Only Fools And Horses - The Complete Collection [DVD]

Here together in one collection is every episode plus the specials of Britain's best-loved comedy series! Crafty cockney con man Derek Trotter dreams of making a fortune, but each dodgy deal and shady scheme always seems to end in disaster. And then there's his family to look after: loveable but hapless kid brother, Rodney; doddery old Grandad; and ex-seafaring Uncle Albert. This hilarious, life-affirming series is one of the most popular on British television, and the annual Only Fools and Horses Christmas specials became as fundamental a British holiday tradition as Christmas crackers and the Queen's Address to the Commonwealth. Only Fools and Horses boasts 13 top comedy awards including two Best Comedy BAFTAs, and the series finale, "Sleepless in Peckham" was viewed by two out of three British households on Christmas Day, 2003.

The Chandelier

Only Fools And Horses - Why Is It So Popular?

Only Fools And Horses is one of the most popular British sitcoms ever made. Even though the show ended a few years ago it is still repeated all the time on the BBC and satellite channels because of it's endearing popularity. So why is this TV series so popular?

Well firstly I would say that as a sitcom it is genuinely funny. Pretty much every single episode in the entire series is laugh out loud funny, whether it's visual comedy, such as the infamous scene where Del Boy falls through the bar, for instance, or witty dialogue between the various lead characters.

Not only that but the story lines are also top drawer. There are lots of light-hearted episodes which are the traditional sitcom fare, but there are also quite serious and quite moving stories such as when Cassandra lost her baby, for instance, and when Del became a father for the first time. Even these serious scenes, which although very emotional, still have comedy moments often with just one funny one-liner.

Another reason I think it's so popular is because there is quite a large cast of characters and all of them are extremely likable and funny in their own way. For example you have got characters such as Boycie, Marlene, Denzil and of course Trigger who are minor characters in many ways but it's always nice to see them when they appear, and as with all the other characters, there are always plenty of funny lines shared between them,

Then of course you've got the infamous catchphrases. Thanks to Only Fools And Horses, words such as plonker and mange tout have become part of our everyday vocabulary thanks to Del Boy trotting them out all the time.

Finally you've got brilliantly crafted lead characters such as Uncle Albert, Grandad, and of course Rodney and Del Boy. They struggle through life desperately trying to make some money and build a better life for themselves, and that's something we can all relate to. Eventually they did of course make it and ended up very wealthy but then they managed to lose it all again. However deep down I think Del Boy enjoys ducking and diving and being rich simply left him unfulfilled.

Only Fools And Horses ended a few years ago now but I think this is a series that will still be making future audiences laugh in 50 years time because it is so funny. It's a feel-good comedy with lovable characters and great story lines that are genuinely funny and it will undoubtedly remain a much-loved British sitcom for many years to come.

Click here to read reviews of some of the most popular comedy DVDs including the Only Fools And Horses DVD and the Goodnight Sweetheart DVD.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Woolley

How Much To Rent Del Boys Flat

How much would it cost to rent Del boys flat.

Of course it worth mentioning that you wont find it in Peckham. The block of flats are actually called Harlech Tower in Park Road, East Acton, London.

Full story: http://www.yourrightmove.co.uk/blog/how-much-to-rent-del-boys-flat/

Del Boy Takes To The Air

"LOVELY jubbly!" - Only Fools and Horses actor Sir David Jason got to grips with a vintage fighter plane at one of the UK's leading air shows.

Full article: Del Boy Takes To The Air

Hooky Street By The Big Babies

Mickey Pearce

Mickey was a young, obnoxious spiv and friend of Rodney's, known for his ludicrous boasts about his success in business or with women, and for frequently taking advantage of Rodney's gullibility. Other jokes around Mickey were his rapid turnover of jobs, and the fact that he sported the pork-pie hat and suit of the 2 tone/ska scene, which was popular during the 1980s, well into the 2000s.

Vice Chairman Rodney Trotter

Rodney is nominated as Vice Chairman of the local tenants association by Baz and Trigger, but is reluctant to take the position, especially when the chairman immediately resigns!

Tourism Boom In Peckham

Tourists are flocking to the tough London borough of Peckham - thanks to the on-screen antics of Del Boy and Rodders.

