----------------------------------------------------------------- THE BASICS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Only fools and horses has always been one of the best comedy series ever. Ever since I was young, I always remember staying up to watch the antics of Del boy and Rodney on the television. OFAH The complete series 5, see's the Del witness a miracle, and the Trotters nearly moving to Australia. Only Fools and Horses was the creation of John Sullivan, and every episode was masterful and never uneventful. I think that everybody on this planet could relate in some way or another to the laughter and drama and antics that the brothers and their friends would get up to. Every episode of Only Fools and Horses seems to get funnier and funnier, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be watching these episodes forever, and will also introduce them to my children (if I have any). It is one of those sitcoms that you just don't mind being repeated, over and over again. There is no better actor to play Del Boy, than David Jason, and most certainly no better actor to play Rodney than Nicholas Lyndhurst.Only Fools and Horses is set on a Peckham council estate, run down and full of crime. It seems unbelievable that this thing could work - but believe me it does! The thing that makes Only Fools and Horses very different to other sitcoms is the strong storyline that runs through each of the series, by that I mean that if something happens in series 1, for example, it will most undoubtedly be carried through and mentioned in series 2, 3, 4 etc. All the characters in only fools and horses are a fantastic masterpiece of John Sullivans work, Trigger who always calls Rodney Dave (even after Rodney told him his name) is definitely my favourite character, seconded by Boycie, the second hand car dealer.
----------------------------------------------------------------- THE EPISODES -----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------- From Prussia with Love -----------------------------------------------------------------
**Originally transmitted 31/08/1986 **Duration 30 minutes **Viewing figures 12.1 million
The episode starts with last orders being called in The Nags Head, and a lot of commotion where Mike, the landlord, is trying to tell everyone it is time to go home. In particular, he is having a major problem trying to tell a young pregnant lady that time is up as she doesn't seem able to understand what anyone is saying.
Del Boy and Rodney bribe Mike into giving them a free drink in return for them to help her understand that it is closing time. It is a laugh a minute as Del trys out some of his "french", and Uncle Albert trys to speak German. Between them, they manage to work out that Anna is German and she has nowhere to go and is looking for a hotel. Later on, she tells them of how she became pregnant and that she would like to get her child adopted so her parents don't find out when she returns to Germany.
Del and Uncle Albert go back to the flat, leaving Rodney in charge of ensuring she finds a hotel alright. She doesn't have a hotel, and Rodney decides to take her home to Nelson Mandela House. Once there, she explains that the man who got her pregnant, Spencer, was the son of the rich family that she was working for as an au pair.
Del is really angry initially with Rodney for bringing her home, but once he has calmed down, he plots what he is going to do with Anna's baby. And who do you think the first person is that he thinks of? Boycie! It is well known that Boycie and Marlene have been trying to have a baby for years, but have always been unsuccessful. However, Rodney doesn't like it when he finds out that Del is "selling" the baby for 3 grand. Del tells Boycie that he will have a beautiful baby boy.
With all the stress and comotion that is going on, Anna goes into labour in the flat and is taken off to hospital. Later, Boycie and Marlene, and Del are standing around in the living room waiting for Rodney to bring Anna home from the hospital and to "clinch the deal". Everything is going fine..... until Anna returns clutching a baby GIRL..... and it is revealed that Spencer's parents came over to England from the West Indies!
----------------------------------------------------------------- The Miracle of Peckham -----------------------------------------------------------------
**Originally transmitted 07/09/1986 **Duration 30 minutes **Viewing figures 14.2 million
Del Boy comes over religious all of a sudden, when he realises that his past is catching up with him. He pays a visit to the local church, where he sits in the confession box and confesses his sins to Father O'Keith. During his conversation with Father O'Keith, Del discovers that the local hospice needs to raise £185,000 for renovation work, otherwise it will close. Because both Del and Rodneys Mother and Grandad were cared for there, Del takes it upon himself to help raise the funds required to prevent the hospice from closing. Once Del's confession session is over, he goes to put some money in the donations box, when all of a sudden, Father O'Keith exclaims that the statue of the Virgin Mary is crying. It doesn't take long for Del to persuade Father O'Keith, to take the miracle to the media - of course, this would raise a lot of money for the Hospice fund! Hesitantly, Father O'Keith agrees, and Del phones Rodney to tell him to phone all the national papers and get them over to the church. Of course, Rodney thinks Del has flipped his lid! The press from all over the world arrive to film the miracle of the crying Virgin Mary, and all seems to be going well, until Father O'Keith see's that there is rain coming in through the roof and running onto the statue. Alas, Del Boy is rumbled!
