Only Fools and Horses is a
BritishPublic television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
sitcom, created and written by
John SullivanJohn 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....
. Seven series were originally broadcast on
BBC OneBBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003. Episodes are regularly repeated on GOLD and occasionally repeated on BBC One.
Set in
PeckhamPeckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
in south London, it stars
David JasonSir 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...
as ambitious market trader
Derek "Del Boy" TrotterDerek 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...
,
Nicholas LyndhurstNicholas 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...
as his younger brother
RodneyRodney 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...
, and
Lennard 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...
as their ageing
grandfatherEdward Kitchener "Ted" Trotter better known simply as Grandad, was a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses from 1981-1984...
. After Pearce's death in 1984 his character was replaced by
Uncle AlbertAlbert Gladstone Trotter is a fictional character from the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He was introduced during the fourth season as a replacement for the character of Grandad due to the death of actor Lennard Pearce...
(
Buster MerryfieldHarry "Buster" Merryfield was an English actor best known for starring in the BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses.-Early life:...
). Backed by a strong supporting cast, the series chronicles their highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich.
After a relatively slow start the show went on to achieve consistently high ratings, and the 1996 episode "
Time On Our Hands"Time On Our Hands" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of the 1996 Christmas trilogy, and was originally billed to be the last ever episode of the show, it was first screened on 29 December 1996...
" holds the record for the highest UK audience for a sitcom episode, attracting 24.3 million viewers (over a third of the population).
Critically and popularly acclaimed, the series received numerous awards, including recognition from BAFTA, the
National Television AwardsThe National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are...
and the
Royal Television SocietyThe Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
, as well as winning individual accolades for both Sullivan and Jason. It was voted
Britain's Best SitcomBritain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC, to identify the United Kingdom's best situation comedy. Viewers were asked to vote for their favourite by phone, text message and on the web. The top ten went forward to a final round of voting...
in a 2004 BBC poll.
The series had an impact on English culture, contributing several words and phrases to the English language. It spawned an extensive range of merchandise, including books, DVDs, toys and board games. A spin-off series,
The Green Green GrassThe Green Green Grass is a British sitcom, created and initially written by John Sullivan, produced by Shazam Productions for the BBC. It is a spin-off of the long running sitcom Only Fools and Horses and stars John Challis, Sue Holderness and Jack Doolan...
, ran for four series in the UK. A prequel,
Rock & Chips, ran for three specials in 2011.
Scenario
Derek "Del Boy" TrotterDerek 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...
(played by
David JasonSir 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...
), a fast-talking, archetypal
cockneyThe term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
market trader, lives in a council flat in a high-rise tower block, Nelson Mandela House, in
PeckhamPeckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
,
South LondonSouth London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
– though it was actually filmed in Harlech Tower in
ActonActon is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
and later
BristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
– with his much younger brother,
Rodney TrotterRodney 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...
(
Nicholas LyndhurstNicholas 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...
), and their elderly
GrandadEdward Kitchener "Ted" Trotter better known simply as Grandad, was a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses from 1981-1984...
(
Lennard 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...
). Their mother Joan died when Rodney was young, and their father Reg absconded shortly after his wife's death, meaning Del effectively became Rodney's surrogate father and the family
patriarchOriginally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
. Despite the difference in their ages, the brothers share a constant bond throughout.
The situation focuses primarily on their futile attempts to become millionaires through questionable
get rich quickA get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to acquire high rates of return for a small investment. The term "get rich quick" has been used to describe shady investments since at least the early 1900s....
schemes and by buying and selling a variety of low-quality and illegal goods, such as
Russian ArmyThe Russian Ground Forces are the land forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed from parts of the collapsing Soviet Army in 1992. The formation of these forces posed economic challenges after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and required reforms to professionalize the force...
camcorders, luminous yellow paint and
sex dollA sex doll is a type of sex toy in the size and shape of a sexual partner for aid in masturbation....
s filled with an explosive gas. They own an unregistered company,
Trotters Independent Traders, based in a grubby three-wheeled
ReliantReliant was a British car manufacturer. The company was traditionally based at Tamworth in Staffordshire, England, but in 2001 it moved to nearby Cannock. It ceased manufacturing cars shortly afterwards.-History:...
van, trade primarily on the black market and generally neither pay taxes nor claim money from the state; as Del says, "The government don't give us nothing, so we don't give the government nothing".
Initially, Del Boy, Rodney and Grandad were the show's only regulars, along with the occasional appearances of dopey roadsweeper
TriggerTrigger is a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He is played by actor Roger Lloyd Pack....
(
Roger Lloyd PackRoger 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:...
) and pretentious used car salesman
BoycieTerrance Aubrey Boyce best known as Boycie is a fictional character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses played by John Challis. His story is continued in the spin off series The Green Green Grass, which began filming in June 2005, in which Boycie and family have fled from a gang of...
(
John ChallisJohn Challis is an English actor.-Career:He is probably best known for his role as Terrance Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce in the long running comedy show Only Fools and Horses, and its 2005 spin-off, The Green Green Grass....
). Over time, the cast expanded, mostly in the form of regulars at the local pub
The Nag's Head. These included pub landlord Mike (Kenneth MacDonald), lorry driver
DenzilDenzil Tulser , is a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses played by Paul Barber.Denzil is a long distance lorry driver, and a good friend of Derek Trotter, and one of Del's victims when it comes to dodgy goods...
(Paul Barber), youthful
spivIn the United Kingdom, a spiv is a particular type of petty criminal, who deals in stolen or black market goods of questionable authenticity, especially a slickly-dressed man offering goods at bargain prices...
Mickey Pearce (Patrick Murray) and Boycie's flirtatious wife Marlene (
Sue HoldernessSue Holderness is an English actress. Since 1985 she has played the role of Marlene Boyce in the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses and its spin-off The Green Green Grass .-Career:...
). Although the show still centred around the Trotter family, these characters became popular in their own right, contributing to the plots and humour.
As the series progressed, the scope of the plots expanded which saw comedy often mixed with drama. Many early episodes were largely self-contained, with few plot-lines mentioned again, but the show developed a
story arcA story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
and an ongoing episodic dimension. The character of Grandad was killed off following the death of Lennard Pearce, and his long-lost brother
Uncle AlbertAlbert Gladstone Trotter is a fictional character from the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He was introduced during the fourth season as a replacement for the character of Grandad due to the death of actor Lennard Pearce...
(
Buster MerryfieldHarry "Buster" Merryfield was an English actor best known for starring in the BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses.-Early life:...
) emerged to restore the three generations line-up. After years of fruitless searching, both Del and Rodney found long-term love, in the form of
RaquelRachel "Raquel" Turner is a fictional character from the BBC television sit-com Only Fools and Horses, in which she was Del Boy's longtime girlfriend...
(
Tessa Peake-JonesTessa Peake-Jones is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Raquel in the television comedy series Only Fools and Horses. She had a co-starring role in the 1999 TV series Births, Marriages, and Deaths...
) and
CassandraCassandra Louise Trotter is a fictional character from the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. She was portrayed by Gwyneth Strong.-Biography:...
(
Gwyneth StrongGwyneth Strong is an English actress. She is probably best known for her role in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses as Cassandra, who was married to Del Boy's brother Rodney.-Career:...
) respectively; Del also had a son with Raquel,
DamienDamien Derek Trotter is a fictional character in the BBC series Only Fools and Horses. He is son to Derek Trotter and Raquel Turner.Damien is the only child of Del and Raquel and nephew of Rodney Trotter...
(played by five actors, most recently
Ben SmithBenjamin Smith is a British actor best known for playing Damien Trotter in Only Fools and Horses from 2001 to 2003. He has also appeared in Holby City, Goodnight Mister Tom and Second Sight. In 2008, he played Tegs on EastEnders and Donny on Skins...
). Rodney and Cassandra married, separated and then got back together again. Cassandra miscarried, but then she and Rodney eventually had a baby. Rodney found out who his real father was. The Trotters finally became millionaires, before losing it again, and then gaining some of it back.
The humour comes from several sources. The interaction between Del and Rodney is key, with each an ideal comic
foilA double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior...
for the other in both personality and appearance. Much is made of the traits of individual characters, such as Del's lack of cultural refinement, despite his pretensions, best seen in his misuse of French phrases or his claims to be a yuppy; Rodney's gormless nature, resulting in him being labelled a "plonker" or a "dipstick" by Del; the general daftness of Grandad and Trigger, and the rampant snobbery of Boycie. There are also several
running gagA running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
s, including Trigger's belief that Rodney's name is actually Dave, Uncle Albert's "during the war..." anecdotes, Del's supposed long-time affair with Marlene and the dilapidated
Reliant RegalThe 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.
