Only Fools and Horses

**Only Fools and Horses....** is a British television sitcom created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas specials aired until the end of the show in 2003. Episodes are regularly repeated on UKTV comedy channel Gold. Set in Peckham in south-east London, it stars David Jason as ambitious market trader Derek "Del Boy" Trotter, Nicholas Lyndhurst as his younger brother Rodney Trotter, and Lennard Pearce appeared in the first three series as their elderly Grandad. Backed by a strong supporting cast, the series follows the Trotters' highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich.

After Lennard Pearce's death in 1984, the show introduced a new sidekick, Uncle Albert, the boys' great uncle, played by Buster Merryfield. From 1988 onwards, the show features regular characters in Del Boy and Rodney's love interests, Raquel (Tessa Peake-Jones) and Cassandra (Gwyneth Strong) respectively. Other recurring characters include haughty car dealer Boycie (John Challis), dim-witted road sweeper Trigger (Roger Lloyd-Pack), lorry driver Denzil (Paul Barber), obnoxious spiv Mickey Pearce (Patrick Murray) and bartender Mike (Kenneth MacDonald).

The show was not an immediate hit with viewers and received little promotion early on, but later achieved consistently high ratings, and the 1996 episode "Time on Our Hands" (originally billed as the last ever episode) holds the record for the highest UK audience for a sitcom episode, attracting 24.3 million viewers. Critically and popularly acclaimed, the series received numerous awards, including recognition from BAFTA, the National Television Awards and the Royal Television Society, as well as winning individual accolades for both Sullivan and Jason. It was voted Britain's Best Sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll. In a 2001 Channel 4 poll Del Boy was ranked fourth on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. The series influenced British culture, contributing several words and phrases to the English language. It spawned an extensive range of merchandise, including books, videos, DVDs, toys, and board games.

A spin-off series, *The Green Green Grass*, ran for four series in the UK from 2005 to 2009. A prequel, *Rock & Chips*, ran for three specials in 2010 and 2011. A special *Sport Relief episode* aired in March 2014, guest starring David Beckham. In July 2018, John Sullivan's son, Jim Sullivan, announced that a musical adaptation of the show was nearing completion and launched on 9 February 2019 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London.

## Cast and characters

Further information: List of Only Fools and Horses characters

**Meet the main characters (Click a picture to go to their page)**

### Main cast and characters

* **Derek Edward "Del Boy" Trotter (David Jason)** — Del is a charismatic South London market trader, willing to sell anything to anyone to make money. Possessing a quick wit and a devious cunning that his younger brother mostly lacks, Del is devoted to his family, taking care of Rodney and Grandad on his own from the age of 16. Del is also known for his penchant for cultural faux pas, in particular his misuse of French phrases. Del never settled down with a woman until he met Raquel, with whom he had a son, Damien.

Sullivan recalled that he had always been fascinated by the unlicensed traders who sold goods from suitcases in markets, and he based Del Boy on them. David Jason added other 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: Jim Broadbent (who would later appear in a minor recurring role as DCI Roy Slater) and Enn Reitel were earlier preferences. At the time, Broadbent was appearing in Mike Leigh's play, "Goose-Pimples", at the Hampstead Theatre in north London. The play was due to transfer to the West End, and consequently, Broadbent thought he would be unable to fit in with the filiming schedule and turned down the part. It was only when producer Ray Butt saw a repeat of *Open All Hours* that Jason was considered and, despite concerns that Jason had not previously had a leading television role, and that he and Lyndhurst did not look like brothers, he was cast.
* **Rodney Charlton Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst)** — Rodney is Del's idealistic but dependent younger half-brother. Despite being more academically gifted than Del Boy (although only to the extent of two GCEs), Rodney lacks Del's silver tongue as well as the latter's scheming nature and as such is confined to being Del's lackey and sidekick. Orphaned when young, Rodney was raised by Del, and much of the conflict between the two comes from Rodney's dislike of his reliance on his brother and his sometimes morally ambiguous schemes, usually resulting in unsuccessful attempts to gain greater independence through girlfriends or through 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, 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.
* **Edward Kitchener "Grandad" Trotter (Lennard Pearce)** — Sullivan was fascinated by the idea of having a big age gap between Del Boy and his younger brother Rodney; the elderly character of Grandad, and later, Uncle Albert, gave the situation the voice of an old man who had seen it all. In casting the role of Grandad, Sullivan had in mind an actor similar to Wilfrid Brambell, who had played Albert Steptoe in *Steptoe and Son*, but chose not to use Brambell himself, thinking him too closely associated with *Steptoe*. After seeing Pearce's audition, Sullivan chose 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 wrote a new episode, "Strained Relations", which featured Grandad's funeral.
* **Albert Gladstone Trotter (Buster Merryfield)** — 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 younger 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 Birdseye" beard. Albert first appeared at Grandad's funeral, and soon moved in with Del and Rodney. His wartime experiences with the Royal Navy became one of the show's running gags, usually beginning with the words "During the war...". Merryfield died in 1999 and Albert's death was written into the next episode.
* **Raquel Turner (Tessa Peake-Jones)** — Raquel was introduced because Sullivan wanted more female characters and for Del to start meeting more mature women. Her first appearance, in "Dates", 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 agency, but they fell out over her part-time job as a stripper, 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 Slater.
* **Cassandra Trotter (née Parry) (Gwyneth Strong)** — Cassandra first met Rodney in "Yuppy Love". Their relationship blossomed, and by the end of series six the two had married. Cassandra's high career ambitions caused conflict with Rodney, and their troubled marriage was one of the main storylines later in the show's run.

