Que the hooky goods and dodgy French.
Welcome to WatchMojo UK and today we’ll be counting down the Top 10 episodes from
the long-running “Only Fools and Horses” series - a TV show that tells of the unforgettable
calamity which is the legendary Trotters Independent Traders crew.
For this list we have picked ten of the most iconic, side-splitting segments from what
is undoubtedly one of the greatest British sitcoms of all time.
So, without further adieu, Bonjour.
In need of some money to save a local hospice, Del goes about publicizing a so-called miracle
in a church, where a statue of the Virgin Mary is seemingly weeping.
Slapping his trademark creative marketing all over it, Del quickly turns into a saint.
So what’s the angle then?
Well, the miracle is no more than the result of a leaky roof, and Del knows it, he still
takes money off those who want to witness it though.
Of course, he has the best intentions, in helping fund hospice repairs, but it still
goes to show just how wheeler dealer Del can be, given a bit of rainfall
and a religious effigy.
A textbook example of the teacher becoming the pupil, Del and the gang find themselves
conned after a gold chain deal goes south, with a manipulative Arnie faking a heart attack.
It’s all very Cluedo, until they cotton on to what’s happened.
Hell bent on getting their own back, they hatch an elaborate plan to catch a conman
- and do so in glorious fashion.
As they all come together to pull it off, this episode oozes chemistry between many
of the memorable characters, be it ‘tache-sporting Boycie, dim-witted Trigger or tag-along Albert.
And who can forget the sweet, sweet finale.
You’d think being held up by gunpoint would stifle the old Trotters, but you know what
they’re like, they always come out on top.
After being roped into a robbery at a supermarket, the guys end up spending the night with a
gunman, played excellently by the hilarious Vas Blackwood, who plans on stealing from
the shop’s safe first thing in the morning.
In turns out there is a conspiracy afoot, but
it’s the way in which Del, Rodney and Albert kill time by befriending the thief and trying
to hide the fact that they sold him a moody watch, that really makes this episode classic.
And watching Del unravel the ruse is priceless.
An elderly person taking a fall is no laughing matter - but this instance is an exception.
Unfortunately, poor old Uncle Albert takes a tumble down the Nag’s Head’s cellar,
prompting Del and co. to try and sue the pub.
What follows is a saga of courtroom encounters, where each piece of evidence slowly comes
together to reveal that this isn't the first time Albert has been cellar-bound - and that
he’s just as much a con artist as his nephews.
Arguably Albert’s greatest episode of the series, we watch as Del and Rodney take a
back seat, only to be left as gobsmacked as us at the end.
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah etc.
There are quite a few plates spinning in this episode, Raquel and Cassandra are away at
their estranged parents, Del is waiting on a home improvement grant and Rodney’s having
bad dreams about Del’s potentially-evil son, Damien.
It’s a certain caped crusader fiasco that makes it one for the history books though.
On their way to a costume party dressed as Batman and Robin, Del and Rodney’s van breaks
down, forcing them to take to the streets - more specifically, the mugger-laced back
streets, making for one of TV’s greatest reveals ever.
Oh yeah, did we mention that the costume party turns out to be a wake.
Someone fetch the socially-awkward atmosphere repellent spray.
Another instance of Trotters Independent Traders being at the receiving end of a scam, “Cash
and Curry” sees the guys mediating between two rivals with what they think is a priceless
family heirloom.
It turns out it’s only worth a few quid, well £17 to be exact, and the guys lose £2,000
in the process.
We really are routing for the lads in this one as their plan is seemingly flawless and
really rather intelligent.
But we know it’s never as straightforward as that.
Del’s black belt origami skills and wicketkeeper prowess make for some textbook Trotter tropes
which all lead to a rather devastatingly hilarious conclusion.
Said to be David Jason’s favourite episode of the series, the second episode of this
two-part Christmas Special has Del inadvertently posing as a mob boss.
When some mafiosos discover that Del just so happens to look like their boss Don Vincenzo
Ochetti, who is on trial, they invite him into their home and plan to kill Del to put
the whole thing to bed.
If only it was that easy.
They try sending him out to sea on a deathtrap jet ski and even shooting him at the dinner
table, but neither works.
The sudden realisation that he’s a dead ringer for the Don, Americans failing to understand
cockney slang and Boycie being the knight in shining armour all make this one of the
most memorable of the Fools back catalogue.
This little ditty has everything.
Getting lost at sea, diamond deals, conspiracies and sting operations.
Somehow Del convinces Rodney and Uncle Albert to smuggle some diamonds into the country
with him - and after a nightmare journey across the sea from Hull to Amsterdam (and back)
they return only to be nabbed by the old bill, specifically arch nemesis Roy Slater.
Much like other specials in the series, the lack of a laughter track and a pretty intense
stand-off, make this a genuinely edgy episode.
The Trotter’s pilgrimage for £15,000 is one of the great slogs of the series and brings
with it some of the best moments between the Trotter trio, including Uncle Albert’s expert
navigating skills.
Yes, the Trotters posing as yet another group of experts, this time chandelier cleaners
for a very well-off Lord Ridgemere.
Tasked with cleaning a pair of priceless fixings, as you’d expect, it all ends up being a
bit of a farce, with Del spitting out spurious chandelier facts and Rodney, as always, sweating
profusely in the wings.
The payoff comes right at the end though, with a scene that will literally have you
covering your mouth in disbelief.
The story goes that the guys were threatened with the sack if they corpsed in this disastrous
finale, given that the prop chandelier costs around £6,000.
Smashing, tis not.
Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions.
A coach trip to Margate - sort of like a holiday to the Bahamas, except not.
What could possibly go wrong, right?
Whether it’s the rowdy group coach journey, the lack of sun at the beach or the idea of
staying in a rubbish bed and breakfast, there’s just something about this episode that makes
us nostalgic.
From handing out squashed home-made sandwiches to pulling over at the side of the road because
something, somewhere on the coach is smoking, “The Jolly Boys’ Outing” is the perfect
hat tip to any Brit that’s ever been for a budget weekend away - especially with its
accompanying soundtrack by Chas & Dave.
The perfect concoction of Only Fools humour and Britishisms.
Love it.