History
In 1980,
John SullivanJohn 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....
, a scriptwriter under contract at the BBC, had already written the successful sit-com
Citizen SmithCitizen Smith is a British television sitcom. The show was written by John Sullivan, who later wrote Only Fools and Horses. The pilot was transmitted on 12 April 1977 in the Comedy Special series of one-off plays, and the series proper ran from 3 November 1977 to 31 December 1980.Citizen Smith...
. It had come to an end and he was searching for a new project. An initial idea for a comedy set in the world of
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
had already been rejected by the BBC, as had his alternative idea, a sit-com centring around a
cockneyThe term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
market trader in working-class, modern-day London. The latter idea persisted. Through Ray Butt, a BBC producer and director whom Sullivan had met and become friends with when they were working on
Citizen Smith, a draft script was shown to the Corporation's Head of Comedy,
John Howard DaviesJohn Howard Davies was an English television director and producer and former child actor.Davies was born in Paddington, London, the son of the scriptwriter Jack Davies...
. Davies commissioned Sullivan to write a full series. Sullivan believed the key factor in it being accepted was the success of
ITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's new drama,
MinderMinder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
, a series with a similar premise and also set in modern-day London.
Sullivan had initially given the show the working title
Readies. For the actual title he intended to use, as a reference to the
protagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
's tax and work-evading lifestyle,
Only Fools and Horses. That name was based on a genuine, though very obscure saying,
"why do only fools and horses work? (for a living)", which had its origins in 19th century American
vaudevilleVaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
.
Only Fools and Horses had also been the title of an episode of
Citizen Smith and Sullivan felt that a longer name would help to grab the viewers' attention. He was first overruled on the grounds that the audience would not understand the title, but he eventually got his way and, from the second series onwards, the theme music was changed to a version explaining the meaning of the saying; some first series episodes were subsequently re-edited to use the new theme.
Filming of the first series began in May 1981, and the first episode, "
Big Brother"Big Brother" is the pilot episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the pilot episode of the entire series, and the first episode of series 1, and was first screened on 8 September, 1981.-Synopsis:...
", was transmitted on
BBC1BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
at 8.30 pm on 8 September that year. It attracted a respectable, though unspectacular (by those days' standards) 9.2 million viewers and generally received a lukewarm response from critics. The viewing figures for the whole first series, which averaged at around 7 million, were considered mediocre but owing to the BBC's policy of nurturing television shows, a second series was commissioned for 1982. The second series fared little better and the show was close to being cancelled altogether. However, both the first and second series had a repeat run in June 1983 in a more low-key time slot, but attracted respectable viewing figures, which convinced Davies to commission a third series. From there, the show gradually built up a following, and began to top the television ratings. Viewing figures for the fourth series were double those of the first.
Mid-way through the filming of the fifth series, David Jason told Sullivan that he wished to leave the show in order to further his career elsewhere. Sullivan thus wrote "
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of series 5, and was first screened on 5 October, 1986...
", which was intended to be the final episode and would see Del accepting a friend's offer to set up business in Australia, leaving Rodney and Albert behind. Plans were made for a spin-off entitled
Hot-Rod, which would have followed Rodney's attempts to survive on his own with help from Mickey Pearce, but leaving open the prospect of Del's return. Jason then changed his mind, and the ending of the episode was changed to show Del rejecting the offer.
Sullivan had a tendency to write scripts that were too long, meaning pages of material had to be cut. Shortly before filming of the sixth series began, he requested that the show's time slot be extended and it was agreed to extend its running time to 50 minutes. This coincided with the show becoming one of the BBC's most popular programmes, according to producer Gareth Gwenlan, and allowed for more
pathosPathos represents an appeal to the audience's emotions. Pathos is a communication technique used most often in rhetoric , and in literature, film and other narrative art....
in the series and an expansion of the regular cast.
The seventh series, which was to be the last, was aired in early 1991. Sullivan and the major actors were all involved with other projects, and it was confirmed that there were no plans for a new series. The show continued in Christmas specials in 1991, 1992 and 1993, followed by a three year break. Sullivan wanted a "final" episode to tie up the show and see the Trotters finally become millionaires; this was later extended to three one hour episodes, all to be broadcast over Christmas 1996. All three were well received, and given the happy ending it was widely assumed that they were to be the last. After a five year break, however, the show returned again in 2001 with another Christmas special, followed by two more in 2002 and 2003. There are currently no further plans for
Only Fools and Horses to return, though a
fan fictionFan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
community continues to exist. In an interview with the
Daily Star SundayThe Daily Star Sunday is a weekly tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom. It was launched as a sister title to the Daily Star on 15 September 2002....
on 10 February 2008, Sullivan was quoted as saying: "there will not be another series of
Only Fools And Horses. I can say that. We had our day, it was wonderful but it is best to leave it now."
Main cast
Del BoyDerek 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...
(
David JasonSir 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...
) — A stereotypical market trader and petty criminal, Del would sell anything to anyone to earn money, including stolen goods, and was the driving force behind the Trotters' attempts to become rich. Sharp-witted, image-conscious and self-confident, but lacking in the required
nousNous , also called intellect or intelligence, is a philosophical term for the faculty of the human mind which is described in classical philosophy as necessary for understanding what is true or real, very close in meaning to intuition...
to realise his high ambitions, he was invariably a failure. Del's cultural pretensions, best seen in his use of inaccurate French phrases (such as using Bonjour to say goodbye), were equally wanting. He nonetheless had endearing features, especially his "lovable loser" qualities and his devotion and loyalty to his family, which saw him take care of Rodney and Grandad on his own from the age of 16. However, this gave him a tendency to emotionally blackmail Rodney with the memories of their mother, often trying to manipulate him with the line "Mum said to me on her death bed..." He also tried to interfere with his brother's personal life, much to the latter's annoyance. Ostensibly popular with women – his poor choice in women was another running gag – Del never settled down with one until he met Raquel, with whom he had a son, Damien.
Sullivan later said he had always been fascinated by the unlicensed traders who sold goods from suitcases, and it was them on which he based Del Boy. David Jason himself added elements to the part, including Del's cheap gold jewellery and his camel-hair coat. The inspiration was taken from a similar man he had known when working as an electrician. Jason was a relatively late candidate for the part, with
Jim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
(who would later appear in a minor recurring role as
DCI Roy SlaterDetective Chief Inspector Roy Slater is a recurring character in the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He is played by Jim Broadbent and, in the prequel Rock and Chips, by Calum MacNab.-Background:...
),
Enn ReitelEnn Reitel is a Scottish actor and impressionist who specialises in voice work.- Early life :Reitel's family arrived in Scotland as refugees from Estonia, German Empire...
and
Billy MurrayBilly Murray is an English actor, best known for playing Don Beech in The Bill from 1995 to 2004, Johnny Allen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2005 to 2006, Captain John Price in the video games Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare...
all earlier preferences. It was only when producer Ray Butt saw a repeat of
Open All HoursOpen All Hours is a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series a first run in 1976, a second run in 1981, third in 1982 and finally with a fourth run in 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973...
that Jason was considered and, despite initial concerns over his ability – at that point, Jason had not had a leading television role – and the fact that he and Lyndhurst did not look alike, he was cast.
RodneyRodney 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...
(
Nicholas LyndhurstNicholas 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...
) — The ideal comic foil for Del Boy in numerous ways: naive, much younger and easily-influenced, more academically gifted, although only to the extent of two
GCEThe General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
s, but generally gormless and lacking in common sense. Effectively orphaned when young, Rodney was raised by Del. His principal job throughout the show was as Del's lackey and sidekick, whose duties included looking out for policemen at the market and cleaning the van. Much of the conflict between the two came from Rodney's dislike of his reliance on Del, and his unsuccessful attempts to gain greater independence through girlfriends or by setting up his own businesses; he was only partially successful after marrying Cassandra and briefly going to work for her father. In contrast to Del Boy, the part of Rodney was cast early, with Lyndhurst settled on quickly. Sullivan partly based Rodney on his own experiences; he, too, had a much older sibling and, like Rodney, claims to have been a dreamer and an idealist in his youth.
GrandadEdward Kitchener "Ted" Trotter better known simply as Grandad, was a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses from 1981-1984...
(
Lennard 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...
