"Only Fools & Horses" is another television comedy made in the 80s by the BBC. It ran for almost 16 years. The first episode was broadcast on the 8th September 1981, finishing with three specially made episodes which were shown during the Christmas week of 1996.
The series is based around two brothers. Derek (Del Boy) & Rodney Trotter. Derek is always referred to as 'Del' by all his friends, although Rodney's real name is Rodney a friend of his called Trigger always refers to him as Dave, and nobody seems to know why, although Rodney once asked Trigger why he kept calling him Dave and Trigger replied "Because thats your name Dave".
Both brothers live together in Peckham, a suburb of London, in a block of flats called nelson Mandela House (which doesn't actually exist, but I’ve been told by a friend that there is a block called Winnie Mandela House)
In series 1-3 they lived together with their grandad, but sadly the actor who played him (Lennard Pierce) died, and after that their Uncle came to live with them.
Both brothers make their living buying and selling dodgy gear (or stolen goods to those not familiar with the language), and as you can imagine they get into all sorts of difficult and very funny situations. One particual episode that springs to mind is where Del bought some dolls off a mate of his, the dolls were rejects because they had a faulty valve, what Del and his mate didn't realise until later on was that the dolls were not exactly the kind you would give to your kids .... and Del and Rodney had a hard time getting rid of them, especially after a couple of them had accidentally become inflated.
Over the years the characters have changed and developed, Del eventually holds down a stable relationship and has a baby son - which also leads to hilarious episodes. Rodney gets his computer diploma and marries a girl he met on the course. And in the final 3 episodes ..........well you'll just have to watch them, and who knows .......
"This time next year we could be Millionaires"
There
was a fifteen minute episode made in 1983 with Del-Boy selling Christmas Trees.
Raquel was in the very first episode 'BIG BROTHER She
was the first person to speak in the first scene in the 'Nags Head', she
said "All right DEl ?" (Raquel is on the right)
For quite a while now there has been a rumor doing the rounds that
it was Grandad (Lennard Pearce) who was supposed to play the part of the
old geezer falling down the cellar in 'Hole In One'.
In the end, as you all know, it was played by Uncle Albert, but here's
proof positive that Pearce did at least film some scenes before his tragic
death.
Grandad 
Uncle
Albert
Unfortunally, before you all get excited that perhaps there is a lost episode out there, Gareth Gwenlan, the shows producer, has confirmed that all the scenes involving Pearce were wiped clean and are therefore gone forever!
Song Lyrics - Intro
Stick a pony in me pocket,
I'll fetch the suitcase from the van.Cos if you want the best 'uns,
But you don't ask questions,
Then brother, I'm your man.Cos where it all comes from is a mystery,
It's like the changin' of the seasons,
And the tides of the sea.But here's the one that's drivin' me beserk,
Why do only fools and horses work?La-la-la
La-lala-la
La-la-la
La-lala-la.
Song Lyrics - End of an episode
We've got some half price cracked ice and miles and miles of carpet tiles,
T.V.s, deep freeze and David Bowie L.P.s,
Ball games, gold chains, whatsnames, pictures frames and leather goods,
And Trevor Francis track suits from a mush in Shepherds Bush,Bush, bush, bush, bush, bush, bush, bush ...
No income tax, no V.A.T.,
No money back, no guarantee,
Black or white, rich or poor,
We'll cut prices at a stroke......God bless Hooky Street,
Viva Hooky Street,
Long live Hooky Street,
C'est magnifique, Hooky Street,
Magnifique, Hooky Street,
Hooky Street (to fade)
A FOND FAREWELL TO TROTTERS INDEPENDENT TRADERS
As the sun sets over Nelson Mandela House, Peckham, it's time for us all to bid a fond farewell to Del Boy and Rodney, whose Trotters Independent Traders Company (TITCO plc) conducts its last, bit of business this Christmas.
John Sullivan's award-winning comedy series Only Fools And Horses starring David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst as brothers Del and Rodney Trotter, has been entertaining the nation since September 8,1981. They finally take their bow with a three-part series over the Christmas season on BBC-1.
The three 60 minute episodes, entitled Heroes And Villains, Modern Men and Time On Our Hands, will bring together all the regular characters who have had one too many in The Nags Head, partied at Nelson Mandela House or argued over a fiver down in Peckham Market. They include Buster Merryfield as Del and Rodney's Uncle Albert, the only prisoner-of-war the Germans released on patrol; Tessa Peake Jones as Del's long-suffering common-law wife, Raquel; Gwyneth Strong as Cassandra, who had a glowing future in front of her but decided to marry Rodney; Roger Lloyd Pack as Trigger, the road sweeper in search of a brain cell; John Challis as super-snob car dealer Boycie; Sue Holderness as Boycie's wife, Marlene, the Ivana Trump of Peckham; Ken MacDonald as the landlord of the Nags Head, Mike; Paul Barber as van-driver Denzil; Patrick Murray as the unemployed (unemployable) Jack the Lad, Mickey Pearce; and Jamie Smith as Del's son and heir to the Trotter Empire, Damien. There are also guest appearances from Michael Jayston and Ann Lynn as Raquel's parents, James and Audrey.
Writer John Sullivan says, "After 15 years of writing the series and virtually living with the Trotters through their good times and bad times (mainly bad times) it will be very hard for me to say au revoir - especially as Del thinks it means hello."
Only Fools and Horses is produced by Gareth Gwenlan , directed by Tony Dow and the Associate Producer is Sue Longstaff.
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