50 Fun Facts About Only Fools and Horses

In 'Tea for Three', how does Rodney get revenge after Del leaves him burnt on a sunbed?

A hang-gliding trip, sprung on Del as a birthday surprise, sends him off a hillside and missing for more than twelve hours.

In which south-east London district is Only Fools and Horses set?

Peckham is home to the Trotters, yet the BBC's head of comedy was cool on the idea until he read a draft script and ordered a series.

Who played Del Boy Trotter?

David Jason was a late choice for Del: the producer only considered him after watching a repeat of Open All Hours.

Which actor, an early preference for Del Boy, instead played corrupt policeman Roy Slater?

Jim Broadbent had to turn down Del Boy because of other commitments, and his crooked detective Slater ended up behind bars.

Which Reliant model is the Trotters' yellow van in Only Fools and Horses?

Regal is the model, a Supervan III, though even the BBC's own comedy guide called the van a Robin, the Regal's 1973 successor.

Under what business name does Del Boy trade in Only Fools and Horses?

Trotters Independent Traders sells from a suitcase or the back of the van, like the market fly-pitchers who inspired the character.

What is the name of the Trotters' tower block in Only Fools and Horses?

Nelson Mandela House was home again by 2001, after the Trotters lost their 1996 fortune in a stock market crash.

Who played Grandad in the first three series of Only Fools and Horses?

Lennard Pearce died in 1984 while the fourth series was being filmed, so Grandad was written out with an on-screen funeral.

Which Only Fools and Horses episode wrote in Grandad's death after the actor who played him died?

Strained Relations was written at short notice because the writer chose to face Grandad's death on screen rather than recast the role.

Who played Uncle Albert in Only Fools and Horses?

Buster Merryfield spent nearly 40 years in banking before turning professional at 57, and his white 'Captain Birdseye' beard helped win him the part.

How is Uncle Albert related to Grandad in Only Fools and Horses?

His younger brother Albert turned up at Grandad's funeral and ended up moving in with Del and Rodney.

In Only Fools and Horses, what name does Trigger insist on calling Rodney?

Dave is what Trigger calls Rodney even after Rodney corrects him in 'Homesick', and the name sticks for the rest of the run.

What is Trigger's job in Only Fools and Horses?

Road sweeper Trigger boasts of keeping the same broom for 20 years, though it has had 17 new heads and 14 new handles.

Which character was given the spin-off series The Green Green Grass?

Boycie gives evidence against the Driscoll brothers, then flees with Marlene and son Tyler to a farm in Shropshire.

Which Only Fools and Horses character is an affable Liverpudlian lorry driver often conned by Del?

Denzil once lost his redundancy money when Del spent it on louvre doors that nobody wanted and that turned out to be stolen.

What is the name of the Trotters' local pub in Only Fools and Horses?

The Nag's Head lost its landlord Mike to jail, and Sid from the grubby local cafe took over behind the bar.

What is the name of Del Boy's long-term partner, introduced in the 1988 special 'Dates'?

Raquel turns out to have been married to Del's old school enemy, the crooked detective Roy Slater.

In which Only Fools and Horses episode does Rodney first meet Cassandra?

Yuppy Love is where Rodney meets her on a computer course, and by the end of that series the two are married.

What is the name of Del Boy's son?

Damien was Rodney's own sly suggestion, and to his horror the parents loved it; he goes on having nightmares that his nephew is the son of Satan.

What made the Trotters rich in the Only Fools and Horses episode 'Time on Our Hands'?

A Harrison watch, an 18th-century marine timekeeper found in their garage, sold at Sotheby's for £6.2 million.

In 'The Jolly Boys' Outing', what does the radio Del supplied do to the gang's coach?

Blows it up: the dodgy radio ignites the fuel line, stranding the whole gang overnight at the seaside.

In which Only Fools and Horses episode do the Trotters smash a priceless chandelier?

A Touch of Glass has Del and Rodney up ladders holding a sheet under one chandelier while Grandad unscrews a different one.

What did Del bottle and sell as a premium local brand in 'Mother Nature's Son'?

Tap water was the product, and in 2004 newspapers mocked Coca-Cola's Dasani with the episode after it proved to be purified mains water.

In which episode do Del and Rodney dress up as Batman and Robin?

Heroes and Villains sends them to a fancy-dress party that turns out to be a wake, but on the way the costumes scare off a gang of muggers.

Which two celebrities made cameos in the 1991 two-part special 'Miami Twice'?

Richard Branson and Barry Gibb pop up as Del, a dead ringer for a Miami Mafia boss, is lined up by the mob as his decoy.

Who performed the closing-credits song for 'The Jolly Boys' Outing'?

