Fletch is back!
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Following the success of last year’s pilot – a spin-off that starred Kevin Bishop as the grandson of Ronnie Barker’s character, Norman Stanley Fletcher, from the classic 1970s sitcom – a full six-part series begins this week.
‘I loved the original, so I was nervous because I knew I had big shoes to fill,’ says Kevin. ‘Luckily, the writers who created the original are doing the scripts for the new series, so the gags are great and hopefully the spirit of the 1970s sitcom that people loved is still there!’
In the first episode, Fletch uses his writing skills to make a bit of cash as he pens letters on his fellow inmates’ behalf.
Yet his cell mate Joe Lotterby (Dave Hill) and arch-nemesis prison warden, Officer Meekie (Mark Bonnar) warn him not to get mixed up in other people’s problems…
‘Fletch is always coming up with little schemes,’ says Kevin. ‘He likes keeping busy and he knows they annoy Officer Meekie!’
Playing the role is a dream come true for Kevin who was delighted with the reception the new show received…
‘The response has been so positive and I was quite overwhelmed by it,’ he says. ‘I was very relieved and I think fans of the original were as well!’