boycie decides to take some old junk down to the Antiques Roadshow and Boycie and Marlene decide to renew their vows for their fortieth wedding anniversary.

The humour comes from several sources. The interaction between characters is essential and much is made of the character’s individual traits, such as Boycie’s rampant snobbery, Elgin’s facade of stupidity, Bryan and Jed’s general daftness, Imelda’s non-cleaning habits and Llewellyn’s constant underhand moves. There are also several running gags, including Boycie’s attempts to be a gentleman farmer and his want for respect which he never gets, Boycie’s fear of the Driscoll Brothers and Marlene’s supposed long-time affair with Del Boy and the fact that Tyler is hinted to be Del’s son.

[edit] Regular characters

Boycie (John Challis) – A shady ex-used car salesman turned gentleman farmer. He is a frightful snob and looks down at most of the people in Oakham. Boycie made sporadic appearances in Only Fools and Horses before becoming the central character in The Green Green Grass.^[17] Boycie used to be a Freemason. He is very self-centred and likes to boast about his social status back in Peckham and his money. He used to be teased by Del Boy due to his low sperm count. This is a joke that has continued into the spin-off series, along with the ongoing joke referring to an unseen affair between Marlene and Del. He was forced to leave Peckham due to an incident involving the Driscoll Brothers and illegal immigrants, which led to Boycie grassing on the brothers and getting them sent to prison.^[17]

Marlene (Sue Holderness) – Marlene was initially just an unseen character in Only Fools and Horses. She is a cheerful, slightly daft, optimistic person who is speculated to have had an ongoing affair with Del which resulted in the birth Tyler. The ongoing joke continued into The Green Green Grass, as Jack Doolan, who plays Tyler, has looks similar to David Jason. The character has been expanded massively for the spin-off series but is still the same loving wife who Boycie married in 1968.^[18]

Tyler (Jack Doolan) –The character of Tyler made several appearances in Only Fools and Horses, although he was portrayed by different actors. His similarity in looks to Del Boy has led to a continuation of a running gag dating back to the late eighties. It has been speculated in both Only Fools and Horses and The Green Green Grass that Tyler might be the outcome of a fling between Marlene and Del. One of his appearances in Only Fools and Horses was in the episode "The Jolly Boys’ Outing", in which Uncle Albert told him one of his many war stories.^[8] Tyler made other appearances in the show but didn’t really feature much until the beginning of The Green Green Grass. His introduction in the spin-off hyped the speculation that Tyler might have been a result of something between Marlene and Del.

Elgin (David Ross) – Elgin Sparrowhawk is the farm manager of Winterdown Farm. He is a rather strange man, who likes to appear a bit thick to ensure his workload remains light, but likes to show people that he is capable of outsmarting Boycie any day. He always carries his briefcase with a string shoulder strap around with him, to help remind people that he is still farm manager, even though it looks empty on occasions. Elgin is married to his unseen wife, who apparently has a glass eye.^[19] He has said on occasions that she doesn’t really like him, and at one point he started to have his mail redirected to Boycie’s house just to ensure that she doesn’t find out that he is still living there. He has shown deep affection towards his wife on many occasions, although he obviously fancies Marlene. Whenever she has her back turned, he is copping an eyeful; on one occasion he went as far as to dive across to kitchen floor in an attempt to woo an unsuspecting Marlene.^[18]

Bryan (Ivan Kaye) – Bryan is the farm’s herdsman. He again likes to appear a bit thick so that he can take advantage of Boycie’s ignorance. He has, on occasions, reduced his workload by bluffing to an out-of-his-depth Boycie. Bryan can be a little over the top on occasions, especially when thinking about his ex-girlfriend Myrtle. In one particular episode, he states that she chucked him seven times, and every time he found the exact same wedding ring in a second-hand shop. It is sometimes hard to believe that Bryan’s stupidity is a put-up job. Little else is known about the character besides the fact that he lives alone in a caravan on the edge of Winterdown Farm.

