“I suppose she’s gone window shopping at Rent-a-Kill”

NAME: Pauline Harris

EPISODE: The Second time around (series 1)

Twice widowed and on the prowl, Del’s old flame Pauline Harris comes back into his life and within day’s it’s talk of diamond rings and wedding bells.

Pauline move’s in with Del, much to the chagrin of Rodney & Grandad who suspect that she’s intent on adding Del to her collection of matrimonial corpses.With tension’s at an all time high, Grandad toothless & Rodney living on Corned Beef the two concoct a plan with Trigger to rid Trotter Towers of the ‘two timing murderess’ for good.

They succeed but not without having to invade a strangers home and receiving the mother of all phone bills, still, it could have been worse, well maybe not, I mean, where would she get a bomb from?

BEST LINE: “No, in the cemetery” Pauline’s true colours start to come out as she reveals that her second husband, much like her 1^st is not residing in them new flat’s in the Blackshaw road but is actually, just like a certain borough in Newcastle – under lime!

The post Pauline Harris appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

So you may be interested in this email recently received from Channel 5.

This is regarding a documentary where they may want to involve Only Fools and Horses fans.

Jessie North from the Channel 5 team requested,

“I’m a Producer working on a new Channel 5 documentary series about tattoos. We are looking to feature people who’ve had particularly impressive or striking tattoos done and we’re planning to do some filming with a man who’s had a full back tattoo of some of the characters and scenes from Only Fools and Horses.

As part of this piece I would like to do some short interviews/vox pops with fans of the series, to illustrate its huge popularity.

I was therefore wondering whether some people from the OFAH Appreciation Society might be available and willing to have a very short chat on camera, ideally some time within the next few weeks. I’m not sure where you’re based, but if any of these people are based in Bristol or London that would also be ideal.

I was also wondering whether you have any “Only Fools and Horses” events or conventions coming up in the near future.

I’d be very grateful if you could get back to me on this.  You can contact me by email or on the mobile number below.

I look forward to hearing from you.”

If you think you can help then contact Jessie North on Jessie.North@channel5.com

The post Channel 5 Documentary appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

Here are some further shots of the filming back in 1996.

It looks like the episode “Time on our Hands” is being filmed.
Notice the “Millwall” graffiti on the garage door. It reminds me of that classic line from Grandad; “Your dad always said that one day Del Boy would reach the top. Then again, he always said Millwall would win the cup.”

Who can possibly forget the iconic cigar jar, one of the Trotters televisions and the bamboo wallpaper. All from an angle you don’t generally see during filming in the studio. Not too sure if this is the Only Fools and Horses set in 1996, but more than likely.

Further behind the scenes of the outside filming of the scene where Del and Rodney realise the watch maybe a little more than a Victorian egg timer.

A scene from Only Fools and Horses where they are moving our from Nelson Mandela House. I don’t remember seeing this making the final cut with Mickey and Trig.

The post Only Fools and Horses 1996 appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

When Abbey National featured Delboy in an advert we were treated to some classic Delboy and Sullivan script.

“A thousand quid for the weekend! No wonder they call this place “The Grand”

It has a charming twist at the end where Del gets a little revenge on the Hotel owners.

Abbey National and Del Video

Enjoy the next 30 seconds of lost footage brought back from 1989

The post Abbey National and Del appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

I have no idea where he gets them from and how many he has, but Perry again has found some great photos for us to enjoy.
The first photo is of Del and Rodney in black and white.
Any idea when this was taken?
What year and episode would you put this as?

The second is a set of polaroid photos that show our dear old Uncle Albert.

So again all “Only Fools detectives”, any idea when this was taken and what year and episode would relate it to?

The post Only Fools and Photos appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

As we mentioned on some previous articles, Adrian Pegg is a name that you may of seen on the end credits. He was the Production Manager on several of the series and specials of Only Fools and Horses. He is still working as a Line Producer and Production Manager now, although mostly on entertainment and factual entertainment shows rather than sitcoms. Here are some facts he has sent us from his memories of making Only Fools And Horses.

Some Things You Didn’t Know About Only Fools And Horses by Adrian Pegg.

1. I have never been to Peckham.

2. For the close-ups of Del hang gliding in Tea For Three, we had David dangling from a hang glider which was suspended under a crane.

3. We were filming the locations and exteriors for ‘The Unlucky Winner’ but John Sullivan hadn’t written the airport arrival scene so I couldn’t set up a location. The scene was moved into the studio so it was a big set. I was Floor Managing the studio and as we had a limited number of supporting artists I set up a system where they would come in one door and walk through shot, then rush around the back of the set changing a hat or jacket or something, and come back in again for another go.

4. In ‘Little Problems’ Del has a mobile phone which changes the channels on the pub TV when he presses the buttons. This would be easy to achieve now, but in those days I had to edit the channel changes into a single tape which we would play in to the TV on the night of the studio. The clips were strictly timed to 1 second each, then some white noise, then the next clip. On the night of the studio I was floor managing and I had to crouch down very low to be in David’s eyeline so I could cue him for the button presses – to synchronise with the pre-recorded video. That way it looked like he was changing the channels.

