CULTURE |
TV & RADIO
INTERVIEW
Straight
from the
Only Fools
and Horses
mouth
ere’s the thing that’s driving John Challis
berserk: why does Only Fools and Horses
work... in Serbia?
When the actor first played braying buffoon
Boycie in 1981 he knew the scripts were good but was
certain its appeal was limited.
“I thought, yeah, this is funny, but it was very
London-centric, the language and everything,” he tells
The Big Issue. “Pretty soon we started getting letters
from all over the place – I mean even as far away as
Scotland! You suddenly realise the appeal of it, that
these characters John Sullivan had written were
completely universal.”
So much so that the wheeler-dealer exploits of Del
Boy and co became compulsive viewing in former
Yugoslav nations during the Nineties when the region
was at war. But it was only many years later, when
a Serbian film crew tracked Challis down to a book
signing in Peterborough, that it emerged just how
famous Boycie was in Belgrade.
“It fascinates me why they liked it so much,”
Challis, now 78, explains. “I know nothing about this
part of the world apart from the horrible wars they
had but I like history so I started finding out more
about it.”
Challis travelled to the Serbian capital to
make a documentary. In the city he’s treated like
royalty, invited to an ambassador’s reception by the
British embassy, lectures an English class, tours
a plum brandy distillery, is mobbed by fans in a
shopping centre and, oddly, speaks to the Serbian
health minister. The resulting film, half travelogue,
half treatise of the international cultural impact of
Only Fools and Horses has won enthusiastic five-starreviews from Ricky Hatton (“I didn’t know how big it is in the Balkans”),
Paul Chuckle (“a must-watch for any Fools fan or not”) and Sue Holderness,
who played long-suffering wife Marlene (“That’s the last time I let Boycie go
to Belgrade without me”).
At its heart Boycie in Belgrade explores humour’s power to bring people
together. “There is something about laughter that unites people,” Challis
says. “If only we could bottle it, share it, a lot of problems would be over.
“I realised they’re exactly the same, all those characters exist in that
part of the world. Boycie was just one of these irritating people we all know
who always seems to have money. There’s a bit of Del Boy in everybody. The
aspiration, ‘Next time this year Rodders, we’ll be millionaires’. He probably
doesn’t believe it deep down but he hopes it will happen. It actually sums up
what that country and its people are about.”
Decades after the war, shells of bombed-out buildings still stand in
central Belgrade like scars the city doesn’t want to hide. “I think they’ve
deliberately left them there as a reminder of what could happen, because
it’s a very volatile area, always has been,” Challis says. “They’ve been
invaded by practically everybody over the centuries, then Tito [the former
Yugoslavia’s president from 1953 until his death in 1980] kept that union
together but it’s very tribal. I think there’s a bit of an identity crisis out
there. And it’s not surprising.
“Then you see some bomb damage and suddenly realise it was us
who bombed them,” he continues. “And still there you are, as part of this
British programme, which is sort of iconic for them. It’s just so full of irony
and ridiculousness.”
Closer to home, London too has transformed over the decades since Del
Boy first set up his stall. Arguably, Boycie was the original gent in a now
thoroughly gentrified Peckham.
“We started off filming in Peckham and it wasn’t particularly pretty,”
Challis says. “I’ve been back a couple of times to open things or make a
personal appearance and there was a lot more buzz about the place. As is
happening to a lot of London, so-called gentrification is going on, people
tarting up buildings and trying to sell them for extraordinary prices that
nobody can afford.
“I think that’s happening all over the place, unfortunately. Presumably
you have to stop it with some legislation and say, no, you can’t put those
rents up, there must be affordable housing or people.”The wheel deal
Challis is interviewed in Serbia,
where Boycie is an unexpected iconH
Image:James McCauley/ShutterstockImage:wolf-entertainment.com34 | BIGISSUE.COM FROM 24 AUGUST 2020CULTURE |
TV & RADIO
INTERVIEW
Straight
from the
Only Fools
and Horses
mouth
ere’sthethingthat’sdrivingJohnChallis
berserk:whydoesOnlyFoolsandHorses
work...inSerbia?
Whentheactorfirstplayedbrayingbuffoon
Boyciein1981heknewthescriptsweregoodbutwas
certainitsappealwas limited.
