Sir David Jason: From Del Boy to national treasure

Sir David Jason will be making a welcome return to British TV as the actor revealed on 21 June that he will be co-hosting a new show titled Touring Toolshed with The Repair Shop's Jay Blades.

Speaking about the forthcoming show, Jason shared that viewers will get the chance to know a "lesser-known side" to himself and he was excited to be "doing something totally different" to what people already know him for.

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The 83-year-old actor is a staple of British pop culture and, as he prepares to return to the national consciousness, we take a look back at the impact he's had on the industry.

Humble beginnings

Jason may be known for his acting skills now, but before he became a TV icon he began his career as an electrician, though as a child he always wanted to become a pilot.

In his autobiography Del of a Life: The Lessons I've Learned, Jason explained that he did an apprenticeship to become an electrician in college, he would later launch his own electrical company that was named BW Installations & Co with a friend.

The actor did not stay in the profession for long though because he decided to pursue his acting career and made his debut in 1966 by appearing in the soap Crossroads. From there the world became his oyster.

Rise to fame

It didn't take long for Jason's career to kick off, but a role in Porridge led to his big break: Starring in Open All Hours as shop assistant Granville which ran from 176 to 1985 in its initial run (it was followed by a sequel series titled Still Open All Hours from 2013-2019).

The comedy brought Jason into the public consciousness and then led to Jason being cast as Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter in Only Fools and Horses.

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Jim Broadbent was originally approached for the role of the wheel dealer but the actor wasn't keen on taking the role, so it went to Jason.

Only Fools and Horses began airing in 1981 and the series became such a bonafide hit it immediately propelled Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst and many of the rest of its cast to super-stardom.

The British comedy marked a turning point in the TV landscape, paving the way for the gold standard for the genre and cementing Jason as a pop culture icon.

Jason went on to grow his career further with shows like The Darling Buds of May, in which he played Pop Larkin from 1991 to 1993, and A Touch of Frost, where he portrayed Inspector Jack Frost for 15 seasons from 1992 to 2010.

National treasure status

It's thanks to shows like Only Fools and Horses and Open All Hours that Jason became seen as a national treasure, and he was also awarded a knighthood in 2005.

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Despite his age, Jason is adamant that he wants to continue acting. In 2017 he said in a documentary about his life: "People ask me if I am thinking of retiring? It doesn't occur to me. Different day, different challenge, different way, Lovely jubbly."

He added: "To make people laugh, to entertain, create a wide range of emotions. It has always been a tremendous thrill for me and it still is."

Watch: Sir David Jason reflects on his career highlights