\nKirsty Mccormack<\/a><\/p>\n
Last updated at 1:55 PM on 28th December 2011<\/p>\n
He may be known as one of the greatest comedy actors from his time in Only Fools And Horses but Sir David Jason’s fans were left sorely disappointed by his latest offering.<\/span><\/p>\n The Royal Bodyguard – his first comedic role Jason since portraying TV icon Del Boy Trotter – left viewers fuming on Boxing Day.<\/span><\/p>\n Fans of the 71-year-old actor even vented their frustration on social networking site Twitter with one viewer saying it was ‘the worst programme on TV this Christmas.’ The Royal Bodyguard: Sir David Jason’s latest comedy was a disappointment with his thousands of fans <\/p>\n<\/div>\n According to the Daily Mirror, eight million people tuned in to watch the slapstick comedy but by the time the 30 minute episode had finished, there were 1.5 million less viewers.<\/span><\/p>\n One Twitter user named Susie Roberts tweeted: ‘The Royal Bodyguard may return next Monday but I doubt any viewers will.’<\/span><\/p>\n Disappointed: Thousands of fans began tweeting about the BBC comedy <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Comedic flop: Viewers were annoyed that the BBC had given the 71-year-old actor such a bad script <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Luckily the BBC changed their minds One tweet said that the comedy was ‘about as funny as a bad case of the Trotters.’ Fans Who’s to blame: Viewers slammed the BBC for poor writing and a terrible script<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Criticism: Even the Radio Times acknowledged the Twitter outburst<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Viewers watched as Jason played hopeless Visual jokes such as Hubble hanging from a balcony in his underwear just wasn’t enough to keep viewers entertained despite Jason himself describing the programme as a ‘lovely piece of fun.’<\/span><\/p>\n ‘A lovely piece of fun’: Jason described the programme as a ‘safe’ comedy but perhaps it was too safe <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The British star also stated that it was a ‘safe’ comedy which is perhaps where the writers went wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n Professional critics weren’t so nice about the comedy either with Ray Ridley writing on Digital Spy: ‘I think the BBC knew they had a stinker on their hands and premiered this when we are going to be more uncritical, p***ed, or a combination of the two.’<\/span><\/p>\n Radio Times – which normally supports ‘Can’t remember the last time we had a Twitter reaction like this.’<\/span><\/p>\n Favourite role: Fans preferred Jason as Del Boy Trotter in Only Fools And Horses where he starred alongside Buster Merryfield (L) and Nicholas Lyndhurst <\/p>\n Had just about enough of the family? Yearning for a return to work? Maybe television will provide an escape route. No such luck; you\u2019d be better off doing some gardening or risking your life at the sales. It really has been a poor Christmas for mainstream television; when the haggard and threadbare likes of Doctor Who and Absolutely Fabulous and the almost impossibly terrible The Royal Bodyguard provide the BBC highlights for Christmas Day then it\u2019s clear someone just isn\u2019t trying hard enough at the BBC. Perhaps commissioning executives thought we\u2019d all be too plastered or tired to care what we watched. As for ITV, well, perhaps we should turn the other way – it\u2019s cruel to mock the pointless. Downton Abbey, a short burst of half-decent period drama interrupting a steady flow of ads selling the kind of sofas apparently assembled by sightless, limbless monkeys, flopped rather badly. It was all too predictable. Bates was better off in prison, quite frankly.<\/span><\/p>\n Back on the Beeb you knew that AbFab, dragged rotting from its grave, was in trouble when it became clear that Eddie\u2019s mum, played by June Whitfield, had aged far better than Jane Horrocks\u2019s Bubble, who just looked like a confused bag lady. Only Joanna Lumley (‘I\u2019m sure I\u2019m 39 darling’) emerged with any credit.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n![\"The](\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/58bearticle-0-0F108A9B00000578-538_468x735.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Disappointed:](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2011\/12\/28\/article-2079278-0F49594600000578-118_468x133.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Comedic](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2011\/12\/28\/article-2079278-0F108C1200000578-171_468x400.jpg\")
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\nabout broadcasting the Royal comedy on Christmas Day and instead opted
\nto show it the day after, but it seems they needn’t had bothered as
\neither way viewers were disappointed.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nwere most annoyed about the fact that Jason had been associated with
\nsuch a poor storyline and script, with one fan calling it ‘contrived and
\npredictable.’<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Who's](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2011\/12\/28\/article-2079278-0F495B9E00000578-725_468x124.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Criticism:](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2011\/12\/28\/article-2079278-0F4964A100000578-104_468x74.jpg\")
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\nCaptain Guy Hubble who is promoted to being the Queen’s bodyguard, but
\nthey soon switched over to another channel.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"'A](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2011\/12\/28\/article-2079278-0F10887200000578-614_468x512.jpg\")
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\nthe BBC – also acknowledged the reaction, saying: ‘Oh dear we are not
\ngetting many complimentary tweets about The Royal Bodyguard.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Favourite](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2011\/12\/28\/article-2079278-0055ECBE00000258-726_468x656.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCHRISTMAS TV AT ITS WORST! By PAUL CONNOLLY<\/span>
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