The timeless gem Only Fools and Horses is still cracking up comedy fans – and has more than proven its enduring charm.
Even decades since it first aired, Only Fools and Horses continues to deliver belly laughs and is a telly staple, with legions of viewers who can’t get enough of the sitcom.
Over its impressive run, Only Fools and Horses delivered seven seasons and delighted punters with 64 episodes. But there’s one episode that flopped, copping flak for being the bottom of the barrel.
Fans weren’t chuffed with Del Boy (played by Sir David Jason) in the controversial A Royal Flush episode, slamming his antics for being downright wrong ‘un.
The plot revolves around Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst), who’s trying to charm Vicky with a posh night out at the opera, only for Del Boy to barge in and ruin it, reports the Mirror.
(Image: BBC)
This particular instalment didn’t go down well, as devotees reckon it’s probably the most naff Only Fools and Horses episode ever. On one dedicated Facebook fan page, an irked viewer posted: “Del was a plonker in this, really annoys me.”
Another chimed in, adding: “Del was so unlikeable in this one. Just wasn’t the Del we all know and love. The episode has funny moments but Del was horrible.”
Another person vented: “Worst episode ever, del was always a rough diamond, in this episode he was a complete k***.”
The original cut of A Royal Flush ran for 76 minutes but was eventually whittled down to 59 minutes for DVD releases. This resulted in the episode undergoing significant editing and the addition of ‘canned’ laughter.
(Image: BBC)
Not just viewers, even writer John Sullivan and actor Dir David agreed it was the worst episode. In a 2003 interview, John reportedly expressed regret for creating the episode, and the show’s producer allegedly contacted the BBC’s Head of Comedy on Boxing Day to request stepping down from the series.
Filming of the episode was fraught with mishaps, causing difficulties for both the cast and production team. Sir David lost his voice for three days.
After he recovered, Nicholas was hit with a flu bout, which kept him sidelined for a while.
(Image: UKTV/BBC/PA Wire)
These setbacks caused concern among the production team as they were nearly forced to broadcast live on Christmas Day in 1986. Due to the lack of time for editing, the episode couldn’t be shown to the show’s usual studio audience and had to be aired without a laughter track or music.
Once the episode was broadcast, it was evident to viewers that it didn’t have the same tone as previous episodes.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
