It is a grey Tuesday afternoon in Peckham, but the year is 1981. A three-wheeled Reliant Regal Supervan III rattles around a corner, and suddenly, the British public has a new religion. You know the one. For decades, only fools and horses episodes have been more than just TV; they’ve become a cultural shorthand for the "British Dream," which, as Del Boy Trotter would tell you, mostly involves selling hooky watches and dodging the Inland Revenue.
Honestly, it’s weird when you think about it. Most sitcoms die a quiet death. They get dated. The jokes about VCRs and social etiquette from the eighties usually feel like looking at a dusty museum exhibit. But somehow, Derek and Rodney are still here. They’re inescapable. You go to a wedding, and someone’s doing a "Cushty" impression. You fall through a bar flap, and everyone brings up the same clip. It’s a phenomenon that shouldn’t have survived the transition to 4K streaming, yet here we are.
The rough start that nearly killed the Trotters
Most people assume the show was an instant smash. Wrong.
When the first series aired, the ratings were actually pretty mediocre. The BBC wasn’t convinced. If you go back and watch "Big Brother," the very first of the only fools and horses episodes, it feels different. It’s slower. The chemistry is there, but the world feels grittier and less cartoonish than it would later become. John Sullivan, the genius behind the script, was drawing from his own life in South London, and early on, it was almost too real.
The show only got a second series because there was a strike at the BBC, and they needed repeats to fill the airtime. People finally caught on during the reruns. It’s a bit of a miracle, really. Without that fluke of scheduling, we’d never have seen the chandelier fall, we’d never have seen the Batman and Robin run, and "lovely jubbly" wouldn’t be in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Breaking down the gold standard of 1980s writing
What Sullivan did was clever. He didn't just write jokes; he wrote character arcs that spanned decades.
Take "Sickness and Wealth" from 1989. On the surface, it’s about Del Boy having a stomach ache and being scared of doctors. But underneath? It’s about the crushing pressure of being a provider in a Thatcherite economy where the safety net is gone. Del’s bravado is a mask. We see it slip. That’s why people stayed tuned in. You weren't just waiting for the next punchline; you were genuinely worried that the Trotters might actually lose the flat.
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Why the specials feel like movies
The Christmas specials are where the show shifted from a sitcom to a national event. By the time "The Jolly Boys' Outing" aired in 1989, the scale had changed. This wasn't just three blokes in a living room anymore. It was a road movie.
That episode is arguably the peak of the entire run. It’s got everything: the exploding coach, the Beaugliere Hotel, and the incredible scene where Del finds out Rodney’s been arrested. It feels lived-in. When you watch the lads singing "Everybody's Talkin'" on the bus, you feel like you’re on that trip with them. It’s nostalgic, but it also captures that specific brand of British chaos where everything that can go wrong, does.
Then you have "Time on Our Hands." 1996.
This was supposed to be the end. 24.3 million people watched it. Think about that number for a second. That is nearly half the UK population at the time sitting down at the exact same moment to see if two brothers from a council estate would finally make their millions. When the auctioneer's hammer falls on the Harrison Lesser Watch and the screen goes black, it remains one of the most earned emotional payoffs in television history.
The problem with the 2000s comeback
We have to talk about the revival. It's the elephant in the room.
Between 2001 and 2003, three more only fools and horses episodes were released. Many fans, myself included, have a complicated relationship with them. "If They Could See Us Now" saw the boys lose their fortune in a stock market crash. While it had some great moments—the "Goldrush" game show parody was classic Del—it felt like it undid the perfect ending of series seven.
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Sullivan wanted to explore how the Trotters would navigate a post-9/11 world, but the magic felt slightly diluted. Maybe it’s because the world had moved on, or maybe because seeing them back in the flat after they’d "won" felt a bit depressing. Still, even "bad" Only Fools is better than 90% of everything else on the telly.
The secrets behind the scenes
Ever wondered why the set looked so cluttered? It wasn't just random props. The production designers used to go to real markets in London to buy the "hooky" gear Del would be selling.
- The yellow van? It was actually a nightmare to drive. David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst often had to be pushed into frame because the engine wouldn't start.
- Lennard Pearce (Grandad) died unexpectedly during the filming of "Hole in One." It was a tragedy that nearly ended the show.
- Buster Merryfield (Uncle Albert) was actually a bank manager before he became an actor. He had never acted professionally until his 60s.
The casting of Uncle Albert was a massive risk. How do you replace a legend like Grandad? You don't. You create a character who is the polar opposite. Where Grandad was cynical and stationary, Albert was full of tall tales about "during the war" and brought a new energy that kept the show alive for another twelve years.
That chandelier scene was a one-shot deal
In "A Touch of Glass," the moment where the chandelier hits the floor is arguably the most famous gag in British comedy history. Here’s the kicker: they only had one chandelier.
The production team couldn't afford a backup. If the actors had messed up their lines or if the timing was off, the scene was ruined. David Jason has mentioned in interviews that the tension on set was palpable. When the thing finally smashed and you see the look of pure horror on their faces? That wasn't just acting. That was the relief of not having to pay for a second prop.
Managing the legacy in 2026
Watching only fools and horses episodes today requires a bit of context. It’s a time capsule of a London that basically doesn't exist anymore. Peckham has been gentrified. The Nags Head would probably be a craft ale bar selling £7 pints now.
But the themes are universal. It’s about the hustle. It’s about the guy who thinks he’s one deal away from greatness while everyone else knows he’s just spinning his wheels. It’s about family loyalty even when your brother is a "plonker" who ruins every opportunity you get.
The show’s endurance comes down to the fact that Del Boy isn't a loser. He’s an optimist. In a world that can be pretty bleak, he genuinely believes that "this time next year, we'll be millionaires." We all need a bit of that.
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Actionable Insights for the Ultimate Rewatch
If you're planning to dive back into the Trotter universe, don't just watch the hits. Start with "The Shadow," an often-overlooked series two episode that perfectly establishes the power dynamic between Del and the local villain, Shadow. It shows a darker side of Peckham that makes the later, lighter episodes feel more grounded.
Also, pay attention to the background characters. Trigger (Roger Lloyd-Pack) is a masterclass in deadpan delivery. His constant refusal to call Rodney by his actual name—insisting on "Dave" for over twenty years—is one of the longest-running and most successful "slow-burn" jokes in fiction.
For the best experience, seek out the original, unedited broadcast versions if you can find them. Some modern streaming edits have cut out music or minor scenes due to licensing issues, and you lose some of that authentic eighties atmosphere. Stick to the chronological order, and you'll see a family grow, age, and fail, until they finally don't.