Only Fools and Horses' David Jason teams up with Repair Shops' Jay Blades for new show

Okay, so David and Jay’s Touring Toolshed may sound on paper like something Alan Partridge made up in a desperate attempt to get back on the box (Monkey Tennis anyone?), but its presenters – actor David Jason and The Repair Shop’s Jay Blades – think they’re onto a winner.

It’s been a long time since we saw Sir David act in anything, but he’s keen for this programme to show a whole new side to him.

“It’s great to be back on the nation’s TV screens doing something totally different,” he claims. “I’ve played a lot of roles in my time but, to be myself, show off my creative passion and help the wonderful people we meet along the way resolve their mechanical masterpiece issues is very rewarding.

“I’ve really enjoyed being on the road with Jay, where we have built up a great friendship and had a lot of fun, which I hope the viewers will enjoy watching when it airs.”

“Working with Sir David Jason, a fellow craft enthusiast, is a dream come true,” adds Blades who, after forging a bond with King Charles during a Repair Shop special, has clearly forged a friendship with another beloved national figure. “It has been great to start helping the nations’ makers fix their passion projects. We’ve met brilliant people and this series is going to be a delight for the BBC Daytime and iPlayer audiences.”

As you may have guessed from reading those quotes, the programme is a kind of spin-off from The Repair Shop. It certainly involves skilled people fixing items brought to them by members of the public, but there’s also something of the travelogue about it – each edition of the 15-part run comes from a different place in the UK.

Jason and Blades spent last summer traversing the nation in their Touring Toolshed, parking it up at various air shows, steam rallies, county fairs and vintage festivals, where they met up with crafters, makers and tinkerers who had a chance to show off their skills by helping members of the public resolve problematic projects.

They also visit various home workshops, whose owners reveal how their hobbies have taken over their lives.

“Viewers are in for a real treat with this series,” says Rob Unsworth, the BBC’s head of daytime and early peak commissioning. “We’re thrilled to be bringing together these two much-loved titans of telly, and to be revealing such an unexpected side to Sir David Jason. His repartee with Jay is a joy to watch and we can’t wait to share their adventures and discoveries with the BBC Daytime audience.”

The run begins at the Midlands Air Festival, where two pals can’t wait to show off the artworks they’ve made from discarded plane parts, and a woman hopes to land advice on how to make her mechanical sculptures move in an elaborate fashion.

This week’s programmes also include visits to Cheshire’s Kelsall Steam Festival, the Scottish Traditional Boat Show, and the Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern.