A Royal Flush

Last updated

"A Royal Flush"
Only Fools and Horses episode
Episode no.Episode 5
(Christmas Special)
Directed by Ray Butt
Written by John Sullivan
Original air date25 December 1986 (1986-12-25)
Running timeOriginal cut: 76 minutes
Writer's cut: 58 minutes
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"		Next →
"The Frog's Legacy"
List of episodes

"A Royal Flush" is the fifth Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses , first screened on 25 December 1986. It was re-edited into a shorter version with an added laughter track and released on DVD in 2004. In the episode, Rodney becomes friends with the daughter of a Duke, and Del decides to help him make the right impression.

Contents

Synopsis

As Del Boy sells cutlery to the local market crowd, Rodney encounters a pretty young woman and abandons his lookout position to talk to her. At Sid's café, she introduces herself as Vicky. As the conversation develops, Rodney discovers that she is Lady Victoria Marsham-Hales of Covington House, Berkshire, the daughter of the Duke of Maylebury, who is a second cousin of the Queen. She also explains that her mother died in a skiing accident. Sensing a chance to make the Trotter family millionaires, Del decides to assist Rodney's blossoming friendship with Lady Victoria by acquiring tickets for the opera Carmen .

On the night of the opera, Rodney and Victoria arrive, only to see that Del has also attended, along with June Snell (last seen in "Happy Returns"), an ex-girlfriend of Del and mother of one of Rodney's old girlfriends. Del and June ruin the night by obnoxiously eating snacks, talking during the performance, and arguing with other audience members. Nonetheless, Victoria invites Rodney to stay at Covington House for the weekend. Wanting Rodney to make a good impression, Del insists he dress as a country gentleman in a tweed suit. Already uncomfortable during the weekend in Berkshire, Rodney is aghast when Del arrives with a confused Albert in the van, claiming to have turned up to deliver Rodney's evening suit that he "forgot" (although Rodney knows that he packed it and Del removed it so he had an excuse to turn up). As Rodney tries to calm himself, Del introduces himself to Victoria's father, Henry, and invites himself to that evening's dinner, having "coincidentally" brought his own evening suit. Del takes part in their clay pigeon shoot using a pump-action shotgun borrowed from bank robber Iggy Higgins and quickly begins to anger Henry.

At dinner, Del gets drunk and starts offending the guests with risqué jokes, implying a wedding between Rodney and Victoria is to be held, constantly talking about Leonardo da Vinci and humiliating Rodney by revealing his conviction for possession of cannabis. Del finally angers Henry enough by telling a skiing joke despite knowing Victoria's mother died in a skiing accident. In a fit of rage, Henry demands Del meet him outside. As the two leave, Victoria asks Rodney if he is still staying overnight. Rodney reluctantly declines and decides to leave, both understanding that they should not see each other again. Outside, Henry orders that Del, Rodney and Albert are to leave his house immediately. Del tells Henry that Rodney may need to be paid off to leave Victoria alone.

Back at the flat, a fuming Rodney rants to a hungover Del about how he has always ruined his opportunities to make a success of his life by getting involved and injures his hand by punching a vent cover out of annoyance. After Rodney reveals that he refused the offer of a £1,000 payoff from Henry to stop seeing Vicky (infuriating Del, who had arranged the offer), Del says that had Rodney refused to stop seeing Victoria, he would probably have been assassinated by the Special Branch because of his conviction for drug use. Del half-heartedly apologises to Rodney and asks him to shake his hand, but this turns out to be a ploy for Del to inflict pain on Rodney for refusing the £1,000 by squeezing his injured hand.

Episode cast

ActorRole
David Jason Derek Trotter
Nicholas Lyndhurst Rodney Trotter
Buster Merryfield Albert Trotter
Paul McDowell Man in Market
Sarah DuncanLady Victoria Marsham Hales
Roger Lloyd-Pack Trigger
Andrew ReadmanPoliceman
Roy Heather Sid
Robert Vahey Dosser
 
ActorRole
Geoffrey WilkinsonEric the chauffeur
Alan CodyTicket collector
Christina MichaelsProgramme seller
Diane Langton June Snell
Robin HerfordMan at opera
Richenda Carey Lady at opera
Gordon Salkilld St. John Ambulance man
Roger DavidsonMr. Dow
Jack Hedley Henry Marsham, Duke of Maylebury

Production

Writing

Two things inspired this episode. One was how the younger nobility were becoming closer to the working class, and the second was stories in the newspapers about the Special Branch being employed to protect the younger royals from possible kidnap. Sullivan put these two things together when writing the episode and created the storyline of how Del would protect Rodney and at the same time "make a few bob on it". "Although Del comes across as rather cruel in the episode, his heart is in the right place". [1]

Filming

Filming for the episode began in November 1986 in Salisbury. Scenes set at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane were all filmed there, except for the auditorium scenes and the performance of Carmen , which were instead filmed at the Buxton Opera House. Filming was delayed on two occasions due to the separate illnesses of David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst. While the dinner scene towards the end of the episode was being filmed, writer John Sullivan was filming Just Good Friends in Paris. Sullivan said he later regretted this and was unhappy with the scene. Producer Ray Butt agreed and took responsibility for the scene, stating that he thought "David [Jason] went a bit over the top" and that "Del turned too nasty and lost his warmth." Later, Jason also conceded that "perhaps that scene wasn't as good as it could have been." [2]

Intended to be recorded in front of a live studio audience, time constraints meant that this was not possible, and thus the original version of the episode does not include a laughter track. [2]

