Only Fools and Horses episodes have been remastered
Not many Only Fools fans will be aware, but the digital TV channel GOLD (UK Gold) has quietly begun broadcasting re-mastered episodes of Only Fools and Horses. I am not sure when they started, but the first episode to be broadcast re-mastered that I was aware of was “The Long Legs of the Law”. The day before that “The Russians Are Coming” was shown, and this had not been re-mastered, so by the looks of it re-mastered versions replaced the originals yesterday (17/06/2011). The GOLD announcer states if the episode is re-mastered before broadcast.
The re-mastered episodes definitely have a much better picture than the old versions; the colour is a slightly brighter and the picture clearer, a comparison is shown below.
The results are not spectacular, but they are certainly an improvement. Most scenes do look better, some do (and have always) suffered from blurring. As these episodes are being broadcast on satellite there is some compression, on DVD the picture would be improved much more. This is a step in the right direction for the series and could lead to a new, uncut DVD release. In addition to re-mastering the episodes, GOLD has also added break bumpers in-between scenes, this is much better than the previous arrangement which saw the channel go to adverts sometimes half way through a sentence.
A link to an official announcement of Only Fools and Horses episodes have been remastered is below:
http://www.channel4sales.com/programming/9980/only+fools+and+horses+remastered
GOLD will also be broadcasting re-mastered episodes of other comedy series.
I’m not a big fan of anything recorded off the TV nowadays, either from Gold or BBC1, purely because all they include is those annoying logos at the top of the screen; I wonder why they suddenly started doing that with the advent of freeview?, they never used to include them prior to that – maybe for copyright reasons?. To me, the full, original version of any show can only be original if those things aren’t there. Does anyone know how many episodes are available on itunes and how are actually fully uncut with no music alterations, scene changes, different dialogue/footage, etc, and idents or logos present?. If these were uncut on itunes, you’d think more people would use the site..but I don’t know anyone who has downloaded OFAH eps from itunes or any other pay site.
The outdoor scenes shot on 16mm could in theory be re scanned to HD resolutions, but you’d need to find the original negatives.
When are iTunes going to put the 2 missing episodes on line for download ?
looks like there re running the double episodes again
starting today
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012gpfb
Hi ive just watched Sickness and Wealth on Gold and there are seens that i have never seen before in that episode. Why is this? And are then any other episodes with extra seens?
Regards
Stewart
iTunes have added more OFAH episodes. They now have 61 out of 63 episodes. The only 2 missing are A Royal Flush and Miami Twice. They look better quality than the dvd so maybe they are remastered but they are only in SD. I think when they decide to add A Royal Flush it will be the uncut version as The Jolly Boys Outing is uncut.
At least the BBC are releasing them on I-Tunes.
How about a dvd release of out-takes. surely between seven series and 16 (or so) christmas specials there’d be enough for a couple of discs maybe?
It would be brilliant to see some rare footage from the show, and what happened to the remastered episodes?
The episodes which are currently being repeated, on BBC ONE daily from Monday-Friday, I don’t think they have been remastered at all.
Is it just G.O.L.D. that broadcasts the remastered versions?
It would be great though, if the BBC released some exclusive-to-DVD content, including outtakes, and deleted scenes. I know one thing we definitely need, and that is an all-new ‘complete’ DVD boxset, containing the uncut episodes. It would also be brilliant if the new remastered versions were featured on the DVD release.
According to the radio times they are showing it from season 1, with two episodes per day
http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsServlet?event=10&channelId=92&programmeId=195596007&jspLocation=/jsp/prog_details_fullpage.jsp
http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsServlet?event=10&channelId=92&programmeId=195817180&jspLocation=/jsp/prog_details.jsp
http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsServlet?event=10&channelId=92&programmeId=195793878&jspLocation=/jsp/prog_details_fullpage.jsp
it looks like a full rerun, and for someone who doesn’t have uk gold, this is a real treat.
!!!!!!!!!!! This is a rare chance to record the episodes uncut, and without the indent. Plus they are remastered. I think a dvd is on its way.
There also be on BBC One HD, this should mean that if you have the right equipment you can record the episodes in upscaled hd. Hope the BBC do not cut things because its in the day. Cant Wait.