) — Del and Rodney's elderly grandad was added to the cast to balance the three distinct generations, adding the voice of experience to the situation. In casting the role of Grandad, Sullivan had in mind an actor similar to
Wilfrid BrambellHenry Wilfrid Brambell was an Irish film and television actor best known for his role in the British television series Steptoe and Son. He also performed alongside The Beatles in their film A Hard Day's Night, playing Paul McCartney's fictional grandfather.- Early life :Brambell was born in Dublin...
, who had played Albert Steptoe in
Steptoe and SonSteptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old...
, although chose not to use Brambell himself, thinking him too closely associated with
Steptoe. After seeing Pearce's audition, Sullivan settled on casting him immediately. Scruffy and daft, although sometimes displaying a razor sharp wit, Grandad rarely left the flat or even moved from his armchair in front of two television sets. Despite his age he was invariably treated as a dogsbody by Del and Rodney, often being assigned mundane jobs around the flat such as cooking meals. Pearce died in 1984 whilst filming the series four episode "Hole in One" (several scenes were subsequently re-shot with Buster Merryfield) and Sullivan thus wrote a new episode, "
Strained Relations"Strained Relations" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of series 4, and was first screened on 28 February, 1985.-Synopsis:It is a day full of sorrow for Del Boy and Rodney, as their Grandad has died...
", which featured Grandad's funeral.
Uncle AlbertAlbert Gladstone Trotter is a fictional character from the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He was introduced during the fourth season as a replacement for the character of Grandad due to the death of actor Lennard Pearce...
(
Buster MerryfieldHarry "Buster" Merryfield was an English actor best known for starring in the BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses.-Early life:...
) — Shortly after the death of Lennard Pearce it was decided that a new older family member should be brought in, which eventually led to "Uncle Albert", Grandad's long-lost brother. Merryfield was an inexperienced amateur actor at the time, but was selected because he appeared to fit the description of an old sailor, especially with his distinctive white "
Captain BirdseyeCaptain Birdseye, also known as Captain Iglo, is the advertising mascot for the Birds Eye frozen food brand founded by Clarence Birdseye. Appearing in numerous television and billboard commercials, he has been played or modeled by various actors and is generally depicted as a clean living, older...
" beard. Albert first appeared at Grandad's funeral, and eventually moved in with Del and Rodney. Although he claims never to talk about his past, his long-winded anecdotes about his wartime experiences with the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
became one of the show's running gags, usually begun with the words "During the war..." which resulted in gentle mocking from his great-nephews. He was also frequently seen stealing Del's brandy. When Merryfield died in 1999, Albert's death was written into the next episode.
TriggerTrigger is a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He is played by actor Roger Lloyd Pack....
(
Roger Lloyd PackRoger 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, apparently so called because he looks like
a horseTrigger was a palomino horse, made famous in American Western films with his owner/rider, cowboy star Roy Rogers.-Pedigree:...
, was the principal supporting character throughout the show's run; only Del Boy and Rodney appeared in more episodes. Lloyd Pack was cast by pure chance; Ray Butt, who hired him to portray Trigger after seeing him in a stage play, had only attended that play to observe potential Del Boy actor Billy Murray. Initially portrayed as a small-time thief, supplying Del with dubious goods, Trigger's place in the series changed over time. A daft road sweeper most frequently seen in the
Nag's Head, he came to adopt the 'village idiot' role, drawing laughs in each of his scenes through his general stupidity, in particular his unshakable belief that Rodney's real name was actually Dave.
BoycieTerrance Aubrey Boyce best known as Boycie is a fictional character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses played by John Challis. His story is continued in the spin off series The Green Green Grass, which began filming in June 2005, in which Boycie and family have fled from a gang of...
(
John ChallisJohn Challis is an English actor.-Career:He is probably best known for his role as Terrance Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce in the long running comedy show Only Fools and Horses, and its 2005 spin-off, The Green Green Grass....
) — A shady used car salesman and a frightful snob with a machine gun laugh who "thinks anyone with a
poundThe pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
less than him is a peasant", according to Rodney in "
Fatal Extraction"Fatal Extraction" is the twelfth Christmas special episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 1993.-Synopsis:...
". Boycie made sporadic appearances in earlier series before becoming a regular cast member from series 5 onwards. Boycie, a
FreemasonFreemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
, was very self-centred and prone to boasting about his high social status and mocking those less fortunate than himself, particularly Del Boy. Del in turn teased him for being a "jaffa" (seedless) when it emerged that he had a low sperm count. Challis had played a similar character in an episode of
Citizen SmithCitizen Smith is a British television sitcom. The show was written by John Sullivan, who later wrote Only Fools and Horses. The pilot was transmitted on 12 April 1977 in the Comedy Special series of one-off plays, and the series proper ran from 3 November 1977 to 31 December 1980.Citizen Smith...
. Sullivan liked him, and promised to cast him in a future series, which led to Boycie. Boycie later featured in a spin-off series,
The Green Green GrassThe Green Green Grass is a British sitcom, created and initially written by John Sullivan, produced by Shazam Productions for the BBC. It is a spin-off of the long running sitcom Only Fools and Horses and stars John Challis, Sue Holderness and Jack Doolan...
, starting in 2005, in which he and his wife Marlene fled to the countryside from a criminal gang.
RaquelRachel "Raquel" Turner is a fictional character from the BBC television sit-com Only Fools and Horses, in which she was Del Boy's longtime girlfriend...
(
Tessa Peake-JonesTessa Peake-Jones is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Raquel in the television comedy series Only Fools and Horses. She had a co-starring role in the 1999 TV series Births, Marriages, and Deaths...
) — Raquel was introduced because Sullivan wanted more female characters and for Del to start meeting more mature women. Her first appearance, in "
Dates"Dates" is the seventh Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 1988.-Synopsis:The Trotters have been earning a lot of money recently, and Albert's birthday is coming up, though Del Boy and Rodney pretend to have forgotten...
", was intended to be a one-off, but she was written in again a year later and thereafter became a permanent cast member. An ambitious trained singer and actress whose career never took off, she met Del through a
dating agencyA dating agency is a business which acts as a service for matchmaking between potential couples, with a view toward romance and/or marriage between them.-Variations:...
, but they fell out over her part-time job as a
stripperA striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
, before getting together again. This time she moved in with Del, helping to mellow him, and they had a son together, named Damien. As the character unfolded, it was revealed that she was previously married to Del's nemesis,
DCI Roy SlaterDetective Chief Inspector Roy Slater is a recurring character in the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He is played by Jim Broadbent and, in the prequel Rock and Chips, by Calum MacNab.-Background:...
. Del Boy introduces her as "my significant other".
CassandraCassandra Louise Trotter is a fictional character from the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. She was portrayed by Gwyneth Strong.-Biography:...
(
Gwyneth StrongGwyneth Strong is an English actress. She is probably best known for her role in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses as Cassandra, who was married to Del Boy's brother Rodney.-Career:...
) — The intelligent daughter of a successful middle-class businessman, Cassandra first met Rodney in "
Yuppy Love"Yuppy Love" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the first episode of series 6, and was first screened on 8 January, 1989...
". Their relationship blossomed, and by the end of series six the two had married. But her high career ambitions brought her into conflict with Rodney, and their troubled marriage was one of the main storylines of the seventh series. They were eventually reconciled and in later episodes she was markedly less ambitious. The relationship with Rodney ultimately grew stronger after Cassandra suffered a miscarriage and later gave birth to a daughter.
Marlene (
Sue HoldernessSue Holderness is an English actress. Since 1985 she has played the role of Marlene Boyce in the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses and its spin-off The Green Green Grass .-Career:...
) — Marlene was initially just an
unseen characterIn fiction, an unseen character is a character that is never directly observed by the audience but is only described by other characters. They are a common device in drama and have been called "triumphs of theatrical invention". They are continuing characters — characters who are currently in...
, occasionally mentioned by her husband, Boycie. She was a cheerful, slightly daffy woman whose burning, and seemingly unattainable, desire to have a child provided one of the show's earlier "soap opera" sub-plots. Details were occasionally revealed about Marlene's prior reputation as being popular with the local men; there was a consistent undercurrent of an affair between her and Del. She did finally have a son, Tyler. Questions over the latter's paternity, owing to Marlene's reputation and Boycie's impotence, were a recurring gag.
DenzilDenzil Tulser , is a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses played by Paul Barber.Denzil is a long distance lorry driver, and a good friend of Derek Trotter, and one of Del's victims when it comes to dodgy goods...
