David Jason and his Monty Python co-stars were a hit in the iconic comedy series Do Not Adjust Your Set – but it all went wrong for David as he was abruptly “abandoned” by his pals, ending the show prematurely. series.

As a result, the sketch show didn’t last beyond the second series, in 1969. David has explained exactly why in a new book, This Time Next Year: A Life Of Positive Thinking.

He candidly revealed that a glass was raised over the future of Do Not Adjust Your Set, featuring himself, Denise Coffey, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Eric Idle. However, a shock was expected.

“When we made this second series later that year, an American with long hair and an Afghan coat came on board and started supplying the series with cartoon sequences. It was Terry Gilliam,” the Only Fools and Horses favorite explained.

“And yet, just a year later, the last four of the actors mentioned would have dropped out of the program and, without so much as a ‘thanks and see you later’, formed a comedy troupe with a few other friends, called John Cleese and Graham Chapman, in order to put on a crazy sketch show for adults He continued menacingly: “They had left yours truly and Denise behind, where our consolation prize was to be given to a children’s show called Two D’s and a. Dog.”

Shaking with embarrassment, David then admitted he hoped readers had never seen the show.

He explained that it was “not the sparkliest bauble on the decorated tree that is my showbiz career.”

The detective series, which began airing in 1970, followed the adventures of poor and grieving Dotty (played by Denise) and her driver Dingle (played by David) as they drove alongside her dog in the side -car of a dilapidated motorcycle.

It was intended to be a spin-off of Do Not Adjust Your Set, but with four main characters completely absent.

Meanwhile, David admitted it was difficult to get his on-screen canine companion – a cuddly English sheepdog who also appeared in “at least some of the Dulux paint adverts” – to behave .

“While I am clearly, at least to some extent, an experienced artist, I’m not sure acting was his first love,” he joked.

“It was definitely quite difficult to get him to sit when we needed him to sit. And it was also quite difficult to get him to move when we wanted him to move. And as for learning his signals… ” he exclaimed.

Learn more in David Jason’s new autobiography, This Time Next Year: A Life Of Positive Thinking, available to purchase now.