History Series / OnlyFoolsAndHorses

* KnightOfCerebus: The series may focus on [[LoveableRogue Loveable Rogues]] getting into wacky hi-jinks, but that doesn't mean that some geuninely unpleasant characters didn't turn up occasionally:

** Reg Trotter. While he has his humerous moments, his solo appearance causes serious tension within the Trotter household.
* LampshadeHanging: With the aforementioned FunWithAcronyms, Rodney is quick to point out the acronym for Trotters' Independant Traders and also notices the "DDT" acronym. ("Del, thanks to your high profile, we now have a company called "TIT" and a director with "DIC" after his name.")

* LukeIAmYourFather: In the 1983 Christmas special "Thicker Than Water", both Del and Grandad seem unsure as to whether Reg is Rodney's father, leading Del to opine that Rodney is a "whodunnit". Reg claims that he is not Del's father, but he is found to be lying. In the 1987 Christmas special "The Frog's Legacy", Del and Albert hinted that Freddie the Frog, a gentleman safecracker had an affair with Del and Rodney's mum Joannie before Rodney was born. This rumor was confirmed to be true in the 2003 Christmas special "Sleepless in Peckham", when Rodney looks at a old photograph of the 1960 Jolly Boys' Outing and finds out that Freddie bears an uncanny resemblence to him.

* NeverMyFault: The Trotters have a nasty habit of blaming each other when things go pear-shaped. However, the person being blamed always calls the accuser out on it. One example, in "Rodney Come Home", after Cassandra kicks Rodney out for [[NotWhatItLooksLike seemingly taking another woman out to the pictures]], Rodney worries that Cassandra's father is going to fire him, as he's left a message saying that there's something important they need to talk about. [[DuringTheWar Uncle Albert tells one of his war stories]] about an officer who was facing a court-martial and handed in his resignation. In those days, only commissioned officers were allowed to control the radio room. Because he was the only commisioned communications officer on the ship the ship, they couldn't sail without him. [[KarmaHoudini So, they had to refuse his resignation and cancel his court-martial]]. Rodney follows suit, thinking that Cassandra's father will turn down the resignation, since it's so close to Christmas and more orders are coming in. When Rodney meets him, it turns out he just wanted to talk about the extra workload. Then he finds Rodney's resignation and accepts it. Rodney blames Albert.

* SpeechImpediment: In "Stage Fright", Raquel finds out to her cost why her singing partner's signature song is "Delilah". He is able to make tweaks to the lyrics so it doesn't have any Rs in it. When she persuaded him to diversify his wepertoire, they ended up singing "Cwying", followed by (off-screen, described in Raquel's rant at Del Boy who legged it halfway through the performance, which was for a notorious gangster) "Congwatulations", "Please Welease Me" and "The Gween Gween Gwass of Home". And that was followed by a medley of Wock 'n' Woll!

* TearsFromAStone: In "The Miracle of Peckham", the statue of the Virgin Mary in the local Catholic church is seen to cry. Del uses this and his own salesman skills to raise money for the church. It turns out someone stole all the lead off the roof and the rain's getting in. And Del knew this; his "sense" of when the statue would cry was based on weather forcasts.

* ThemeMusicAbandonment: John Sullivan wrote the theme music when he wrote the first series, but the BBC decided to go with a different theme composed by Ronnie Hazelhurst. Sullivan disliked the new theme, and before the second series aired he persuaded the producers to use his own compostions instead.

The show remains the BBC's choice of things to stick on at times when [[NoHoperRepeat they haven't got a chance of winning the timeslot]], or if there's the potential that the football will overrun (since the BBC needs something in that timeslot that can be ditched if the match goes into extra time). Re-runs turn up all the time on the digital channels, especially G.O.L.D. (formerly UKTV Gold) which is [[AdoredByTheNetwork almost guaranteed to show at least one episode on any given day]].

* Trigger (Colin Ball): So named not because he carries a gun but "because he looks like [[Creator/RoyRogers a horse]]". [[AccidentalMisnaming Always calls Rodney "Dave"]], and can never be persuaded otherwise. Originally a small-time crook who supplies Del with dodgy merchandise, he [[CharacterDevelopment becomes]] a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} and not the sharpest spoon in the drawer. Played by Roger Lloyd Pack, who you may recognise from ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley''.