5. In Danger UXD my Assistant Flloor Manager, Kerry (now the Head Of Production of a big Independent TV Company), had to crouch behind the bar in the Trotters lounge for a whole scene so that she could make the dolls pop up on cue.

6. There have been lots of pubs used as exteriors for the Nags Head, they all needed different things. I had to find one in Bristol because of the scene in Dates where Del has to spot the police car in the pub car park through the pub window.

7. The scene where Del meets Raquel under the clock at Waterloo station in Dates was the first thing we shot before travelling down to Bristol for the three week shoot. We were not allowed to change the time on the clock, so whenever you see the clock – that was the actual time.

8. The announcer introducing Tony Angelino, the singing dustman in Stage Fright at the Down By The Riverside Club is Tony Dow, the director

9. In Dates, there is a car chase with Rodney driving the three wheeled van which includes a stunt jump over a hump back bridge. Most of the scene was shot in Bristol, but due to the lack of hump back bridges there I ended up finding one in Ealing just for that shot. The three wheeled van had to be specially reinforced for the jump and it was driven by a stuntman. It took all day to get that one shot.

10. If you analyse each series you may notice that the amount of location filming decreases with every episode as the series goes on. The simple reason for this was that John Sullivan had never finished all the scripts by the time we went away filming. The later episodes had to be mostly studio based, as the studio recordings were much later and it gave him time to finish the scripts.

11. Some careful planning was required for David to fall through the bar safely in Yuppy Love, and I was floor managing that studio. As you’ve seen, the barman walks through the hatch immediately before the fall, leaving the hatch up. This meant that there were only a few seconds for the stage crew (without being seen by the audience) to push the crash mat into position for David to fall on. David’s faith that that would happen was absolute!

12. The three wheeled van had a switch fitted to it by the visual effects team which triggered the exhaust smoke on demand.

Adrian has also given us some more behind the scenes and production photos to enjoy.

The post More from Only Fools Production Manager appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

How we love to see new episodes of Only Fools and Horses. Realistically its probably never going to happen again.
But one thing that continues to keep any avid fan of Only Fools and Horses excited is the discovery of filmed scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor.
You can only guess what this scene was about.

Any ideas how this fitted into an episode? Apparently they were filming a scene where Del is discussing with Rodney about his “little problem”. Then Rodney pushed Del into a pub. The scene never made the final cut though.

Thanks to Paul Blackmore who took these during filming of a long forgotten deleted scene back in 2001.

The post Never Seen Scene appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

Au revoir fellow Fools fans!

Have you ever wondered what happened to some stars from the show? Want to know what your favourite characters are up to now? And surely you want to hear all the behind the scenes gossip, by reading interviews with some of your idols?

Well as Del would say, Après moi, le deluge, because over the next few weeks we will be bringing you just that. Yes I have managed to track down the pearls of Peckham to ask them all things Fools’. Through exclusive interviews, you will be able to hear all about their time on the show as well as what they are busy with now.

So watch this space! We don’t want you cwying!

Lovely Jubbly!

By the way… can you smell onions?

Jordan (@jordangale94)

The post Where are they now appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

This footage is a little like being at the birth of a newborn. Its a bit messy, you arent too sure what to expect, but it looks like it may be around for at least 18 years!

Today we have the original footage the day before the sitcom was born on BBC. So sit back and imagine what it was like hearing this for the first time. (I’m glad they eventually changed the theme music, a crying newborn sounds more relaxing!  )

So here it is a BBC trailer for 1st ever episode.

7 September 1981 BBC1 – Only Fools and Horses trailer

The first week of BBC1’s new globe ident, and in between “Angels” and “Freebie and the Bean” was a trailer for a brand new comedy show. Which did quite well.

The post Origin of Only Fools and Horses appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

‘All the lads remember Marlene!’

Sue Holderness is a leading British actress known for a variety of acclaimed roles on television and stage, including The Sandbaggers, It Takes a Worried Man and Calendar Girls. However, to you and I, she will always be the delightful Peckham tart that is Marleeeene.

Recently I was lucky enough to catch up with Sue, to find out a little bit more about the lady behind one of the nation’s best loved comedy characters, including what it was like to star in the show and what we can look forward to seeing in the future.

Me: Sue, on behalf of the fans, thank you for allowing me to conduct this short interview with you. We’ll start off with your role in Only Fools and Horses.

Me: How exactly did that come about?

