Only Fools and Horses

"Only Fools and Horses" is definitely one of the funniest shows ever written. David Jason plays Derrick (Del Boy) Trotter, a likable rip-off merchant who runs Trotters Independent Traders. Although Del Boy's cockney speech is riddled with malapropisms (such as saying goodbye with words like "bonjour"), he manages to con the public into buying (stolen) goods they don't really want, pay for services they don't really need, or basically give up large sums of money for whatever doomed enterprise he happens to be peddling that week.

Del Boy's gift of the gab comes in handy whenever he has to placate his gauche brother Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst), who, unlike Del Boy, happens to have principles. Rodney allows himself to be talked into the most ridiculous, humiliating situations, thanks to Del Boy's twisted logic and specious arguments.

Grandad is the third member of the team; often the butt of Del Boy's pranks, his cookery skills leave a lot to be desired. He spends most of the time taking care of the flat (filled with all kinds of gaudy junk) and watching two televisions. Grandad was later replaced by Uncle Albert, whose experiences in the Navy have provided him with a limitless store of anecdotes that invariably begin with "During the war..."

Among my favourite episodes are "The Yellow Peril", where Rodney has to paint the grotty kitchen of a Chinese takeaway. "The Russians Are Coming" is (or was) a timely episode where the Trotters spend time in their own nuclear fallout shelter and Del Boy ponders the idea of procreation with mutants. "A Touch of Glass" has the team cleaning 17th Century chandeliers. That episode also proves that the best solution to a problem is to run away from it.

John Sullivan was originally going to call this show "Big Brother". But then he decided that people take more notice of long titles. Sullivan also sings the catchy theme song. Each episode of "Only Fools and Horses" is laughter guaranteed.

Classic comedy is a term which is often overused but it fits Only Fools & Horses perfectly. In particular series 1-4 are absolutely brilliant. John Sullivan made you fall in love with the characters so that you could laugh and share in their experiences down through the years as if you actually knew them. The creation of Del Boy as a character was inspired and played faultlessly by David Jason. I felt the later episodes and specials were vastly inferior to the earlier ones but were still well worth a watch.

My favourite programme ever ..............

10/10

I'm a Yank who loves OFAH. The characters are charming, the dialogue hilarious & there's usually a nice twist at the end. The way writer Sullivan weaves call-backs into the stories is impressive. A must see for any fan of great British sitcoms. Be wary of the post-domesticated years, however. As much as Del & Rodney deserved steady girlfriends, it changed the dynamic of the show for the worse & diminished its off the wall appeal. The longer episodes also diluted the sharp, compact punch of earlier seasons. Start with the "holy Trinity" years (Grandad & Uncle Albert are both great) to appreciate OFAH at its finest. Cushty!

I will agree with almost everyone else who has posted a comment, this is probably the best comedy show ever!! Its funny though how there are no Americans commenting on it, I presume its shown in America. Anyway, its great. I didnt really like the first few series much, but once the nineties hit, it became really funny, i have lost count how many times I have watched each episode, but they are still funny. 9/10

This truly is the greatest comedy to hit the screens in the UK. Some of moments of comic genius written by creator John Sullivan are on a completely different level to anything else seen on British TV. Yes, you can talk about Del falling through the bar, and yes you can talk about the blow up sex dolls. They are classic moments, but there are so many hugely funny scenes that are so advanced, it really is amazing how JS thought of them. For example, my personal favourite is in the episode Heroes and Villains when Del Boy and Rodney go to a publican's ball dressed as Batman and Robin - a good idea for a fancy dress party. But then comes a catalogue of comic brilliance. Firstly, (already dressed in their outfits) the van breaks down in the middle of Peckham. DB and R do a runner and scamper through Peckham only to confront a group of muggers. The muggers leave their intended victim convinced it's the real Batman and Robin! Then comes Rodney's wonderful clench fist (ala Robin) before shouting to Del "Let's go" - in my opinion it's the perfect line and one of British comedy's greatest moments. And to top it off, they finally get to the ball only to find the landlord has 24 hours earlier died. Everyone is dressed in their funeral outfits except for our 'caped crusaders' who stand out like a sore thumb.

John Sullivan's achievements of rattling up 25m viewers is fully justified. Not only does he produce perfect comedy, but he couples that with real drama such as the death of Grandad, Cassie's miscarriage, and Rodney's wedding.

We have grown up with the Trotters - and we have died with them in some cases. But the true brilliance of David Jason, Nick Lyndhurst, Buster Merryfield and of course John Sullivan will live on.

Can I give it 11/10?