A Touch of Frost guide - all you need to know about David Jason's classic

A Touch of Frost star David Jason as Frost

(Image credit: ITV)

A Touch of Frost ended a decade ago, but is still hugely popular and David Jason would like it to come back

A Touch of Frost, starring David Jason, is an ITV classic which is being repeated on the channel (see our TV Guide for full listings).

Fans know Sir David for his part as Del Boy in Only Fools in Horses, but the acclaimed actor went for a totally different role when he signed up to play grumpy Detective Inspector William Edward “Jack” Frost.

How long did a Touch of Frost run for?

A Touch of Frost was an enormous hit for ITV (Image credit: Mark Bourdillon)

The series ran from December 1992 until the very last episode went out on 5 April 2010. The very first episode of the series saw Jack’s wife die.

Could A Touch of Frost return?

Well, David Jason recently revealed that he would be keen for the show to return. He told the Daily Star: “I certainly would love the chance to bring A Touch of Frost back because it was a wonderful series to do. He was such a rewarding character to play.

“I enjoyed the fact that he was a clever, irascible sort of character trying to find the evildoers in the world. I really did enjoy it.”

David Jason as Frost — David Jason would love to bring the beloved character back to our screens

Is the series based on books?

Yes, R.D. Wingfield created the Jack Frost character. Wingfield wrote a number of Frost books including the first story, Frost at Christmas, and later works including Night Frost.

Is Denton a real place?

No, Denton where the show is set is fictional.

Does Jack Frost die in A Touch of Frost?

No, although he certainly comes close after his fiancee’s ex slammed his car into Frost’s on his planned wedding day in the final episode. His sidekick, Det Sgt George Toolan (John Lyons), died in emotional scenes but an injured Frost survived.

Frost has decided in the finale that it’s time to leave the force and he’s seen walking away with his fiancee Christine (played by Downton Abbey star Phyllis Logan) in the final scenes. In what’s a nice twist for crime drama fans, Jack’s last case involved a criminal played by none other than Line of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar! ITV also shot another ending.

Was David Jason’s brother in it?

Yes! His older brother, Arthur White, is also an actor and appeared alongside David in 27 episodes of A Touch of Frost as archivist Ernie Trigg.

Is A Touch of Frost on Netflix?

No, the series is currently unavailable on Netflix.

Is it available on BritBox?

Yes, episodes are on BritBox. And you can currently try 30 days free.

The drama is being shown on Monday 24th August at 8pm on ITV.

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.

Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough.

David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.

Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!