Sue: It was a surprise! It was 1984 and I was three months pregnant with my first child and not sure what work would be around for the next few months, when I got a call from my agent – “Sue darling, do you fancy the idea of a day’s filming on Only Fools and Horses, playing Boycie’s much-talked-about wife, Marlene?”. I knew the series. I’d seen a few episodes, but knew little about Marlene. What I DID know was that it seemed whenever anyone said something like “Hey do you remember Marlene?” the reply always seemed to be “all the boys remember Marlene!”. She appears to have been “the good time that was had by all!” It was irresistible. In the script John Sullivan described her simply as a “dapper little cockney woman”. I was then allowed to choose her look – big hair, sexy wardrobe, masses of make-up etc. – a right slapper in fact! So there was no audition, no meeting – I just got the job. It transpired that Ray Butt, the director/producer, had seen me in a one-woman play in London written by Brian Clemens (featuring the mass murderess Myra Hindley) and also in an off-the-wall sit-com for London Weekend Television entitled “End of Part One”, and felt confident that I could play the role. Thank you Ray Butt. A lovely man. Sadly, no longer with us.

Me: Are there any tales you can remember from behind the scenes?

Sue: Funnily enough, the truth is that that everyone has to concentrate and work just as hard on situation comedy as on any classical play or serious drama. We all strove to be sure that we could make the very best of the wonderful scripts that the brilliant John Sullivan wrote for us. Watching all those actors at work was always fascinating. Every member of the cast had theatre experience, some more than others of course, but to see David and Nicholas working together was always a bit like a master class in comedy. But also, watching Roger Lloyd Pack’s extraordinary transformation into Trigger, and my good friend John Challis bringing the appalling Boycie to lovable life, was a joy. There were japes galore, but I expect the boys have shared those tales with you. Ken MacDonald (another fine character actor who played barman Mike) was the greatest practical joker. His untimely death was a huge loss to the series.

Me: What is your favourite episode and why?

Sue: Well, like everyone else in the world I love the “chandelier” moment and the “falling through the bar”. I also find the whole “blow-up dolls” episode hysterical. But my favourite episode in which Marlene features is, I think, “From Prussia With Love”, when Del Boy very nearly provides Marlene with her longed-for baby. Boycie’s speech on realising that the baby was brown (which went something like this “I may be able to con people into buying my cars, I may be able to convince them that you conceived and gave birth in seven days flat, but how the Hell am I going to convince them that my Grandad was Louis Armstrong?!”) brought the house down in the studio. And then you immediately see the genius of John Sullivan, as Marlene and Del have a very touching and heart-breaking moment when Marlene realises that her dream of becoming a mother has been lost, and you could hear the audience sniffling and getting out their handkerchiefs. Sullivan was the master of creating these side-splittingly funny moments and then you suddenly find you’ve got the lump in your throat and tears welling. His scripts all had such heart.

Me: Why do you think the show is so very popular with all ages?

Sue: I think it’s because John Sullivan was, himself, a very loving family man. His family meant everything to him. He wanted every age-group to be able to sit together and enjoy his comedies. And it’s rather wonderful that that continues today. We occasionally get together with fans and find that there is a whole generation of young people out there still falling in love with these characters.

Me: Why do you think Marlene and Boycie are still together?

Sue: Like a lot of couples they bicker and squabble and seem to irritate each other most of the time, but there is a fundamental understanding and love that goes back decades. They would be lost without each other. Well, let’s face it – nobody else would put up with either of them!

Me: Was the character based on anybody?

Sue: No. I just knew her from the moment I read the first script. I’m afraid she is the naughty trollop that lurks within me. It was far too easy to tap into that!

Me: Do you still keep in touch with any of the actors?

Sue: I see a lot of John Challis and his wife Carol. We are great chums. I do meet many other members of the cast from time to time – at conventions and various signing engagements, but, sadly, we tend to bump into each other now most frequently at funerals.

Me: If you could be cast as a different character from the show, which would that be and why?

Sue: I couldn’t even start to imagine being anyone other than Marlene. I love her!

Me: Do you have any memorabilia from the show as keepsakes?

Sue: I do have the odd security pass and some of Marlene’s glorious leopard print wardrobe – jolly useful for meeting fans.

Me: What can we look forward to seeing in the future from you?

Sue: I am currently preparing to play Mrs Warren in George Bernard Shaw’s 1894 play, “Mrs Warren’s Profession” on a national tour. “What is her profession?” I hear you ask. Mrs Warren is a very successful prostitute. It is quite a political play. Shaw felt very passionately that prostitution was caused by underpaying, undervaluing and overworking women, forcing the poorest into prostitution to keep body and soul together. It’s very passionate, but also of course, being Shaw, there’s a lot of fun in there too. I’m greatly looking forward to it – but nervous too, of course. I find that the older I get, the greater the responsibility I seem to feel. I really want to tell the author’s story as well as it can be told. Does that sound horribly poncey? Christopher Timothy will be playing opposite me which will help greatly.

Sue: And there are two questions you didn’t ask – do I mind being reminded constantly of Marlene and do I miss her?