### Supporting cast and characters

* **Trigger (Roger Lloyd-Pack)** — A gormless and dim-witted but close friend of Del, Trigger was initially portrayed as a small-time thief, supplying Del with dubious goods. In later episodes he came to adopt the "village idiot" role, and constantly calls Rodney "Dave", much to Rodney's bemusement. Trigger, apparently so called because he looks like a horse, was the principal supporting character earlier in the show's run, although his importance lessened as the series progressed.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.

* **Boycie (John Challis)** — A shady used car salesman and a frightful snob. Boycie, a freemason, was very self-centred and prone to boasting about his high social status. Challis had played a similar character in an episode of *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 Grass*, starting in 2005, in which he and his wife Marlene fled from a criminal gang.
* **Denzil Tulser (Paul Barber)** — An easy-going Liverpudlian lorry driver, 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, Corinne (Eva Mottley), who was only sighted once, in "Who's a Pretty Boy?". Corinne eventually walked out on him, leaving Denzil slightly embittered but with more time and willing to go along with Del's schemes.
* **Sid (Roy Heather)** — Sid made sporadic appearances throughout the show's run, mainly as the proprietor of the run-down and unhygienic local cafe. In the episode "The Jolly Boys' Outing", it is revealed that Sid fought in the Second World War. He was captured and imprisoned but escaped, only for the boat he was using to be hit and sunk by a Greek fishing trawler being steered by Uncle Albert. After *Nag's Head* landlord Mike was imprisoned, Sid took over and kept that role for the remainder of the series.
* **Mickey Pearce (Patrick Murray)** — Mickey was a young, obnoxious spiv and friend of Rodney's, known for his exaggerated boasts about his success in business or with women. Despite their friendship, Mickey often took advantage of Rodney's gullibility by stealing his girlfriends or making off with all the money from their business partnership.
* **Marlene Boyce (Sue Holderness)** — Boycie's wife. Initially just an unseen character, Marlene was popular among the menfolk and extremely flirtatious, having had implied liaisons with all of Boycie's friends. She and Del have a particularly close relationship, dating back to when Marlene worked in a betting shop in Lewisham Grove. Despite their constant bickering and put-downs, she and Boycie are close and eventually have a child, Tyler, although there are light-hearted rumours that Del may be the father.
* **Mike Fisher (Kenneth MacDonald)** — The landlord 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. 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 the interim pub landlord.
* **Damien Trotter (various)** — Damien was Del and Raquel's son. It was Rodney's mocking suggestion that he be named Damien. Six actors played Damien: Patrick McManus (1991), Grant Stevens (1991), Robert Liddement (1992), Jamie Smith (1993–96), Douglas Hodge (1996, as adult), and Ben Smith (2001–03).

### Minor cast and characters

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 final words 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" (played by Peter Woodthorpe), before leaving under a cloud, never to be seen again. Other members of the Trotter family were rarely sighted, the exceptions being cousins Stan (Mike Kemp) and Jean (Maureen Sweeney), who attended Grandad's funeral. In "The Second Time Around", the woman they believed to be Auntie Rose (Beryl Cooke) turned out to be no relation at all but the woman who'd moved into Rose's house some years earlier. After Rodney met Cassandra, her parents Alan (Denis Lill) and Pam (Wanda Ventham) became recurring characters. Raquel's parents, James and Audrey (Michael Jayston and Ann Lynn), appeared in "Time On Our Hands", and it was James who discovered the antique watch which made the Trotters millionaires.

In some episodes, a guest character was essential to the plot. Del's ex-fiancée Pauline (Jill Baker) dominated Del's libido in "The Second Time Around", prompting Rodney and Grandad to leave. In "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire", Del's old business partner Jumbo Mills (Nick Stringer) wanted Del to return to Australia with him and restore their partnership, forcing Del to make a decision. An attempt by Lennox (Vas Blackwood) to rob a local supermarket set-up the "hostage" situation in "The Longest Night". Del and Rodney spent the whole of "Tea for Three" battling each other for the affections of Trigger's niece Lisa (Gerry Cowper), who briefly reappeared in "The Frog's Legacy". Abdul (Tony Anholt) in "To Hull and Back" and Arnie (Philip McGough) in "Chain Gang" were responsible for setting up dubious enterprises involving the Trotters in their respective episodes. Tony Angelino (Philip Pope), the singing dustman with a speech impediment, was the key to the humour and the storyline of "Stage Fright" and *EastEnders* actor Derek Martin guest starred in "Fatal Extraction".

