Only Fools and Horses

Only Fools and Horses, the sublime comic that follows the adventures of the Trotter Brothers, Del Boy and Rodney, as they duck and dive through the streets of South London, making out a living, has become one of the very best British sitcoms of all time. Derek Trotter is a streetwise chancer, always looking to make a fast buck; with a never-ending supply of get-rich-quick schemes and an inner belief in his ability to sell anything to anyone, Derek - or "Del Boy", as he is known to one and all - embroils Trotters Independent Traders (the family business) in all sorts of improbable situations. His brother is different: a tall, thin, worried individual, Rodney - or "Rodders" as Del calls him - looks upon all of Derek's dealings with an air of pessimism, usually well-founded, yet he is always cajoled into the capers.

The third member of the team is their Grandad, an indolent, scruffy man constantly moaning about his lot in life. However, Grandad is family, and in Del's philosophy that’s that; he stays. When Grandad dies however, they soon find that his younger brother Uncle Albert, a shifty, boastful ex-sea-dog has inveigled his way into their lives, and has managed to move in. Ultimately, Albert is accepted as part of the family, again because of Del's unfailing sense of family loyalty and duty. The show doesn’t just rely on these characters however, there are some marvellous support characters, including Del Boy and Rodney's love interests Raquel (an aspiring actress) and Cassandra (a spolied rich girl); the suave villain Boycie and his vacuous wife Marlene; the glum Denzil; the pub landlord, Mike; the young spiv Mickey Pearce; and, most memorably, Trigger, a long-faced, mentally-challenged individual who, throughout the entire run of the show, thinks that Rodney's name is "Dave". As Del would say; “it’s lovely jubbly”.
9/10 (7 Votes cast)