Only Fools and Horses
The Trotters of Peckham
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom written by John Sullivan and broadcast on BBC One. Set in working-class Peckham, south-east London, it follows fast-talking market trader Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter and his put-upon younger brother Rodney as they wheel and deal through their firm, Trotters Independent Traders, forever dreaming that 'this time next year we'll be millionaires'. Their base is a grubby flat in Nelson Mandela House, and their transport a three-wheeled Reliant Regal van. Packed with catchphrases such as 'lovely jubbly' and 'plonker', and beloved supporting characters like Trigger, Boycie and Uncle Albert, it remains one of Britain's best-loved comedies.
Start a quizAt a glance
- First aired
- 8 September 1981
- Last aired
- 25 December 2003
- Created by
- John Sullivan
- Channel
- BBC One
- Series
- 7
- Episodes
- 64
- Set in
- Peckham, south-east London
- Quizzes
- 3
Only Fools and Horses quizzes
How well do you know Del Boy, Rodney and the Trotters of Peckham? Test your knowledge.
Del, Rodney, Trigger and the rest of Peckham. How well do you know the Trotters and their sayings?
The chandelier, the bar flap and the day the Trotters got rich. Test your memory of the classic episodes.
Only Fools and Horses cast and characters
Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter
Played by David Jason
A smooth-talking Peckham market trader who runs Trotters Independent Traders and is always chasing the deal that will make him a millionaire. He brought up his younger brother Rodney after their mother died and their father walked out.
Rodney Trotter
Played by Nicholas Lyndhurst
Del's much younger, idealistic brother, armed with two GCEs but stuck as the firm's lookout and dogsbody. He marries Cassandra at the end of series six.
Grandad
Played by Lennard Pearce
Del and Rodney's absent-minded grandfather, who rarely leaves his armchair in front of two television sets and cooks notoriously bad meals. The character's death was written into the show after Lennard Pearce died in 1984.
Uncle Albert
Played by Buster Merryfield
Grandad's younger brother, an old Royal Navy sailor who turns up at Grandad's funeral and moves in with Del and Rodney. His rambling stories always begin with 'During the war...'.
Trigger
Played by Roger Lloyd-Pack
A slow-witted road sweeper, Nag's Head regular and good friend of Del's who always calls Rodney 'Dave'.
Boycie
Played by John Challis
A boastful, untrustworthy second-hand car dealer and Freemason, married to Marlene. He later led the spin-off The Green Green Grass (2005-2009).
Raquel Turner
Played by Tessa Peake-Jones
An actress and singer whose career never took off, who meets Del through a dating agency. She becomes his partner and the mother of his son, Damien.
Cassandra Trotter
Played by Gwyneth Strong
Rodney's ambitious, career-minded girlfriend and then wife, first seen in 'Yuppy Love'. Their marriage troubles run through series seven.
Marlene Boyce
Played by Sue Holderness
Boycie's flirtatious wife, at first only mentioned and never seen. She has an old, close friendship with Del, and she and Boycie eventually have a son, Tyler.
Only Fools and Horses facts and FAQs
- When did Only Fools and Horses first air?
- Only Fools and Horses first aired on BBC One on 8 September 1981 with the episode "Big Brother". The regular series ran until 1991, Christmas specials continued until 1996, and a final trilogy of specials was shown on Christmas Day 2001, 2002 and 2003.
- How many series (seasons) and episodes of Only Fools and Horses are there?
- There are 7 series and 64 episodes in total, including 19 Christmas specials. The last episode, "Sleepless in Peckham", was broadcast on 25 December 2003.
- Who created and wrote Only Fools and Horses?
- John Sullivan created Only Fools and Horses and wrote every episode. He also wrote and sang the theme tunes used from the second series onwards.
- Where was Only Fools and Horses filmed and where is it set?
- The show is set in Peckham, south-east London, but studio scenes were recorded at BBC Television Centre and location filming was done around London until 1988 and in Bristol after that. Harlech Tower in Acton was the first Nelson Mandela House, replaced from 1988 by Whitemead House near Ashton Gate in Bristol, and the market in the opening titles is Chapel Market in Islington.
- What is Only Fools and Horses about?
- It follows Del Boy Trotter, a wheeler-dealer market trader, and his younger brother Rodney as they try to get rich through dodgy deals and get-rich-quick schemes. They live in a council flat in a Peckham tower block with Grandad, and later Uncle Albert, and run their business from a three-wheeled van.
- Why did Grandad leave Only Fools and Horses?
- Grandad left because Lennard Pearce, who played him, died on 15 December 1984, after a heart attack during filming of the fourth series. John Sullivan wrote the character's funeral into the episode "Strained Relations" (1985), which also introduced Buster Merryfield as Uncle Albert.
- What is the most watched episode of Only Fools and Horses?
- "Time on Our Hands", shown on 29 December 1996, is the most watched episode, with 24.3 million viewers. It is still the biggest UK audience for a sitcom episode, and it is the one in which the Trotters finally become millionaires.
Awards and recognition
BAFTA for Best Comedy Series (1986, 1989, 1997)
Voted Britain's Best Sitcom in the 2004 BBC poll
"Time on Our Hands" (1996) drew a UK sitcom record of 24.3 million viewers