I LOVE being reminded of Marlene and I miss her greatly. I’d have gone on playing her into my dotage if I’d had the chance. Hope that’s all useful to you Jordan. Love Sue.
By Jordan Gale,
With thanks to Sue Holderness.
Twitter: @JordanGale94

The post Where are they now? Sue Holderness appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

I wouldn’t pay that bill if I was you!

Dev Sagoo is an actor, known for a variety of roles on British television including: Beautiful People (1999), My Son the Fanatic (1997), The Assam Garden (1985) and Citizen Kahn (2014). But to you and me he is best known for his role as the Indian Waiter in the classic episodes Diamonds are for Heather and Healthy Competition.

Recently I was lucky enough to catch up with Dev, to find out a little bit more about the man behind Del’s curries, including what it was like to star in the show and what he has been up to since.

Me: Dev, on behalf of the fans, thank you for allowing me to conduct this short interview with you. We’ll start off with your role in Only Fools and Horses.

Me: How exactly did that come about?

Dev: I had a phone call from my agent saying that they need to see me so I went along for interview.  Ray Butt was there and what a pleasant chap he was! I was shaking as it was such a big thing to be asked to be seen for such a mega show.

Me: What was it like to star in the show?

Dev: In one word? Overwhelming.

Me: Are there any tales you can remember from behind the scenes?

Dev: Read through everyone sitting around the table.  Extremely professional rehearsal process. They painstakingly crossed all the t’s dotted all the i’s just to get motivation right.  But when they laughed they laughed during the making of it. Oh how we all corpsed!

One I won’t forget is when a stand comedian was late due to traffic.  Camera’s needed to roll on time.  So David Jason, in his costume, went out front to warm up the audience. Then he went into his character and continued recording!

Me: What is your favourite episode and why?

Dev:  The expensive chandelier one.  It has to be as so much was ‘hinged’ on it to be right.

Me: Do you still keep in touch with any of the actors?

Dev: Sadly no. this is name of our game. We all get close whilst filming etc. then off one goes into oblivion sometimes!

Me: Do you still get recognised as the character?

Dev: Oh yes, I have people coming up to me for signature on picture of my character.  That shows their dedication.  I feel humbled. As I was moved and honoured by you requesting this interview. Jordan, I take this opportunity to thank you!

Me: What have you been up to since?

Dev: Loads & loads.  My film Amar Akbar & Tony is due out in cinema’s on 17^th April.  I’m currently working on a film script alongside writer Shakila Maan & Director Henry Foster.  And am also directing a stage play of Bram Stoker: Dracula.  I have passionately gone into Directing although acting is my love.  Ssshh my wife doesn’t know this lol.

Me: What can we look forward to seeing in the future from you?

Dev:  I am writing a novel, based on historical backdrop with fiction weaved throughout.  About the decline of British Raj in India and the partition of two countries. Which one day I hope will be a mega movie, since Gandhi?  Someone once told me to aim high.  I think that’s high enough, don’t you think?

By Jordan Gale,

With thanks to Dev Sagoo.

Twitter: @JordanGale94

The post Where are they now? Dev Sagoo appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

Perry has provided us with another set of unseen photos from the ever popular Jolly Boys Outing episode.

We can now look in even more detail at these photos as they provide us with hidden glimpses of the fun the crew enjoyed during the filming. Can you spot anything noteworthy in these recovered Jolly Boys Outing photos?

The post Jolly boys outing photos appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

‘I saw a woman spit yesterday!’

Sarah Duncan is an actress and novelist, known for a variety of roles on television including appearances on gameshows such as Countdown (1982) and Pointless (2009). But to you and me she is best known for her role as Lady Victoria in the classic episode A Royal Flush.

Recently I was lucky enough to catch up with Sarah, to find out a little bit more about the Lady, who nearly ended up marrying a Trotter, including what it was like to star in the show and what we can look forward to seeing in the future.

Me: Sarah, on behalf of the fans, thank you for allowing me to conduct this short interview with you. We’ll start off with your role in Only Fools and Horses.

Me: How exactly did that come about?

Sarah: I’d been acting for a couple of years at that point, mainly theatre – including six months in the West End in Passion Play with Leslie Philips who was surprisingly shy and not like his onscreen persona at all. My agent – who had represented Lennard Pearce (Grandad) – asked if I’d like to audition for OFAH so one Monday I went to the BBC and met John Sullivan, Ray Butt (who was then the producer and director) and Tony Dow and got on really well, on Thursday I heard I’d got the part, and the following Monday I was in wardrobe getting kitted up.

Tony Dow told me later that he’d been cross with John and Ray because they’d more or less told me I’d got the part at the audition, and they’d still got two more days of auditioning other actresses to go. Apparently on the Wednesday there had been another actress who they’d also really liked, but decided to choose me because the other one was very beautiful and out of Rodney’s league!

Me: Are there any tales you can remember from behind the scenes?

