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| "Strangers on the Shore" | |
|---|---|
| Only Fools and Horses episodes | |
| Episode nos. | Episodes 17 (Christmas special) |
| Directed by | Tony Dow |
| Written by | John Sullivan |
| Produced by | Gareth Gwenlan |
| Original air date | 25 December 2002 |
| Running time | 75 minutes |
"Strangers on the Shore...!" is An episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses , first screened on 25 December 2002 as the second part of the early 2000s Christmas trilogy, the seventeenth Christmas special and the 63rd episode of the series.
As the Trotters lost their fortune due to the collapse of the Central American market, Del Boy has been a chauffeur for Boycie. As Boycie and Marlene prepare to go to a relative's wedding, Boycie boasts to Del about how he is going be a millionaire when he travels to France in a month's time to sign a multi-million pound deal with an Iranian businessman, and will not make the same mistakes that Del made. Annoyed by Boycie's insults, Del gains his revenge on Boycie by squeezing a tube of onion purée into his hair gel (Boycie cannot smell it because he has a blocked nose). Meanwhile, at Nelson Mandela House, Del buys twenty Slovakian log-effect gas fires and a letter arrives addressed to the late Uncle Albert informing him of a naval reunion at a village in France.
Sometime later, at The Nag's Head, Raquel and a pregnant Cassandra join Del and Rodney in a conversation about how Albert's life journey and love life are similar to the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin , before Raquel shows Del Albert's letter. Since Albert has died, Rodney suggests that they represent Albert at the reunion and scatter his ashes at sea. Del agrees, but also has other plans, such as asking Denzil and Trigger to travel with them in Denzil's lorry, to allow them to purchase a large amount of duty-free alcohol which they can sell to Sid at the pub.
On the ferry to France, Del and Rodney scatter Albert's ashes into the sea. They arrive in France and drive to the village of St. Claire de la Chappelle where they meet another former sailor named George Parker. In a café, as George tells them about how much of a lothario Albert was, the Trotter brothers notice that a number of the men in the village bear a striking resemblance to Albert. Meanwhile, Denzil and Trigger wait for Del at the wine warehouse.
After the reunion, the Trotters drive back to the ferry port and meet Denzil and Trigger at the wine warehouse, where they load Denzil's lorry with duty-free Saint-Omer beer to take back to England with them.
Later that night, back at Nelson Mandela House and while storing the beer in Del's garage, Denzil and Trigger find an man in the back of Denzil's lorry, who they assume is an illegal immigrant. The Trotter brothers head down to the garage and investigate. They are unable to find out the man's name as he does not speak English. Del and Rodney bring him up to the flat and introduce him to Raquel, Damien, and Cassandra as "Gary", a friend whom Rodney met at evening school. A short time later, Boycie shows up asking to stay the night at the flat, because a gas leak from the log-effect fires Del sold him has filled his house with gas and the fire brigade has evacuated the entire road. Marlene and Tyler are staying at her mother's, who has barred Boycie from staying because of an altercation at the wedding (caused by the onion purée Del squeezed into Boycie's hair gel). Feeling guilty, Del reluctantly allows Boycie to stay.
A few days later, the fire brigade allow Boycie to move back into his house, and he asks Del to drive him to France the following week so he can sign the contract. Rodney suggests taking "Gary" back with them, but Del refuses out of fear of being caught smuggling a migrant out of the country. Boycie tells them that Damien has taken him to play football with his friends and he has not been seen since. The Trotters drive Boycie to France in a van (which Del intends to fill up with more cheap alcohol), while a news report featuring "Gary" reveals his real name to be Rashid Mamoon (he was working at the wine warehouse and loading Denzil's lorry, when Del accidentally trapped him under some beer boxes), and that the police are searching for the "Gary Gang". When Del, Rodney, and Boycie arrive in France, they meet with Boycie's business partner, Mr. Mamoon, who introduces them to his son, Rashid. Believing the trio are there to demand a ransom, Rashid panics and claims Boycie and the Trotter brothers are the kidnappers. Mr. Mamoon calls the police and Del, Rodney and Boycie are arrested for kidnapping.