One in 20 Britons have had a lovely-jubbly day out in the inner city area of TV's Only Fools and Horses.

Full Article: Mirror.co.uk

Nick Clegg: I'm Just Like Only Fools And Horses Character Rodney Trotter

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has admitted what many voters already suspect – that he is a plonker.

And posh boy Clegg – who has become popular after impressing in the leaders’ debates on TV – reckons Rodders would be the best person to play him in a film.

Clegg said: “I’d like Henry Fonda to play me but he’s not around. So it would be someone like Rodney from Only Fools And Horses.”

Full Story: Daily Star

Denzil

Denzil Tulser is a long distance lorry driver, and a good friend of Derek Trotter, and one of Del's victims when it comes to dodgy goods. In the 1983 episode Who's A Pretty Boy? Denzil's ex-wife Corinne could however see through Del, and stated that whenever Denzil and Del got together, Denzil ended up drunk, or out-of-pocket, to which Denzil protests, "Yeah I know, but he's a mate." Del endured Corinne's wrath by ruining her wedding day food, after his fridge broke down, leaving the guests eating pie and chips, and Corinne cutting a Jam Sponge cake. The final straw came, when Denzil hired Del, Rodney and Grandad to paint the living room. They burnt a hole through the kettle, ruined the kitchen with the steam, and killed Corinne's canary. Panicking, they sent Grandad to buy a replacement bird, hoping to fool Corinne. The plan however failed, as Corinne came home to find the bird that had died before she left for work, had been resurrected, and the kettle with a hole in it.

Britain's Best Sitcom

Britain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 to identify the United Kingdom's best situation comedy. The winner with 316,657 votes was Only Fools and Horses.

Out of a list of 100 sitcoms, viewers were asked to vote for their favourite by phone, text message and on the web. The top ten went forward to a final round of voting. Ten special programmes were made before the final round, each about one of the Top 10, the programmes consisting of a celebrity speaking on behalf of their chosen sitcom as well as interviews with the stars and people that made it.

The top 10 were voted as follows:

1. Only Fools and Horses (1981–2003) — 316,657 votes
2. Blackadder (1983–1989) — 282,106 votes
3. The Vicar of Dibley (1994–2007) — 212,927 votes
4. Dad's Army (1968–1977) — 174,138 votes
5. Fawlty Towers (1975–1979) — 172,066 votes
6. Yes Minister / Yes, Prime Minister (1980–1984, 1986–1988) — 123,502 votes
7. Porridge / Going Straight (1974–1977, 1978) — 93,902 votes
8. Open All Hours (1973, 1976–1985) — 67,237 votes
9. The Good Life (1975–1978) — 40,803 votes
10. One Foot in the Grave (1990–2000)— 31,410 votes

Trigger

Colin 'Trigger' Ball (born 22 April 1948), is a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He is played by actor Roger Lloyd Pack.

A regular at the Nags Head pub, and old friend of Del Boy, Trigger is a road sweeper, and also appears to dabble in trading. He once supplied Del with paint which Del proceeded to use to decorate his mother's grave. Only then did Trigger inform him that the paint was used on signs in railway tunnels and therefore, luminous. Trigger has appeared on Only Fools and Horses since the very first episode and carried on appearing in almost every episode until the last final episode, Sleepless in Peckham.

Boycie

Terence Aubrey Boyce best known as Boycie (born 31 January 1948) played by John Challis.

Boycie is a local second-hand car dealer from Lewisham and for a long time was the richest and most successful regular at the Nag's Head pub. Boycie, although materially successful and ostentatious in his spending, remains competitive with Del and other friends, enjoying their company, although he does enjoy reveling in his superiority. Despite this, it appears that he dearly loves his friends throughout the series. He generally wears clothes and carries accessories synonymous with 1980s yuppie success, such as trench coats and very early mobile telephones. In the episode Sickness and Wealth, in which the series regulars took part in a seance, the medium asked for "an Aubrey". When Boycie replied that it was his middle name, Del Boy said "You never told us your name is Aubrey." Boycie replied "Nor would you if you were called Aubrey." Whenever Boycie has a drink in the pub, it's always a large cognac.