(Paul Barber) — Originally cast because Sullivan wanted Del to have had a black friend from his school days, easy-going
LiverpudlianLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
Denzil was often on the receiving end of Del's scams. His inability to say no to Del's business deals frequently led to conflict with his domineering wife, Corrine (
Eva MottleyEva Mottley was a British actress, best known for her role as Bella O'Reilly in the acclaimed television drama Widows....
), who was only sighted once, in "
Who's a Pretty Boy?"Who's a Pretty Boy?" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of series 3, and was first screened on 22 December, 1983.-Synopsis:...
". Sullivan had planned to bring Corrine back for more episodes, but after Mottley's death in 1985 opted to make her an unseen character rather than use another actress.
Mickey Pearce (Patrick Murray) — Mickey was a young, obnoxious spiv and friend of Rodney's, known for his ludicrous boasts about his success in business or with women, and for frequently taking advantage of Rodney's gullibility. Other jokes around Mickey were his rapid turnover of jobs, and the fact that he sported the pork-pie hat and suit of the
2 tone2 Tone is a music genre created in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s by fusing elements of ska, punk rock, rocksteady, reggae, and New Wave. It was called 2 Tone because most of the bands were signed to 2 Tone Records at some point. Other labels associated with the 2 Tone sound were Stiff...
/
skaSka |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
scene, which was popular during the 1980s, well into the 2000s.
MikeMichael "Mike" Fisher was a fictional character in the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses. He was publican of the Nag's Head and appeared in the show from 1983 to 1996...
(Kenneth MacDonald) — The
landlordA landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
of the
Nag's Head, although not from the very beginning; his predecessor was never seen, with just a succession of barmaids providing service. Good natured and somewhat gullible, he was often targeted by Del as a potential customer for any goods he was selling. Del's unpaid bar tab was the cause of conflict between the two, but Mike rarely succeeded in getting him to pay up. When Kenneth MacDonald died in 2001, a storyline involving Mike's imprisonment for attempting to embezzle the brewery was written, and cafe owner Sid took over as pub landlord.
DamienDamien Derek Trotter is a fictional character in the BBC series Only Fools and Horses. He is son to Derek Trotter and Raquel Turner.Damien is the only child of Del and Raquel and nephew of Rodney Trotter...
(various) — Damien was Del and Raquel's son. It was Rodney's mocking suggestion that he be named after the
Devil's childDamien Thorn is the main fictional character and the main antagonist in The Omen series. He is the Antichrist and the son of the Devil. The character has been portrayed by Harvey Stephens, Jonathan Scott-Taylor, Sam Neill, and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick...
in
The OmenAn original score for the film, including the movie's theme song Ave Satani, was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, for which he received the only Oscar of his long career. The score features a strong choral segment, with a foreboding Latin chant...
; the couple took the suggestion seriously. The
Omen joke and Rodney's apparent fear of Damien became a running gag (accompanied, not, in fact, by Jerry Goldsmith's original music from the film in question, but by its invariable stand-in, the "O Fortuna" from
Carl OrffCarl Orff was a 20th-century German composer, best known for his cantata Carmina Burana . In addition to his career as a composer, Orff developed an influential method of music education for children.-Early life:...
's "
Carmina BuranaCarmina Burana is a scenic cantata composed by Carl Orff in 1935 and 1936. It is based on 24 of the poems found in the medieval collection Carmina Burana...
"). Six actors played Damien: Patrick McManus (1991), Grant Stevens (1991), Robert Liddement (1992), Jamie Smith (1993–96),
Douglas HodgeDouglas Hodge is an English actor, director, and musician who trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.Hodge is a council member of the National Youth Theatre for whom, in 1989, he co-wrote Pacha Mama's Blessing about the Amazon rain forests staged at the Almeida...
(1996, as adult), and Ben Smith (2001–03).
Sid (
Roy HeatherRoy Heather is an English actor. He began as an amateur actor when he was spotted by David Tudor who gave him his first professional job in Repertory. For David he played many leading roles including Frank in "Winter Journey", Reg in "The Norman Conquests" and co-starred in the world premiere of...
) — Sid made sporadic appearances throughout the show's run, mainly as the proprietor of the run-down and unhygienic local cafe, which was shot in different locations, depending on the episode. After
Nag's Head landlord Mike was imprisoned for
embezzlementEmbezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
in the episode "
If They Could See Us Now"If They Could See Us Now" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December, 2001 as the first part of the early 2000s Christmas trilogy. It was the most viewed television programme of the decade.-Synopsis:...
", Sid took over and kept that role for the remainder of the series.
Minor cast
The most frequent roles for guest actors in
Only Fools and Horses were as Del or Rodney's once-seen girlfriends, barmaids at the
Nag's Head, or individuals the Trotters were doing business with. Del and Rodney's deceased mother, Joan, though never seen, cropped up in Del's embellished accounts of her, or in his attempts to emotionally blackmail Rodney. Her grave – a flamboyant monument – was seen occasionally. Their absent father, Reg, appeared once in "
Thicker Than Water"Thicker than Water" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the third Christmas special, and was first screened on 25 December 1983.-Synopsis:...
" (played by
Peter WoodthorpePeter Woodthorpe was an English film, television and voice actor who is best known for supplying the voice of Gollum in the 1978 Bakshi version of The Lord of the Rings and BBC's 1981 radio serial...
), before leaving under a cloud, never to be seen again. Other members of the Trotter family were rarely sighted, the exceptions being the woman they believe to be Auntie Rose (
Beryl CookeBeryl Cooke was a British actress. Her career spanned six decades; she is most familiar to British audiences as Aunt Lucy in the sitcom Happy Ever After and Mrs...
) in "
The Second Time Around"The Second Time Around" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the fourth episode of series 1, and was first screened on 29 September, 1981.-Synopsis:...
", and cousins Stan and Jean (Mike Kemp and Maureen Sweeney), who attended Grandad's funeral. When Rodney met Cassandra, her parents Alan and Pamela (
Denis LillDenis Lill is a New Zealand-born British actor.Some of his many film and television roles include Fall of Eagles , Edward the Seventh , Survivors , The Scarlet Pimpernel , as William Knox d-Arcy, the Australian oil pioneer in Persia, in Reilly: Ace of Spies , Rumpole of the Bailey , Mapp &...
and
Wanda VenthamWanda Ventham is an English actress, mainly on television. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama....
) became casually recurring characters.
In some episodes a guest character was essential to the plot. Del's ex-fiancee Pauline (
Jill BakerJill Baker is a British actor. She was born Gillian Mary Baker in the UK.Baker made a brief appearance in Only Fools and Horses, in the episode "The Second Time Around", as Del Boy 's ex-fiance, Pauline Harris-Personal life:...
) dominated Del's libido in "
The Second Time Around"The Second Time Around" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the fourth episode of series 1, and was first screened on 29 September, 1981.-Synopsis:...
", prompting Rodney and Grandad to leave. In "
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of series 5, and was first screened on 5 October, 1986...
", Del's old business partner Jumbo Mills (
Nick StringerNick Stringer is an English actor.In a thirty year career, Stringer has appeared in numerous well-known British television shows, including The Bill, Open All Hours, Only Fools and Horses, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Coronation Street, Family Affairs, Minder, Johnny Jarvis, Butterflies and My Family...
) wanted Del to return to Australia with him and restore their partnership, forcing Del to make a decision. An attempt by Lennox (
Vas BlackwoodVasta Blackwood is a British television and film actor.Blackwood played Lenny Henry's sidekick Winston Churchill in The Lenny Henry Show and David Sinclair in Casualty...
) to rob a local supermarket set-up the "hostage" situation in "
The Longest Night"The Longest Night" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the third episode of series 5, and was first screened on 14 September, 1986.-Synopsis:...
". Del and Rodney spent the whole of "
Tea for Three"Tea for Three" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the fourth episode of series 5, and was first screened on 21 September 1986.-Synopsis:...
" battling each other for the affections of Trigger's niece Lisa (
Gerry CowperGeraldine Cowper is an English actress who is best known for playing Rosie Miller in EastEnders. In the mid 1980s she took the part of Clare France in After Henry on BBC radio and also appeared on television as Jim Hacker's daughter in Yes Minister.-Career:Cowper was Clare France, the youngest of...
). Abdul (
Tony AnholtAnthony "Tony" Anholt was a British actor best known for his roles as Security Chief Tony Verdeschi in the second season of Gerry Anderson's television series Space: 1999 , Paul Buchet in The Protectors and as Charles Frere in the highly-successful BBC drama series Howards' Way .Anholt was...
