Long Legs of the Law Episode Review

Brief: Streuth! Rodders besmirching the good reputation of the Trotter family by dating a policewoman, Sandra… Better hide that Police Record …”Walking on the Moon” Rodney has really blown it this time.

Transmitted: 21.10.1982
Duration: 30 minutes
Viewing Figures: 7.7 million

Del and Grandad are horrified to hear that Rodney is dating a police officer called Sandra. But while Grandad is worried about Sandra knowing about the Trotters’ sullied reputation, Del is sweating over the amount of dodgy gear stored in the flat.

At the end of their date at the cinema, Rodders brings Sandra back to the flat for a nightcap. As soon as she arrives, Del spots her wearing a stolen watch that Rodney has given her as a gift. Thinking fast, he ‘accidentally’ pours gin over it and promises to buy her a replacement.

Ever the gent, Rodney offers to walk her home, and everything appears to be forgiven. But as Sandra says goodbye, she tells Rodney he has 24 hours to empty the flat of stolen goods belonging to Trotters’ Independent Traders before she notifies CID

Episode Observations

• In Long Legs of the Law, at the start, Del is telling Grandad that Rodney is trying to date the arresting officer who was involved in a fight that Del and Rodney witnessed the previous night. Del laughs and jokes at it. But later when Rodney says he is dating that copper, Sandra, Del is annoyed. Make your mind up Derek Trotter.
• In Long Legs of the Law, At The Scene Near The end when del is clearing out the flat he opens the sideboard to make it lighter to carry, but he struggles to open it!!
• In Long Legs of the Law, when Del and Rodders are in Sids Cafe and loads of kitchenware drops out of Dels sleeve you can see his hand controlling when the knifes fall out.
• In Long Legs of the Law, when Del drops all the cutlery in Sid’s Cafe at the start of the episode, watch David Jason’s left hand releasing and stopping the cutlery on and off, and then not acting particularly well when he needs to look surprised at being caught.
• In Long Legs of the Law, the policewoman is with Rodney as Del starts hiding stuff, Del offers her a drink and as he’s at the drinks cabinet, watch and listen carefully as he smashes a glass just off the screen.
• In Long Legs of the Law, While trying to hide watches on the table, from Sandra a Police women, Del Knocks a glass of beer over.

Long Legs of the Law Script

Where are they now?

Well it seems Sandra played by Kate Saunders has had a small part in The Birth of the Beatles film and done mainly small theatre production since.

Related posts:

1. A Touch of Glass
2. Homesick
3. My 3rd Greatest Only Fools Episode

Ashes to Ashes Episode Review

Brief: Del’s busy selling Trigs gran’s genuine antique urns. Trouble is, one of them is Trigs Granddad’s last resting place! Also Grandad keeps feeling a haunting feeling, now who could be behind that ?

Transmitted: 28.10.1982
Duration: 30 minutes
Viewing Figures: 9.8 million

When Trigger’s Grandmother passes away, the Trotters gather round to offer their condolences. Ever the considerate friend, Del offers to take some of her valuables off Trig’s hands – he wouldn’t want just anyone to come along and rip him off, after all.

Del spots two urns that might be worth a bob or two, but Rodney and Grandad agree that they must contain the ashes of Trig’s Grandfather. As they remember he was an avid bowler, they decide to scatter his ashes on the local bowling green – but to no avail.

A second plan to throw his ashes into the Thames is scuppered, and a passing road sweeping lorry eventually sucks them up – a poetic ending when they remember that Trig’s Grandad was a road sweeper too.

Episode Observations

• In Ashes to Ashes, tv camera can be seen moveing away from the door as del looks into hall to his bedroom
• In Ashes to Ashes, At the start of this episode.. when del is talking to rodney.. notice there is only 1 car parked.. when the camera cuts back to Rodney there r many cars parked in the backdrop behind him!
• In Ashes to Ashes, In The Scene at triggers house, watch when trigger shuts the door for the first time, The Wall Nearly Falls Down!
• In Ashes to Ashes, When Del is talking to Trigger on the phone, notice he covers the earpiece, not the mouthpiece!
• In Ashes to Ashes, the actor who played the River Policeman comes back in a later episode to play a different character! He returns as the vet in Sleeping Dogs Lie! You can check this with the cast list – both characters are played by the actor John D. Collins!
• In Ashes to Ashes, Trigger rings Del and Del says he is at Gatwick airport, but Trigger told Granddad, who answered the phone, that he was ringing because Del had been leaving messages on his answering machine. Trigger can’t know that Del’s been leaving messages if he’s at the airport!

