36 Responses to “A Royal Flush”

  1. Rob says:

    Very saddened to hear of the passing of Jack Hedley (Henry) who played Vicky’s father. The actor died last week after battling a short illness.

    RIP Jack

  2. Roy Wood says:

    The thing that annoys me about this particular episode is that many fans will say that “A Royal Flush” shows Del in a bad light but I don’t think that he was particularly very nice to Uncle Albert when he wanted to stay at the flat in “Strained Relations” – That was nasty Del, not the “A Royal Flush” Del Boy

    • Luke N says:

      I see what you’re saying. But Strained Relations Del Boy is a Del Boy confronted with feelings he’s struggling to battle with. It’s a Del Boy who is afraid, hurt, vulnerable and a little lost. His entire reasoning for poor behaviour is summed up in his dialogue (possibly my favourite of all series), “Bloody family! I’ve finished with them. What do they do to you, eh? They hold you back, drag you down…and then they break your bloody heart.”

      Royal Flush Del is…hmmm. Uncharacteristically over-selfish, greedy, self-serving and grim. It’s a really unpleasant depiction of him, and John Sullivan even agrees.

  3. Christopher Blackman says:

    The programme seller at the Opera was also the lady at the Bowling green who spots the Urn left by Del 😊

  4. Carol says:

    think Rodney should have kept all this to himslef maybe tell uncle albert by now you think he would not be that niave to trust Del boy whom he met so he really deserved what he got he knows what his like by now!

  5. Paddy The Greek says:

    Having just watched the 2004 version of ‘A Royal Flush’ today, I decided to have a look at the script on here to pick out the lines missing from the cut. I then went on to YouTube to watch an upload of the original version to watch the missing parts from the scene in the flat before they go to the opera. It definitely appears to be the original episode as there is no laughter track (although I don’t whether it’s been sourced from Gold, the original VHS or the Only Fools and Horses DVD magazine) but there is a part missing. The following section is not present, just after Del tells Rodney he will get him tickets for the opera-

    When you see that little tar… her ladyship, tell her you’ve got tickets for the opening night! And it’s my treat Rodney.

    Rodney- Oh cheers Del Boy! You’re a pal! You are a real pal!

    Del produces a wad of money.

    Del- And I want you to pay for her to get into that art gallery tomorrow.

    Rodney- No, art galleries are f… cheers Del!

    Rodney takes the money.

    Del- Then I want you to take her for a right slap up meal. Steak, wine, the works. I mean, don’t get her Oliver Twist or nothing! We don’t want a scandal!

    Rodney takes the rest of the money.

    Rodney- Leave it to me, Del.

    Del- And when you see that Leonardo Da Vinci cartoon – you laugh!

    Rodney- Why?

    Albert- Let her know you get the joke!

    Rodney- Oh, of course!(Counting themoney)Well, don’t you worry. I’ll be laughing alright! I’m gonna whip down the pawn shop and liberate me evening suit. See you later.

    Rodney exits through hall door.

    Albert- Well, that’s a turn up for the book, Del! Young Rodney marrying into the Royal family. How d’you think the Queen’ll feel about it?

    Del- Dunno really. I s’ppose when she first hears the news she’ll be a bit gutted. But once she meets him I think she’ll like him. I mean, he’s a nice boy. Friendly, polite, respectful. He’ll have to knock them roll-ups
    on the head. You can’t waltz round a garden party with a packet of Green Rizla sticking out of yer morning suit!

    Albert- Here, we might be able to wangle ourselves a winter cruise on the old Britannia!

    Del- No Albert, No! We’re not gonna ponce off ’em! That sort of thing causes family rifts. And another thing, let’s not count our chickens before we’ve crossed ’em? I’m starting to get a funny feeling.

    Albert- What, something might go wrong?

    Del- If we leave it in Rodney’s hands it’s a guarantee! He ain’t got a clue when it comes to women! That boy’s been blown-out more times
    than a wind-sock! Sometimes you have to help Rodney to help himself.