) in "
To Hull and Back"To Hull and Back" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 1985. It was the first feature-length edition of the show, and the fourth Christmas special. The title of the special is derived from the movie To Hell and Back. Parts of the special were shot...
" and Arnie (
Philip McGoughPhillip McGough is an English television actor best known for his 2010 role of Dr. Charlie Bradfield in the BBC Birmingham based soap opera, Doctors.-Career:...
) in "
Chain Gang"Chain Gang" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the third episode of series 6, and was first screened on 22 January 1989.-Synopsis:During a night at the One-Eleven Club, Rodney introduces Cassandra to Del Boy...
" were responsible for setting up dubious enterprises involving the Trotters in their respective episodes. Tony Angelino (
Philip PopePhilip R. J. Pope is a British composer and actor. He was educated at Downside School and New College, Oxford.-Performer:He appeared in the Oxford Revue in Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1978 and 1979, both with Angus Deayton...
), the singing dustman with a
speech impedimentRhotacism refers to several phenomena related to the usage of the consonant r :*the excessive or idiosyncratic use of the r;...
, was the key to the humour and the storyline of "
Stage Fright"Stage Fright" is an episode of the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses. It was the third episode of series 7, and first broadcast on 13 January, 1991....
".
Del's nemesis from his school days, corrupt policeman
DCI Roy SlaterDetective Chief Inspector Roy Slater is a recurring character in the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He is played by Jim Broadbent and, in the prequel Rock and Chips, by Calum MacNab.-Background:...
(played by Academy Award-winner
Jim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
), made three appearances, in "
May The Force Be With You"May the Force Be with You" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the fifth episode of series 3, and was first screened on 8 December, 1983. The title of the episode comes from the famous quote from Star Wars: May the Force be with you.-Synopsis:Roy Slater, the corrupt...
", "
To Hull and Back"To Hull and Back" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 1985. It was the first feature-length edition of the show, and the fourth Christmas special. The title of the special is derived from the movie To Hell and Back. Parts of the special were shot...
" and "Class of '62". Feared local villains, the Driscoll Brothers (
Roy MarsdenRoy Marsden is an English actor, who is probably best known for his portrayal of Adam Dalgliesh in the Anglia Television dramatisations of P. D. James's detective novels.- Education :...
and
Christopher RyanChristopher Ryan is an English actor. Ryan is perhaps best known for his role as Mike "The Cool Person" in the BBC comedy series The Young Ones.-Early life:...
) featured once, in "
Little Problems"Little Problems" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of series 6, and was first screened on 12 February, 1989...
", but were mentioned in two previous episodes ("
Video Nasty"Video Nasty" is the fifth episode of series 5 of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, first broadcast on 28 September 1986.-Synopsis:...
" and "
The Frog's Legacy"The Frog's Legacy" is the sixth Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It is the first episode of the series to introduce the unseen but pivotal character, Frederick "Freddie the Frog" Robdal, later revealed to be Rodney Trotter's real, biological father...
"), and have also featured in "Green Green Grass". In a play on Rodney's light-hearted perception of him being the spawn of the devil, a grown-up Damien (
Douglas HodgeDouglas Hodge is an English actor, director, and musician who trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.Hodge is a council member of the National Youth Theatre for whom, in 1989, he co-wrote Pacha Mama's Blessing about the Amazon rain forests staged at the Almeida...
) appeared in Rodney's futuristic dream in "
Heroes and Villains"Heroes and Villains" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December, 1996 as the first part of the 1996 Christmas trilogy...
", as the all-powerful, war-mongering head of the now multi-national
Trotters Independent Traders. Rodney and Mickey's friends, the smooth-talking Jevon (
Steven WoodcockSteven Woodcock is a British actor, most famous for his role as Clyde Tavernier in the BBC soap opera EastEnders; a role that he played from July 1990 to July 1993....
) and then, briefly, Chris (Tony Marshall), a ladies' hairdresser, featured sporadically during the sixth and seventh series. The two-part 1991 Christmas special, "Miami Twice", saw
Richard BransonSir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
and
Barry GibbBarry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major...
make brief cameo appearances.
Mike ReadMichael David Kenneth Read is an English radio disc jockey, writer, journalist and television presenter.-Early life:...
appeared as himself, hosting an episode of "
Top Of The PopsTop of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
", in "
It's Only Rock and Roll"It's Only Rock and Roll" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the fourth episode of series 4, and was first screened on 14 March, 1985.-Synopsis:...
" and
Jonathan RossJonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...
appeared as himself in "
If They Could See Us Now"If They Could See Us Now" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December, 2001 as the first part of the early 2000s Christmas trilogy. It was the most viewed television programme of the decade.-Synopsis:...
".
While their characters were less significant, well-known actors who played cameos in the programme included
Joan SimsJoan Sims was an English actress best remembered for her roles in the Carry On films, and latterly for playing Madge Hardcastle in As Time Goes By.-Early life:...
, best known for her numerous roles in the
Carry OnThe Carry On films are a series of low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They are an energetic mix of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres....
films, who guest-starred in the feature-length episode "
The Frog's Legacy"The Frog's Legacy" is the sixth Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It is the first episode of the series to introduce the unseen but pivotal character, Frederick "Freddie the Frog" Robdal, later revealed to be Rodney Trotter's real, biological father...
" as an aunt of Trigger and old friend of Del's late mother; future Hollywood star
David ThewlisDavid Thewlis is an English actor of stage and screen. His most commercially successful role to date has been that of Remus Lupin, in the Harry Potter film series...
, who played a young wannabe musician in "
It's Only Rock and Roll"It's Only Rock and Roll" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the fourth episode of series 4, and was first screened on 14 March, 1985.-Synopsis:...
";
John BardonJohn Bardon, is an English stage and screen actor. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award in 1988 as 'Best Actor in a Musical' for Kiss Me, Kate, sharing the award with co-star Emil Wolk.-Acting career:Bardon is best known for playing Jim Branning in the popular British soap opera EastEnders...
, who played the role of
Jim BranningJames Archibald "Jim" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by John Bardon, first appearing on 29 April 1996 and becoming a regular character in 1999 and has remained in the series right up to 2011....
in the soap opera "
EastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
", as the supermarket security officer in "
The Longest Night"The Longest Night" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the third episode of series 5, and was first screened on 14 September, 1986.-Synopsis:...
". Walter Sparrow, who appeared as Dirty Barry in "
Danger UXD"Danger UXD" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of series 6 and first broadcast on 15 January, 1989.-Synopsis:While continuing to follow the yuppy lifestyle, Del Boy encourages Rodney to join in the fun...
", went on to appear in several Hollywood films.
Episodes
Sixty-three episodes of
Only Fools and Horses, all written by John Sullivan, were broadcast on BBC1 between 8 September 1981 and 25 December 2003. The show was aired in seven series (1981–83, 1985–86, 1989 and 1990/91), and thereafter in sporadic Christmas special editions (1991–93, 1996, 2001–03). All of the earlier episodes had a running time of 30 minutes, but this was extended after Series Six (1989), and all subsequent episodes had a running time ranging from 50 to 95 minutes. Most episodes were shot in front of a live audience or had a
laugh trackA laugh track is a separate soundtrack invented by Charles "Charley" Douglass, with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into television programming of comedy shows and sitcoms.The term "laugh track" does not apply to the genuine audience laughter on shows that shoot in...
recorded from a live audience viewing; the only exceptions being "
To Hull and Back"To Hull and Back" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 1985. It was the first feature-length edition of the show, and the fourth Christmas special. The title of the special is derived from the movie To Hell and Back. Parts of the special were shot...
", "
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...
", and the second part of "Miami Twice".
Five special editions were produced, some of which have only recently been rediscovered. An eight-minute episode aired in 1982 as part of a show hosted by
Frank MuirFrank Herbert Muir was an English comedy writer, radio and television personality, and raconteur. His writing and performing partnership with Denis Norden endured for most of their careers. Together they wrote BBC radio's Take It From Here for over 10 years, and then appeared on BBC radio...
,
The Funny Side of Christmas, in which mini-episodes of
Yes MinisterYes Minister is a satirical British sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted by BBC Television between 1980–1982 and 1984, split over three seven-episode series. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran from 1986 to 1988. In total there were 38 episodes—of which all but...
,
Open All HoursOpen All Hours is a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series a first run in 1976, a second run in 1981, third in 1982 and finally with a fourth run in 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973...