Won ''Britain’s Best Sitcom'', edging out ''Series/{{Blackadder}}''.

Currently needs a Recap page.

* GameShowAppearance: In "If They Could See Us Now", Del goes on ''Goldrush'', a fictional BBC game hosted by Creator/JonathanRoss in which the top prize is £100,000 and there are three Lifelines. It was an obvious FictionalCounterpart of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire'', created because Creator/{{ITV}} refused to let the BBC use the actual show — probably because a plot point was that an answer given as being wrong on the show turned out to be right.

[[caption-width-right:380:''"This time next year, we'll be millionaires"''[[note]]The original trio, from left: [[LovableRogue Del Boy]], [[TheConscience Rodney]], [[TheDitz Grandad]].[[/note]]]]

Won ''Series/BritainsBestSitcom'', edging out ''Series/{{Blackadder}}''.

In 1996, the series got a GrandFinale which sees the Trotters finally managed to become millionaires after discovering a rare watch in their garage which was auctioned for £6 million. The final episode attracted a record British television audience of over 24 million viewers. The show was then [[{{Revival}} revived]] in 2001 for three more episodes, though with some controversy as it [[HappyEndingOverride immediately reversed the happy ending of the finale]] and [[StatusQuoIsGod returned the Trotters to poverty, even moving them back into the exact same council flat]]. There was also a one-off special in 2014 as part of Sport Relief, a charity drive held by the BBC every two years; in the special, Del and Rodney rope David Beckham into one of their moneymaking schemes. Creator/DavidJason also briefly reprised the Del Boy role in a recorded good luck message for the England Euro 2021 football team.

In addition to numerous [[TheMerch merchandising]] opportunities for Creator/TheBBC, the show spawned both a SpinOff (''Series/TheGreenGreenGrass'') and a {{Prequel}} (''Series/RockAndChips'').

In 1996, the series got a GrandFinale which sees the Trotters finally managed to become millionaires after discovering a rare watch in their garage which was auctioned for £6 million. The final episode attracted a record British television audience of over 24 million viewers. The show was then [[{{Revival}} revived]] in 2001 for three more episodes, though with some controversy as it [[HappyEndingOverride immediately reversed the happy ending of the finale]] and [[StatusQuoIsGod returned the Trotters to poverty, even moving them back into the exact same council flat]]. There was also a one-off special in 2014 as part of Sport Relief, a charity drive held by the BBC every two years; in the special, Del and Rodney rope David Beckham into one of their moneymaking schemes. Jason also briefly reprised the Del Boy role in a recorded good luck message for the England Euro 2021 football team.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The deaths of the actors who played Grandad and Uncle Albert were followed by the deaths of the characters in the show. Corrine and Mike, Denzil's wife and the pub landlord respectively, were also both written out of the series when the actors playing the passed away. Corrine was said to have divorced Denzil after being fed up with him, and Mike was caught by a federal investigation for fraud and serving prison time. John Sullivan was strongly opposed to the use of OtherDarrin s and when BBC executives suggested he deal with the problem of Lennard Pearce’s death by recasting Grandad, he put his foot down and created Uncle Albert instead.

* TwoHeadedCoin: In the Series 2 episode "A Losing Streak", Grandad gives Del a two-headed coin, which he tries to use to win bets with Boycie. Unfortunately, because he tosses, Boycie gets to call and keeps calling heads. At the end, after Del's beaten Boycie at poker, he offers Boycie double or nothing on the coin, but because Boycie thinks [[GamblersFallacy the law of averages means he's bound to lose this time]], Del suggests that instead Rodney could call it as Del's representative. He spins the coin...[[WhatAnIdiot and Rodney calls tails]].

Why do [[TitleDrop only fools and horses]] work?''\\

->''"Stick a pony in me pocket,\\

Why do only fools and horses work?"''\\

* {{Corpsing}}: In "[[Recap/OnlyFoolsAndHorsesS6E08RodneyComeHome Rodney Come Home]]", Creator/DavidJason is clearly trying hard not to laugh as Albert unsuccessfully tries to look "shocked" at Rodney.

