David Jason and his Monty Python co-stars were a hit in the iconic comedy series Do Not Adjust Your Set - but it all went wrong for David as he was brutally "ditched" by his pals, bringing the series to a premature end.
As a result, the sketch show didn't last beyond the second series, way back in 1969. David opened up about exactly why in a new book, This Time Next Year: A Life Of Positive Thinking.
He candidly revealed that a glass had been raised to the future of Do Not Adjust Your Set, with himself, Denise Coffey, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Eric Idle. However, a shock was in store.
"When we made that second series later that year, an American with long hair and an Afghan coat would come on board and begin supplying the show with cartoon sequences. That was Terry Gilliam," the Only Fools and Horses fave explained.
"Yet only a year later, the last four of those [cast members] mentioned would have ditched the programme and, without so much as a 'thanks and see you later', gone on to form a comedy troupe with a couple of other friends, called John Cleese and Graham Chapman, in order to make a madcap sketch show for adults." He continued ominously: "They had left yours truly and Denise behind, where our consolation prize was to be given a children's show called Two D's and a Dog."
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Cringing with embarrassment, David went on to admit he hoped readers had never seen the show.
He explained that it was "not the most glittering of baubles on the decorated tree which is my career in showbiz".
The detective series, which first started to be screened in 1970, had followed the adventures of impoverished and bereaved Dotty (played by Denise) and her chauffeur Dingle (played by David) as they drove alongside her dog in the sidecar of a dilapidated motorbike.
It was intended to be a spin-off of Do Not Adjust Your Set, but with four major characters totally missing.
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Meanwhile, David admitted the difficulties of getting his on-screen canine companion - a cuddly English sheepdog who also appeared in "at least some of the Dulux paint ads" - to behave.
"Despite clearly being, at least to some extent, an experienced performer, I'm not sure acting was his first love," he joked.
"Certainly it was quite hard to get him to sit still when you needed him to sit still. And it was also quite hard to get him to move around when you wanted him to move around. And as for learning his cues..." he exclaimed.
Find out more in David Jason's new autobiography This Time Next Year: A Life Of Positive Thinking, which is available to buy now.