Ashes to Ashes Script

Related posts:

1. Second Time Around
2. A Losing Streak

A Losing Streak Episode Review

Brief: Del and Boycie are set to play the biggest poker game Peckham’s ever seen… But what exactly has Boycie got up his sleeve? Will Grandads double-headed coin save the day?

Transmitted: 04.11.1982
Duration: 30 minutes
Viewing Figures: 7.5 million

Del is getting into financial trouble – even his double-headed coin can’t help him win. He’s gambling away his money with no sign of stopping, and he’s already £150 down.

Nevertheless, when Boycie challenges him to a winner-takes-all poker game, Del is eager to host it in his flat in Mandela House.

As the night progresses, Del’s luck goes from bad to worse as he ends up owing Boycie all his money, the TITCO van, Grandad’s cash, jewellery and even a collection of loose change.

But all is not lost, as Del finally turns the tables on Boycie in revenge for fixing all the previous card games in his favour.

Episode Observations

• In A Losing Streak, Further to Andy’s observation at the bottom, in A Losing Streak Del says his dad left home AFTER his mum died. Del says it was his 16th birthday. And his mum died in 1964 not 1963.
• In A Losing Streak, Grandad wins £125 from a £5 bet on a 25-1 Horse. However if he’s won he would have got his stake back, making his winnings £130. Plus he would have had to pay betting tax at some point, which was still operational at the time.
• In A Losing Streak, when Del’s voice is obviously dubbed when remarking about the Irishman ordering a short, the phrase he really uses, according to the book “The Trotter Way To Millions”, is “…the only Provo weightwatcher in London”, which was obviously a topical gag at the time that was later deemed unsuitable for broadcast. The word “Provo” is dubbed with the word “genuine”, which does not really have the same effect, but Del’s mouth movements support the theory that the true word is indeed “Provo”.
• In A Losing Streak, When Boycie enters the flat for the big card game he comments on the grotty flat as if he has never seen it before,surely if Del and Boyce have been mates since school he would have been round once or twice.
• In A Losing Streak, near the end when Del, Trig and Boycie are getting hot and heavy Trig decides to leave picking up a hand full of cash but later on when Del asks for money trigger says he’s skint!!.
• In A Losing Streak, When Del is asking Grandad to lend him his horse winnings, he is explaining that he had a bet earlier with Boycie on what drink Brendon would have. His mouth is clearly dubbed.
• In A Losing Streak, Del says “Remember Boycie the secondhand car dealer from Lewisham” obviously meaning Boycie is from Lewisham whereas in “The Class Of 62″ Boycie went to school with Del at Dockside Secondary Modern in Peckham.
• In A Losing Streak, when Del Boy was telling Granddad about the bet that he had lost to Boycie that day in the Pub you can see by the way his lips move that it is a voice over
• In A Losing Streak, Del has hidden their mum’s money in the telephone, but over the years, even before that episode lots of different phones have been seen in the flat!
• In A Losing Streak, Del uses the money his Mum left him which he “had hid only too well” from his Dad to help finance the increasing stakes in the poker game against Boycie. But if that money had been left by his mum in the sixties when she died, surely it was no longer legal tender with the onset of decimalisation?
• In A Losing Streak, After Del loses a bet to Boycie in the Nag’s Head, when a builder orders a slim-line tonic, he reiterates the story to Granddad in the flat. Del refers to the said builder as a “bonafide weightwatcher” and yet it’s dubbed out as “genuine weightwatcher”, clearly a dubbed-over word.
• In A Losing Streak, In the nags head Rodney admits to Del that he does not remember his dad leaving home. But in a later episode while in bed Rodney tells Cassandra how he remembered Del chasing his dad around the room!

A Losing Streak Script

The script will be downloadable from here

Did You Know?

The idea for the script was based on John Sullivans fathers gambling sessions

No related posts.

