Series synopsis
Only Fools and Horses is a British comedy television series that premiered on BBC One on September 8, 1981. It ended on February 3, 1991. It was created by John Sullivan. It stars Lennard Pearce, Tessa Peake-Jones, Patrick Murray and David Jason.
Only Fools and Horses.... Is a British sitcom created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally transmitted on BBC One from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas specials aired until 2003.
In working-class Peckham in south-east London, ambitious market trader Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter and his younger half-brother Rodney, explore their highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich.
Initially not an immediate hit and receiving little promotion early on, ...
Premise
Only Fools and Horses.... Is a British sitcom created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally transmitted on BBC One from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas specials aired until 2003.
In working-class Peckham in south-east London, ambitious market trader Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter and his younger half-brother Rodney, explore their highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich.
Initially not an immediate hit and receiving little promotion early on, it later achieved consistently high ratings, and the 1996 episode "Time on Our Hands" (originally billed as the series finale) holds the record for the biggest UK audience for a sitcom episode, attracting 24.3 million viewers. The series bears a significant influence on British culture, contributing several words and phrases to the English language.
Premise: This time next year, we'll be millionaires!
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Lennard Pearce as Edward 'Grandad' Trotter
- Tessa Peake-Jones as Raquel Turner
- Patrick Murray as Mickey Pearce
- David Jason as Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter
- Nicholas Lyndhurst as Rodney Trotter
- Roger Lloyd Pack as Trigger
- John Challis as Boycie
- Buster Merryfield as Uncle Albert Trotter
Supporting cast
- Sue Holderness as Marlene Boyce
- Gwyneth Strong as Cassandra Trotter (née Parry)
- Derek Newark as Eric the Policeman
- Rex Wei as Mr Chin
- Geoffrey Toone as Lord Ridgemere
- David Warwick as TV Presenter
- Steve Fortune
- David Thewlis as Stew
- Walter Sparrow as Dirty Barry
- Mike Read as Himself
- Philip McGough as Arnie
- Sam Howard
Guest cast
- David Jason as Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter
- Nicholas Lyndhurst as Rodney Trotter
- Roger Lloyd Pack as Trigger
- John Challis as Boycie
- Buster Merryfield as Uncle Albert Trotter
- Sue Holderness as Marlene Boyce
- Gwyneth Strong as Cassandra Trotter (née Parry)
- Derek Newark as Eric the Policeman
- Rex Wei as Mr Chin
- Geoffrey Toone as Lord Ridgemere
- David Warwick as TV Presenter
- Steve Fortune
Episodes
This series spans 8 seasons with 87 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 42 | December 28, 1981 | December 25, 2023 |
| Season 1 | 6 | September 8, 1981 | October 13, 1981 |
| Season 2 | 7 | October 21, 1982 | December 2, 1982 |
| Season 3 | 7 | November 10, 1983 | December 22, 1983 |
| Season 4 | 7 | February 21, 1985 | April 4, 1985 |
| Season 5 | 6 | August 31, 1986 | October 5, 1986 |
| Season 6 | 6 | January 8, 1989 | February 12, 1989 |
| Season 7 | 6 | December 30, 1990 | February 3, 1991 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Christmas Crackers It's anthracite roast potatoes and green stuff all round - Grandad's cooking Christmas dinner! Trouble is, Rodney's in danger of dying of boredom. Then the glittering attractions of the Monte Carlo Club beckon... |
December 28, 1981 |
| 2 |
Christmas Trees This was a comedy sketch produced for the 1982 Christmas show The Funny Side of Christmas, presented by Frank Muir, which also featured sketches from other comedies. |
December 27, 1982 |
| 3 |
Diamonds Are for Heather When Del meets a new woman he begins to envisage Christmas with a larger family. |
December 30, 1982 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Big Brother Del's confident at last he's on to a winner with Trigger's consignment of Old English vinyl briefcases. How can his brother Rodney even think of abandoning the high-flying world of trading for a real job? |
September 8, 1981 |
| 2 |
Go West Young Man Rodney’s depressed. His mate Mickey Pearce has moved in on his bird – Monica of the fat thighs – and life isn’t exactly a social whirl. Del has the solution – they’ll all be millionaires in a year – cue his smooth friend Boycie and a very dodgy deal… |
September 15, 1981 |
| 3 |
Cash and Curry Del's swooping in on the deal of a lifetime - it could keep them in Pilau rice forever. All he has to do is get hold of a poxy statue. Trouble is, he hasn't reckoned on a touch of gang warfare. |
September 22, 1981 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Long Legs of the Law Streuth! Rodder's besmirching the good reputation of the Trotter family by dating a policewoman... |
October 21, 1982 |
| 2 |
