Happy Returns
Encyclopedia
"Happy Returns" is an episode of the BBC
sit-com, Only Fools and Horses
. It was the first episode of series 4, and was first screened on 21 February, 1985.
's lust is a pretty newsagent worker named Debbie, who is also keen on him, though acts slightly more coy about it. Meanwhile, Del Boy
saves a young boy from getting hit by speeding traffic. That night, Del comes across the boy again, who tells him that he's running away from home because he got into trouble with his mother for letting the air out of the tyres on the Trotters' van. Del tells him that they'll go and tell the boy's mother that he had asked the youngster to deflate the tyres on the Reliant Regal
van, to entice the boy back home.
Del is pleasantly surprised to see that the boy's mother is June Snell, one of Del's old girlfriends from the 1960s. When Rodney unexpectedly arrives to see Debbie (from the newsagent), Del realises that June is Debbie's mother too. In order to leave the courting couple alone, he and June go to the Nag's Head to reminisce about old times, although June is reluctant to reveal why she left Del so suddenly when they were a couple. However, when the barmaid unwittingly reveals that Debbie's 19th birthday is imminent, Del deduces that June left him because she was pregnant with his child - Debbie. Quickly, he returns to June's flat to stop Rodney committing what he mistakenly describes as 'an act of incense'. An uninformed Rodney isn't happy with his brother's interfering and demands to know why it's Del's concern who he dates. Del tells him everything. Distraught, Rodney pleads with Del to ask June if it's 'definitely definite' he is Debbie's father as June hasn't actually told Del yet.
The next night, June comes clean; Albie Littlewood - not Del Boy - is really the father. Albie was Del's old friend, who June was cheating on Del with. For 19 years, Del had been riddled with guilt over Albie's death. He believed Albie had died whilst using the railway line as a short cut when on his way to see him at the pub. June informs Del that Albie was actually on his way to see her, so had nothing to feel guilty over. But Del tells June that is not the cause of his guilt. The real cause of his guilt is even if Albie had avoided his death that fateful night, Del wouldn't have been at the pub to see him; Del was busy cheating on June with Deidre, Albie's girlfriend.
Just when the misunderstanding appears to be cleared up, Del realises it is too late: Debbie has fallen for Mickey Pearce.
The antics of this episode are mentioned by Debbie's mum, June, in "A Royal Flush
".
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sit-com, Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
. It was the first episode of series 4, and was first screened on 21 February, 1985.
Synopsis
The latest object of RodneyRodney Trotter
Rodney Charlton Trotter is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst.-Personality:Rodney's personality was based on the experiences of series creator John Sullivan, who also had an older sibling and, like Rodney, claimed to have been a dreamer and...
's lust is a pretty newsagent worker named Debbie, who is also keen on him, though acts slightly more coy about it. Meanwhile, Del Boy
Del Boy
Derek Edward Trotter, better known as "Del Boy", is the fictional lead character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses and one of the main characters of its prequel, Rock & Chips...
saves a young boy from getting hit by speeding traffic. That night, Del comes across the boy again, who tells him that he's running away from home because he got into trouble with his mother for letting the air out of the tyres on the Trotters' van. Del tells him that they'll go and tell the boy's mother that he had asked the youngster to deflate the tyres on the Reliant Regal
Reliant Regal
The Reliant Regal was a small three-wheeled car manufactured from 1953 until 1973 by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England. As it was a three-wheeler, and it was fairly lightweight, the vehicle could be driven on a motorcycle licence in the United Kingdom...
van, to entice the boy back home.
Del is pleasantly surprised to see that the boy's mother is June Snell, one of Del's old girlfriends from the 1960s. When Rodney unexpectedly arrives to see Debbie (from the newsagent), Del realises that June is Debbie's mother too. In order to leave the courting couple alone, he and June go to the Nag's Head to reminisce about old times, although June is reluctant to reveal why she left Del so suddenly when they were a couple. However, when the barmaid unwittingly reveals that Debbie's 19th birthday is imminent, Del deduces that June left him because she was pregnant with his child - Debbie. Quickly, he returns to June's flat to stop Rodney committing what he mistakenly describes as 'an act of incense'. An uninformed Rodney isn't happy with his brother's interfering and demands to know why it's Del's concern who he dates. Del tells him everything. Distraught, Rodney pleads with Del to ask June if it's 'definitely definite' he is Debbie's father as June hasn't actually told Del yet.