Chas & Dave had been in line to sing the main theme years earlier, but the writer ended up singing both theme songs himself.

What is the title of Only Fools and Horses' closing theme song, used from the second series?

Hooky Street was sung by the writer himself, not Nicholas Lyndhurst as many assume, after the first series had used an instrumental theme.

Which word completes the saying 'only fools and horses ___'?

Work completes the obscure saying, and after an instrumental first series, the writer composed a theme song to explain the phrase.

Which ITV drama's success did John Sullivan believe got Only Fools and Horses accepted?

Minder, starring George Cole as wheeler-dealer Arthur Daley, had a similar premise and was also set in modern-day London.

Which sitcom did John Sullivan write before creating Only Fools and Horses?

Citizen Smith had already used the phrase 'Only Fools and Horses' as a 1979 episode title, and the writer liked it enough to reuse it.

In 'To Hull and Back', Del and Rodney sail from Hull to which city to collect smuggled diamonds?

Amsterdam was the pick-up, and Uncle Albert, trusted to steer the hired boat, made the crossings a nightmare by getting lost.

In Only Fools and Horses, Uncle Albert's long naval anecdotes usually begin with which words?

During the war opens his yarns, and Albert's other habit is falling down pub cellars so he can sue for damages.

In 'Chain Gang', how does con man Arnie escape with the gold chains and the consortium's money?

By faking a heart attack, Arnie is whisked off in an ambulance, but days later Rodney spots him collapsing in another restaurant.

In the Only Fools and Horses special 'Miami Twice', why does a Mafia family single out Del?

He looks like their Don, Vincenzo Ochetti, so the family plans to use Del in the Don's place, until Del and Rodney realise and flee.

On which day did most Only Fools and Horses specials air?

Christmas Day became its home once the show's popularity led to annual specials, and it even returned after a five-year gap on Christmas Day 2001.

In 'The Unlucky Winner Is...', how does Rodney win the family a holiday in Mallorca?

A children's art prize, won by his old painting in the under-15s, means Rodney must pose as a boy, so his winning lottery ticket can't be claimed.

Which Only Fools and Horses episode was written as a possible finale when its star planned to leave?

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? would have sent Del off to Australia, but the star changed his mind, so on screen Del turns the job down.

In 'The Longest Night', where are the Trotters held hostage overnight?

A supermarket office, where the robbery turns out to be an inside job planned by the manager and the security guard.

In Only Fools and Horses, what does Del Boy try to lean on in a wine bar before falling out of shot?

The bar flap had just been raised without Del noticing, so his casual lean sent him through the gap and clean out of shot.

In the 2003 Only Fools and Horses finale, who is revealed as Rodney's biological father?

Freddie 'the Frog' Robdal was later played by Nicholas Lyndhurst himself, Rodney's own actor, in the prequel Rock & Chips.

Which two subjects does Rodney Trotter hold GCEs in?

Art and Maths are Rodney's GCEs, but his time at art college ended when he was expelled for smoking cannabis.

What was the name of Del and Rodney's mother in Only Fools and Horses?

Joan died when Rodney was young, and in the final episode Rodney names his newborn daughter Joan in her memory.

Which language does Del Boy mangle with out-of-context phrases in Only Fools and Horses?

French phrases pepper Del's patter, rarely in context: he even says 'bonjour' when he means goodbye.

Who played the teenage Del Boy in the prequel Rock & Chips?

James Buckley, of The Inbetweeners, played Del in Rock & Chips, John Sullivan's last work, whose final episode aired days after his death.

Which footballer guest-starred in Only Fools and Horses' 2014 Sport Relief special?

David Beckham turns up as Del and Rodney try to flog underpants supposedly endorsed by him, in the show's first episode for 11 years.

Who co-wrote the 2019 Only Fools and Horses stage musical with John Sullivan's son Jim?

Paul Whitehouse also took to the stage himself, playing Grandad during the musical's London run.

After weak early ratings, what secured Only Fools and Horses' future at the BBC?

Repeat screenings spread word of mouth after unremarkable first runs, and the audiences they drew won the show another series.

In a 2004 BBC poll, Only Fools and Horses was voted what?

Britain's Best Sitcom was decided by viewers' votes after celebrity advocates made their case, with David Dickinson championing Del and co.

According to Del Boy, why is his friend Trigger called Trigger?

He resembles a horse, Del says; the actor who played Trigger was cast after producer Ray Butt spotted him in a stage play.

Who wrote the 1997 parody 'Only Jerks and Horses', directed by Edgar Wright?

David Walliams and Matt Lucas's spoof posed as the first UK airing of an American remake, with 'Delboy' playing the stock market.