Only Fools and Horses (1981)

Watchseries; STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter (David Jason) is a brash, loud mouthed South London 'wide-boy' who lives in Nelson Mandela House, a council flat or, as he lovingly calls it, 'a lego set built by the council', along with his grand-father and his much younger brother Rodney (Nicolas Lyndhurst) an idealistic, well-meaning young man who has sadly become rather bitter and cynical at being out of work despite having three GCEs and at the immorality and hopelessness of his older brother's frequent get rich quick ideas. Despite his cocky bravado, though, Del does seem genuinely motivated to do well in business so he can provide a better life for him and his family, always trying to stir hope up within his ranks with his frequent, but never kept, promise that 'this time next year we'll be millionaires...'

Although any night of the week I am practically guaranteed to run into an episode on UKTV Gold, having just brought series 1-7 of what is easily one of my favourite sitcoms ever in a sale for £39 (nearly a hundred quid in HMV!) has brought what made it all a success racing back to me. But then, it's a testament to how great it is that it's done so well and that, well, I can tune into an episode any night of the week.

Del is the main character here, the guy the show pretty much revolves around and it's quite clear to see why. Lyndhurst's Rodney is a vital part as Del's fall guy, and grand-dad was always a good character to have around, until Lennard Pearce's death in around 1985 had him replaced by Buster Merryfield as the livelier Uncle Albert. But Del is the guy who really keeps the boat floating, the self assured, wise cracking wide boy with his frequent catch-phrase's, including the afore-mentioned '...we'll be millionaires', as well as trying to stir up more hope by frequently using the SAS's motto 'he who dares wins' and not to mention taking his exaggerated gift of the gab a bit too far by trying to pronounce sentences in languages he doesn't know the first thing about (...'borsch sprung dung technik!!!') But he can also show his darker side with it, often trying to play on Rodney's emotions by using the memory of his dead mother to force him into helping him with his latest zany scheme, telling him 'you know what the last thing your mother said to me on her death-bed?...'

Rodney's the character it's easiest to have the most empathy with, an intelligent, conscientious young man who suffers constant embarrassment at his older brother's lack of tact and knowledge, but who somehow always finds the courage to answer him back and stand up for himself. You can sense him wasting all his passion and intelligence away due to his lack of employment history and, unfortunately, a criminal record for smoking cannabis. Both Jason and Lyndhurst sound a lot more posh and elocuted in real life, so it's harder to relate to them as true South Londoners but they play their parts so well you can put it to one side. There's a host of lively supporting character's to choose from too, including Boycie (John Challis), the second hand car salesman, constantly sneering down at what he sees as the inferior Trotters and who Del secretly probably wishes he was like, and Trigger (Roger Lloyd Pack) the blank faced (and blank minded) road sweeper who can't seem to get over the fact that Rodney&#

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter (David Jason) is a brash, loud mouthed South London 'wide-boy' who lives in Nelson Mandela House, a council flat or, as he lovingly calls it, 'a lego set built by the council', along with his grand-father and his much younger brother Rodney (Nicolas Lyndhurst) an idealistic, well-meaning young man who has sadly become rather bitter and cynical at being out of work despite having three GCEs and at the immorality and hopelessness of his older brother's frequent get rich quick ideas. Despite his cocky bravado, though, Del does seem genuinely motivated to do well in business so he can provide a better life for him and his family, always trying to stir hope up within his ranks with his frequent, but never kept, promise that 'this time next year we'll be millionaires...'

Although any night of the week I am practically guaranteed to run into an episode on UKTV Gold, having just brought series 1-7 of what is easily one of my favourite sitcoms ever in a sale for £39 (nearly a hundred quid in HMV!) has brought what made it all a success racing back to me. But then, it's a testament to how great it is that it's done so well and that, well, I can tune into an episode any night of the week.

Del is the main character here, the guy the show pretty much revolves around and it's quite clear to see why. Lyndhurst's Rodney is a vital part as Del's fall guy, and grand-dad was always a good character to have around, until Lennard Pearce's death in around 1985 had him replaced by Buster Merryfield as the livelier Uncle Albert. But Del is the guy who really keeps the boat floating, the self assured, wise cracking wide boy with his frequent catch-phrase's, including the afore-mentioned '...we'll be millionaires', as well as trying to stir up more hope by frequently using the SAS's motto 'he who dares wins' and not to mention taking his exaggerated gift of the gab a bit too far by trying to pronounce sentences in languages he doesn't know the first thing about (...'borsch sprung dung technik!!!') But he can also show his darker side with it, often trying to play on Rodney's emotions by using the memory of his dead mother to force him into helping him with his latest zany scheme, telling him 'you know what the last thing your mother said to me on her death-bed?...'

