Why I Love ... Only Fools and Horses

It was once voted the all-time favourite British sitcom – and was never far away from any top 10 in sitcom surveys.

It has taken a nose-dive in recent years making way for the likes of Not Going Out (yawn) and the Inbetweeners (boring).

No matter what pollsters publish, Only Fools and Horses will always be my number one, all-time favourite situation comedy.

Tastes and society change and so do the comedies and dramas that reflect them – that is right and proper.

The audience that put them at the top of the tree are also welcome to the politically correct often humourless, dark, sanitised output from all channels.

I’ll stick my DVD in the player and wallow in what is now the nostalgic and non-politically correct world of the Trotters of Mandela House, Peckham.

There are moments which make me cringe, but they are of their time and written in their time by John Sullivan, who was an acute, wise observer of and commentator on those times.

There were seven series between 1981 to 1991 and 16 Christmas specials from 1981 to 2003.

And I have watched them so often I can quote all of them from the first line to the last.

The premise was simple - three men from different generations living in a ‘council built Lego set’ in one of the less refined parts of London.

At first there was Del, his younger brother Rodney and their grandad. When the actor who played grandad, Lennard Pearce, died he was replaced by Buster Merryfield as the brothers’ Uncle Albert.

Seldom throughout the series is the pathos for which the writing was known so evident in Strained Relations - the episode which introduces salty old sea dog Albert.

There are tears, laughter, anger, remorse, regret and reminiscence rammed into 30 minutes.

No matter how close Del and Rodders come to being skint - there is something safe about the series - knowing that the trio will be back in your living room the following week dreaming of, striving to be and failing at being millionaires.

The three of them have mates - Boycie and Marlene, Mike, landlord of the Nags Head, Denzil, Trigger and Micky Pearce - but ultimately family was the most important thing to them.

Grandad and Uncle Albert go everywhere with Del and Rodders and, from Del to his older relatives, there is alwa