There also be on BBC One HD, this should mean that if you have the right equipment you can record the episodes in upscaled hd. Hope the BBC do not cut things because its in the day. Cant Wait. I have sent an e-mail to 2entertain asking if there are any plans for a new dvd, I can guess what they are going to say.
BBC will be releasing the Complete Anniversary Boxset on 05/09/2011. I hope it will be the remastered version. http://www.bbcshop.com/comedy/only-fools+horses-complete-anniversary-boxset-dvd/invt/bbcdvd3297/
If they are repeating them daily, remastered, im recording the whole lot.
If Channel 4 have bought it would that mean they could do an unedited DVD release of the whole series?
While a remaster is nice, it would be pointless if the show is cut about as much as it is on current DVD box sets.
Ronnie, You’re right it is strange that Yuppy Love didn’t have the nightclub scene in – I’m waiting to see what version they use for The Jolly Boys Outing – see if Billy Joel’s Just the Way You Are has been included or not! Listen to this… BBC1 are repeating episodes 2:10pm on Monday 4th July?! Looks like daily. I’m guessing it will be remastered ones… doesn’t say which episodes yet. Check out radiotimes.com – that’s where I found it.
Hi Ronnie, I can confirm the ‘remastered’ re-runs started on Saturday June 18th, i’d seen an advert on GOLD earlier that week confirming ‘remastered’ episodes, so I tuned in. First episode to be remastered on GOLD was ‘Yuppy Love’ then ‘Danger UXD’. Interesting that on ‘Yuppy Love’, they had edited the nightclub scene as if it was to be used on a DVD release? GOLD have never ever edited the nightclub scene before… but with this remastered transfer they had the same music used on the last DVD release, and all of the dialogue edited out of the last DVD release was missing too! My opinion – I think the episodes have been remastered with a DVD re-release in mind – and I’m guessing the music in ‘Yuppy Love’ must still not be available to use on the DVD. As I say, GOLD have never edited this scene before – they’ve always left the nightclub scene intact! Interesting…
Thats very strange, new Music laws now allow most music to remain, even for dvd’s.
Watched a couple of episodes on GOLD over the last couple of days, Healthy Competition had the substituted Jaws-a-like music, and The Chance of a Lunchtime had Trudy’s final husky “Rodney” line cut.
Going on these, and the Yuppy Love report above, it seems very much like they’ve “remastered” these from the OLD DVD masters, with all their wonderful cuts and all. Brilliant. Can only hope BBC1’s forthcoming repeat run is from the original transmission masters. Either way, uncut episodes are now literally further away than ever with the GOLD episodes now likely to have exactly the same cuts as the DVDs. Things are getting worse, not better.
Will these remastered episodes be ever shown on BBC One?
They show ofah now and again, not sure they would use the new episodes as these have been edited to have break bumpers. the bbc would have to remove these to show the episodes on bbc one. I think a new dvd set will be out soon.
That picture you have shown is a bit misleading because if you look at the picture on the left, you can see the Uk Gold Logo is Blurry, but there is no reason for this., because it is added later, the picture is fake.
The blurriness has been exaggerated
The pictures have not been faked, I can send you the originals if you want. The original screenshot was taken from an episodes recorded on an old DVD system, the new screenshot is taken from a blue-ray recording. one machine records in 4:3 the other in 16:9, ofah is 4:3, but the machine resizes it. the screenshots were not the same size because of this, which is why it may look more compressed. As i said the results are nothing special, the picture is brighter and in most cases clearer. The later episodes from the 90’s to not look as good which is strange.
Just wondered why its mentioned on a channel 4 web site
I thought GOLD was owned by the BBC
So does this imply BBC have sold Only Fools and Horses to Channel 4.
Channel 4 have remastered it and are now marketing it back to GOLD
Surely a new Blu-ray or DVD set is in the making along with Johns commentaries which he recorded many years back
We had a guess a few years back at what it might include:
https://www.ofah.net/blog/only-fools-and-horses-blu-ray/
Hi, was just wondering if you could help. My husband has an Only Fools fruit machine which I have finally persuaded him is cluttering the house and so he is looking at selling it. Only problem is we can’t find anyone who sells them or find an auction house that would be able to sell it.
If anyone can help I would be most grateful as hubby would prefer it went to an OFAH fan or collector.