Fans of Nicholas Lyndhurst are rallying to bring back one of his most beloved roles, donating thousands of pounds to revive Goodnight Sweetheart after the BBC declined to commission a new series.
Writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran have turned to Kickstarter in hopes of funding a sequel novel to the time-travel sitcom, which last aired a reunion special in 2016.
The campaign has already raised over £8,000 of its £30,000 goal, with 38 days still to go.
The novel, titled Goodnight Sweetheart: Many Happy Returns, will continue the time-travelling adventures of Gary Sparrow, the character portrayed by Nicholas Lyndhurst in the original series. The book has been fully licensed by the production company Freemantle.
The original series ran on BBC One from 1993 to 1999, following time-travelling bigamist Gary Sparrow, played by Lyndhurst, who was already well-known for his role as Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses.
After a 17-year absence, the programme returned for a one-off special in 2016, delighting fans who had long awaited its comeback. However, the BBC chose not to commission further episodes despite viewer enthusiasm.
In their Kickstarter description, Marks and Gran wrote: “Everyone felt sure a new series would follow… but inexplicably, series seven was never commissioned!”
The writers are appealing directly to fans to support the project.
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“So, if you’ve been shouting at the TV for the past decade, willing the series to return, now’s your chance to support the project and help to bring back Goodnight Sweetheart,” they said on the crowdfunding page.
The novel will serve as what the seventh series of the programme might have been, picking up where the 2016 reunion special left off.
With 38 days remaining in the campaign, the writers need to raise an additional £21,841 to reach their £30,000 target and bring Gary Sparrow’s story back to life after fans took it upon themselves to donate thousands to the cause.
The novel’s plot centres on a white lie Gary told his wife Phoebe, played by Elizabeth Carling, claiming the girl he left behind in Los Angeles was called Marilyn Monroe.
According to the synopsis: “When Gary first met Phoebe, he told her the girl he left behind in LA went by the name of Marilyn Monroe.
“It was just his little private joke. It had never occurred to him that he would be living in the past, married to Phoebe when Marilyn became an international sex symbol in the 1950s.
“For years, every time Phoebe’s seen Marilyn on the silver screen, her insecurities have overwhelmed her. What if Gary were to go back to Hollywood to regain the love of his life? That is, until Marilyn’s shock death at the age of 36, which brings all of Phoebe’s old feelings back to the surface.”
The story will feature Gary’s encounters with Beatles manager Brian Epstein and James Bond author Ian Fleming. Eventually returning to the 21st century, Gary must decide whether to continue his time-travelling double life or choose between past and present.