Why do [[TitleDrop only fools and horses]] work?"''\\

* ClumsyCopyrightCensorship: To music licensing issues, on the DVD release some songs had to be removed, but in some cases, entires scenes have been cut because a particular song is being played in the background.

'''Pam:''' What for?\\
'''Alan:''' For pie and mash!\\

** [[spoiler: Rodney]] looks exactly like his dad, as seen in ''Rock and Chips''.

* Cassandra Louise Trotter (nee Parry): An UptownGirl who Rodney first meets at evening school at the start of the sixth series, which finishes with their wedding. Something of a DeadpnSnarker.
* Damien Derek Trotter: Del and Raquel's son, who Rodney suspects of being the Antichrist (he was even named as the result of a sarcastic suggestion by Rodney that Del and Raquel didn't realise [[Film/TheOmen1976 the significance of]]). By the 2001 revivial, he's a MouthyKid.

The show remains the BBC's choice of things to stick on at times when [[NoHoperRepeat they haven't got a chance of winning the timeslot]], or if there's the potential that the football will overrun (since the BBC needs something in that timeslot that can be ditched if the match goes into extra time). Re-runs turn up all the time on the digital channels, especially G.O.L.D. (formerly UKTV Gold) which is [[BelovedByTheNetwork almost guaranteed to show at least one episode on any given day]].

* AbsurdlyYouthfulMother: In "[[Recap/OnlyFoolsAndHorsesS6E04TheUnluckyWinnerIs The Unlucky Winner Is]]", Del wins a family holiday for the Trotters by entering a children's art contest with a picture painted by Rodney when he was 14. In order for them to be eligible to claim the prize, Rodney (who's in his early 20s) has to pose as a 14-year-old boy, with Del (who was 16-17 when Rodney was born) pretending to be his father. Del at least has the sense to claim Cassandra, about the same age as Rodney, as a stepmother.

--> '''Trigger:''' ''[on the name of Del's unborn son]'' If it's a boy they're naming it Rodney... after Dave.

* AcronymAndAbbreviationOverload At one point, Del Boy insists that "Modern businesspeople only speak in initials!" He initialises everything--examples include the GLC: "General 'Lectric Company" and PMA: "Positive Mental Attitude". He also tries to initialise "Trotter's Independent Traders" and Rodney's "Diploma In Computerisation", the results of which are duly pointed out.

** In a Comic Relief episode Uncle Albert mentions how nice it would be to walk through a door into the 1940s, which Rodney dismisses as stupid. Raquel then goes to bed and Del says "[[Series/GoodnightSweetheart Goodnight Sweetheart.]]". Del then remarks that he is not [[Series/ATouchOfFrost a chief inspector.]]
** This was also done the other way around--in ''Series/GoodnightSweetheart'' Gary (played by Creator/NicholasLyndhurst) is about to lean back and fall through an open bar door like Del Boy famously did, but notices in time and gives an AsideGlance wink to the audience--accompanied by uproarious laughter that must seem inexplicable and random to anyone unfamiliar with the ''Only Fools'' scene in question.

* AffectionateParody: Rodney's dream at the beginning of "Heroes and Villains" is in part a send-up of Cold Lazarus, which had aired earlier that year.

A British SitCom created and written by John Sullivan. It originally lasted for seven series airing between 1981-1991, followed by a number of {{Christmas Special}}s until 2003. The series follows the adventures of the working-class Trotter family, who aim to [[HonestJohnsDealership wheel and deal their way]] from a run-down council flat in Peckham (a borough in south London) to becoming millionaires. Their efforts usually involve [[GetRichQuickScheme get-rich-quick schemes]], many a FawltyTowersPlot, and selling useless or knockoff goods that had "[[FellOffTheBackOfATruck fallen off the back of a lorry]]".

In 1996, the series got a GrandFinale which sees the Trotters finally become millionaires after discovering a rare watch which was auctioned for £6 million. The final episode attracted a record British television audience of over 24 million viewers. The show was then [[{{Revival}} revived]] in 2001 for three more episodes, though with some controversy as it [[HappyEndingOverride immediately reversed the happy ending of the finale]] and [[StatusQuoIsGod returned the Trotters to poverty, even moving them back into the exact same council flat]]. There was also a one-off special in 2014 as part of Sport Relief, a charity drive held by the BBC every two years; in the special, Del and Rodney rope David Beckham into one of their moneymaking schemes. Jason also briefly reprised the Del Boy role in a recorded good luck message for the England Euro 2021 football team.

