Quote: Billy Bunter @ 13th January 2021, 9:14 AMDon't forget to look out for, and admire, my old school at the start of episode 4 (per my post of 14/8/17 above).
Oh yes!, And there you are you fat owl 
Dear John... Page 7
That's great And, yes, I've still got those trousers. A bit small round my circumference now though - I've filled out a bit since then.
Quote: Billy Bunter @ 17th January 2021, 11:13 AMThat's great
And, yes, I've still got those trousers. A bit small round my circumference now though - I've filled out a bit since then.
'Yarooh!', he ejaculated
Dear John was very traditional in its 3-camera, live studio audience set-up. What set it apart, in my opinion, was how well scripted it was; at least the earlier episodes. Yes, some of the characters seemed a little 2-dimensional but I have met people a lot like Ralph. And if Kirk and Louise were caricatures, at least they were novel, memorable versions of their tropes. So, while I share your friend's taste in ground-breaking, experimental noughties era sitcoms (Spaced, Peep Show, The Office) you'd struggle to name three sitcoms that offer a less meaningful comparison to the work John Sullivan was creating in the mid '80s.
Quote: Badvoc @ 4th September 2009, 8:31 PMThe American one was too 'shiny' for such a downbeat comedy. The British one is still probably my all-time favourite sitcom.
A friend of mine watched it for the first time recently and said all the characters were 'caricatures'- then went on to extol the virtues of Spaced, Peep show and The Office, all of which ARE brilliant, but are full of caricatures of the most obvious kind! He's evidently too young to realise that some people in the 1980s were genuinely like that. Ironically the show was the forefather of all the 'dark' and 'edgy' comedies people like today, but most of them have probably never heard of it.
Kevin Lloyd's character was called Ricky Fortune, by the way. I was going to be Kirk St Moritz on this forum but I plumped for Badvoc because I was bearded when I joined.
All time favourite Dear John... quote:
Kirk: "I remember the first night Lola and I spent together, she whispered, 'be gentle with me, Kirkie.'"
Ralph: "Be gentle with her what?"
Series 2 was a bit chaotic, with people leaving and rejoining the cast every five minutes and Sullivan clearly struggling to keep up, but the Christmas special was brilliant.
Quote: JohnnyBGoodson @ 9th September 2021, 12:31 AMDear John was very traditional in its 3-camera, live studio audience set-up. What set it apart, in my opinion, was how well scripted it was; at least the earlier episodes. Yes, some of the characters seemed a little 2-dimensional but I have met people a lot like Ralph. And if Kirk and Louise were caricatures, at least they were novel, memorable versions of their tropes. So, while I share your friend's taste in ground-breaking, experimental noughties era sitcoms (Spaced, Peep Show, The Office) you'd struggle to name three sitcoms that offer a less meaningful comparison to the work John Sullivan was creating in the mid '80s.
Well that's weird. Just started on the last disc from my box set tonight, but there's only 2 episodes plus a Christmas special - I thought there were far more episodes than this. Was it ditched early? Surely not.
Don't know but I am surprised to see from the blurb that it only ran for two series for a total of 14 eps. I'd always imagined this to be a 3 or 4 series sitcom. I wonder was it the pressure of also writing OFAH that cut it short? It's one I mean to watch fully at some point but from distant memories, it did appear to be popular. If not as popular as OFAH obviously.
Looking back, I find john Sullivan's most interesting shows the ones that aren't OFAH, which at some point became a bloated self-indulgent cash cow. Dear John was a great little show, and I'm guessing Ralph Bates failing health might have also had something to do with its relatively brief run.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 9th September 2021, 1:01 AMDon't know but I am surprised to see from the blurb that it only ran for two series for a total of 14 eps. I'd always imagined this to be a 3 or 4 series sitcom. I wonder was it the pressure of also writing OFAH that cut it short? It's one I mean to watch fully at some point but from distant memories, it did appear to be popular. If not as popular as OFAH obviously.
I've been thoroughly enjoying it, but have only 2 episodes left to watch. 
Quote: chipolata @ 9th September 2021, 6:43 AMand I'm guessing Ralph Bates failing health might have also had something to do with its relatively brief run.
Yes, I did wonder that, when I realised how few episodes there were in the box-set. He was still working up until 1990, but on IMDb it states (I think from his wife) " In the late 1980s his health rapidly deteriorated"
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 9th September 2021, 9:02 AMI've been thoroughly enjoying it, but have only 2 episodes left to watch.
I know you absolutely love American remakes of British shows, so when you've finished watching all that sport you also love, check out the American Dear John remake that ran for 90 episodes. 
Quote: chipolata @ 9th September 2021, 9:39 AMI know you absolutely love American remakes of British shows, so when you've finished watching all that sport you also love, check out the American Dear John remake that ran for 90 episodes.
And go into a state of depression? Er, no thank you.
"Have that one on me Mrs. Boyd-Peterson!"
Quote: chipolata @ 9th September 2021, 6:43 AMRalph Bates failing health might have also had something to do with its relatively brief run.
Well, yeah. When people die, they tend to work less.
Quote: chipolata @ 9th September 2021, 6:43 AMOFAH, which at some point became a bloated self-indulgent cash cow
It used to be just crap. John Sullivan isn't really my thing, but I did enjoy Dear John. Kate is cringeworthy though.
Just discovered it on London Live. Missed most of it but see the lovely Belinda Lang.
Phwoar. Actually she made me cringe.
Dear John is a gem though. And I normally don't like John Sullivan.
Must be getting old because I don't remember that previous post although I just watched it (with no Belinda Lang). Still very funny to my mind.