Jed (Peter Heppelthwaite) – Jed is the farm’s ploughman. He again likes to think he’s appearing a bit thick, but, in reality, viewers are led to believe that Jed is genetically thick. He is renowned for having a family of five children. He is often the brunt of a joke, whereby he and his wife are ‘too lazy’ to use contraception. Jed’s workload has also been known to expand from ploughman to various other areas of expertise, such as in the episode "Home Brew" when he gets involved in Ye Potato Cyder business. He is also known for attempting to escape his wife, such as when he turns up unexpectedly in one particular episode, in the middle of the night, at Bryan’s caravan after having a blazing row with his wife. Bryan just accepts this as a usual occurrence and lets him in.^[18]

Mrs Cakeworthy (Ella Kenion) – Mrs Cakeworthy is The Grange’s housecleaner. Various jokes have been made to her expense, referring to her non-cleaning and biscuit-eating habits. She has even on occasions been asked to lift her legs whilst Marlene does the hoovering. Boycie sacks her in the episode "Bothered and Bewildered" after he catches her sitting around doing nothing. However, after some strange experiences he re-hires her. Mrs Cakeworthy has a husband who has been seen on occasions, most notably in the 2006 Christmas special "From Here to Paternity". She has also been seen to hold seances within the house.^[18] Mrs Cakeworthy is also said to have a dust intolerance.

Llewellyn (Alan David) - Llewellyn is Boycie’s next-door neighbour. Boycie continually refers to him as a mad Welshman. He has been known to look after himself and puts his thoughts before others. In one episode, he grassed Boycie up for using Artificial Fertiliser on his Organic Farm.^[9] This could have put Boycie in prison for up to five years. Llewellyn has a daughter called Rhian, who is Tyler’s English teacher. Rhian has appeared in two episodes.^[9]

Beth (Lisa Diveney) – Beth is Tyler’s girlfriend until the end of the third series. She is clever, attractive and vegetarian. Over the three years she spent as Tyler’s girlfriend, she had her patience put to the test. First, Tyler showed no interest in supporting her horse racing protests, then he put meat before her, and, to top things off, she peers through the window to see Boycie completely naked, thanks to Earl, in Mother Earth.^[19]

Sara (Samantha Sutherland) – Sara is Tyler’s latest girlfriend. She is slightly weird in the sense that she is a fan of Tyler’s band, Puddle of Agony. Tyler eventually asked her out in the episode "Your Cheating Art", after some help from his mum and Dora. Tyler even managed to get her to strip naked for a piece of artwork.

Ray (Nigel Harrison) – Ray is Beth’s father and landlord of the local pub. Ray doesn’t particularly like Tyler, as he believes that his daughter could have done better. He first appeared in the episode "Testing Times" and appeared in another ten episodes since. He is known to lash out in extreme circumstances, such as the misunderstanding in "From Here to Paternity" in which he punches Boycie.

The Driscoll Brothers (Roy Marsden & Christopher Ryan) – First seen in Little Problems in Only Fools and Horses, the brothers cause Boycie to make a rushed dash to the countryside in an attempt to escape from them. They appeared in the 2005 Christmas Special, One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock but they did not manage to catch him. They made their third ever appearance in Brothers and Sisters when they finally caught up with Boycie and made him a deal.

Dora (June Whitfield) – Dora is Marlene’s mother. She is hated, as always in classic comedy, by Boycie, her son-in-law. He is reluctant to let him in her house and is always making uncalled for comments towards him. He became more tolerant of her as the series progressed. In an Only Fools and Horses episode, Dora wouldn’t allow Boycie to stay with her when his gas effect log fire gases them out thus he has to stay with Del Boy.

[edit] Other characters

Guest actors were brought into The Green Green Grass on an infrequent basis however, there were a few guests stars over the thirty-two episodes of the sitcom. The first guest star was in the very first episode, Keep on Running which saw Denzil (Paul Barber), an Only Fools and Horses regular, warn Boycie about the Driscoll Brothers’ release from prison and the fact that they know who grassed them up. There was one other character from the parent sitcom who made an appearance, this was Sid (Roy Heather), who made a cameo appearance, on the set of The Nag’s Head, in the 2005 Christmas special.

