We were first to watch "Boycie in Belgrade": What John Challis discovered about Serbia

English actor John Challis, known to many for portraying the character of Boycie in the hit sitcom "Only Fools and Horses," visited Belgrade last January with the desire to find out why this British series, which has nothing to do with Serbia, is so popular in our country.

And he could see for himself that this was the case when he was welcomed here almost as a hero of the nation, a hero before whom only the best was served.

From visiting the White Palace, to the Red Star Stadium, the Temple of Saint Sava and a very special museum, sipping brandy aged for 12 years, hanging out with spectators and English language students, "Boycie" was delighted and surprised on several occasions.

He was surprised by the history of Serbians, especially the story of Saint Sava, then the moments when he could understand our brand of English, questions that were more than direct, and perhaps more than anything, how many times he had to kiss strangers.

"Serbians kiss three times. I've never done so much kissing in my life," commented at one point.

Challis' discovery of the Serbian capital has been preserved in the form of a documentary, "Boycie in Belgrade", which will be released on September 4. The film, which Telegraf.rs was among the first to see, will be instructive for many Serbians, even Belgraders, who in those 80 minutes will be able to travel through the great and small histories of their city and perhaps learn something they did not know before.

All in all - "Boycie in Belgrade" is very interesting material not only for the fans of "Only Fools and Horses," but also for all those who love Belgrade.

Finally, the trip through the capital gave Challis the answer to the question he was looking for from the beginning - why is "Only Fools and Horses" so popular in Serbia? Is the reason for the humor, which, despite the huge differences in language and culture, is in some ways the same? Or the fact that the adventures of Del Boy, Rodney, their grandparents and uncles were repeated so many times on small screens that many of people here learned English with them?

Or was the moment when the series aired here cruical, in the difficult and gloomy ’90s? Or a combination of all that?

"I think the biggest reason that 'Only Fools and Horses' was so popular in that part of the world is actually laughter, especially in those horrible times, people needed to grab on to something and it was that show. They loved the characters, identified with them, laughed and therefore felt better. 'Only Fools and Horses' spoke about difficult things that happen in people's lives, but when it's colored with humor, it's less difficult," the actor said, among other things.

Take a look at the trailer for the documentary "Boycie in Belgrade", which was produced and directed by Lazar Vukovic, and which will be released on September 4, and let us know your first impressions in the comments.

A Telegraf.rs crew in January had the opportunity to talk to John Challis, who replied to a very interesting question - whether he would rather buy Yugoslav Riesling, an Albanian radio set, or a Romanian wine from Del Boy. See what he replied:

(D.D.S.)