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Only Fools and Horses.... is a British television sitcom created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas specials aired until the end of the show in 2003. Set in working-class Peckham in south-east London, it stars David Jason as ambitious market trader Derek "Del Boy" Trotter and Nicholas Lyndhurst as his younger brother Rodney Trotter, alongside a supporting cast. The series follows the Trotters' highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich. Critically and popularly acclaimed, the series received numerous awards, including recognition from BAFTA, the National Television Awards and the Royal Television Society, as well as winning individual accolades for both Sullivan and Jason. It was voted Britain's Best Sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll.
Derek Edward Trotter, more commonly known as Del Boy, is a fictional character from the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses and one of the main characters of its spinoff series, Rock & Chips. He was played by David Jason in the original series and was portrayed as a teenager by James Buckley in the prequel. Del Boy is often regarded as one of the greatest comedy characters in the history of British television, and is regarded as an iconic character in British culture. In a 2001 poll conducted by Channel 4 Del Boy was ranked fourth on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.
Roy Slater is a recurring character in the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He was played by Jim Broadbent, and in the prequel Rock and Chips, by Calum MacNab.
Denzil Tulser, is a character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, played by Paul Barber.
"The Jolly Boys' Outing" is the eighth Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 1989. Despite being aired as a Christmas special, it is set on an August bank holiday weekend, and sees Del and the gang go on a road trip to Margate.
"To Hull and Back" is the fourth Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 1985. It was the first feature-length edition of the show and also the first special not to feature or mention the holiday of Christmas itself in the episode. Parts of the special were shot on location in Amsterdam and unlike most other episodes was shot entirely on film and not before a studio audience. In the episode, the Trotters agree to smuggle diamonds from Amsterdam for Boycie.
"Chain Gang" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the third episode of series 6, and was first broadcast on 22 January 1989. In the episode, Del puts together a consortium to buy a set of 18 carat gold chains from a retired jeweller.
"Fatal Extraction" is the twelfth Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, first broadcast on 25 December 1993. In the episode, Raquel leaves Del so in response he asks out another woman. When he and Raquel are reconciled, Del becomes convinced that the woman is stalking him.
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"Sleepless in Peckham...!" is the final episode of BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was first screened on 25 December 2003 as the third and final part of the early 2000s Christmas trilogy, and as the eighteenth and final Christmas special. It was the last Only Fools and Horses-related episode until the Sport Relief special in March 2014.
"From Prussia with Love" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the first episode of Series 5, and was first broadcast on 31 August 1986. In the episode, the Trotters meet a pregnant German girl and invite her to stay at the flat.
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"Sleeping Dogs Lie" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the fifth episode of series 4 and first broadcast on 21 March 1985. In the episode, Del Boy and Rodney look after Boycie and Marlene's cherished Great Dane, Duke.
"The Sky's the Limit" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the first episode of series 7, and first broadcast on 30 December 1990. In the episode, Del acquires a satellite dish for Boycie, unaware that it has been stolen from Gatwick Airport.
"The Chance of a Lunchtime" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of series 7 and first broadcast on 6 January 1991. In the episode, Raquel auditions for a role in a Shakespeare play. Elsewhere, Del tries to sell musical national anthem doorbells.
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Uncle" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the fifth episode of series 7, and was first broadcast on 27 January 1991. In the episode, Uncle Albert comes home claiming to have been mugged and, thinking he has become a burden, decides to leave Nelson Mandela House.
"Miami Twice" is the two-part tenth Christmas special edition of the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. The first episode, on-screen subtitle "The American Dream", was first screened on 24 December 1991. The second episode of "Miami Twice" was first screened the following day, 25 December 1991. The second episode is subtitled "Oh to Be in England".
"I Done It My Way" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It aired on 19 February 2009, as the seventh episode of the fourth series. This episode acted as a 'clip show' for both Only Fools and Horses and The Green Green Grass. In total, the episode contained around forty clips, some of which were made specially for this episode. When series 4 was released on DVD, both separately, as well as part of a box set, the episode was left out, because of the archive clips. Even digital comedy channel Gold refuse to show the episode because of this, and is not available to watch on any catch-up services, including BBC iPlayer.
"Five Gold Rings" is the second episode of the Rock & Chips trilogy and the series' only Christmas Special. It was first aired on 29 December 2010.