No Greater Love Episode Review

Brief: Rodney’s got himself a bird at last- Irene! Unfortunately she’s no spring chicken, even too old for Grandad ! Also her jail bird husband Tommy McKay is about to be released… and he doesn’t stand for any nonsense.

Transmitted: 11.11.1982
Duration: 30 minutes
Viewing Figures:8.6 million

Rodney falls for Irene Mackay – a woman twice his age – and Del Boy isn’t happy about it.

Not only is Irene a lot older than Rodders, but she’s married to a hard nut who’s doing time in Parkhurst prison – and is about to be released. Concerned for his brother’s welfare, Del convinces Irene to ditch Rodney. But when Rodney realises Del has been interfering with his personal life again, he goes loopy.

Soon after, Tommy Mackay gets out of prison – he soon finds out his missus has been cheating on him with a Trotter, and goes looking for revenge. Luckily for Rodney, Tommy finds Del Boy first, and the elder Trotter takes the punishment for him.

When a bruised and battered Del returns to the flat, he’s over the moon to find out that Rodney has moved onto someone new anyway, so there wasn’t really anything to worry about!

Episode Observations

• In No Greater Love, I have noted there has been some comment on about “Del getting beaten up in this episode”, for the sake of his brother Rodney and coming off worse for wear for his troubles in defending his brother from the released hardman Mackay.Although it is true he took a bit of a beating in this episode, he did actually win this particular fight (albeit not seen on screen) with the hard man Tommy Mackay, because he says that he has left the way clear for Rodney and Irene, and Mackay won’t bother them anymore.Before the fight starts, there is a scene where Del-boy, in preparation for his confrontation with Mackay, throws his new camel haired coat down, only to find that it has been ruined by a rain drenched gutter/pavement.Well we all know how Del-boy likes his image of smartness, so through sheer rage and anger attacks Mackay with slightly more aggression than the hardman anticipated.
• In No Greater Love, the photo of Tommy McKay is blatantly not of he same man who appears later in the episode.
• In No Greater Love, at the end, Del tells Rodney (AFTER he’s been beaten up by McKay)that he’s left the path clear for Rodney & Irene. Irene has already told Rodney that it’s over, and also, why would Del tell Rodney this, risking him going round to Irene’s where he would also have taken a beating from McKay.
• In No Greater Love, in tihs episode tommy mckay is played by the same persom who plays Harry in Boon.
• In No Greater Love, The first time Rodney and Irene meet, in her living room, watch closely as Rodney spits on his new bird as he says “Pleased to meet you Irene”. Not the best first impression!
• In No Greater Love, during the dinner scene Del tells Rodney: “Look a tart in here called Irene McKay – she’s had £17 worth of clothes off you. And you’re letting her pay you back at 25p a week. That means you gotta go round there every week for a year!” However, £0.25 multiplied by 52 weeks makes £13! I apologise for being so technical.

No Greater Love Script

The script will be downloadable from here

Did You Know?

The idea for the script was to demonstrate the love Del and Rodney had for each other, even willing to be given a beating for his brother.

Related posts:

1. Yuppy Love
2. From Prussia with Love

The Yellow Peril Episode Review

Brief: Del’s got a job painting Mr Chin’s Chinese restaurant – but is he wise to get some help from Rodney ‘Leonardo’ Trotter? While their at it Del remembers the gravestone of his mother is looking a bit dull as well.

Transmitted: 18.11.1982
Duration: 30 minutes
Viewing Figures:8.2 million

When Del arranges a job redecorating a Chinese Restaurant, he unwisely decides to employ the services of Rodney ‘Leonardo’ Trotter and buys some paint from Trigger.

It’s also nearing the anniversary of their mother’s death, and in an attempt to save a bit of cash, Del and Rodders swipe a bit of spare paint to spruce up her tombstone.

While Del leaves Grandad and Rodney to paint the grease-filled Chinese kitchen with ‘gold’ paint, he heads off to decorate the tombstone. It’s only when they’ve finished painting and get a call from the owner of the Chinese restaurant that they realise the paint was actually luminous yellow.

Fine for the walls of a Chinese restaurant kitchen, and it certainly makes a gravestone stand out on a dark night!