(in which Jason also starred),
ButterfliesButterflies is a British sitcom written by Carla Lane broadcast on BBC2 from 1978–83.The situation is the day-to-day life of the Parkinson family in a bittersweet style. There are both traditional comedy sources and more unusual sources such as Ria's unconsummated relationship with the...
(in which Lyndhurst also starred),
The Fall and Rise of Reginald PerrinThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is a series of novels which developed into a British sitcom starring Leonard Rossiter in the title role...
and
Last of the Summer WineLast of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and...
also featured. A 5 minute
spoof BBC documentary"White Mice" was a special edition of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses, broadcast on 24 December 1985.-Synopsis:The show centres around a spoof investigation of Del Boy by the BBC Breakfast show, Breakfast Time, over allegations that he sold white mice to a customer with the promise that they...
was shown on
Breakfast TimeBreakfast Time was British television's first national breakfast show, beating TV-am's flagship programme Good Morning Britain to the air by two weeks.The show was revolutionary for the time...
in 1985, with Del being investigated by consumer expert
Lynn Faulds WoodLynn Faulds Wood is a British television presenter and cancer campaigner.Born in Glasgow and brought up on Loch Lomondside, she first came to prominence as "Actionwoman" on Woman magazine, then Lynn's Action Line on the Sun. She moved to consumer champion on the breakfast television programmes...
.
An educational episode named "
Licensed to Drill"Licensed to Drill" is an educational episode of the sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. Even though it was shown in various schools throughout the UK from 1984 onwards , it was never broadcast commercially and has only recently been rediscovered...
", in which Del, Rodney and Grandad discuss oil drilling, was recorded in 1984 but only shown in schools. A 15 minute
1990–91 Persian Gulf War special"The Robin Flies at Dawn" is a special edition of the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses, filmed specifically for the British troops serving in the 1990-91 Gulf War...
was shown to British troops serving in the conflict. It has never been broadcast commercially, but a copy exists at the
Imperial War MuseumImperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
, London. A
Comic Relief specialThe "Comic Relief special" was a one-off edition of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses, recorded as part of the 1997 Comic Relief appeal. It was first screened on 14 March 1997. It was chronologically set before the 1996 Christmas trilogy...
showing Del, Rodney and Albert making an appeal for donations was shown in 1997.
Only Fools and Horses had two
producersThe primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
: Ray Butt from 1981 to 1987, and Gareth Gwenlan thereafter. Seven directors were used: Martin Shardlow directed all episodes in series one, Bernard Thompson directed the 1981 Christmas special, Susan Belbin series four and Mandie Fletcher series five. Butt directed series two and three, as well as the 1985, 1986 and 1987 Christmas specials. Tony Dow became the established director after 1988, directing all subsequent episodes, bar the first part of Miami Twice, which was directed by Gareth Gwenlan. John Sullivan was executive producer on seven of the final eight episodes.
Reception
Only Fools and Horses was relatively unsuccessful when it began, but it gradually built up a following and became one of the UK's most popular sit-coms. It was among the ten most-watched television shows of the year in the UK in 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2002 and 2003. The 1996 Christmas trilogy of "
Heroes and Villains"Heroes and Villains" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December, 1996 as the first part of the 1996 Christmas trilogy...
", "
Modern Men"Modern Men" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of the 1996 Christmas trilogy, and was first screened on 27 December 1996.-Synopsis:...
" and "
Time On Our Hands"Time On Our Hands" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of the 1996 Christmas trilogy, and was originally billed to be the last ever episode of the show, it was first screened on 29 December 1996...
" saw the show's peak. The first two attracted 21.3 million viewers, while the third episode – at the time believed to be the final one – got 24.3 million, a
record audience for a British sit-com. Repeat episodes also attract millions of viewers, and the BBC has received criticism for repeating the show too often.
Only Fools and Horses won the BAFTA award for best comedy series in 1986, 1989 and 1997, was nominated in 1984, 1987, 1990, 1991 and 1992, and won the audience award in 2004. David Jason received individual BAFTAs for his portrayal of Del Boy in 1991 and 1997. The series won a
National Television AwardThe National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are...
in 1997 for most popular comedy series; Jason won two individual awards, in 1997 and 2002. It won the
RTSThe Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
best comedy award in 1997, best BBC sit-com at the 1990
British Comedy AwardsThe British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
, and two
Television and Radio Industries Club AwardsThe Television and Radio Industries Club is a British institution chartered in 1931 to "promote goodwill in the television and radio industries"...
for comedy programme of the year in 1984 and 1997. John Sullivan won the
Writers' Guild of Great BritainThe Writers' Guild of Great Britain, established in 1959, is a trade union for professional writers. It is affiliated with both the Trades Union Congress and the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds .-Activities:...
comedy award for the 1996 Christmas trilogy and another from the
Heritage FoundationThe Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
in 2001.
The show regularly features in polls to find the most popular comedy series, moments and characters. It was voted
Britain's Best SitcomBritain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC, to identify the United Kingdom's best situation comedy. Viewers were asked to vote for their favourite by phone, text message and on the web. The top ten went forward to a final round of voting...
in a 2004 BBC viewer's poll,
and came 45th in the
British Film InstituteThe British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
's list of the
100 Greatest British Television ProgrammesThe BFI TV 100 is a list compiled in 2000 by the British Film Institute , chosen by a poll of industry professionals, to determine what were the greatest British television programmes of any genre ever to have been screened....
. It was 3rd on a subsequent viewers' poll on the BFI website.
Empire magazineEmpire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
ranked
Only Fools and Horses #42 on their list of the 50 greatest television shows of all time. It was also named the funniest British sit-com of all time through a scientific formula, in a study by GOLD. Scenes such as Del Boy's fall through a bar flap in "
Yuppy Love"Yuppy Love" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the first episode of series 6, and was first screened on 8 January, 1989...
" and the Trotters accidentally smashing a priceless chandelier in "
A Touch of Glass"A Touch of Glass" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 2 December, 1982 as the final episode of series 2...
" have become iconic British comedy moments, invariably topping polls of comedy viewers. Del Boy was voted the most popular British television character of all time in a survey by Open.... and came fourth in a
Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
list of Britain's best-loved television characters. A Onepoll survey found that
Only Fools and Horses was the television series Britons would most like to see return.
Theme music and titles
John Sullivan wrote the theme music for
Only Fools and Horses when he wrote the first series, but the producers opted instead for an instrumental, saxophone-led tune composed by
Ronnie HazlehurstRonald "Ronnie" Hazlehurst was an English composer and conductor who, having joined the BBC in 1961, became its Light Entertainment Musical Director....
, who had also arranged the themes for other BBC sit-coms, such as
Yes MinisterYes Minister is a satirical British sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted by BBC Television between 1980–1982 and 1984, split over three seven-episode series. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran from 1986 to 1988. In total there were 38 episodes—of which all but...
and
Last of the Summer WineLast of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and...
. However, Sullivan was unhappy with this, so for the second series he persuaded the BBC to use his own compositions instead, partly because the new lyrics would explain the obscure title, which had been the subject of viewers' questions to the BBC during the first series.
The first series was subsequently re-edited to use the new theme songs, though the first episode, "
Big Brother"Big Brother" is the pilot episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the pilot episode of the entire series, and the first episode of series 1, and was first screened on 8 September, 1981.-Synopsis:...
", is still sometimes repeated with the original Hazlehurst music intact, as is the
1981 Christmas special"Christmas Crackers" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 28 December 1981. It was the first Christmas special edition of the show.-Synopsis:...
. The current DVD release of Series One, however, replaces the theme music on all seven episodes. The original theme music is still used in the first episode during a montage in which Del unsuccessfully conducts business throughout Peckham whilst trying to find Rodney.
The lyrics to the established themes contain both slang and references to British culture, and describe elements of the show. The opening lyrics include "stick a pony in my pocket", pony being
London slangLondon slang is a mixture of words and phrases from around the globe. It reflects the diverse ethnic and cultural makeup of the city's population. Because London occupies such a dominant economic position in the United Kingdom, slang originally unique to the city has spread across the UK....
for 25 pounds sterling; "fetch the suitcase from the van" and "where it all comes from is a mystery", all references to the Trotters' shady, cash-only business. It ends with the title lyric, "why do only fools and horses work?" The closing theme follows suit, describing the dubious goods that the Trotters specialise in, from "miles and miles of carpet tiles" to "
Trevor FrancisTrevor John Francis , is a former footballer who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and played for England 52 times. He was England's first £1 million player...
tracksuits"; Francis was an English
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player during the 1970s and 1980s. These are "from a mush in
Shepherd's Bush-Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....