Sarah: Lots!  It was a very happy time. The first day of filming was at the market.  It was a very cold day and I had to sit on a stool for what seemed like ages – you can see me shivering.  Then we filmed the scene at the caff.  On the first take I was so cold and hungry I tucked into the bacon and eggs and then for the rest of filming I had to remember all the times I’d taken a mouthful for continuity and do it again. I was sick of bacon and eggs by the end. Nick Lyndhurst told me afterwards how to look as if you were eating without actually doing it, which came in handy for the dinner party scene. He was very kind, especially when he realised I hadn’t done much acting for television before, and gave me lots of help with the technical side of things.

Me: What is your favourite episode and why?

Sarah: To Hull and Back.  It’s funny, it’s poignant – all the things that make OFAH great.

Me: Why do you think the show is so very popular with all ages?

Sarah: It’s about families, isn’t it?  And dreaming and wanting to get on in life, but never quite getting there.  I think we all do that.  And of course, it is very very funny too.

Me: Do you still get recognised as the character?

Sarah: Yes, amazingly. My hair is much, much shorter nowadays but lots of people pick up on my voice.

Me: Do you still keep in touch with any of the actors?

Sarah: No.  I left acting the year afterwards and moved to live in the countryside.

Me: Do you think the relationship between your character and Rodney, would have worked?

Sarah: I think their backgrounds were too far apart really.

Me: Do you have any memorabilia from the show as keepsakes?

Sarah: I used to have two scripts but when I was moving house I decided they ought to go to someone who would appreciate them rather than being kept in a drawer.  I contacted the OFAH appreciation society and now Perry, who runs it, has them.

Me: What can we look forward to seeing in the future from you?

Sarah: Well I haven’t acted for years!  Nowadays I write novels, which are available in bookshops and online at Amazon etc.

By Jordan Gale,

With thanks to Sarah Duncan.

Twitter: @JordanGale94

The post Where are they now? Sarah Duncan appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

‘I am Here!’

John Challis is a leading British actor known for a variety of acclaimed roles on television and stage, including Doctor Who, Open All Hours and more recently Benidorm. However, to you and I, he will always be Terrance Aubrey “Boycie” Boyce, Peckham’s finest second hand car dealer, who’s been firing more blanks than the territorials!

Recently I was lucky enough to catch up with John, to find out a little bit more about the man behind one of the nation’s best loved comedy characters, including what it was like to star in the show and what we can look forward to seeing in the future.

Me: John, on behalf of the fans, thank you for allowing me to conduct this short interview with you. We’ll start off with your role in Only Fools and Horses.

Me: How exactly did that come about?

John: I played a dodgy copper in John Sullivan’s first comedy Citizen Smith and he came up to me after we’d finished filming and said, ‘I like what you did with that. I’ll use that again one day.’ I thought no more about it and a year later, the phone rang!

Me: Are there any tales you can remember from behind the scenes?

John: Lots, but I couldn’t possibly tell you! Suffice to say that we had more fun filming some scenes than others and it was hard to concentrate when the rest of the cast was sitting around trying to put you off your words.

Me: What is your favourite episode and why?

John: My favourite episode has to be Jolly Boy’s Outing because all the lads were together and it was like going on a real jolly down to the seaside with your mates. We had such a happy time and the music was great!

Me: Why do you think the show is so very popular with all ages?

John: It’s a classic for all ages and people like it that you can sit all the family down in front of the box and not have to worry about being embarrassed or shocked in front of Granny. We’ve all grown older together and it’s like welcoming friends into your home each day. It makes people happy and that’s what counts.

Me: Why do you think Marlene and Boycie are still together?

John: There is a deep mutual respect between Boycie and Marlene. She appreciates him for the way he has grafted to bring them a certain lifestyle and he likes her feistiness. They may bicker and insult each other but deep down there is a kind of love. After all they are both fans of the Mighty Quo.For Gawd’s sake, who else would put up with them? Better the Devil you know.

Me: Where did the iconic laugh come from?

John: Boycie’s laugh was born out of a woman’s mad cackle in my local. She sounded like a machine gun and we were all fascinated by the noise. I put that together with the mannerisms of a guy called Gordon who frequented another hostelry, who spoke in a nasal and pedantic sort of way and liked to pretend he was a man of mystery!

Me: Do you still keep in touch with any of the actors?

John: I’m afraid we don’t live in each other’s pockets and we don’t see each other very often. I know most people would love it if we all got together on a Friday night in the Nag’s Head but we lead very busy and separate lives. David and Nick are understandably very private, but the rest of us do meet up once a year at the Only Fools Convention and it’s as if we’ve never been apart. Sadly a few of the gang have dropped off the perch and I miss them tremendously.

Me: If you could be cast as a different character from the show, which would that be and why?

John: I love the character of Mickey Pearce as played by Patrick Murray. John Sullivan always loved ‘Mickey’, but I’m too old to be Rodney’s mate, so I guess it would have to be ‘SLATER’!

