David Jason to return as Del Boy in one-off special

David Jason will be reprising his iconic Only Fools and Horses role as Del Boy for a one-off special later in the year.

The actor has recorded a new sketch that will see him donning the flat cap and sheepskin coat once again, allowing him to get hands on with the restoration of a Datsun 240z Skyline vintage car.

The sketch will be included on an upcoming episode of the motoring entertainment show Car SOS, which airs on National Geographic and is repeated on Channel 4.

The show’s host Tim Shaw has said the skit was a surreal experience to be a part of. “David was a special guest on an episode and I managed to persuade him to do Del Boy again,” he told the Daily Star. “It’s a sketch that I think will surprise people.”

“It was one of the highlights of my life. It’s something I never thought would happen. When was the last time we saw David playing Del Boy? I can’t remember. So it was absolutely surreal.”

In fact, the last time Jason portrayed the character was in 2014 for an elongated sketch for Sport Relief called Beckham in Peckham.

The original sitcom ran for seven seasons between 1981 and 1991, with ten further Christmas specials running in the years that followed, finally concluding with the episode Sleepless in Peckham, which aired on Christmas Day in 2003.

The show, which was created and written by John Sullivan, was voted Britain’s best sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll, and at its peak it attracted audiences of over 20 million viewers. The moment that Del Boy falls through the bar has also been voted the funniest British sitcom moment of all time.

Jason, 84, is also known for the shows Open All Hours, A Touch of Frost and The Darling Buds of May.

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