After Tony Hancock notoriously left his 'regular' co-stars behind, the BBC gave Sid James this; his own show. The first series was written by Hancock and Steptoe... creator/writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and so perhaps unsurprisingly, Sid's character in this was little different from the Hancock shows.

However, in the second and third series, when Sid Colin and Dick Hills took over writing duties, Sidney developed some of what can only be described as a 'social conscience', becoming a bit of a hero for the people. Along with this change in character, Bill and Liz were dropped from the show.

Furthermore, one can easily see the similarities between Sidney Balmoral James and Del Boy; both were wheeler-dealer types, making the most of every opportunity to raise a bit of cash - as long as it didn't involve getting a 'normal' job.