"; mush is slang for a man whose name is unknown and Shepherd's Bush is a west London district. The line "no
income taxAn income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
, no
VATA value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its...
" summarises their outlook, before closing with the refrain "God bless Hooky Street". Hooky is British slang for something stolen or which has been acquired illegally.
Both songs are performed by Sullivan, and not – as is sometimes thought – by Nicholas Lyndhurst. Sullivan had intended for Chas & Dave to sing it, since they were an act associated with Cockney-style music, but they were unavailable having just recorded a hit record with "Ain't No Pleasing You", so he was persuaded to do it himself by Ray Butt. The new theme was also arranged by Hazlehurst. Chas & Dave did later contribute to the show, performing "Down to Margate", the closing credits song for "
The Jolly Boys' Outing"The Jolly Boys' Outing" is the eighth Christmas special episode of the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December, 1989...
".
The opening credits see images of the three principal actors peel on and off the screen sequentially like adhesive labels. These appear over a background of still photographs of everyday life in South London, including a used car lot and a tower block. The sequence was conceived by
graphic designerA graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
, Peter Clayton, as a "metaphor for the vagaries of the Trotters' lifestyle", whereby money was earned and quickly lost again. The action was shot manually frame by frame, and took around six weeks to complete.
As the series progressed, the sequence was occasionally updated with new footage, but it only ever featured Del, Rodney and either Grandad or Uncle Albert. The 2001–2003 trilogy featured just Del and Rodney. In total, the shots of Del and Rodney were updated three times during the series' run to reflect their ageing, whilst Grandad and Uncle Albert only ever received one version each during their run. The 2001–2003 Christmas specials used the same titles sequences but rendered for broadcast in the now standard 16:9 ratio widescreen.
The closing credits for the programme varied series by series. The first series used peeling labels featuring the names of the cast and crew, mirroring the opening sequence, but these had to be updated with every new episode, making the process very time-consuming; from the second series the credits switched to a standard rolling format. Towards the end of the run they settled on a uniform style with the typeface
Dom CasualDom Casual is an American typeface designed in 1951 by Peter Dom. It is an informal font that emulates brush script.Dom Casual was often seen in 1960s television programs, such as nearly all Warner Bros. cartoons from 1960-1964 and Hanna-Barbera and Filmways Productions end titles, as well as...
scrolling against a freeze frame of the final scene which faded to a plain black background. Despite strict BBC crediting guidelines in place by the time the most recent episodes screened, the programme was able to enjoy unedited closing credits and the full version of the theme song.
Cultural impact
Despite its mainstream popularity,
Only Fools and Horses has also developed a cult following, The Only Fools and Horses Appreciation Society, established in 1993, has a membership of around 6,000, publishes a quarterly newsletter,
Hookie Street, and organises annual conventions of fans, usually attended by cast members. The Society has also organised an
Only Fools and Horses museum, containing props from the series, including Del's camel-hair coat and the Trotters'
Ford CapriFord Capri was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for three different automobile models. The Ford Consul Capri coupé was produced by Ford of Britain between 1961 and 1964. The Ford Capri coupé was produced by Ford of Europe from 1969 to 1986...
. It was named one of the top 20 cult television programmes of all-time by TV critic Jeff Evans. Evans spoke of:
Only Fools and Horses – and consequently John Sullivan – is credited with the popularisation in Britain of several words and phrases used by Del Boy regularly, particularly
"
Plonker", meaning a fool or an idiot, and two expressions of delight or approval: "
Cushty" and "
Lovely jubbly". The latter was borrowed from an advertising slogan for an obscure 1960s orange juice drink, called
Jubbly, which was packaged in a pyramid shaped, waxed paper carton. Sullivan remembered it and thought it was an expression Del Boy would use; in 2003, the phrase was incorporated into the new
Oxford English DictionaryThe Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
. Other British slang words commonly used and popularised in the series include "dipstick", "wally" and "twonk", all mild ways of calling someone an idiot.
Owing to its exposure on
Only Fools and Horses, the
Reliant RegalThe 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 is now often linked with the show in the British media. The one used by the Trotters has attained cult status and is currently on display at the
Cars of the StarsThe Cars of the Stars Motor Museum was in the English town of Keswick, Cumbria, and owned a collection of celebrity television and film vehicles...
exhibition at the
National Motor MuseumThe National Motor Museum is a museum in the village of Beaulieu, set in the heart of the New Forest, in the English county of Hampshire.- History :...
, alongside many other vehicles from British and American television and movies, such as the
BatmobileThe Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting...
and the
DeLoreanThe DeLorean time machine is a fictional automobile-based time travel device featured in the Back to the Future trilogy. In the feature film series, Dr...
from
Back to the FutureBack to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
.
BoxerBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
Ricky HattonRichard John Hatton MBE, more commonly known as Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton, , is a former British professional boxer, and currently a promoter....
, a fan of the show, purchased one of the original vans in 2004. Another of the vans used in the series was sold at auction in the UK for £44,000 in February 2007.
During the media frenzy surrounding
The IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
s revelations that the new bottled water DasaniDasani is a brand of bottled water from the Coca-Cola company, launched in 1999, after the success of Aquafina . It is one of many brands of Coca-Cola bottled water sold around the world....
, marketed by Coca-ColaCoca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, was in fact just purified tap water from SidcupSidcup is a district in South East London in the London Borough of Bexley and small parts of the district in the London Borough of Greenwich.Located south east of Charing Cross, Sidcup is bordered by the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bromley and Kent County Council, and whilst now part of...
, mocking parallels were made with the Only Fools and Horses episode, "
Mother Nature's Son"Mother Nature's Son" is a Christmas special episode of the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses. It was first broadcast on 25 December 1992.-Synopsis:...
", in which Del sells tap water as "Peckham Spring".
Other media
Four episodes were subsequently re-edited for radio and first broadcast on
BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
over June and July 1999. The episodes included were "
The Long Legs of the Law"The Long Legs of the Law" is the first episode of series 2 of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was first broadcast on 21 October, 1982. The title of the episode was a pun on the police term "the long arm of the law".-Synopsis:...
", "
A Losing Streak"A Losing Streak" is the third episode of series 2 of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was first broadcast on 4 November, 1982. The episode title was a pun on the term "winning streak".-Synopsis:...
", "
No Greater Love"No Greater Love" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the fourth episode of series 2, and was first screened on 11 November 1982.-Synopsis:...
" and "
The Yellow Peril"The Yellow Peril" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the fifth episode of series 2, and was first screened on 18 November 1982.-Synopsis:...
". These episodes and three other audio box-sets have since been released on audio cassette and CD.
In 1988, Only Fools and Horses
featured at the Royal Variety PerformanceThe Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
at the London PalladiumThe London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
. The plot saw David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Buster Merryfield appear on stage in character, thinking that they are delivering boxes of alcohol to an associate of Del's, only later realising where they actually are. The idea of an Only Fools and Horses
stage show was mooted by Ray Butt, following the success of other sit-com crossovers such as Dad's ArmyDad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
and Are You Being Served?Are You Being Served? is a British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was set in the ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments of Grace Brothers, a large, fictional London department store. It was written mainly by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, with contributions by Michael Knowles and John...
. Sullivan wasn't keen, owing to his inexperience with the theatre, and the enterprise was deemed too time-consuming, so nothing came of it.
International remakes
Only Fools and Horses was sold to countries throughout the world. Australia, Belgium,
Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
,
CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
,
CyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Greece,
Republic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
,
IsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
,
MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
,
MaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
,
MontenegroMontenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, New Zealand,
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
,
SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
,
SloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, South Africa and Spain are among those who purchased it. In all countries in which ex-
Serbo-CroatianSerbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
is spoken the title was "Mućke" (or "Мућке" in
Cyrillic scriptThe Serbian Cyrillic alphabet is an adaptation of the Cyrillic script for the Serbian language, developed in 1818 by Serbian linguist Vuk Karadžić. It is one of the two standard modern alphabets used to write the Serbian language, the other being Latin...
), which can roughly be translated as "shady deals." Three overseas re-makes have also been produced. The first was in The Netherlands, entitled Wat schuift't?
(What's it worth?). The Trotters were renamed the Aarsmans, it starred Johnny Kraaykamp jnr. as Stef (Del), Sacco Van der Made as Grandad and Kasper van Kooten as Robbie (Rodney), and was shown on RTL 4RTL 4 is a commercial television station in the Netherlands. It is the most-watched commercial station in the country, popular especially with those aged between 20 and 49. The station has three sister tv channels: RTL 5, RTL 7 and RTL 8...
