Nicholas Lyndhurst will return to BBC1 in a revival of its 1990s time travel sitcom, Goodnight Sweetheart.

The comedy will return as a one-off special as part of the channel’s landmark sitcom season celebrating 60 years of laughter.

Lyndhurst, who is still best known for his role as Rodney in Only Fools and Horses, and latterly in BBC1 drama New Tricks, starred in Goodnight Sweetheart as accidental time traveller Gary Sparrow who ended up in second world war London.

Who do you think you are, Rodders? Doctor Who?

In the new episode, written by its original creators Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, he ends up “somewhere he has never been before” after he is catapulted back into 21st century life.

The BBC sitcom season will also see revivals of classic comedies including Are You Being Served?, Porridge and a Keeping Up Appearances prequel, Young Hyacinth, along with a handful of new shows.

Lyndhurst will return to the role but it is not known if Dervla Kirwan, who played Gary Sparrow’s love interest, will also be back. The BBC said further casting would be announced in due course.

Marks and Gran’s other TV credits include The New Statesman, featuring Rik Mayall as Alan B’Stard, and Birds of a Feather, recently revived by ITV.

Shane Allen, controller of BBC comedy commissioning said: “The whole sitcom season is geared towards giving comedy royalty their due recognition and in Goodnight Sweetheart we have heavyweight writing and performing talents reunited in this hugely popular and fondly remembered show.

“The conceptual update is sublime and it was heart-skipping stuff to read – it’s an absolute belter.”

Jon Rolph, executive producer of Goodnight Sweetheart, added: “I’ve long been keen to catch up with the life and various times of Gary Sparrow, so it’s an absolute delight to see Goodnight Sweetheart take its place in the landmark sitcom season.”



Goodnight Sweetheart ran on BBC1 for six series, from 1993 to 1999.