    Albert- Yeah, but what can we do?

    Del- We can help him to make the right impression! That is the most important thing – the impression! He’s gotta prove that he appreciates
    the finer things of life. Show that he’s au fait with gracious living.

    Albert surveys the debris of the flat.

    Albert- How’s he gonna do that?

    Del shakes his head in a superior, smug way.

    Del- This is where I come in! Simply to add that element of good breeding. A little touch of refinement, a sprinkle of sophistication!(Checks watch)Right, I’d better phone Limpy Lionel and sort these
    tickets out.

    Does anyone know what that’s about? Were these lines present on the original broadcast and subsequently edited out of future broadcasts and/or VHS/DVD releases even before the 2004 version was made? I’ve only ever seen the original version of ‘A Royal Flush’ about twice, once on the BBC and once on Gold, and it was quite a long time ago, and I don’t remember seeing this part.

    • Rich says:

      I’ve been wondering the same for ages but not about that part, you have only just brought that bit to my attention, there’s another missing scene in the van the day after the opera with Rodney moaning about the smell of disinfectant after June had been sick the night before. And then there’s the ending back at the flat which is much longer and has Uncle Albert in it.
      I have seen what I believed to be the original version on VHS some years ago and none of these scenes where in that. But now I’m wondering if that was actually the original broadcast version?
      I have noticed though on a couple of the other downloadable scripts on this site there are scenes in that were never broadcast. One example is at the beginning of ‘Class of ’62’, the scene for the audition where Raquel sings ‘Chapel of love’ is there in the script.

      • Paddy The Greek says:

        Judging by the fact that the script here has a completely different ending to what you see on telly I’m beginning to think that the scene I’m talking about was either never filmed, or filmed and then edited out before the original broadcast because of time constraints. That is unless anyone can come on here and say they’ve seen it.

        Note also the use of the joke ‘That boy (Rodney)’s been blown out more times than a windsock’ in this section of the script. If indeed this scene was never used, it would make sense as they obviously decided to reuse that line in the later episode, ‘Chain Gang’, and then again in ‘Rodney Come Home’.

      • carol says:

        are they available on u tube?

        • Paddy The Greek says:

          No. That’s why I’m assuming they were either filmed and then edited out later or were cut from the script before filming.

  6. Rob M says:

    Also isn’t there a very small missing scene to this episode?

    when Victoria leaves Sid’s cafe, what you sadly dont see is Rodney accidently picking up the tramps cup of tea and drinking it (as theres a tramp sitting next to Rodders)

    it just gets to the bit – where Rodney begins to pick up the cup, and it’s cut.

    theres more info about this in the scripts of Peckham book, I think he calls the tramp ‘a dirty old bark’ aswell.

    • Danboy says:

      I remember reading this, but have unfortunately never seen this bit. Maybe it was only broadcast the first time?

      • Rich says:

        It’s all in the script available above. There’s also an unused scene with Rodney moaning about the smell of disinfectant in the van the day after June was sick in it.
        Plus the ending has a lot of different dialogue.

  7. Rob M says:

    Not sure if the rumour was true – but apparently John Sullivan wasn’t available to watch this episode be filmed, as he supposedly had the flu really badly, and wasn’t on the scene while the episode was being recorded.

    hence the reason Del comes across a bit nasty towards Rodney in this episode, due to the fact John wasn’t there to tell David Jason to tone the nastyness down.

    again – not sure if this is 100% true – but I’ve heard quite a few people say this story.

    • Rich says:

      From a review of ‘a Royal Flush’ by Nathan Lloyd on this site :
      “While he did write the episode, John Sullivan was away in Paris shooting the third series of Just Good Friends when ‘A Royal Flush’ was filmed, so he was not on the set and could not write re-drafts for the episode.”
      Either way it shows that John Sullivan’s presence was missed.

