Penny Warrender in Just Good Friends represents the most iconic character of Jan Francis. Jane plays Paul Nicholas Vincent Pinner’s intermittent lover in one of John Sullivan’s gems of the 80s. The three seasons of the series attracted millions of viewers, of which the 1984 Christmas special attracted more than 20 million viewers.
None of the other characters embodied by Jan Francis can reach the height of Petunia Warrend. After Just Good Friends ended in 1986, Jan appeared in Under the Hammer, Mistresses, Collision and Emmerdale. She also acted in dramas, and toured seven deadly sins and four deadly sinners from 2004 to 2008.
Jane doesn’t do things like she did in the 70s and 80s, just reappearing in one short-lived show after another. She appeared on ITV’s Next of Kin for the last time, but the show did not pass the first season. She had previously appeared in the BBC’s I Want My Wife Back, which also failed the first season.
Jane told Radio Times that the crew and actors hoped to have a second season, but it did not come true. Nonetheless, Francis told the media that she likes to work on the show: “It was a very pleasant experience, I think a lot of measures have been taken. You know what I mean? The screenwriters, they really bothered every word and every angle. I think it has a good charm. , All of this. And it’s hard to describe. I mean, it’s definitely not a sitcom.”
“You just think let us have something new now. Don’t look back, look back. They are bringing back bouquets of hyacinths, aren’t they? They are bringing back a lot of these things. I know they said it was the golden age of comedy, but you Must keep going, really.” Jan believes that Just Good Friends has retained its value with its three seasons and one season of special shows.
“If you try to extend it, it’s like a piece of gum, it loses its flavor,” she added. Many producers have mentioned the idea of revival, but Jane rejected them. She thinks it is wrong to have a show without the creator, the late John Sullivan. Francis explained:
“It has to be someone else, and it’s his. John’s genius and writing for women, it’s a wonderful experience. He’s a genius, he knows how to write meaningful comedies. And I don’t know you can be in other people’s Use the same role at the helm. I’ll worry about it. So no, let’s make it special. Something unique.” Francis understands why people want to bring back successful shows, but she doesn’t support it. “That was at that time, their age, it just hit a point, it’s really hard to do,” Jan said.