Me: Do you have any memorabilia from the show as keepsakes?

John: I’ve given ‘em all to you! No, I’ve got a black puffa jacket that I wear a lot because it’s warm, but I always think it’s a bit ostentatious to walk about proclaiming ‘Cast and Crew. Only Fools and Horses 1996 .Same with an enormous green and yellow umbrella that has OFAH in big letters. I think the biggest collection of memorabilia has to be with Perry who runs the Fan Club. He has nearly every item you can think of!

Me: What can we look forward to seeing in the future from you?

John: It is a fact universally acknowledged that the older an actor gets the fewer the parts up for grabs. I would love to do cameo roles in my all-time favourite US crime shows CSI, NCIS and Law and Order. SVU; I’d love to play The Doctor, and I’d love to be cast in great dramas like Downton, Musketeers, Happy Valley  or Wolf Hall, but the trouble is that Directors are so young these days that they have only ever known me as Boycie! I am happy that writer Derren Litten gave me the chance to bring a different character to life in Benidorm and with Monty a new catchphrase, ‘Rice AND chips’. I’m too old to go out on tour with plays, I prefer my home comforts, but a nice little telly job now and then would keep me happy. In the meantime I’ll carry on writing my Reggie novels and taking my one man show round the country. I’ve been a lucky man so far, that’s for sure.

By Jordan Gale,

With thanks to John Challis.

Twitter: @JordanGale94

The post Where are they now? John Challis appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

Where are they now? Bobby Bragg

‘Last Orders!’

Bobby Bragg is an actor, top warm up man and all round entertainer. He has worked on shows such as Gideon’s Daughter, The Final Quest, Supermarket Sweep and One Foot in the Grave. To you and me, he is best known as being the Fools’ warm up man and the landlord of the Nags Head in Rock and Chips.

Recently I was lucky enough to catch up with Bobby, to find out a little bit more about the star behind the scenes who had the task of warming up the Fools’ audience. He also starred in Rock and Chips as the landlord!

Me: Bobby, on behalf of the fans, thank you for allowing me to conduct this short interview with you. We’ll start off with your time on Only Fools and Horses.

Me: How exactly did that come about?

Bobby: I first met David in the hot summer of 1976 in summer season in Weston Super Mare, although we were in different shows we would all meet up at Bob Cutlers Bar at the Baymead Hotel after the show for late night drinks & grub. We all became friends & remain so to this day.

In “79” I was warming up for “Butterflies” at the BBC & that’s where I first met Nick, it’s strange to think now that I knew David & Nick before they knew each other.

The great producer & director Sydney Lotterby took me with him from “Butterflies” to “Open All Hours”, it was while working on that, Ray Butt came in the studio & gave David a pilot script that he thought had legs, its working title was “Readies”. David liked it & said there was a great part he wanted to play, GRANDAD !!! Fortunately Ray Butt & the great JS persuaded him to have a go at Del Boy. The rest as they say…….. I got the call to work on the pilot & that’s how it all started for me.

Me: Are there any tales you can remember from behind the scenes?

Bobby: I remember quite early on that the show felt special, the cast  gelled & worked magnificently together, Ray had gathered the very best crew, they all really were the top team & John Sullivan kept churning out scripts that were the work of a comedy genius. As time went on we become like a big family. There were far too many memorable moments to mention, but one special memory will stick with me forever. At the end of recording “Time On Our Hands”, it was generally believed that this was to be the last ever “Fools”. we got a technical clear after the last scene & I thanked the cast for a wonderful episode & for giving us the greatest sitcom of all time, the audience reaction was astonishing they stood & cheered endlessly, I tried to bring David & Nick forward, they were very emotional, I tried to get JS onto the floor, he was full up & couldn’t speak, Producer Gareth Gwenlan & director Tony Dow were in bits & still the audience cheered, at this point I could feel tears rolling down my face rendering me a gibbering wreck.

I’ve worked on over six thousand shows & have never experienced such an outburst of spontaneous love & affection. I don’t think that anyone lucky enough to be in the studio that night will ever forget it.

Me: What is your favourite episode and why?

Bobby: I think my favourite episode was “Yuppie Love” purely & simply because I was standing less than ten feet away from Del when he fell through the bar flap. To be that close to one of the greatest comedy moments in television history was & still is very special!

Me: Why do you think the show is so very popular with all ages?

Bobby: “Fools” came along during the golden age of sitcoms when the production team truly knew how to make a comedy show, long before accountants took over production control. It was quite simply beautifully written, beautifully acted and beautifully funny. I believe families will still be watching and laughing at OFAH for generations to come.

Me: Who is your favourite character and why?

Bobby: I think that is an impossible question to answer, every character was played to perfection and it would be unfair to pick a favourite.

Me: What was it like working alongside David and Nick?

Bobby: Working alongside David & Nick was a joy and a privilege. As a young performer they taught me so much about timing and delivery. It’s always a pleasure to work with people who are as great off screen as on.