Episode Observations

• In Yellow Peril, when they go and decorate ‘The Golden Locus’, Del puts Rodney in charge of painting and tells Grandad just sweep up and hold the ladder for Rodney, but in ‘Whos a pretty boy then’ Rodney says none of us know anything about decorating and then Del says that Grandad used to work for the council as a painter and decorator.
• In Yellow Peril, at their Mother’s grave site Del says to Rodney that everything he has got half of it is his, it looks like he kept his word in ‘Time on our Hands’.
• In Yellow Peril, why on earth do Rodney and Grandad not notice that the paint is illuminous when they’re painting?!! Even if the paint isn’t “luminous” when it’s wet, there’s no way they could have painted the whole kitchen without any of it drying!.
• In Yellow Peril, at the graveyard scene, right at the beginning the suns rays is shining from the east side of where Del and Rodney are sitting. Yet only a minute later the suns rays is shining from the right hand side of the bench. Strange how the sun moved so fast.
• In Yellow Peril, When Del explains to Mr Chin that he chosen gold paint because of the name of his restaurant – The Golden Lotus – listen carefully and you’ll hear Del actually say “The Golden Locust”!
• In Yellow Peril, It’s a continuity error, which happens at the beginning when Del and Rodney are about to enter the Golden Lotus. Before they enter check out the sign in the door.The next scene is them inside the Lotus, but as it is a STUDIO scene there is nothing in the door.
• In Yellow Peril, the  Golden Lotus is clearly no.119 in the high street in the outside shop, but inside for some reason the studio has it as no.116.
• In Yellow Peril, Del and Rodney go to there Mums graveyard. Take a look at the bench they sit on, it’s one step away from the elaborate gravestone, also directly behind the bench are other gravestones, whereas in “As one Door Closes” at the scene when they go to there Mums gravestone the bench is several footsteps away and the ground directly behind the bench is clear, clearly a different cemetery.
• In Yellow Peril, While Del & Rodney sat at there mothers grave you see a shot fo the head stone that says there mum died in 1965 but in other episodes it says mum died in 1963?.

The Yellow Peril Script

The script will be downloadable from here

Related posts:

1. Del Boy: The Yellow Peril of the Sky
2. As One Door Closes
3. Forging Ahead part 1

It Never Rains… Episode Review

Brief: Del bumps into Alex the Travel-agent. Next moment the Trotters family holiday is underway. Everything seems to be going according to plan, until Grandad starts acting a bit strange. Then Granddad runs into a bit of trouble with the Spanish Police.

Transmitted: 25.11.1982
Duration: 30 minutes
Viewing Figures: 9.5 million

Trotters’ Independent Trading Company has been forced off the market, with the continuing downpour keeping most of Peckham indoors.

While drowning their sorrows in The Nag’s Head, Alex the travel agent mentions that business is slow and he can’t give holidays away at the moment. As a promotional gimmick, Del suggests offering an 80% discount on a holiday to the next customer in the shop – and who happens to walk by, but Derek Trotter.

Having sold sun-hats in the rain, Rodders has managed to earn some travel cash, but he is dismayed to learn that the 80% discount only extends to a grotty hotel in Benidorm. And despite not being included in the bargain, the brothers reluctantly pay for Grandad to join them on their escape to the sun.

During the whole holiday, Del and Rodney check out the local talent, while Grandad cramps their style. Especially when they bring two girls back to their apartment, only for the old man to scare them off with his dentures.

Things get a bit more serious when Grandad gets himself arrested. Despite fearing that old history is returning to haunt him – in the form of an incident ‘during the war’ – it turns out that he was arrested for jay-walking and is released without charge. Much to Del’s annoyance.

Episode Observations

• In It Never Rains, Del clearly says they are going to Benidorm on holiday. And Benidorm is full of tower blocks and high rise apartments along the beach. But on the beach scene in this episode there are no high rise buildings and the beach has grassy sand dunes on it. Whereas Benidorm beach is just pure sand.
• In It Never Rains, Grandad tells Del and Rodney while in jail that “us Trotters have never been good sailors” he obviously didn’t know uncle Albert then !
• In It Never Rains, Rodney Grandad says that, while in Tangiers, he and his friend tried to join the French Foreign Legion. In 1936 the headquarters of the French Foreign Legion was in Algeria (I believe it is now in Southern France). Tangiers is in Morocco and not Algeria. Although Grandad and his friend could have made the trip from Morocco to Algeria, it is not mentioned in the episode.
• In It Never Rains, Rodney says to Del ‘a father’s day card arrived for you’ if Rodney was pretending it wasn’t from him then he wouldn’t know what it was.
• In It Never Rains, Rodney splashes Del’s back with lager on the beach. In the next scene back at the hotel Rodney says he’s sorry about wetting his shirt and offers to get him a fresh one. Why ??? He didn’t spill the lager on his shirt.
• In It Never Rains, they used Bournemouth beach as the location for a holiday in Spain, one of my mates was the boy playing ball on the beach, living in Bournemouth, I know these things.