Occasionally guest actors were essential to the plot such as when Tyler fell in love with his school teacher, Rhian (Karen Paullada) and four con men tried to get Boycie to invest in a fictional polo club. This included appearances from Sara Crowe, Liz Robertson, Roger Alborough and Matthew Marsh in the special, One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock. Other guest stars, essential to the plot included the Farm Inspector (David Cann) in the episode Testing Times, Simon (Ian Bonar) in Here’s to You, Mrs Boyce and Laurence (Beatriz Romilly) in Schoolboy French. Further guest appearances in the series included Paul Bown as Colin Cakeworthy^[3], Lucy Briers as the Doctor^[20], Fiona Bruce as herself in two separate episodes^[4][21], Jeremy Clyde as Tristram^[22] and the Animal Protestors, as played by Danny Morgan and Tony Bignell^[23]. Also, Henry Sandon appeared as himself as did Nick Ross in series one. Stephen Evans appeared as the Vicar^[24] in For Richer For Poorer.

Well-known actors who appeared in the program include Paula Wilcox who played Pertunia^[25], Marlene’s sister, in the episode Brothers and Sisters, George Wendt who played Cliff Cooper^[2], a rich American soldier revisiting old haunts, in the 2007 Christmas special, The Special Relationship and June Whitfield (details above) as Dora^[26]. All three well-known actors played important roles in their individual episodes, either as the person who lead the Driscoll Brothers to Boycie, the father of one of Boycie’s staff or as a pain-in-the-backside mother-in-law.

[edit] Episodes

Thirty-two episodes of The Green Green Grass, mostly written by John Sullivan, were broadcast on BBC1 between 9 September 2005 and 5 March 2009.^[5] The show aired in four series (2005-07; 2009) and also aired three Christmas special editions (2005-07). All of the regular series episodes had a running time of 30 minutes, and all subsequent specials had a running time ranging from 40 to 50 minutes. All the episodes were shot in front of a live audience. Ironically, The Green Green Grass ran for a total of thirty-two episodes, half of the sixty-four episodes that parent program Only Fools and Horses ran for between 1981 and 2003.^[8]

The three extended length specials were aired at Christmas. The first, aired 2005, was 50 minutes in length and featured a guest appearance from The Driscoll Brothers (Roy Marsden and Christopher Ryan). The second special, aired 2006, was 45 minutes in length and featured only the main and recurring cast members. The third, aired 2007, was 40 minutes in length and featured a guest appearance from George Wendt.

The Green Green Grass had one producer, Gareth Gwenlan, who also produced Only Fools and Horses from 1988 to 2003.^[8] Two directors were used: Tony Dow directed all the episodes in series one and the accompanying special whilst Dewi Humphreys directed all the episodes from series two onwards.^[5]

[edit] Production

[edit] Writers

The main writer of The Green Green Grass is John Sullivan. He wrote all six episodes of the first series and the extended length special, One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock in 2005. He also wrote the episode Here’s to You, Mrs Boyce in series two however he co-wrote another three episodes of the second series. He wrote the 2006 Christmas special. He co-wrote the episode Sweet Sorrow for the third series and co-wrote the 2007 Christmas special with Keith Lindsay. John Sullivan has so far written three of the episodes in series four.

Jim Sullivan, John Sullivan’s son, wrote two episodes for series two and three episodes for series three. He has so far written two episodes for the fourth series. Derren Litten wrote the episodes Bothered and Bewildered and Brothers and Sisters in series two. He has not since written for The Green Green Grass. Both James Windett and Paul Alexander each wrote an episode for the second series. James Windett wrote Schoolboy French whilst Paul Alexander wrote the episode More Questions Than Answers.

