{"id":3638,"date":"2011-12-15T11:01:13","date_gmt":"2011-12-15T11:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ofah.net\/blog\/?p=3638"},"modified":"2011-12-12T11:08:47","modified_gmt":"2011-12-12T11:08:47","slug":"best-episode-of-only-fools-and-horses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ofah.net\/blog\/best-episode-of-only-fools-and-horses\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Episode of Only Fools and Horses"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\r\n<\/amp-auto-ads>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018The Best Episode of Only Fools and Horses\u2019. By Matt Jarvis
\nEpisode:<\/strong> \u2018The Unlucky Winner is…\u2019
\nTransmitted:<\/strong> Sunday 29th January 1989 at 19:15 hours.
\nViewing Figures:<\/strong> 17 million
\nRunning Time:<\/strong> 50 minutes<\/p>\n

With such a fantastic and iconic series as \u2018 Only Fools…\u2019 there will forever be debate about which is the best ever episode and quite often, I find it all comes down to viewers\u2019 personal experiences that they can link to the specific episode and the characters\u2019. Of course that is the beauty of the writing and the acting of the programme \u2013 we can all relate to someone or something that happens \u2013 I can pretty much guarantee that we all know a Trigger, a Boycie, a Del Boy and countless Rodney \u2018the plonker\u2019 Trotters.<\/p>\n

Okay, so that is enough of the obvious stuff but what I want to put forward is my own personal choice for the best ever episode and that is the January 1989 episode, \u2018The Unlucky Winner is…\u2019 I now know that a lot of people will be asking, \u2018Why?\u2019 so I must address that.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Unlucky Winner Is...Rodney<\/p><\/div>\n

For me, the whole episode is hilarious, full of so many funny moments and also is just so simple in its execution. From the very moment that Rodney explains how the picture of the Eiffel Tower became the \u2018Marble Arch at Dawn\u2019, I am falling about laughing.<\/p>\n

Here we are at the very early stages of Cassandra and Rodney\u2019s relationship and the entire scene in the Trotter\u2019s living room is just pure class. It is no surprise when Del turns up but there in lies the brilliance of the writing and the acting talent on the show. We sit there waiting for Del to walk in but when he does, it still proves to be hilarious but what is even better is the appearance prior to that of good old Uncle Albert.<\/p>\n

What I love is the fact that Albert walks in, asks a question and Rodney and Cassandra decide that it \u2018sounded like Uncle Albert.\u2019<\/p>\n

The whole scene is such a merry go round of what the Trotters are about. No one knows truly what the other has planned and no one really respects what the others wants to do. Even the end of scene that involves a slight error from David Jason playing Del can take away from the beautiful composition of the scene. If you are wondering what the error is then I will enlighten you. Del is expecting a visit from \u2018Petula\u2019 but when Rodney tells him that \u2018Albert\u2019s old bird is here\u2019, Del Boy responds by saying \u2018you saucy Git, that\u2019s Petulia\u2019. Not a major thing but it may come up in a quiz one day!!<\/p>\n

So, the scene is set perfectly and Rodney becomes the winner of a Mega Corn Flakes competition. Rodney only sees page one of the letter as Del can be the only one at this stage along with Uncle Albert) to know that all is not as it seems.<\/p>\n

As the episode moves to the Pub, it is the point where I feel that this episode excels with its comedy built around real life scenarios. I just love it when Rodney explains his worries about \u2018sex\u2019 with Del and passes him the magazine only for Del to reply, \u2018what, Ford Escorts?\u2019 It is then just laugh after laugh as Del see\u2019s the correct advert that Rodders is referring to and tells him; \u2018you don\u2019t have to worry. They\u2019re not that size in real life.\u2019 Once Rodney recovers from the realisation that Del is perhaps not the right person to have this sensitive conversation with, he explains that he is nervous about the issue as there is a \u2018sort of stigma attached to them.\u2019 How can Del possibly respond to this? Quite superbly is the answer as he says, \u2018nah, that\u2019s just a bit of silver foil you chuck out of the way.\u2019<\/p>\n

What I especially love is the fact that after that last line regarding the silver foil, you can clearly see that David Jason is struggling to bite his lip and stop himself from laughing. I love this about \u2018fools\u2019 as in other comedies I have studied, you hear how the directors have shot scenes again due to cast members laughing. Just imagine how Danger UXD would have lost one of its most memorable moments if the scene where Rodney turns up at the Nags Head with the Tomatoes and Mike offers him \u2018…bread..\u2019 to mop it up from his suit had been re done to remove Denzel, or rather Paul Barber, absolutely wetting himself with laughter in the bottom left of the screen and trying to avoid the camera!!!<\/p>

\n