It Never Rains Script

The script will be downloadable from here

Did You Know?

Originally the episode was to be filmed in Spain but they run out of budget and settled for an extremely cold Bournemouth.

It Never Rains location

This is found today as the Alma Pub, which is on Chapel Market Islington
It is actually found in 2 episodes, the first one is It Never Rains and Diamonds are for Heather

No related posts.

A Touch of Glass Episode Review

Brief: Del introduces the Dresden-collecting aristocracy to some North Korean porcelain and his chandelier-cleaning service. Rubbing shoulders with the high and haughty isn’t as easy as you might think though. Still we’re sure Grandads experience will come in handy.

Transmitted: 02.12.1982
Duration: 30 minutes
Viewing Figures: 10.2 million

Returning from an auction, the Trotters stop to help a woman whose car appears to have broken down.

It turns out she is a posh sort. No less than Lady Ridgemere, wife of Lord Ridgemere who own the Ridgemere Hall Estate.

Having towed the Lady to her stately home, Del overhears that the Lord of the Manor is having trouble with the firm he’s hired to clean their chandeliers. He wastes no time in offering the Trotter’s services as chandelier cleaners for a mere £350.

With Rodney and Del up ladders, and an old sheet the only thing between the cut-glass chandelier and the floor, it is only natural that Grandad detaches the chandelier from the room behind them.

Del’s fast talking excuses are the Trotters’ only chance they have of escape!

Episode Observations

• In A Touch of Glass, in the scene where you see the trotter van towing ldy Ridgemoors car you can clearly see the rope is slack.
• In A Touch of Glass, When Del and Lady Ridgemere are towing her broken down car you can clearly see in the point where they’re towing the car into the house, the car behind is being driven. This is obvious due to the tow rope appearing very slack and therefore not needing to be there at all.
• In A Touch of Glass, notice Granddad’s scarf is not really tied as a tow rope but only draped around the existing rope.
• In A Touch of Glass, while filming, poor old grandad found it difficult to hit the hammer on the headand so took several takes.
• In A Touch of Glass, the van has a dark red interior, whereas in “Healthy Competition” the van is shown to be yellow inside the backdoor as well as outside.
• In A Touch of Glass, the 3 wheeled vans registration is APL 911 H whereas in “Modern Man” the vans reg is DHV 938 D.

A Touch of Glass Script

The script will be downloadable from here

Did You Know?

The idea for the script was due to a tale that John Sullivans father often related but never saw the funny side as it was the 1920′s when it happened and all involved got the sack.

Related posts:

1. My 3rd Greatest Only Fools Episode

Diamonds are For Heather Episode Review

Brief: It’s Christmas in Peckham and Del’s fallen hook, line and sinker for the lovely Heather. With his ring: a cluster of solitaires, she is sure to be engaged to the “Born-again Ovaltini”

Transmitted: 30.12.1982
Duration: 30 minutes
Viewing Figures: 9.3 million

Derek Trotter has the Yuletide Blues, and drinks away his loneliness in Spanish night at The Nag’s Head.

There he meets Heather, who seems to be one friend short of company. Del Boy, ever the gentleman, entertains her and sees her home safely. At her flat he discovers that she has a young son, to a husband who seems to have joined a very long queue at the Job Centre 18 months ago and not come back.

In no time at all their romance blossoms, and all is running so smoothly Del decides to propose. However, when he takes her for a candle-lit curry, she refuses his offer of marriage. Her husband has returned, employed as a department store Santa, and she wants to give it another go… leaving Del Boy without an angel for Christmas.

Episode Observations

Diamonds are for Heather Script

Related posts:

1. To Hull and Back