Only Fools and Horses Song Lyrics

Written and Performed by John Sullivan - 1981
 

Opening Theme:

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. 

Closing Theme: 

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)

Only Fools And Horses: A 'Triffic' Hit In Serbia

Unlikely as it may seem, Del Boy and the rest of the Trotters have achieved cult status in Serbia.

Prince Lazar. Miloš Obilic. Prince Mihailo Obrenovic III. To this list of Serbian national heroes must be added another, more unlikely name: Derek Trotter.

The BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, which returned to our screens in the shape of a one-off prequel, Rock and Chips, has been sold to countries around the world. But it is in Serbia where Del Boy has achieved genuine cult status.

Full story at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2010/jan/25/only-fools-and-horses-serbia

The Groovy Gang

Del enters Rodney in a kids painting competition and wins a family holiday. Unfortunately for Rodney he has to pretend to be 14. This clip shows Rodney becoming a life long member of The Groovy Gang!

Only Fools and Horses 1984 - 'Licensed To Drill'

Licensed to Drill was an educational episode of the of the sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. Even though it was shown in various school throughout the UK in 1984, it was never broadcast commercially and has only recently been rediscovered. The episode was written by Brian Hague, and not John Sullivan, though Sullivan did sing the theme song, "Licensed to Drill". This short episode was the last appearance of Grandad.

John Sullivan

John Sullivan OBE (born 23 December 1946), is the writer of several British sitcoms including the immensely popular Only Fools and Horses as well as Citizen Smith, Dear John, Just Good Friends, Roger Roger, and The Green Green Grass. In addition, he also wrote the comedy drama series Micawber for ITV and still co-writes many comedies including Heartburn Hotel. Sullivan composed the theme tune of Only Fools and Horses, Just Good Friends, Dear John and The Green Green Grass. He has also written Rock & Chips, a comedy drama prequel to Only Fools and Horses.

John Sullivan grew up in Balham, South London, failed his eleven-plus and left school at 15 with no qualifications. From a working-class background, Sullivan's Irish father was a plumber and his mother occasionally worked as a charlady. It was in Balham where he observed the sort of market trader that would later appear in Only Fools and Horses. Sullivan's first paid employment was as a messenger boy for Reuters.

Sullivan got a lot of his material for Only Fools and Horses scripts from his real-life experiences i.e. the chandelier falling, his father's poker sessions, his niece working in the police force, and his grandfather falling down holes to claim money.

On 2 September 2008 John Sullivan was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at Goldsmiths, University of London.  He now lives in the city of Brighton and Hove.

A Letter To Sir Alan Sugar From Del Boy

I cam e across this letter in the book 'The Trotter Way To Millions' and it made me chuckle. It is typical Del Boy.

Alan Sugar Esq
Amstrad Consumer Elecgtronics PLC
Brentwood House
169 Kings Road
London
SW3

11th April 1990

Dear Alan,

The word at the Nag's Head is the Japanese are giving you a pretty rough ride on the fiscal rollercoaster. My brother Rodney tells me that if you don't count weekends, bank holidays and Christmas, you dropped a million down the plug-hole every day for the whole of last year!

Cheer up Alan! I've had time s like that, and look at TITCO today! I put it down to a combination of my business acumen and Rodney's ability to drive a 3 wheeled van. This is the decade of the specialist, see, and at the House of Trotter we specialise in everything from Paisienne haut couture fashion to mobile phones and interior decoration.

I know a lot of blokes who'd be saying: 'Marque de fabrique! Al's still got £118 million on the hip. Where's the fire?' Well I say this,my old son: At the rate you're going you'll last about another 6 months. But as it happens, I might just be able to get you out of stuke. Here's the Trotter four point recovery plan to beat the orientals at their own game:

1. I let you know the name of the kid who fixes up all my hooky word-processors.
2. I send round a team of my best men to paint your new office and generally sharpen up the corporate image.
3. You give me two hundred quid and I'll even through in the paint, no questions asked.
4. Any time between now and the end of September would be favourite. How about the Wednesday after Easter?

Syanora for now

Yrs

Derek Trotter
Chairman and Managing Director