.
The second country to re-make the show is Portugal, with their version named O Fura-Vidas, a local expression for someone who lives outside the law. It was a literal translation of the British version, with all episodes based on the originals, with only minor changes. It centred around the Fintas family, who live in Sapadores, a neighbourhood in
LisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, and starred Miguel Guilherme as Quim (Del), Canto e Castro as Grandad, and Ivo Canelas as Joca (Rodney).
The third country to re-make the show is
SloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
; their version is called Brat bratu (Brother to brother). All episodes were based on the original British storylines, and it was made in co-operation with
John SullivanJohn 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....
. It features brothers Brane (Brane Šturbej) and Bine (Jure Drevenšek), who moved from
MariborMaribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
to
LjubljanaLjubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
. The series also stars Peter Ternovšek as Grandad. It was directed by Branko Đurić. The series was cancelled after thirteen episodes were aired due to poor ratings.
There have been several plans to produce an American version. One was to be a
star vehicleA star vehicle has historically been a movie, play, TV series, or other production whose primary purpose, besides turning a profit, is to enhance someone's career. Vehicles are most commonly produced when a young or inexperienced actor has signed a long-term contract with a major studio...
for former M*A*S*H*
actor Harry MorganHarry Morgan is an American actor. Morgan is well-known for his roles as Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H , Pete Porter on both Pete and Gladys and December Bride , Detective Bill Gannon on Dragnet , and Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey...
, with Grandad rather than Del becoming the lead character. The other, entitled This Time Next Year...
, would have seen the Trotters renamed the Flannagans. A draft script was written for the latter, but neither show materialised. Steve CarellSteven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
, star of the US version of The Office
, has expressed an interest in making an American version of Only Fools and Horses
, with him to star as Del Boy.
Only Fools and Horses
featured in a parody of American sit-coms by David WalliamsDavid Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile...
and Matt LucasMatthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
in "Mash and Peas do the USA" for Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Sitcom Weekend in 1997. Re-named Only Jerks and Horses
, the sketch took a mocking view of what the series would have been like had it been re-made in the United States, with Del Boy, Boycie and Trigger all "AmericanizedAmericanization is the influence of the United States on the popular culture, technology, business practices, or political techniques of other countries. The term has been used since at least 1907. Inside the U.S...
", though Rodney remained English.
The Green Green Grass
A spin-off of Only Fools and Horses
entitled The Green Green GrassThe Green Green Grass is a British sitcom, created and initially written by John Sullivan, produced by Shazam Productions for the BBC. It is a spin-off of the long running sitcom Only Fools and Horses and stars John Challis, Sue Holderness and Jack Doolan...
, also written by John Sullivan and directed by Tony Dow, was first aired in the UK in September 2005. Sullivan had considered writing a sitcom around the popular characters of Boycie and Marlene (John ChallisJohn Challis is an English actor.-Career:He is probably best known for his role as Terrance Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce in the long running comedy show Only Fools and Horses, and its 2005 spin-off, The Green Green Grass....
and Sue HoldernessSue Holderness is an English actress. Since 1985 she has played the role of Marlene Boyce in the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses and its spin-off The Green Green Grass .-Career:...
) since the mid-1980s, but it was not until the series finally ended that the idea came to fruition. The Green Green Grass
sees Boycie and Marlene forced to leave Peckham by one-time Only Fools and Horses
villains, the Driscoll Brothers, and has included guest appearances by Denzil (Paul Barber) and Sid (Roy HeatherRoy Heather is an English actor. He began as an amateur actor when he was spotted by David Tudor who gave him his first professional job in Repertory. For David he played many leading roles including Frank in "Winter Journey", Reg in "The Norman Conquests" and co-starred in the world premiere of...
). In December 2008, The SunThe Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
reported that Del Boy, Rodney and Trigger could also make cameo appearances in a special edition of the show. A second series of The Green Green Grass
was broadcast in the UK in October 2006, a third in November 2007 and a fourth in January 2009.
Rock & Chips
In 2003, it was reported that Sullivan was developing a prequel to the original series, Once Upon a Time in Peckham
, which would feature Del, Rodney, Trigger, Boycie and Denzil as youngsters in the 1960s, and have a prominent role for Del and Rodney's parents. In 2009, it was again reported that the BBC were considering commissioning the show, although nothing was confirmed. On 5 April 2009, Sullivan told The Mail on SundayThe Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
newspaper that he was planning a prequel to Only Fools and Horses
which would star Nicholas LyndhurstNicholas 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...
as Freddie "The Frog" Robdal, a local criminal and Rodney's biological father; Robdal was the focus of the episode "The Frog's Legacy"The Frog's Legacy" is the sixth Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It is the first episode of the series to introduce the unseen but pivotal character, Frederick "Freddie the Frog" Robdal, later revealed to be Rodney Trotter's real, biological father...
".
On 3 July 2009, the BBC revealed that the title of the spin-off would be Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Chips
, and would be a 90 minute comedy drama. The title was subsequently changed to Rock & Chips
. Filming began in August 2009, and it was shown on BBC One at 9pm on 24 January 2010. In October 2009 it was confirmed that Lyndhurst would star as Robdal. The InbetweenersThe Inbetweeners is a British sitcom which aired for three series from 2008 to 2010 on E4. Created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, the show follows the life of suburban teenager Will , and three of his friends at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive. The Inbetweeners Movie was...
and Off The HookOff the Hook is a British sitcom about a group of freshers at university.The shows' cast includes Jonathan Bailey who plays the main character Danny, Danny Morgan as Shane and James Buckley as Fred...
star James BuckleyJames Patrick Buckley is an English actor, best known for his roles as Jay Cartwright in the British comedy The Inbetweeners and Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in Rock & Chips.-Early life:...
played the role of the young Del Boy. While promoting The Inbetweeners
, Buckley confirmed that Rock & Chips
would return for two more specials, one for Christmas 2010, and the other for Easter 2011.
Merchandise
Only Fools and Horses
spawned many merchandising spin-offs. Several books have been published, most notably the officially sanctioned "The Only Fools and Horses Story"
by Steve Clark (ISBN 0-563-38445-X) and "The Complete A-Z of Only Fools and Horses"
by Richard Webber (ISBN 0-7528-6025-9), both of which detail the history of the series. The scripts have been published in a three-volume compendium, "The Bible of Peckham"
. The light-hearted "The Trotter Way to Millions"
(ISBN 0-14-023956-1) and "The Trotter Way to Romance"
(ISBN 0-297-81227-0), both written by John Haselden, see Del giving tips on how to achieve both wealth and love.
It has been released on VHS, DVD and audioSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
CD in several guises. A DVD collection containing every episode was issued, along with various other special edition box-sets, such as a tin based on their Reliant Regal. DVDs and videos of Only Fools and Horses continue to be among the BBC's biggest-selling items, having sold over 6 million VHS copies and 1 million DVDs in the UK. An Only Fools and Horses magazine was released in 2004, with each issue containing a DVD of the show. See the
Only Fools and Horses DVDsOnly Fools and Horses DVDs have been sold in Regions 1, 2 and 4. Only Fools and Horses started in 1981 and ended in 2003. 64 episodes were broadcast in total...
for the differences between transmitted episodes and DVD episodes.
It also featured on a cavalcade of everyday items. These include a
MonopolyMarvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...
-style board game, the "Trotters Trading Game"
, in which participants attempt to emulate the Trotters and become millionaires, and another game set in their local pub, entitled the "Nag's Head Game tin"; a DVD board game which features clips and questions while trading hookie gear to other players, a
CD-ROMA CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
for
Windows 95Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
and
Windows 98Windows 98 is a graphical operating system by Microsoft. It is the second major release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on 15 May 1998 and to retail on 25 June 1998. Windows 98 is the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid...
which allows users to customise their PCs; a soundtrack of songs used during the show, including the theme tune, and replica die cast models of the Trotters' yellow
Reliant RegalThe 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, manufactured by
CorgiCorgi Classics Limited is a die-cast model manufacturer which has its origins in the Corgi Toys brand introduced by Mettoy in 1956.-The Corgi Toys era: 1956 to 1995:...
. Replica money has been made by the 'Bank of Peckham', featuring 'altered' English pound notes with Cockney rhyming slang and Del Boy's head on it instead of the
QueenElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. Other spin-off merchandise includes bottle openers, playing cards, wristwatches, beauty products, calendars and talking alarm clocks.
External links