ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES - THE COMPLETE SERIES 3
Originally transmitted: 10/11/1983 - 25/12/1983

For anyone who has never watched Only Fools and Horses you are missing out on a wonderful part of our television history. Only Fools and Horses follows the lives of the two Trotter brother, Derek and Rodney as they try to earn a living in every way that they can. Unfortunately, more often than not this is through, shall we say, "alternative" means. The comedy is based around Peckham in South London and when the show first started, nobody even thought how successful it was to become. The characters all the way through have been masterfully developed and wonderfully cast to create a total cast that never fails to amuse and excite. These days, I would say that most people in Britain have at least heard of Del and Rodney Trotter, and most will know of their hilarious antics and sometimes solemn storylines.

I will be reviewing each of the series of Only Fools and Horses in turn and I hope that for anyone who doesn't own these marvellous DVD's that I help persuade you to go and buy them. They really will be the best purchase you have ever made. And so, without further ado, I will begin....

HOMESICK
Transmitted 10/11/1983
Duration 30 minutes
Viewing Figures 9.4 million

Years of living in Nelson Mandela House have started to take their toll on Grandad's legs and they finally give way on him. When Del and Rodney find him sprawled out on the carpet they call the doctor, who tells them that really need to find ground floor accommodation as soon as possible. The one thing that would help their application is support from the chairman of the housing committee, which just so happens to be Rodney! With a little persuasion from Del, Rodney persuade Miss MacKenzie, the housing and welfare co-ordinator, to approve their application for a new property and they are shortly to move into a three bedroom bungalow! As with all of Del's plans, there is always a catch. Miss MacKenzie comes back unexpectedly and catches Del and Grandad sharing a rain dance in the middle of the room. Their application is cancelled immediately and Rodney is forced to resign as chairman.

HEALTHY COMPETITION
Transmitted 17/11/1983
Duration 30 minutes
Viewing Figures 9.7 million

Rodney is fed up. At 24 years old he has decided that he wants more from his life, and after his mind is constantly on other things and Del nearly gets caught by the police selling in the market, he breaks his news to Del. He is going it alone with Mickey Pearce. Slightly taken aback, Del informs Rodney that if that is the way he wants it then that is the way he will play it. In future he will have to pay his own way, including food and beer. When they later meet up at an auction, Del kindly warns Rodney against buying Lot 37. However, Rodney, doubting Del's generosity decides to press ahead and buy it, thinking that Del was only warning him against it because he wanted it for himself. Unfortunately Rodney has dropped himself right in it. It turns out he has bought nothing more than a load of broken lawnmower engines!

FRIDAY THE 14TH
Transmitted 24/11/1983
Duration 30 minutes
Viewing Figures 9.7 million

This episode see's Del, Rodney and Grandad trundle off to Cornwall for some Salmon poaching at Boycie's summer cottage. With Marios restaurant offering £10 per fish, this should be a decent income for the boys. The deal is that they will split the profits 50/50 with Boycie. All is going according to plan until they discover that a mental patient has escaped from the local mental institute. The first sign of trouble is when a policeman stops them on their journey down to Cornwall just as they are nearly there. The policeman explains to them that a patient has escaped from the institute for the criminally insane. And to make matters worse, it is exactly 10 years that night that he killed a party of fisherman with an axe! Del tries to pacify the others and they settle down for their first night in the cottage, with no lights, as the storms have blown down the electricity cables. Rodney thinks he hears noises outside, and then he see's a face at the window. Later, the Chief of Security at the mental institute turns up and they let him in and start chatting to him. It isnt until much later that they realise he is the Axe murderer in disguise. Is it too late for the boys?

