Just Good Friends
Encyclopedia
Just Good Friends was a British
sitcom
written by the late John Sullivan
. It starred Paul Nicholas
and Jan Francis
as former lovers Vincent Pinner and Penny Warrender, who meet in a pub five years after he jilted her at the altar.
Three series and a 90 min Christmas special were produced for the BBC by Ray Butt
. In 2004, it came 43rd in Britain's Best Sitcom
.
and Only Fools and Horses
. However until this point, these had only featured strong male lead roles, and he felt he should base his new sitcom around a woman. His source of inspiration was a letter in a magazine read to him by his wife, written by a woman who had been jilted by her fiancé on the day of her wedding.
According to a 2007 Comedy Connections
documentary on Just Good Friends, Sullivan was originally motivated to create the character by Cheryl Hall
, the co-star of Citizen Smith. Hall complained that Sullivan was incapable of writing comedy for women, focusing instead on giving the best of his material to the male characters. Sullivan was stung by the remark because, in his words, "she was absolutely right", and deliberately set out to create a strong (and funny) female lead.
Jan Francis, who had played Lisa Colbert in Secret Army, was cast as Penny, and established theatre actor Paul Nicholas
was chosen to play Vincent, although this was his first major television role. Being a notable singer, Nicholas also performed the title theme song
, written by John Sullivan and arranged by Ronnie Hazlehurst
. For the end title music, Hazlehurst arranged the theme for flugelhorn
.
) who is also the son of a wealthy scrap metal merchant. The couple has split up following Vincent's decision not to marry Penny on their wedding day, leaving her at the altar. In the pilot episode, five years since their intended wedding day, the pair meet again by chance in a pub while out on individual dates. The pair decide to forget the past and become friends, although the rekindling of their relationship is not welcomed by Penny's snobbish parents, particularly her mother, Daphne, played by Sylvia Kay
.
The 1984 90-minute Christmas special was a trip back in time as John Sullivan wrote a prequel to the series showing how Penny and Vince first met, loved and how Penny was jilted and married the slimy Graham. The last episode of the second series was intended to be the final episode, with Penny leaving for a job in Paris
.
However, the cast reunited in 1986 for a final seven episodes, in which Penny and Vince met up in Paris two years after they split up. Penny was now divorced and Vince was married; the couple renew their relationship and Vince, now a successful businessman, gives up everything for a quick divorce to pay off his wife Gina so he can be with Penny.
Penny and Vince then elope back to Paris where they marry at the town hall.
With:
label. However, these were edited due to music clearance rights. The third series was not released. In 2008, Cinema Club
bought the rights to the series and were to re-release series one and two in June 2009, with series three to follow. These were later cancelled.
DVD company Eureka have bought the rights to the series and released the complete collection on 25 October 2010 "containing all three series including the 1984 Christmas Special". Unfortunately copyright clearance could not be obtained for all the music included in the Christmas Special, and as Eureka "could not isolate and remove the music alone" they "had to replace that portion of the programme's soundtrack and feature the dialogue in subtitles" feeling this was "a better option than cutting out the scene in its entirety".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sitcom
British sitcom
A British sitcom tends, as it does in most other countries, to be based on a family, workplace or other institution, where the same group of contrasting characters is brought together in each episode. Unlike American sitcoms, where twenty or more episodes in a season is the norm, British sitcoms...
written by the late John Sullivan
John Sullivan (writer)
John Richard Thomas Sullivan OBE was an English television scriptwriter responsible for several popular British sitcoms, including Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith and Just Good Friends....
. It starred Paul Nicholas
Paul Nicholas
Paul Nicholas is an English actor and singer who has had considerable success on stage, screen and in the pop charts.-Biography:Nicholas was born as Paul Oscar Beuselinck in Peterborough, England...
and Jan Francis
Jan Francis
Jan Francis is an English actress, best known for playing Penny Warrender in the 1980s romantic comedy Just Good Friends.-Early life:Francis was born at the former Charing Cross Hospital near Trafalgar Square, London...
as former lovers Vincent Pinner and Penny Warrender, who meet in a pub five years after he jilted her at the altar.
Three series and a 90 min Christmas special were produced for the BBC by Ray Butt
Ray Butt
Ray Butt is a British television producer and director best known for his work on Only Fools and Horses in which he directed in season one and in seasons to follow he also directed and produced until season five when he moved onto new projects. Ray Butt is also remembered for his work on Last of...
. In 2004, it came 43rd in Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC, to identify the United Kingdom's best situation comedy. Viewers were asked to vote for their favourite by phone, text message and on the web. The top ten went forward to a final round of voting...
.
Background
Writer John Sullivan had previously written two successful sitcoms for the BBC, Citizen SmithCitizen Smith
Citizen Smith is a British television sitcom. The show was written by John Sullivan, who later wrote Only Fools and Horses. The pilot was transmitted on 12 April 1977 in the Comedy Special series of one-off plays, and the series proper ran from 3 November 1977 to 31 December 1980.Citizen Smith...
and Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
. However until this point, these had only featured strong male lead roles, and he felt he should base his new sitcom around a woman. His source of inspiration was a letter in a magazine read to him by his wife, written by a woman who had been jilted by her fiancé on the day of her wedding.
According to a 2007 Comedy Connections
Comedy Connections
Comedy Connections was a BBC One documentary series produced by BBC Scotland that aired from 2003 to 2008. The show looked at the stories behind the production of some of Britain's comedy television programmes, showing how they tied in with the production of other comedy shows...
documentary on Just Good Friends, Sullivan was originally motivated to create the character by Cheryl Hall
Cheryl Hall
Cheryl Hall is a British actress.She is best known for playing the role of Shirley, the girlfriend of Wolfie Smith in the British sitcom Citizen Smith....