Ashes to Ashes Del's busy selling Trig's gran's genuine antique urns. Trouble is, one of them is Trig's Grandad's last resting place! |
October 28, 1982 |
| 3 |
A Losing Streak Del and Boycie are set to play the biggest poker game Peckham's ever seen... But what exactly has Boycie got up his sleeve? |
November 4, 1982 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Homesick Del Boy uses Rodney's election as chairman of the local tenants' association to plot a move to ground-floor accommodation. |
November 10, 1983 |
| 2 |
Healthy Competition Rodney breaks up the Trotter partnership to go it alone - with Mickey Pearce! Does Mickey's trip to the Costas mean that the duo are opening a Spanish branch already? |
November 17, 1983 |
| 3 |
Friday the 14th The Trotters visit Devon for a weekend's fishing but get involved with an escaped 'psycho' from the local mental hospital. |
November 24, 1983 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Happy Returns Rodney's in love with Debbie from the newsagents. Could this mean the end of his dirty magazine fetish? Trouble is she's only 19, and 19 1/2 years ago Del was pretty friendly with her mum... |
February 21, 1985 |
| 2 |
Strained Relations After Grandad's funeral, Delboy & Rodney are surprised to find that his brother, Uncle Albert, has moved in with them - bringing his nautical nightmares. |
February 28, 1985 |
| 3 |
Hole in One The Trotters are potless, so Uncle Albert comes to the rescue by having an 'accident' with the open cellar door of the Nag's Head. |
March 7, 1985 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
From Prussia with Love When a German damsel turns up in the Nag's Head, she's definitely in distress - and nine months pregnant at that. Rodney's all beer and sympathy, but Del's got an idea - could this be the answer to Boycie and Marlene's dreams of a child and a golden opportunity to make a few bob along the way? |
August 31, 1986 |
| 2 |
The Miracle of Peckham Del Boy gets religion when the Madonna at the local church is seen to shed tears. But why does she only cry when it's raining, and where did that lead in Del's garage come from? |
September 7, 1986 |
| 3 |
The Longest Night A burglar makes a daring raid on the local supermarket just as Del and family are out buying their weekly French stick. What's worse, Del sold him a duff watch down the local market... |
September 14, 1986 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Yuppy Love '80s fever is spreading fast! Del Boy's on the up and into the exciting world of red braces and yuppy sorts. Armed with his filofax and briefcase, he's ready to take on the city - well, Peckham anyway. Meanwhile, Rodney's on the pull, with a classy new bird called Cassandra. Wonder what she'll think of Nelson Mandela House... |
January 8, 1989 |
| 2 |
Danger UXD Just faking a signature on a delivery note means that Del can take possession of 50 dolls for absolutely nothing. The only problem is that 'Lusty Linda' and 'Erotic Estelle' are not exactly what he had in mind and would seem more appropriate to Dirty Barry's dubious trade than to the local toyshop... |
January 15, 1989 |
| 3 |
Chain Gang It's the deal of a lifetime! Faced with the opportunity to buy 250 18 carat gold chains from retired jeweller Arnie, Del can't resist. Hastily a multi-million dollar business consortium is formed - well, Mike from the Nag's Head, Trig, Boycie, Uncle Albert and a reluctant Rodney, anyway. Everything's pretty cushty until Arnie's taken ill just as the deal is about to be sealed, and Del is left feeling that all that glitters... |
January 22, 1989 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Sky's the Limit What can Albert and Del do about Rodney leaving Cassandra and moving back in? Alan suggests that Rodney pick her up when she arrives back from her week in Spain. However, chaos at Gatwick means that the evening Rodney planned doesn't happen. Could there be some connection with Del's purchase of a satellite dish? |
December 30, 1990 |
| 2 |
The Chance of a Lunchtime Raquel has an audition for a play, and Del has volunteered to help her rehearse. Rodney and Cassandra meet for supper, each thinking that the other made the first move. Things seem to be going well before Rodney gets tangled up with Trudy. Del tells Albert and Rodney that he sees two people when he looks at Raquel. Either Raquel's pregnant or Del's drunk! |
January 6, 1991 |
| 3 |
Stage Fright With Raquel pregnant, Del 'Yuppy' Trotter's plan to achieve millionaire status must move up a gear. So the chance to supply the cabaret at the Starlight Rooms for old 'friend' Eric to the tune of 600 quid is too good to miss. With Raquel dusting off her vocal chords in the kitchen and Trig's mate Tony Angelino, the singing dustman, waiting in the wings, everything's sorted. Until Del discovers exactly who the real owner of the club is and the extent of Tony's vocal range... |
January 13, 1991 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC One |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 8, 1981 |
| Last aired | February 3, 1991 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Sunday |