The next night, June comes clean; Albie Littlewood - not Del Boy - is really the father. Albie was Del's old friend, who June was cheating on Del with. For 19 years, Del had been riddled with guilt over Albie's death. He believed Albie had died whilst using the railway line as a short cut when on his way to see him at the pub. June informs Del that Albie was actually on his way to see her, so had nothing to feel guilty over. But Del tells June that is not the cause of his guilt. The real cause of his guilt is even if Albie had avoided his death that fateful night, Del wouldn't have been at the pub to see him; Del was busy cheating on June with Deidre, Albie's girlfriend.
Just when the misunderstanding appears to be cleared up, Del realises it is too late: Debbie has fallen for Mickey Pearce.
The antics of this episode are mentioned by Debbie's mum, June, in "A Royal Flush
A Royal Flush
"A Royal Flush" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 1986. It was the second feature-length edition of the show, and the fifth Christmas special. It was re-edited into a shorter version with added laughter track and released on DVD in 2004...
".
Episode cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| David Jason David Jason Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack... |
Del Boy |
| Nicholas Lyndhurst Nicholas Lyndhurst Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, Gary Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart, and as Adam Parkinson in Carla Lane's series Butterflies... |
Rodney |
| Diane Langton Diane Langton Diane Langton is an English actress and singer.She has appeared in numerous TV shows like Only Fools and Horses, where she played Junie, an old girlfriend of Del Boy's, in the 1980s.... |
June Snell |
| Roger Lloyd Pack Roger Lloyd Pack Roger Lloyd-Pack is an English actor known for his roles in the TV shows The Vicar of Dibley, Only Fools and Horses and The Old Guys.-Career:... |
Trigger |
| Patrick Murray | Mickey Pearce |
| Oona Kirsch | Debby |
| Nula Conwell Nula Conwell Nula Conwell is a British-born character actress with strong Irish family ties. She appeared in David Lynch's 1980 Oscar nominated film The Elephant Man and is well known for playing Police Officer W.D.C. Viv Martella in the long-running crime UK series The Bill from 1984 to 1993, until her... |
Maureen |
| Lala Lloyd | Lady in newsagents |
| Ben Davis | Jason |
Production
- Due to Lennard PearceLennard PearceLennard Pearce was an English actor who worked mostly in the theatre, but also appeared in a number of British television programmes. He landed his most notable TV role during the final few years of his life, starring as Edward "Grandad" Trotter in the popular sitcom, Only Fools and Horses from...
's failing health, this episode commenced filming without GrandadGrandad (Only Fools and Horses)Edward Kitchener "Ted" Trotter better known simply as Grandad, was a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses from 1981-1984...
, however shortly into production, the cast and crew were informed that Lennard had died. John SullivanJohn Sullivan (writer)John Richard Thomas Sullivan OBE was an English television scriptwriter responsible for several popular British sitcoms, including Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith and Just Good Friends....
didn't want to start the series with a funeral, and the episode "Hole in One" originally scheduled as the series opener was only partially completed with Pearce before his death, so he completed this episode the opener, where it is mentioned that Grandad is in hospital.
Errors
- Del frequently claims that Albie Littlewood was his closest friend ever, yet Rock & Chips quite clearly demonstrates that this was not the case, and Albie was merely another friend of Del's and a member of his gang. In that series, Del's closest friend appears to be Jumbo Mills.
- The scene where Del and Rodney stop the boy Jason from crossing the road has been edited between the original broadcast, and the current repeats. The scene contains the line: "Go 'n' get your self an icecream from the Paki's round the corner.". The line has been cut out of repeats of the episode, but it can still be found on the region 2 DVD