, the co-star of Citizen Smith. Hall complained that Sullivan was incapable of writing comedy for women, focusing instead on giving the best of his material to the male characters. Sullivan was stung by the remark because, in his words, "she was absolutely right", and deliberately set out to create a strong (and funny) female lead.
Jan Francis, who had played Lisa Colbert in Secret Army, was cast as Penny, and established theatre actor Paul Nicholas
Paul Nicholas
Paul Nicholas is an English actor and singer who has had considerable success on stage, screen and in the pop charts.-Biography:Nicholas was born as Paul Oscar Beuselinck in Peterborough, England...
was chosen to play Vincent, although this was his first major television role. Being a notable singer, Nicholas also performed the title theme song
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
, written by John Sullivan and arranged by Ronnie Hazlehurst
Ronnie Hazlehurst
Ronald "Ronnie" Hazlehurst was an English composer and conductor who, having joined the BBC in 1961, became its Light Entertainment Musical Director....
. For the end title music, Hazlehurst arranged the theme for flugelhorn
Flugelhorn
The flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
.
Plot
The series followed the wavering relationship between two ex-lovers, Penny Warrender, a secretary for an advertising firm, and Vincent Pinner, an ex ice cream salesman turned Turf Accountant (BookmakerBookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
) who is also the son of a wealthy scrap metal merchant. The couple has split up following Vincent's decision not to marry Penny on their wedding day, leaving her at the altar. In the pilot episode, five years since their intended wedding day, the pair meet again by chance in a pub while out on individual dates. The pair decide to forget the past and become friends, although the rekindling of their relationship is not welcomed by Penny's snobbish parents, particularly her mother, Daphne, played by Sylvia Kay
Sylvia Kay
Sylvia Kay, is an English character actress, who has had many roles in British television programmes, most notably as Daphne Warrender in the BBC Sitcom Just Good Friends...
.
The 1984 90-minute Christmas special was a trip back in time as John Sullivan wrote a prequel to the series showing how Penny and Vince first met, loved and how Penny was jilted and married the slimy Graham. The last episode of the second series was intended to be the final episode, with Penny leaving for a job in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
However, the cast reunited in 1986 for a final seven episodes, in which Penny and Vince met up in Paris two years after they split up. Penny was now divorced and Vince was married; the couple renew their relationship and Vince, now a successful businessman, gives up everything for a quick divorce to pay off his wife Gina so he can be with Penny.
Penny and Vince then elope back to Paris where they marry at the town hall.
Cast
- Paul NicholasPaul NicholasPaul Nicholas is an English actor and singer who has had considerable success on stage, screen and in the pop charts.-Biography:Nicholas was born as Paul Oscar Beuselinck in Peterborough, England...
- Vincent Pinner - Jan FrancisJan FrancisJan Francis is an English actress, best known for playing Penny Warrender in the 1980s romantic comedy Just Good Friends.-Early life:Francis was born at the former Charing Cross Hospital near Trafalgar Square, London...
- Penny Warrender - Sylvia KaySylvia KaySylvia Kay, is an English character actress, who has had many roles in British television programmes, most notably as Daphne Warrender in the BBC Sitcom Just Good Friends...
- Daphne Warrender - John RinghamJohn RinghamJohn Henry Ringham was a British character actor of both television and stage who appeared in over a hundred screen appearances in a wide variety of roles....
- Norman Warrender - Ann Lynn - Rita Pinner
- Shaun CurryShaun CurryShaun Curry is a British actor, best known for his appearances on television.His credits include: Z-Cars, The Saint, Warship, The Sweeney, The New Avengers, Secret Army, Poldark, To the Manor Born, The Professionals, Blake's 7, Hot Money, Minder, The Gentle Touch, The Bill, Just Good Friends and...
- Les Pinner - Adam French - Clifford Pinner
With:
- Charlotte Seeley - Georgina (Gina) Marshall (Vince's Wife - Series 3)
- Colette Gleeson - Elaine (Penny's friend/co-worker at 'Matthew, Styles and Leiberman')
- James Lister - Lennie (Vince's friend)
- Bill WallisBill WallisBill Wallis is a British character actor and comedian who has appeared in numerous radio and television roles, as well as in the theatre....
- A.J. Styles (Penny's Boss) - Sally FaulknerSally FaulknerSally Faulkner is a British actress.She is perhaps best known for her film appearances during the 1970s in the likes of Vampyres, Confessions of a Driving Instructor, Prey, The David Galaxy Affair and Jaguar Lives!....
- Bev (Vince's secretary at Pinner Metals Scrapyard - Series 3) - Andrew Tourell - Graham Pratt (Penny's Husband)
DVD releases
The first two series had been released in a joint boxset in the UK under the Universal PlaybackUniversal Playback
Playback is a label of Universal Studios Home Entertainment in the United Kingdom, which specialises in releasing Region 2 DVDs of classic and cult television programmes. In particular, it has the rights to a number of well-known BBC sitcoms.-DVD releases:...
label. However, these were edited due to music clearance rights. The third series was not released. In 2008, Cinema Club
2 Entertain
2 Entertain is a British video and music publisher, formed by the merger of BBC Video and Video Collection International in 2004....
bought the rights to the series and were to re-release series one and two in June 2009, with series three to follow. These were later cancelled.
DVD company Eureka have bought the rights to the series and released the complete collection on 25 October 2010 "containing all three series including the 1984 Christmas Special". Unfortunately copyright clearance could not be obtained for all the music included in the Christmas Special, and as Eureka "could not isolate and remove the music alone" they "had to replace that portion of the programme's soundtrack and feature the dialogue in subtitles" feeling this was "a better option than cutting out the scene in its entirety".
External links
(note:some of the cast information on this link is incorrect)- Just Good Friends at phill.co.uk
- Fan site