* Derek "Del Boy" Edward Trotter: A LoveableRogue who always comes up with daft schemes to try and make money. Famous for awful attempts at French (notably confusing "Bonjour" and "Au revoir"). Pretty much Sir Creator/DavidJason's defining role, to the point that "Arise Sir Del Boy" was the joke made by several newspapers when his knighthood was announced.
* Rodney Charlton Trotter: Brother of Del Boy, he's the smarter of the two, but also naive and gormless (he possesses an impressive OhCrap stare). Begins as an idealistic SoapBoxSadie counterpoint to the older, more cynical and picaresque-ish Del, and later becomes, of all things, a DeadpanSnarker. Creator/NicholasLyndhurst's most famous role, although he has done other things.
* Grandad (Edward Kitchener "Ted" Trotter): TheDitz and often TheLoad for Del and Rodney. Appears in the first three series. When actor Lennard Pearce died while they were filming series four, [[TheCharacterDiedWithHim Grandad died too]] and his funeral features in the episode "Strained Relations".
* Uncle Albert (Albert Gladstone Trotter): Actually Del and Rodney's great uncle, Albert is Grandad's [[LongLostRelative long lost brother]] and appears in Peckham [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute shortly after the latter's death]]. An old sailor with a [[SeadogBeard Captain Birdseye beard]] and a penchant for reminiscing about life DuringTheWar. Actor Buster Merryfield died in 1999, and his death was also written into the show.
* Rachel "Raquel" Turner: Originally a OneShotCharacter, she appears in the 1988 ChristmasSpecial "Dates" as Del's girlfriend. They split up, but Del meets her again in the 1989 ChristmasSpecial "The Jolly Boys' Outing". She subsequently moves in with the Trotters, serving as the TeamMom.
* Cassandra Louise Parry: An UptownGirl who Rodney first meets at evening school (and then later marries) in the sixth series.
* Damien Trotter: Del and Raquel's son, who Rodney suspects of being the Antichrist (named after a sarcastic suggestion by Rodney that Del didn't pick up [[Film/TheOmen1976 the significance of]]). A MouthyKid.

* Mike Fisher: The landlord of the Trotter's favourite pub, ''The Nag's Head''. A pretty sensible guy, but also rather gullible and often a target customer for Del's dodgy goods.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63rcdLeXiU8 Del Boy falling through a bar.]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnhYzfg7ug4 The chandelier scene.]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93bAdEf0pzc Batman and Robin.]]

The show remains the BBC's choice of things to stick on at times when [[NoHoperRepeat they haven't got a chance of winning the timeslot]], or if there's the potential that the football will overrun (meaning that the show won't get aired if the football goes into extra time). Re-runs turn up all the time on the digital channels, especially G.O.L.D. (formerly UKTV Gold) which is almost guaranteed to show at least one episode on any given day.

* Marlene: Boycie's wife. Originally TheGhost, only referred to in the pub ("[[ReallyGetsAround all the lads remember Marlene]]"), she starts appearing in the fourth series from "Sleeping Dogs Lie" onward. There is a constant undercurrent of an affair between her and Del.

* Del Boy (Derek Edward Trotter): A LoveableRogue who always comes up with daft schemes to try and make money. Famous for awful attempts at French (notably confusing "Bonjour" and "Au revoir"). Pretty much Sir Creator/DavidJason's defining role, to the point that "Arise Sir Del Boy" was the joke made by several newspapers when his knighthood was announced.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/onlyfoolsandhorses.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"This time next year, we'll be millionaires"''[[note]]The original trio, from left: [[LovableRogue Del Boy]], [[TheConscience Rodney]], [[TheDitz Grandad]].[[/note]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:''"This time next year, we'll be millionaires"''[[note]]The original trio, from left: [[LovableRogue Del Boy]], [[TheConscience Rodney]], [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Grandad]].[[/note]]]]