Rodney's the character it's easiest to have the most empathy with, an intelligent, conscientious young man who suffers constant embarrassment at his older brother's lack of tact and knowledge, but who somehow always finds the courage to answer him back and stand up for himself. You can sense him wasting all his passion and intelligence away due to his lack of employment history and, unfortunately, a criminal record for smoking cannabis. Both Jason and Lyndhurst sound a lot more posh and elocuted in real life, so it's harder to relate to them as true South Londoners but they play their parts so well you can put it to one side. There's a host of lively supporting character's to choose from too, including Boycie (John Challis), the second hand car salesman, constantly sneering down at what he sees as the inferior Trotters and who Del secretly probably wishes he was like, and Trigger (Roger Lloyd Pack) the blank faced (and blank minded) road sweeper who can't seem to get over the fact that Rodney&#

Only Fools and Horses watchseries. This is a remarkable body of work and I am so glad that I took the chance and bought it! It started in 1981 and ended in 2003, but unlike American series it didn't drown the watcher and the last three episodes were a year apart! There was even one 3 year gap between 1993 and 1996 and one 5 year gap between 1996 and 2001 before they took up the series again. Never have I seen such continuity in story lines. It is amazing to me that the same actors kept coming back year after year to create this wonderful body of work. It deserved every award and accolade it ever got and those were many.

The first few seasons were half hour comedies and are hilarious, but you soon get to know these characters and become emotionally invested in their stories especially when they expand to full hour shows. By season 4 I was not just laughing, but crying. "Only Fools and Horses" succeeded in being both hilarious and extremely endearing. We are so lucky that we get to watch their stories unfold completely without having to wait 22 years. Best of all it answers the big questions and ties it all together by the final episodes. I can't imagine how invested people must have been who waited 22 years to get their answers. I know not everyone will like this series. My husband didn't like "To Hull and Back" and I do admit I didn't care much for "Miami Twice", but even these offerings are worth watching for the comedy and irony. A great show well worth your money and your time. This is indeed the best Brit-com ever made!!!

I have been a British telly fan for about ten years.Being American our TV(with very few exceptions)is horrible at best.So I watch mainly UK programs.I have to say that OFAH is television at its absolutes best!!I have only recently discovered this series through DVD release,but I had first heard about it years ago.

The fact that this show has achieved such legendary status in its homeland is no surprise.David Jasons a wonderful actor and Debby is no doubt his masterpiece.I don't believe a show this good will ever come along again.Im just glad it came along once!!The best thing about it is the fact that Derek and Rodney are so different,but they have an unbreakable bond.The show dealt with some serious subjects but never in an abysmal manner.They weathered all sorts of problems but always managed to survive.I truly adore this show as i'm sure millions of others around the world do.All I can say is thank you Mr.John Sulliven for creating a masterpiece that will surely stand the test of time forever!!Besides The Beatles, OFAH is the most important, entertaining,timeless,culturally significant piece of entertainment,to emerge from the British Isles.One of the greatest(perhaps the greatest)body's of work of the 20th century!!

Classic comedy is a term which is often overused but it fits Only Fools & Horses perfectly. In particular series 1-4 are absolutely brilliant. John Sullivan made you fall in love with the characters so that you could laugh and share in their experiences down through the years as if you actually knew them. The creation of Del Boy as a character was inspired and played faultlessly by David Jason. I felt the later episodes and specials were vastly inferior to the earlier ones but were still well worth a watch.

My favourite programme ever ..............

10/10

Only Fools & Horses provided both myself and my family with years of incomparable viewing pleasure and entertainment. As a child growing up in England I spent many an evening with my family watching OFAH both on BBC One and on Gold, and despite all the years of repetitive viewing I still find OFAH just as entertaining as the very first time I watched it all those years ago. To say that Only Fools & Horses is timeless is a serious understatement, in my mind it is an all time great! which will never be shelved nor forgotten.

For me Only Fools & Horses is not purely a comedy or a drama but a crucial part of British culture that has provided a backbone to British Family life for the last 30 or so years as Families up and down the United Kingdom continue to enjoy the nations greatest sitcom, together. In my opinion OFAH is one of the few comedies around that can genuinely provide an entire family unit with hours of entertainment without the fear of sexual content/references, bad language or violence, all of which seem to be increasingly finding there ways into so called modern 'comedies' (which are no where near as funny as this old gem!).

I should also commend the late John Sullivan for the incredible story lines and imaginative plots and of course the brilliant actors: Sir David Jason (Del boy), Nicholas Lyndhurst (Rodders) and all the other cast members for their brilliant transformations into some of the most demanding and challenging roles ever to be seen in a sitcom, all delivered with perfection!!

Only Fools & Horses, you win the Gold for pure comedy genius!

`Only Fools and Horses' is by far the most funniest, original, and well developed British Comedy ever. Myself being a British citizen, I have to say that there is no other funnier show. Derrick "DelBoy" Trotter and his brother Rodney are put together, two of the funniest British actors to ever grace the Television screen. While there were many visual jokes on-screen, there were also many verbal assaults and comments that made this show legendary. Famous mostly for it's Cockney accents and truly original characters, this show was the Best of the Best. Even though it ended sadly in 1991, you can still buy the shows on video and watch them over and over again. They never grow old.

Out of 10.......11/10!