Del's nemesis from his school days, corrupt policeman DCI Roy Slater (played by Jim Broadbent), made three appearances, in "May The Force Be With You", "To Hull and Back" and "Class of '62". Feared local villains, the Driscoll Brothers (Roy Marsden and Christopher Ryan) featured once, in "Little Problems", but were mentioned in two previous episodes ("Video Nasty" and "The Frog's Legacy"), and are important in the story of *The Green Green Grass*. A grown-up Damien (Douglas Hodge) appeared in "Heroes and Villains".Rodney and Mickey's friends, the smooth-talking Jevon (Steven Woodcock) and then, briefly, Chris (Tony Marshall), a ladies' hairdresser, featured sporadically during the sixth and seventh series and the intervening Christmas specials. The two-part 1991 Christmas special, "Miami Twice", saw Richard Branson and Barry Gibb make cameo appearances. Mike Read appeared as himself, hosting an episode of *Top Of The Pops*, in "It's Only Rock and Roll" and Jonathan Ross appeared as himself in "If They Could See Us Now".

While their characters were less significant, well-known actors who played cameos in the programme included Joan Sims, best known for her numerous roles in the *Carry On* films, who guest-starred in the feature-length episode "The Frog's Legacy" as an aunt of Trigger and old friend of Del's late mother; successful film actor David Thewlis, who played a young wannabe musician in "It's Only Rock and Roll"; John Bardon, who played the role of Jim Branning in the soap opera *EastEnders*, as the supermarket security officer in "The Longest Night". Walter Sparrow, who appeared as Dirty Barry in "Danger UXD", went on to appear in several Hollywood films.

## Episodes

For more details on this topic, see List of Only Fools and Horses episodes.
Sixty-four episodes of *Only Fools and Horses*, all written by John Sullivan, were broadcast on BBC1 from 8 September 1981 until 25 December 2003. The show was aired in seven series (1981–1983, 1985–1986, 1989 and 1990–1991), and thereafter in sporadic Christmas special editions (1991–1993, 1996, 2001–2003). All 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.

## External links

* *Only Fools and Horses* at Facebook
* *Only Fools and Horses* at UKTV Gold
* *Only Fools and Horses* at British TV Comedy Guide
* *Only Fools and Horses* Appreciation Society
* Audio interviews with the cast, and photos from an Only Fools and Horses Day in Swindon in 2004 at \*\*\*BBC Wiltshire
* Filming locations from *Only Fools and Horses*

Rodney Trotter ·
Grandad ·
Uncle Albert ·
Trigger ·
Boycie ·
Marlene ·
Mike ·
Raquel ·
Cassandra ·
Damien ·
Denzil ·
Mickey Pearce ·

"Go West Young Man" ·
"Cash and Curry" ·
"The Second Time Around" ·
"A Slow Bus To Chingford" ·
"Ashes to Ashes" ·
"A Losing Streak" ·
"No Greater Love" ·
"The Yellow Peril" ·
"It Never Rains..." ·
"Healthy Competition" ·
"Friday the 14th" ·
"Yesterday Never Comes" ·
"May the Force Be with You" ·
"Wanted" ·
"Strained Relations ·
"Hole in One" ·
"It's Only Rock and Roll" ·
"Sleeping Dogs Lie" ·
"Watching the Girls Go By" ·
"The Miracle of Peckham" ·
"The Longest Night" ·
"Tea for Three" ·
"Video Nasty" ·
"Danger UXD" ·
"Chain Gang" ·
"The Unlucky Winner Is..." ·
"Sickness and Wealth" ·
"The Chance of a Lunchtime" ·
"Stage Fright" ·
"The Class of '62" ·
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Uncle" ·
"Diamonds Are For Heather" (1982) ·
"Thicker than Water" (1983) ·
"Licensed to Drill" (1984) ·
"To Hull and Back" (1985) ·
"A Royal Flush" (1986) ·
"The Frog's Legacy" (1987) ·
"Dates" (1988) ·
"The Jolly Boys' Outing" (1989) ·
"Rodney Come Home" (1990) ·
"Miami Twice" (1991) ·
"Mother Nature's Son" (1992) ·
"Fatal Extraction" (1993) ·
"Heroes and Villains" (1996) ·
"Modern Men" (1996) ·
"Time On Our Hands" (1996) ·
"If They Could See Us Now" (2001) ·
"Strangers on the Shore" (2002) ·
"Sleepless in Peckham" (2003)
"Beckham in Peckham" (2014)