      • Griff says:

        People go on about Del’s so-called nastiness. He wasn’t nasty in my opinion. Just played the part of a drunk opening his gob.

        It was a funny storyline and I liked it. The only weak part for me was the last scene when it ended on a sad note.

        If there was any scene that John was absent from, it would definitely have been that one.

  8. Dan says:

    They’re showing this episode on BBC One on Christmas day if anyone is interested, it’s the watered down edited version though, as expected.

    Seems like an odd episode to show as it’s generally considered one of the weakest, would have preferred to see Jolly Boys outing or Dates.

  9. Dan says:

    They’re showing this episode on BBC One on Christmas day if anyone is interested, it’s the watered down edited version though, as expected.

    Seems like an odd episode to show as it’s generally considered one of the weakest, would have preferred to see Jolly Boys outing or Dates.

  10. Dan says:

    They’re showing this episode on Christmas day if anyone is interested, it’s the watered down edited version though, as expected.

    Seems like an odd episode to show as it’s generally considered one of the weakest, would have preferred to see Jolly Boys outing or Dates.

  11. Paul says:

    Come on Perry give us this years convention line up?

  12. Sarah Duncan says:

    Popped on here to have a look at the Convention info and thought I’d add this…

    Re the ice cream stain on Rodney’s jacket, I asked about this when we were filming the Opera scenes because it wasn’t mentioned in the script, and Tony Dow said it was something they liked to do for the fans to pick up!

    • Sarah Duncan says:

      Also, I’m sure the couple in the queue (filmed in London) aren’t the couple from the dinner party scene (filmed in Wiltshire about a month earlier). But the woman from the dinner party was also one of the people watching Del flog his silverware in the market – she was wearing a grey beret, if I remember rightly.

    • CraigW says:

      Sarah,

      Lovely to be given first hand info!

      If you popped on to look at convention info, any chance of you twisting Perry’s arm to invite you as a guest for the day ?! :-)

  13. James says:

    for those looking to see the original uncut version with no laugh track click this link http://www.novamov.com/video/f1969f7dcafdb

  14. Jim says:

    observation: the a royal flush dvd menu has a picture of rodney come home

  15. Bart Simpson says:

    Where Was The Laugh Track!!

    • Neu 75 says:

      There wasn’t one originally. There wasn’t time to organise an audience screening as the programme was still being edited on Christmas Day! Its tight production was one of the reasons John Sullivan was unsatisfied with the episode…

  16. king shymond says:

    In A Royal Flush, When they get back to the flat at the end of the episode, Rodney moans to Del that “you only went and told the joke about the Irish bloke on the skiing holiday”. But Del never told the Joke– the Duke interrupted him before he was able to tell it.

    Del never told all the joke but del said the joke was a real ‘killer’ Vicky’s mum died on the slopes, which Del knew.

  17. Richard Gunn says:

    See my previous comment…

  18. Richard Gunn says:

    Sarah Duncan (played ‘Victoria’) was a contestant on the BBC2 quiz show ‘Pointless’ this week – she was introduced as a ‘novelist’ and her appearance in OFAH was not mentioned.

    She appears in Pointless episodes 14 and 15 (25 and 26 March 2010) which are available on BBC iPlayer for the next 4 or 5 days:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00rq3h4/Pointless_Series_2_Episode_14/

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00rq3hl/Pointless_Series_2_Episode_15/

    I watched the two Pointless shows knowing that I had seen her before somewhere, but couldn’t place her face. It was bugging me for a day or so, then the penny dropped and I was so pleased to have remembered where I had seen her before that I decided to post here.

    It is interesting to see actors who played the minor characters from OFAH re-surfacing years later.

    • Rob M says:

      my apologies, I’ve just noticed you already answered Janet’s question, I didn’t spot that. Sorry

  19. janet briggs says:

    please could you tell me who plays vicky in royal flush as i am sure she was on pointless today

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