Just Good Friends - Where are they now?

We take a look back at the gentle comedy from the BBC; Just Good Friends and ask.....Where are they now?

[mikegray]

Jan Francis was (and it seems, still is!) absolutely adorable.

A nice gentle sitcom - as so many were in those days. No agenda, no message - just entertainment.

In the days before Snow White wanted to be “the strong leader, she always knew she could be”.

[glenm]

Everyone fancied Jan Francis! This was a truly classic comedy. First class acting and scripts.

[livingladolcevita]

Ha ha I was madly in love with Jan when I was a youngster😍

[Smudgie]

I bumped into Jan Francis with my trolley in my local Tesco’s once. I was really apologetic and she was as nice as pie! I remember as a teen having a bit of a thing for her and Zoe Wanamaker of Love Hurts fame…

[jackieyoungman]

Excellent. Thanks. One of the best sitcoms ever, in my opinion.

[kevingill]

Used to watch Just Good Friends in the early 80s, to me Jan Francis will always be one of the most beautiful women ever ♥

[kdp]

I remember this so well. Used to watch it while getting ready for a night out. Paul Nicholas was the older man/loveable rogue we girls wanted! Great memories of some terrible fashion trends lol.

[nicktucker]

I met Jan Francis many years ago when she came to Exeter for the official opening of the NEXT store. OMG she was gorgeous! 😍 I gave someone my camera to take a photo of the two of us together. 🤩🤩

Thanks Jan, it made my day, & a lot of my mates jealous & pi**ed off 'coz they weren't there. 😂

[TheSteffie]

One of my all time fav comedy shows, Jan and Paul were great together. So glad to know they are most still acting.

[hr]

Series 1 Pen was lovely. I was 10 and I fancied her.
Series 2 Pen was a bit snarky and changed her hairstyle and clothes.
Series 3 Pen changed her hairstyle and clothes yet again and became a snooty harridan and if I'd been Vince, I would have run a mile.
And now, 40 years later, I kind of fancy Daphne!
But Jan Francis was, is and will always be beautiful in my mind. Forever Penny.
And Vince was brilliant. He always kept calm and never lost his rag, even when he had troubles of his own. Awesome guy.
These were all shown on some TV channel at the start of summer. Drama, I think. But as usual, they miss out the Christmas Special because of some music royalties issues. I had the episode on Betamax and remember bits of it.

[pomerau]

I drove Paul Nicholas home from the Palladium twice (or to a rental or friends house) in the Nineties when he was appearing with Frank Thornton among others (who I also drove home).
I had seen this series only in parts, but assumed he was always an actor.

Learning here that he started as a singer fills a gap for me.
He used to practise his vocals for a short while, wearing an Arran sweater, in the back seat and he had an amazingly deep chested, naturally amplified tone, like he had lungs the size of a cave. One of only two people that impressed me with their singing in a car.

Don't misunderstand, he was extremely nice and unpretentious, wasn't loud or showing off - just did it for a few minutes as if warming down his vocals and it wasn't overtly loud at all.
Could feel and hear the notes like from an amplifier or cave, but not very loud. I couldn't describe it really.

I was happy to see him in recent years on one of those x number of people go travelling. They went to a Far East destination, or possibly India. A Birds of a Feather star was also there.

Also amazed here that Jan Francis was a top Ballet Dancer; that's like being a top athlete. Very impressive.

[alanbone]

Was a great show loved it years ago , ,

[shanethetrain]

I was John Ringham's postman. He lived in Muswell Hill. Always greeted you with a smile. Nice man.

[antking]

interesting that the men were listed as 'x times married'and the women were x times divorced' lol Bloody loved Jan Francis though

[niks]

Thank you so much for taking us down the sweet memory lane.... same for 'Me and my Girl' would be nice. They don't make them like this anymore.

[chippy]

I could not wait to see next weeks show loved all of it, fancied pen…….

[susanross]

Oh my goodness, Paul Nicholas was sex on legs & that man still had an amazing twinkle in his eye when I saw him on The Real Marigold Hotel a couple of years back. Just good friends was a beautiful gentle lighthearted comedy, the likes of which we will never see again, from a much innocenter time.

[Alistair-dn]

Remember this show as if it was last week 🙂

[mjones]

First became aware of Jan Francis when she played the character Diana in the BBC's 1970's adaption of Anne of Green Gables . She was very good in the part - as where all of the cast -especially KIm Braden who played Anne . Massive shame the series was "wiped " like many from that era because the BBC thought they no longer had and future commercial value .

[Granto-niqw]

❤❤ pure gold just a fantastic drama, i just loved jan❤ best wishes from Durham England xx