David Cantor has written for both the third and fourth series. He wrote three episodes of the third series and the episode Calendar Boys for the fourth. Meanwhile, Keith Lindsay co-wrote both the episode Sweet Sorrow and The Special Relationship for the third series/special. He also co-wrote the episode Home Brew and wrote the episode The Departed for the fourth series.^[27]

Writer	Year(s)	Episodes
John Sullivan	2005 - 2009	18 (inc. 4 co-written)
Jim Sullivan	2006 - 2009	7
Derren Litten	2006	2 (inc. 1 co-written)
James Windett	2006	1 (inc. 1 co-written)
Paul Alexander	2006	1 (inc. 1 co-written)
David Cantor	2007 - 2009	3
Keith Lindsay	2007 - 2009	2 (inc. 1 co-written)
Robert Evans	2009	1
Gary Lawson John Phelps	2009	1

[edit] Crew

The first series of The Green Green Grass was directed by Tony Dow. He also directed the special, One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock. In total, he directed seven episodes, all from 2005. In 2006, Dewi Humphreys took over the position. She is best known for directing My Family. She has directed all episodes since Testing Times in 2006. Chris Wadsworth, who has also worked on My Family, edits the series.

[edit] Filming

Most episodes are filmed in front of a live audience at Teddington Studios. There are three major sets; The Pub, Boycie’s Front Room and Boycie’s Kitchen. Other sets are irregularly used. Outdoor shots are constantly used for footage of on and around the farm. Footage of the local village is often used.^[29]

The pilot for the series was recorded on 24 November 2004 at Teddington Studios. The remainder of the series was shot over June-August 2005. A Christmas special was also filmed. The second series and 2006 special were filmed over the summer months of 2006 and the third series was filmed during the summer of 2007. The fourth series was filmed during the summer months of 2008 however the series did not begin to air until January 2009. No new episodes were aired in 2008.

The first series lasted six episodes and a special. The second series was one episode longer with seven episodes and a special. The third series consisted of seven episodes and a special.^[30] The fourth series consisted of nine episodes

[edit] Theme music and titles

John Sullivan wrote the theme music for The Green Green Grass when he wrote the first series. He wrote the lyrics to explain the, again, rather obscure title. The lyrics also explained why Boycie and his family were running the countryside. Music for sitcoms such as My Family^[31] and Last of the Summer Wine^[32] have remained instrumental however John Sullivan wanted a theme tune that explained the obscure title and reasons for the characters’ sudden dash.

The lyrics to the established theme tune are aired at both the beginning and end of each episode. The opening lyrics include "I’m getting tired of the city", "All the noise and the mess", which show that the family are about to/have moved from Peckham to the countryside, however the lyrics do not state the true reason. "Want a new beginning and a new address" and "Why don’t we run away, to somewhere where the birds still sing?" show that the main characters are moving/have moved so that they can have a new start at a new address, somewhere safe.^[33]

The second section of the theme tune says: "I want the green green grass, and a country house", "In a place where my face ain’t known" which shows that they have done a runner to somewhere where they won’t be recognised to help ensure Boycie lives to an old age. "And in the green green grass, it’ll come to pass", "We’ll have somewhere to call our own, we’ll have somewhere to call our home" shows that the family are planning to settle there and stay for a long while.^[34]

The song is performed by John Sullivan. There were rumours at one point, that Status Quo would be involved in the theme tune, but this was dismissed after the first episode aired. Status Quo performed the end credits for series four episode, Animal Instincts. They are performing in a charity concert, set up by Tyler, however they are not seen. The theme tune does not feature in the concert.

The opening credits see the title, "The Green Green Grass by John Sullivan" appear on screen. However, from series two onwards, the onscreen credit states that the show is "created by John Sullivan". The only other text to appear during the opening credits is the name of the individual episodes such as "Keep on Running". Opening credits have never featured cast names. The show was always broadcast in the 16:9 ratio widescreen.