Me: Are you still in touch with any of the actors?

Bobby: I’m still in touch with David, we’ve had a couple of lovely “Jolly Boys Outings” over the past twelve months.  Also still in contact with the lovely Sue Holderness & the equally lovely John Challis.

Me: What was it like to be the landlord of the Nags Head in Rock and Chips?

Bobby: I’d worked with John Sullivan for about thirty five years warming up most of his studio based shows. For the past fifteen years at the end of every series, he would say, one day I’m going to write a part for you! This went on year after year he’d say I haven’t forgotten, one day. It became a running gag between us. I’d been out for a meal with my wife one night arriving home about eleven pm. I checked my emails & there was one from JS saying he was writing a prequel to “Fools” called “Sex Drugs & Rock & Chips” (to become “Rock & Chips”), would you like to play the part of Don the landlord of the Nags Head set in 1960. John was true to his word, he didn’t forget. Working with Nick and such a talented cast & crew on “Rock & Chips” was one of the highlights of my career.

Me: Do you have any memorabilia from the show(s) as keepsakes?

Bobby: Hindsight is a wonderful thing, I’d collected quite a lot of Fools memorabilia over the years, from end of series cast & crew clothing to many signed studio scripts etc. I auctioned most off at various charity events. Had I known then “Fools” would become the most loved sitcom of all time I might have kept a lot more. (To top up my pension)!!! I have got a few signed scripts left, I will leave them to my kids so they can remember what Dad did at work….

Me: What can we look forward to seeing in the future from you?

Bobby: I’ve been involved in the making of a three part documentary on Bob Monkhouse, called “Bob Monkhouse The Million Joke Man”. Work in progress with Harry Hill, a few warm ups & you never know what’s around the corner in this game.

Thanks for your time Jordan, it’s been a pleasure talking to you.

By Jordan Gale,

With thanks to Bobby Bragg.

Twitter: @JordanGale94

The post Where are they now – Bobby Bragg appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

Coming later this year….

The official and unadulterated autobiography of Peckham’s prodigal son, the legend that is, Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter.

Product Description
Jack-the-lad, wheeler-dealer and international playboy (just ask the manageress of El Sid’s, Torremolinos, 1978), this was a man destined for greatness. One day he would mature into an award-winning man of business*, thriving entrepreneur and glittering member of the jet-set. A force of nature, a man who beat the odds, if only for a bit. This is his story. The story of Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter.

Who else could tell the glorious tale of rags to riches to rags to rich(ish) but the man himself? You’ve heard of The Wolf of Wall Street, now meet the Pug of Peckam.

*Trotter’s Independent Traders, employee of the year 1982 – 2003

About the Author
Derek Trotter, aka Del Boy, was born in Peckham, London in 1945. A connoisseur from a young age, he spent the 1980s and early 1990s working as a market trader before his luck changed in 1996 when an antique watch hidden in his garage turned out to be worth millions. Sadly, Derek lost everything in a stock market crash in 2001 but his entrepreneurial spirit has never wavered. He has a significant other, Raquel Turner, and one son, Damien.

This is his first book on Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter ….about time too.

The post Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

When it comes to deciding on your best episode of all time this may split opinion.
As Only Fools and Horses fan Sophie May has chosen The Russians Are Coming from Series 1 and Episode 6.

She tells us: ‘The Russians Are Coming’ (S1, E6) has to be the best Only Fools and Horses episode of all time.

Comedies set in restrictive situations that the characters cannot remove themselves from always tend to be the strongest (think Father Ted, Bottom, Red Dwarf, etc.) and much of the humour derives from the tensions that arise as they try, and fail, to break free or at least improve their situations. OFAH uses this underlying theme in each episode as the Trotters try to better themselves, whether through earning more money or connecting with more respected members of society, in order to escape from their poverty and repressive environment. Even when they finally catch their break and become the millionaires they long to be, they struggle to move on and are still held in place due to their connections to the community, their history and the addiction to trying to improve.

This is doubled in ‘The Russians Are Coming’, where Del, Rodney and Grandad spend 48 hours in their self-built nuclear fallout shelter practicing their actions in the case of war, and are therefore both literally and figuratively enclosed. The increased tension allows for some brilliant gags, such as Del’s remark to Rodney, ‘It won’t make any difference to you anyway, you go out with mutants in peacetime. I mean, look at that thing you took out on Thursday. I was so embarrassed I had to tell my mates you were taking it to market.’ More than that, the tension also allows strong development of character, crucial at this early stage in the program’s history.

With little else to do, each of the three men give monologues, telling the viewer a great deal about their character, history and outlook. Rodney starts these off by expressing his paranoia of war and distrust in the political system and it his idea to build the shelter in the first place. Del doesn’t take Rodney’s rant seriously and wants to sell the lead and use the £1000 to ‘eat, drink and be merry’ to which Rodney replies ‘for tomorrow we die’. This is representative of Rodney’s socially-aware, pot-smoking, art school drop-out trope but is made more personal and reflective of his individual character when he reveals that his main concern after war is not the collapse of society but repopulating the earth with girls in uniform.