----------------------------------------------------------------- The Longest Night -----------------------------------------------------------------
**Originally transmitted 14/09/1986 **Duration 30 minutes **Viewing figures 16.7 million
Del Boy, Uncle Albert and Rodney, whilst out on their shopping trip get stopped by a security guard on suspicion of shop lifting. They get taken up to the managers office, where things go from bad to worse, when they realise that they have lost the receipt for their shopping. Not long after they are brought up, Tom the security guard arrives, bringing with him a very cocky shoplifter, Lennox Gilbey, into the manager's office. Once there, Lennox quickly pulls out a gun and demands that the afe is opened for him. Lennox come unstuck when he realises that the safe is on a time-lock and cannot be opened. Checking the time, he realises that the watch that he is wearing is wrong, and so he has missed the time-lock by 15 minutes. This see's the start of a very long night for the boys, being held hostage in the office by the gunman who is waiting for the safe to open the following morning. It suddenly occurs to Del, that he sold the watch to Lennox, and also that he used to know him as a child. Del then starts to use reverse psychology on Lennox, who is persuaded to reveal the real plan behind getting the £60,000 from the safe. The plan was cooked up by the manager and Tom, the security guard! The manager, Tom and Lennox, beg Del not to go to the police, and Del uses this to his advantage..... by making sure he is the millionth customer to the shop, hence netting £1000.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Tea for Three -----------------------------------------------------------------
**Originally transmitted 21/09/1986 **Duration 30 minutes **Viewing figures 16.5 million
Trigger has got his young niece Lisa to stay for a little while, and Del and Rodney are in for a shock when they meet her. They used to know her a really scruffy little girl, but she has now grown up, and become a beautiful 25 year old woman. Boys being boys, Del and Rodney immediately think they each have a chance of pulling her, and start to compete against each other. Finally the moment comes, when Del and Rodney manage to invite her round for tea, and she seems very happy to be invited. Knowing that Lisa is coming round, the boys prepare for their "date", with Del going out to get some more "smash", and Rodney settling down for half an hour on their new sunbed. Rodney goes to sleep, and just as Del is on his way out, he turns up the timer! Rodney gets a very burnt face, which really is a picture. He is very angry with Del for this and vows to take revenge. He finds out from Lisa that she is part of a hang-gliding club, and tells her that Del has always been interested in flying. As his surprise for Del's 46th birthday, Rodney arranges with Lisa for Del to have a go at hang-gliding. The boys offer to give Lisa a lift back home to Winchester, and on the way, they visit Lisa's hang-gliding club. Del decides eventually that he cannot appear to be chicken, and agrees to give it a go. Once Del is airborn, he disappears for over twelve hours!. Later on it is revealed that Del was picked up and taken to hospital after colliding with a television transmittor in Redhill. Once home from the hospital, the boys find out that Lisa is engaged to be married.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Video Nasty -----------------------------------------------------------------
**Originally transmitted 28/09/1986 **Duration 30 minutes **Viewing figures 17.5 million
The art class that Rodney attends has been given a £10,000 grant for them to invest in making a film about their local community. Rodney is overjoyed at the news, but he runs into problems when Del Boy and Mickey Pearce scheme against all his good intentions. Rodney is at home, planning what to film, and is having some trouble coming up with any ideas. Del decides to help, and comes up with a crackpot story about killer rhinocerous's escaping from London Zoo, and leaving lots of people dead in London. Of course, Rodney being sensible, doesn't hesitate in pointing out all the flaws in Dereks ideas. Del gives up and leaves Rodney to it. However, behind Rodney's back, Del has arranged with Mickey Pearce for him to go down to the local town hall, and film various peoples weddings at £50 a pop. On top of that, he gets loads of people to pay £10 for the privilege of starring as extras in a movie. On top of all this, Mickey Pearce takes it upon himself to arrange for the lovely Amanda, to visit Nelson Mandela House with a view to filming a "blue movie" starring Amanda dressed as a nurse. The premiere of Night Nurse is to be shown in the Nags Head!
----------------------------------------------------------------- Who wants to be a Millionaire -----------------------------------------------------------------
**Originally transmitted 05/10/1986 **Duration 30 minutes **Viewing figures 18.8 million The episode starts, with Jumbo Mills, an old business partner of Del's turning up in the Nags Head after being away in Australia since the 1960s. Things take a turn for the worse, when Jumbo tries to clinch a new deal with Boycie, and ends up getting peoples backs up in the Nags Head. Jumbo originally left Peckham with Del Boys last £200 in his belt to get him started, and as a way of repaying him, he asks Del to become a partner in his business back in Australia. Of course, this would mean that the Trotter family would have to emigrate. Del is hesitant at first, but once he has persuaded Jumbo to give Rodney and Albert a place in the business too, he agrees. However, things don't go too well when the boys try to get clearance to leave. Albert refuses to leave Peckham and says that he wants to spend his last days there, and Rodney hits a stumbling block when his criminal record stops him going. Del still seems insistent that he is going however, until he receives a phone call from Jumbo, where he tells him that he will not be coming over. Del realises how important family is.
----------------------------------------------------------------- CAST LIST ----------------------------------------------------------------- David Jason as Derek Edward Trotter (Del Boy) Nicholas Lyndhurst as Rodney Charlton Trotter Buster Merryfield as Albert Gladstone Trotter Roger Lloyd Pack as Colin Ball (Trigger) John Challis as Aubrey Terrance Boyce (Boycie) Paul Barber as Denzil Tulser Sue Holderness as Marlene Boyce Kenneth MacDonald as Mike Fisher Patrick Murray as Mickey Pearce
----------------------------------------------------------------- PRODUCTION DETAILS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Written by: John Sullivan Directed by: Martin Shardlow, Ray Butt, Susan Belbin, Mandie Fletcher, Tony Dow, Gareth Gwenlan Produced by: Ray Butt, Gareth Gwenlan, Bernard Thompson
----------------------------------------------------------------- DVD EXTRAS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unfortunately, as appears to be the case with all the Only Fools and Horses, there are no decent extras on the DVD. The only one available is scene selection.
Available from Amazon.co.uk for £19.99
More details
Soundtrack
Average
How does it compare to others by the same director?
Not applicable
Value for Money
Excellent
What format are you reviewing?
DVD
Evaluate this review
How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
of half-a-dozen half-hour episodes that are absolutely vintage fare. Indeed, after this series, the BBC gave writer John Sullivan freedom to extend his writing to...
of half-a-dozen half-hour episodes that are absolutely vintage fare. Indeed, after this series, the BBC gave writer John Sullivan freedom to extend his writing to...
