The series has a number of parallels with long-running BBC comedy "Only Fools and Horses", with both being set in London and involving lovable dodgy dealers with endless get-rich-quick schemes that invariably backfire and get them into trouble (and both of whom tried to make out to be of a higher status than they really were), and both having a blend of comedy and drama. Indeed, "Only Fools and Horses" creator / writer John Sullivan claimed that one of the ways he persuaded the BBC to commission the series was by pointing to the success of ITV's "Minder", which had begun the previous year. After both having lukewarm starts, both series went on to become huge hits, and share much of the same fan base. At Christmas 1985, specials of "Only Fools and Horses" and "Minder" were scheduled against each other, angering many viewers in the days before video recorders were commonplace in UK homes.