Grandad’s speech is the most touching, and one of the most memorable from the show’s history. His distaste at Del’s flippant attitude to war leads him to soliloquise about his childhood memories of watching his brother’s regiment return from war. He recalls how they were blinded, with limbs missing and their lungs shot to pieces by mustard gas, and how they were hidden away while everyone celebrated because ‘courage like that could put you off your victory dinner’, and ‘they promised us homes fit for heroes but they give heroes fit for homes’. This scene showcases Sullivan’s unrivalled talent for having his audience in tears one moment and laughing out loud just moments later when Grandad revealed his brother lied to the army about his age. Unlike the young men lying to get into the army to fight for their country, his brother claimed he was only fourteen but his moustache gave away that he was, in fact, eighteen.

Del’s turn at soliloquising could not better fit his character. Realising that the public schoolgirls with access to fallout shelters are likely to be somewhere in line to the throne, he decides all he needs to do in a post-apocalyptic world is splash on some Brut and take the right girl out for a steak dinner and he could end up king. ‘We’re survivors’, he says. They’ll still have their £1000 of lead to give them a step up after nuclear war and decides that ‘the end of the world could be just the break we’re looking for.’ This ability to find a business opportunity anywhere, his habit of always being one step ahead, and his unending self confidence are what have protected and provided for his family his whole life and he’s not going to let a little thing like nuclear war get in the way. And that is why we love him. And it’s why I love this episode.

The post Best episode of all time appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

What a fascinating story we have for you today! An amazing connection between our Sue Holderness and the Beatles back in 1964.

Sue Holderness’ father was a airline pilot and flew the Beatles to Paris back in 1964 – – it was the day that Ringo (famously missed the flight) it was in the press at the time and Sues dad saved the day by managing to get the plane to still take off from London airport

He was mentioned in the official Beatles magazine in March 1964 – Sue was a 14 year old girl

Her dad got her the three Beatles autographs

Sue still has the following…………

The three Beatles autos on an official BEA postcard

The 1964 Beatles magazine that mentioned her dad and pictures of the three Beatles who actually made the flight

The Beatles magazine shows the Beatles either boarding the flight or landing in Paris

Also attached is a signed letter from Sue telling the story by way of provenance

A photo of Sue holding the autos

The small locket she wore at school

Her diary entry of it all happening in 1964

All this would look amazing framed, especially with the Only Fools connection

Sue now pretty much has decided it may be time for someone else to enjoy these items, anyone interested should email perry@onlyfools.net

The post Only Fools and Beatles appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

Throw away your bucket and spade if you go down to Weymouth Dorset this summer. Any sand castle you build, will be dwarfed by this amazing sculpture at Weymouth.

Sandworld has a new Only Fools and Horses sculpture. Baldrick Buckle, based in both Amsterdam and London continues to work on new projects and exhibitions worldwide and this is his latest sand sculpture. Baldrick has carved at SandWorld for three years now but this one is Cosmic!

Sandworld Sand Sculptures are found on https://www.facebook.com/sandworld

The post Only Fools Sand Horses appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.

For most collectors of Only Fools and Horses memorabilia, ebay is a great place to make great additions to any collection. It seems eBay agree as we recently received this interesting report from them.

“Online marketplace eBay has revealed, in its sitcom ranking, that when it comes to memorabilia and merchandise it is in fact our South London favourite sitcom, Only Fools and Horses coming out on top – selling more than 50 products every day on site. However, with just 12 episodes to its name, Fawlty Towers still makes the top five on eBay’s ranking.”

eBay.co.uk TV sitcom ranking (sales volume):
1. Only Fools and Horses
2. Mr Bean
3. The Office
4. The Inbetweeners
5. Fawlty Towers

“A sitcom ranking released by online marketplace eBay.co.uk to mark the 40th anniversary of Fawlty Towers has revealed that despite the nostalgic buzz around Basil, Cybil and Manuel’s hazardous hospitality exploits, their south London rivals from Only Fools and Horses claim first place in the battle of the sitcoms.”

“Over the past three months, the online marketplace has seen more than 50 Only Fools and Horses related products sold every day on site, outselling the remaining top other sitcoms combined. Live listings on eBay include a £7,695 replica of Del Boy’s famous Trotters Independent Trading yellow Reliant Robin to a £14.99 complete DVD box set of all 65 episodes.”

“However, with just 12 episodes to its name, Basil, Cybil, Manuel and Polly still make the top five on eBay’s sitcom rankings, selling eight pieces of Fawlty Towers memorabilia every day, including badges, t-shirts and even Basil’s fancy dress moustache.”

The post Only Fools and Horses eBay memorabilia appeared first on Only Fools and Horses.