Nicholas Lyndhurst, the man who portrayed Rodney Trotter on the iconic British sitcom Only Fools and Horses, has opened up about his approach to TV nowadays.
It’s been over four decades since Lyndhurst made his debut as Rodney opposite David Jason’s Del Boy in the long-running comedy series, which remains one of the nation’s best-loved sitcoms to this day.
The final episode aired in 2003 as Lyndhurst and Jason reunited one final time but episodes of the comedy classic continue to play on UK TV channels.
However, much like several classic comedies from decades gone by, Only Fools hasn’t been immune to modern-day censorship and calls for alterations due to possible offence in today’s politically correct era.
Even Marlene actress Sue Holderness spoke out earlier this year to brand comedy “not as funny as it used to be” after hearing the news one controversial episode had been “banned” from broadcast.
Weighing in with his verdict on TV nowadays, Lyndhurst – who currently stars in the rebooted US sitcom Frasier – admitted he doesn’t give it the time of day.
“I actually haven’t watched television for quite a long time,” Lyndhurst told Radio Times.
The Frasier star continued: “My living room faces the garden, not the TV, because that feels a bit ‘worky’.
“I watch the news and I watch some documentaries, but otherwise I don’t turn on the TV very often.
“I don’t stream, or binge… I know that’s not the answer you want to hear – but no!”
While Lyndhurst may no longer enjoy watching television, he is enjoying performing in front of a live audience Stateside for the second season of Frasier.
Lyndhurst stars alongside Kelsey Grammer in the series which airs on Paramount+ in the UK.
Discussing filming, Lyndhurst said: “I’m quite used to the live audience, so that’s not been a problem.
“But the way Frasier is written and the way it’s shot are very different from the UK. The writing team is big here, and the rewrites happen every day.
“In the UK, if we were shooting in front of an audience on a Sunday, we’d lock in the script on a Friday, at the latest.
“At that point, you’d have at least a day to figure out what you’re doing. Here, the script changes daily. It even changes when the audience is in the building.”
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Grammer has been full of praise for Lyndhurst ever since he joined the rebooted series of Frasier.
He previously told Deadline in June 2023: “Nick and I fell in love when we were doing Man of La Mancha together [at the London Coliseum in 2019].
“I warned them in America. I said, ‘Wait until this guy gets here. You’ll be doing a scene with him and suddenly you realise he’s just run off with it.’
“He’s an extraordinary actor, a dear friend. And I am so pleased he’s part of it.”