The closing credits for the programme varied episode by episode. Most of the first series episodes featured the standard rolling format however, some episodes featured a scrolling bar across the bottom of the screen. The series’ end credits used a full length version of the opening theme tune as the credits appear on screen. The end credits occasionally appeared over continuing footage (Home Brew), or a slideshow of photographs (For Richer For Poorer) or a shot of a river, forest or part of Winterdown Farm.^[35]

[edit] Origins

"[Boycie’s] so terrified of [The Driscoll Brothers] that I thought that would keep them all out there in the country, no matter what." —John Sullivan on The Green Green Grass backstory.[12]

Due to the programme developing from Only Fools and Horses, it contains many references back to its parent programme. Del, Rodney and Trigger have been referred to in a few episodes as has Uncle Albert. However, the programme was set away from Peckham therefore much of the Only Fools and Horses cast have never appeared in the programme. The Green Green Grass first appeared on British television screens on 9 September 2005, nearly two years after the last ever Only Fools and Horses special in 2003. It was announced in 2003 that a prequel was being produced. Once Upon a Time in Peckham was to be produced as the first spin-off from the sitcom giant however the sitcom was axed before production began in favour of John Sullivan's other idea, The Green Green Grass. In 2009, it was revealed that, due to the success of The Green Green Grass, the prequel had been re-commissioned and production is to begin late 2009.

The first series pleased the BBC and John Sullivan was asked to produce an hour-long 2005 Christmas special. A seven-episode second series was commissioned and broadcast in 2006. From Here to Paternity was commissioned as the 2006 Christmas special. A seven-episode third series was commissioned and broadcast in 2007. The Special Relationship was commissioned as the 2007 Christmas special. A nine-episode fourth series was commissioned and started broadcasting on 8 January 2009.

[edit] Reception

The Green Green Grass had an outstanding debut audience of nine million, however this figure dropped to six million over the first series.^[36] The viewership stayed at six million throughout the second and third series before dropping to four million for the fourth series in 2009.^[9] The show moved slot in 2009 from its usual Friday 8:30pm slot to a Thursday 8:30pm slot. Whether this was the reason behind the sudden drop in viewers is unknown. The show has received good reviews as well as bad ones. Whilst people agree that the show would never match its parent show, many people are agreed that the show is good in its own way.^[5]

Sue Holderness, who plays Marlene, stated in 2009 that the cast were praying that a fifth series would be commissioned as John Sullivan might involve some characters from the original series.^[13] Many people have stated this that Sullivan and Shazam Productions have been ‘blackmailing’ the BBC into commissioning further series by continually stating that David Jason will make an appearance. However, this is purely speculation and no official reports have stated this to be true.

The debut episode for The Green Green Grass attracted an average of 8.88 million viewers, giving the channel an amazing 41.7% share of the available audience for the whole of its duration. Viewership slipped slightly in 2009 when the debut episode for the fourth series only attracted 4.07 million viewers, which gave the channel a 16.5% share of the available audience for that slot.^[37]

The Green Green Grass was shelved in 2009 after the fourth series had broadcast.^[7] Reasons for the sitcom’s demise have not yet been officially released, however the viewing figures were considered strong by The British Sitcom Guide^[5] and sitcom, Life of Riley, was recommissioned with almost the same viewership. It has since been stated that the terminology ‘shelved’ doesn’t rule out a possible near future return.^[5] A finale tie-up special is yet to be announced but this may be due to either (i) the BBC not wishing to commission any more episodes of the sitcom or (ii) the show may return with a fifth series late next year or early 2011 but unfortunately, this currently looks unlikely.

As of 31 May 2009, the BBC has started to repeat the fourth series of the sitcom after the EastEnders omnibus edition.^[38] Parent sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, was repeated in 1982 after viewing figures were ‘disappointing’ and the series was recommissioned for a third series due to the repeats attracting a large audience.^[8] Whether history is repeating itself and this re-run will affect future commissions is unknown. It is widely expected that the show will return in some form as four million viewers is still impressive for a sitcom. The news came when it was revealed that long-running sitcom, Last of the Summer Wine had also been shelved in the BBC’s comedy cull, and sitcoms After You've Gone and Not Going Out had been axed.^[7]

The Green Green Grass has recently been picked up by G.O.L.D. and is regularly shown. The channel currently has both the first and second series along with the 2005 special. The show has been broadcast in a weekend marathon alongside Only Fools and Horses on at least one occasion. The show brings in good ratings for the channel.