“Ithought,yeah,thisisfunny,butitwas very
London-centric,thelanguageandeverything,” hetells
TheBigIssue.“Prettysoonwestartedgettingletters
fromallovertheplace–Imeanevenasfar awayas
Scotland!Yousuddenlyrealisetheappealofit,that
thesecharactersJohn Sullivan hadwrittenwere
completelyuniversal.”
Somuchsothatthewheeler-dealerexploitsofDel
Boyandco becamecompulsiveviewinginformer
YugoslavnationsduringtheNinetieswhentheregion
was atwar. Butitwas onlymanyyearslater, when
aSerbianfilmcrewtrackedChallisdowntoabook
signinginPeterborough,thatitemergedjusthow
famousBoyciewasinBelgrade.
“Itfascinatesmewhytheylikeditsomuch,”
Challis, now 78,explains.“Iknow nothingaboutthis
partoftheworld apartfromthehorriblewarsthey
hadbutIlikehistorysoIstartedfindingoutmore
aboutit.”
ChallistravelledtotheSerbiancapitalto
makeadocumentary.Inthecityhe’streatedlike
royalty,invitedtoanambassador’sreceptionbythe
Britishembassy,lecturesanEnglishclass,tours
aplumbrandydistillery,ismobbedbyfansina
shoppingcentreand,oddly,speakstotheSerbian
healthminister. Theresultingfilm,halftravelogue,
halftreatiseoftheinternationalculturalimpactof
OnlyFoolsandHorseshaswonenthusiasticfive-starreviewsfromRickyHatton(“Ididn’tknow how bigitisintheBalkans”),
PaulChuckle(“amust-watchfor anyFoolsfan ornot”)andSueHolderness,
whoplayedlong-sufferingwifeMarlene(“That’sthelasttimeIletBoyciego
toBelgradewithoutme”).
AtitsheartBoycieinBelgradeexploreshumour’spowertobringpeople
together.“Thereissomethingaboutlaughterthatunitespeople,” Challis
says.“Ifonlywecouldbottleit,shareit,alotofproblemswouldbeover.
“Irealisedthey’reexactlythesame,allthosecharactersexistinthat
partoftheworld.Boyciewas justoneoftheseirritatingpeopleweallknow
whoalwaysseemstohavemoney.There’sabitofDelBoyineverybody.The
aspiration,‘NexttimethisyearRodders, we’llbemillionaires’.Heprobably
doesn’tbelieveitdeepdown buthehopesitwillhappen.Itactuallysumsup
whatthatcountryanditspeopleareabout.”
Decadesafterthewar, shellsofbombed-outbuildingsstillstandin
central Belgradelikescarsthecitydoesn’twanttohide.“Ithinkthey’ve
deliberatelyleftthemthereasareminderofwhatcouldhappen,because
it’saveryvolatilearea,alwayshasbeen,” Challissays.“They’vebeen
invadedbypracticallyeverybodyoverthecenturies,thenTito[theformer
Yugoslavia’s presidentfrom 1953 untilhisdeathin1980]keptthatunion
togetherbutit’sverytribal.Ithinkthere’sabitofanidentitycrisisout
there.Andit’snotsurprising.
“Thenyouseesomebombdamageandsuddenlyrealiseitwasus
whobombedthem,” hecontinues.“Andstillthereyouare,aspartofthis
Britishprogramme,whichissortoficonicforthem.It’sjustsofullofirony
andridiculousness.”
Closertohome,LondontoohastransformedoverthedecadessinceDel
Boyfirstsetuphisstall.Arguably,Boyciewastheoriginalgentinanow
thoroughlygentrifiedPeckham.
“WestartedofffilminginPeckhamanditwasn’tparticularlypretty,”
Challissays.“I’vebeenbackacoupleoftimestoopenthingsormakea
personalappearanceandtherewas alotmorebuzzabouttheplace.Asis
happeningtoalotofLondon,so-calledgentrificationisgoingon,people
tartingupbuildingsandtryingtosellthemforextraordinarypricesthat
nobodycan afford.
“Ithinkthat’shappeningallovertheplace,unfortunately.Presumably
youhavetostopitwithsomelegislationandsay,no,youcan’tputthose
rentsup,theremustbeaffordablehousingorpeople.”Thewheeldeal
ChallisisinterviewedinSerbia,
whereBoycieisanunexpectediconH
Image:James McCauley/ShutterstockImage:
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34 | BIGISSUE.COM FROM 24 AUGUST 2020