YESTERDAY NEVER COMES
Transmitted 01/12/1983
Duration 30 minutes
Viewing Figures 10.6 million

It looks like Del might be on the way up when he enters the world of fine art. He tries to con "posh tart" Miranda Davenport into buying a "Queen Anne" cabinet, which is made out of nothing more than banana boxes. Unfortunately, Mirand, being an expert swiftly declines his invitation. However, whilst at Nelson Mandela house, she spots a painting hanging on the wall and knowing more about it than Del does, she worms her way into his heart and he gives her the painting as a gift. Eager to take things further with Miranda, Del takes a trip to her antique shop to be informed that she is at an auction. Not to be outdone he takes himself along to the auction, only to discover that Miranda is auctioning the painting he gave her. Del has the last laugh however, when he informs her that the painting she is selling is actually stolen!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
Transmitted 08/12/1983
Duration 30 minutes
Viewing Figures 10.7 million

Del is shocked to discover that his arch nemesis from school is back in town. Roy Slater was never well liked at school and is now even less well liked when he comes back as Detective Inspector Slater. As Slater has known Del since he was at school, he, more than anyone knows exactly what to watch out for when he is on the trail of a stolen microwave. Rodney, not knowing who SLater is, chats to him in the Nags Head, before taking him back to nelson Mandela House "as a surprise for Del". A surprise indeed! The first Rodney knows something is wrong is when Del drops all the plates he is holding! Unfortunately for Del there is no getting away from it. The stolen microwave is sitting on the side in full view of Slater!

WANTED
Transmitted 15/12/1983
Duration 30 minutes
Viewing Figures 11.2 million

Always willing to do his good deed for the day, Rodney stops to help a drunken woman on his way home from the pub. He is shicked when she starts shouting "rape!, RAPE!" Scared as stiff as a board, Rodney legs it! When Del finds out what has happened he quickly realises that Rodney has had a chance encounter with Blossom, a crazy woman who is locked up most of the time because she has a habit of accusing people of these things. To wind Rodney up about it, Del thinks up a story about the "Peckham Pouncer" and explains that the police are looking for him. The last thing Del expected was for Rodney to run away and go into hiding! However, he is found after a curious smell infiltrates all the flats in the block!

WHO'S A PRETTY BOY
Transmitted 22/12/1983
Duration 30 minutes
Viewing Figures 11.9 million

Del is not happy when his friend, irishman Brendan O'Shaughnessy supplies him with some paint which is not the colour he wanted. When Brendan carelessy tells him that he is going to paint Denzil's flat Del swiftly conjurs up a plan to get there before he does. Del and Rodney pay Denzil a visit and after making up a story about one of the houses Brendan did some work on catching fire, Denzil finally agrees to let them paint his front room, much to the disgust of his wife Corrine. The next day the boys start decorating the front room, but trouble brews when Rodney accidentally leaves the kettle on the stove, killing Cirrines pet canary with the steam! After Grandad went out and spent £45 on a new canary for Corrine by way of a cover up they think that they couldnt possibly get found out. However, when Corinne returns she tells them that the canary had already been dead when she went out that morning. Foiled again!

Included with Series Three is the Christmas Special from 1983 - Thicker Than Water:

THICKER THAN WATER
Transmitted 25/12/1983
Duration 30 minutes
Viewing Figures 10.8 million

It is christmas in the Trotter household and who should turn up to celebrate with them but Del and Rodneys father, Reg, who walked out on them years ago. Rodney is overjoyed, but Del has other ideas. Reg explains that he has come to warn the boys that he has just been diagnosed with a hereditary blood condition and they must both be checked out. Once their blood test results come back it would appear that Del and Rodney have different fathers! Reg explains that Del is the black sheep in the family and refuses to talk to him. Fortunately, after a visit to the doctors, Del's mind is at rest and he quickly sets about getting rid of his father.

It must have taken a lot to bring such old material to DVD but it appears to have been done very very well indeed. Given the age of the material you have to expect a few problems with the actual image quality but these do not detract from the viewing, if anything they almost seem to enhance the viewing and remind us that Only Fools and Horses really is one of the greatest sitcoms ever to hit our screens.

Unfortunately there are no extras on the DVD with the exception of scene selection and English subtitles. Unfortunately for sound lovers the sound on this DVD is only stereo.
In summary Only Fools and Horses Series 3 is a must buy for anyone who enjoys their comedy or enjoys the antics of the Trotter brothers. It will give you many hours of hilarious viewing and if you are like me, you will never tire from watching them over and over again.