[edit] Merchandise

The Green Green Grass has not spawned as much merchandise as parent program, Only Fools and Horses, however three DVDs have been released as of June 2009. The first series of the sitcom was released on 23 October 2006 and included all six episodes and the 2005 Christmas Special along with several bonus features. The second series of the sitcom was released on 7 April 2008 and included all seven episodes and the 2006 Christmas Special with a ‘The Making of...’ documentary bonus feature. The third series of the sitcom was released on 8 June 2009 and included all seven episodes and the 2007 Christmas Special. The fourth series has yet to be released.

A total of twenty-three episodes of The Green Green Grass has been released (as of 8 June 09), including the three specials. The nine episodes from series four are predicted to be released during 2010.

The Green Green Grass: Series One
Set Details			Special Features
6 Episodes 2 Disc Set 16:9 Aspect Ratio Subtitles: No English (Stereo)			Audio Commentary 2005 Christmas Special Grass Roots Outtakes Rocky
Release Dates
United Kingdom	Australia	United States
23 October 2007

The Green Green Grass: Series Two
Set Details			Special Features
7 Episodes 2-Disc Set 16:9 Aspect Ratio Subtitles: Yes English (Stereo)			2006 Christmas Special The Making of Series 2
Release Dates
United Kingdom	Australia	United States
7 April 2008

The Green Green Grass: Series Three
Set Details			Special Features
7 Episode 2-Disc Set 16:9 Aspect Ratio Subtitles: Yes English (Stereo)			2007 Christmas Special
Release Dates
United Kingdom	Australia	United States
8 June 2009

The Green Green Grass: Series Four
Set Details
9 Episodes 2-Disc Set 16:9 Aspect Ratio Subtitles: Yes English (Stereo)
Release Dates
United Kingdom	Australia	United States
TBA 2010

[edit] References

• British TV Comedy Guide for The Green Green Grass
• BARB viewing figures

[edit] External links

• The Green Green Grass at BBC Comedy
• The Green Green Grass Official website
• The Green Green Grass at British TV Comedy
• British Sitcom Guide for The Green Green Grass
• The Green Green Grass at Only Fools and Horses website
• The Green Green Grass at the Internet Movie Database

v • d • e Only Fools and Horses Regular characters Del Boy · Rodney · Grandad · Uncle Albert Trigger · Boycie · Raquel · Cassandra · Damien · Denzil · Mickey Pearce · Mike · Marlene · Sid · Notable Guests Episodes Series 1 · Series 2 · Series 3 · Series 4 · Series 5 · Series 6 · Series 7 · Christmas Specials Regular cast David Jason · Nicholas Lyndhurst · Lennard Pearce · Buster Merryfield · Roger Lloyd Pack · John Challis · Tessa Peake-Jones · Gwyneth Strong · Paul Barber · Patrick Murray · Kenneth MacDonald · Sue Holderness · Roy Heather See also DVD Cuts · John Howard Davies · The Green Green Grass · Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Chips · Ronnie Hazlehurst · Peckham · Reliant Regal · John Sullivan

v • d • e The Green Green Grass Regular characters Boycie · Marlene · Tyler Elgin · Bryan · Jed · Mrs Cakeworthy · Llewellyn · Beth · Sara · Ray · Driscoll Brothers · Dora · Notable Guests Episodes Series 1 · Series 2 · Series 3 · Series 4 · Christmas Specials Regular cast John Challis · Sue Holderness · Jack Doolan · David Ross · Ivan Kaye · Peter Heppelthwaite · Ella Kenion · Alan David · Lisa Diveney · Samantha Sutherland · Nigel Harrison · Roy Marsden · Christopher Ryan · June Whitfield See also Only Fools and Horses · Only Fools and Horses episodes · Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Chips  · John Sullivan · Peckham · Shropshire ·