Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran write Gary Sparrow's next chapter

Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran are to write a final episode of their time-slip sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart – as a novel.

The show originally aired  across 57 episodes on BBC One between 1993 and 1999 and starred Nicholas Lyndhurst as the time-travelling bigamist, part living in the modern day and party in the Second World War.

In 2016, it was rebooted for a one-off reunion episode called Many Happy Returns as part of the BBC’s Landmark Sitcom Season, attracting an audience of almost 5million viewers. But hopes that this pilot might spawn a new season – as it did for a reboot of Porridge – came to nothing.

Now Marks and Gran – whose credits also include The New Statesman and  Birds of a Feather – have started a Kickstarter campaign to tell the final chapter in a book, which will also be called  Many Happy Returns.

If the crowdfunding is successful; the title will be to be published by Idiot Box, a new company that aims to specialise in comedy books.

In a statement, the writers said: ‘Of all the shows we have ever written, Goodnight Sweetheart has the biggest and most devoted fanbase. 

‘We were thrilled at the audience response to the 2016 special. Like our fans, we want to know what happened next to Gary Sparrow and his two families. And now, Idiot Box are giving us and you the chance to find out!’

They also recorded this video explaining the plot of the book:

It picks up just before the events of the 2016 special, which was set in the spring of 1962, when Marilyn Monroe sang at President Kennedy’s birthday party.

But when Gary first met his wartime sweetheart Phoebe, he told her the girl he left behind in LA went by the name of Marilyn Monroe – a throwaway line that has repercussions now she’s a famous sex symbol.

Gary also claimed to have written all the Beatles songs, which will also lead to awkward questions as the real group emerges from Liverpool.  So when he meets Brian Epstein he tries to convince him there’s no future for guitar-led pop groups,  in the hope of halting their rise.

Meanwhile, Phoebe encounters Ian Fleming and lets slip Gary is also a agent… although the spy-turned novelist never encountered him in the Secret Service.

And in the 21st Century Gary must deal with the strange new world of selfie sticks, tattoos and vaping – as well as the news of  a teenage daughter, born when Gary got trapped in the past. 

The pair have so far raised almost £5,000 of their £30,000 crowdfunding target, with 54 days to go.

Published: 1 Jun 2025