Editing

Ray Butt and Tony Dow completed editing the episode on Christmas morning of 1986, the day it was due to be broadcast. There had been concern that the episode would not be completed on time, and a contingency plan was created which would have seen the final scene in the flat broadcast live. [2]

The original version of the episode was released for VHS in 1998. In 2004, when the episode was due to be released on DVD, John Sullivan oversaw a re-edit. Eighteen minutes of footage was removed, and the episode was screened for members of the Only Fools and Horses Appreciation Society, with their reaction recorded and serving as a new laughter track. Dubbed the "writer's cut", this version of the episode became the main version supplied in subsequent home video releases and on television repeats. In 2021, both versions of the episode were remastered in high definition and released together on Blu-ray. [2]

Music

Related Research Articles

<i>Only Fools and Horses</i> British TV sitcom (1981–2003)

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 half-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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uncle Albert</span> Fictional character from Only Fools and Horses

Albert Gladstone Trotter, better known as Uncle Albert, is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, portrayed by Buster Merryfield. He was introduced during the fourth series as a replacement for the character of Grandad due to the sudden death of Lennard Pearce in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodney Trotter</span> Fictional character from Only Fools and Horses

Rodney Charlton Trotter is a fictional character in the long running BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst.

<i>The Green Green Grass</i> British TV sitcom (2005–2009)

The Green Green Grass is a BBC television sitcom, created and initially written by John Sullivan, and produced by BBC Studios Comedy Productions and Shazam Productions for the BBC. It is a sequel/spin-off of the long-running sitcom Only Fools and Horses and stars John Challis, Sue Holderness, and Jack Doolan. Four series and three Christmas specials were originally broadcast on BBC One between 2005 and 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Touch of Glass</span> 7th episode of the 2nd series of Only Fools and Horses

"A Touch of Glass" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 2 December 1982 as the final episode of series 2. It was the first episode of the show to attract over 10 million viewers.

"Big Brother" is the first episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It is the first episode of series 1, and was first broadcast on 8 September 1981. In the episode, Del buys a consignment of briefcases, only to later discover that the combinations are locked inside.

"Yuppy Love" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It originally aired on 8 January 1989 and is the first episode of series six, marking the start of the increase in running time from thirty minutes to fifty minutes per episode.

"The Frog's Legacy" is the sixth Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was first broadcast on 25 December 1987. In the episode, the Trotters search for the hidden gold legacy of Freddie "The Frog" Robdal, an old friend of their mother's.

"The Russians Are Coming" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was first screened on 13 October 1981, as the final episode of series 1. In the episode, Del buys a nuclear fallout shelter and, anticipating a nuclear war, the Trotters decide to build it.

"Christmas Crackers" is the first Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was originally screened on 28 December 1981 and is the first episode of the series to run at over 30 minutes.

"The Second Time Around" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the fourth episode of series 1, and was first broadcast on 29 September 1981. In the episode, an old fiancée of Del's returns and they rekindle their relationship, to Rodney and Grandad's horror.

"Hole in One" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the third episode of series 4 and was first broadcast on 7 March 1985. In the episode, Del decides to sue the brewery after Uncle Albert falls down the Nag's Head cellar.

"Time on Our Hands" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. First screened on 29 December 1996, it was the final episode of that year's Christmas trilogy and the fifteenth Christmas special overall. It attracted a television audience of 24.3 million, a record for a British sitcom. In the episode, the Trotters finally become millionaires. It had initially been intended to be the series finale, but creator John Sullivan wrote three more specials that were screened annually between 2001 and 2003, starting with "If They Could See Us Now".

"Go West Young Man" is the second episode of the first series of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was first screened on 15 September 1981. This was the lowest rated episode of the entire series, with only 6.1 million viewers. In the episode, Del sells a faulty car to an Australian man.

Cassandra Louise Trotter is a fictional character from the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. She is portrayed by Gwyneth Strong.

"Cash and Curry" is the third episode of series 1 of the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses. It was first screened on 22 September 1981. In the episode, Del Boy sees a chance to profit from a dispute between two Indian businessmen.

"A Slow Bus to Chingford" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the fifth episode of series 1, and was first broadcast on 6 October 1981. In the episode, Del acquires an old double decker bus and decides to give tours around London.

"Happy Returns" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the first episode of series 4, and was first broadcast on 21 February 1985. In the episode, when Del discovers that Rodney's latest girlfriend is the daughter of an old flame, he suspects she might be his daughter.

"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>Rock & Chips</i> British television miniseries

Rock & Chips is a British television comedy-drama miniseries and a prequel to the sitcom Only Fools and Horses. The show is set in Peckham, southeast London, during the early 1960s, focusing primarily on the lives of Del Trotter, Freddie Robdal and Joan and Reg Trotter. Nicholas Lyndhurst, who played Rodney in Only Fools and Horses, plays Robdal alongside James Buckley, Kellie Bright (Joan), Shaun Dingwall (Reg) and Phil Daniels (Grandad). The Shazam and BBC Studios Comedy Drama co-production was written by Only Fools and Horses creator John Sullivan, directed by Dewi Humphreys and produced by Gareth Gwenlan.

References

  1. ↑ "The Only Fools and Horses DVD Collection". The Only Fools and Horses Collection (13): 4. 2005. ISSN   1743-2065.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Steve Clark (2021). Only Fools and Horses: The 80s Specials Blu-ray (Collectors' Booklet). BBC.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.