Cash and Curry

Last updated

"Cash and Curry"
Only Fools and Horses episode
Episode no.Series 1
Episode 3
Directed byMartin Shardlow
Written by John Sullivan
Original air date22 September 1981 (1981-09-22)
Running time29:51 (DVD/iTunes)
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Go West Young Man"		Next →
"The Second Time Around"
List of episodes

"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.

Contents

Synopsis

Rodney arrives to pick Del Boy up from a dinner and dance. While there, Rodney is introduced by Del to Vimmal Malik, an Indian man who is looking for business opportunities, much to Del's interest. Outside, the brothers become involved in a dispute between Vimmal and Mr Ram, a man who seems to have a vendetta against Vimmal. During the exchange, Ram's bodyguard tries to intimidate Del with faked Karate moves, but Del distracts him and hits him in the groin. Del, however, agrees to talk with Ram after Rodney leaves him stranded and drives away with Vimmal.

At an Indian restaurant which Ram claims to be one of eighteen he owns, Ram explains to Del and Rodney (who arrived looking for Del) that he and Malik are from rival families, each of whom makes claim to an ancient statue of the Hindu God Kubera (who Del originally believed to be "one of India's premier wicketkeepers"), a statue of great sentimental and financial value. Malik has the statue but Ram wants it back and informs Del that he is prepared to pay £4,000 for it. He is unable to make such an offer directly however, due to the caste system preventing him from speaking to Malik directly. Sensing an opportunity to profit, Del agrees to act as a messenger for Ram and Vimmal.

Del speaks to Malik, informing him that Ram is prepared to pay £2,000, his intention being to keep the other £2,000 for himself. Malik eventually accepts the offer, but is unwilling to hand over the statue before receiving the cash. A problem emerges when it becomes clear that Ram is equally unwilling to hand over the money before receiving the statue. Rodney at this point attempts to convince Del to let the deal go, but Del is unrelenting and decides to raise the £2,000 himself by selling off unwanted or unneeded items from the flat. Eventually he succeeds in convincing Rodney to go along with the plan.

The money is duly raised and paid to Malik, and the statue handed over. When Del Boy and Rodney go to the restaurant Ram supposedly owns, however, they find that he is gone – and that he does not own the restaurant and never did. The waiter there, who is the real owner of the restaurant, informs him that the cheque provided by Ram bounced, and that enquiries as to his accommodation revealed Ram had left there as well, leaving three weeks' rent unpaid. Adding to the Trotters' woes, the owner examines the statue and reveals that they cost just £17 in Portobello Road. Fearing the worst, Del and Rodney rush back to Malik's hotel, and find he has also disappeared.

Meanwhile, on the motorway, Malik and Ram joke to each other about the stupidity of the Trotter brothers in falling for the scam, and it emerges that they are professional con artists who have successfully carried this out in various other cities (Cardiff, Bristol, Southampton, and North and South London), as they travel to their next destination to try it again.

Outside Malik's hotel, after reflecting on their losses Del decides to go for something to eat to cheer himself up. Rodney jokingly suggests they head to Ram's curry house, which angers Del who then throws the statue at Rodney. The camera freezes as the statue is still in the air. [1] [2]

Episode cast

ActorRole
David Jason Derek Trotter
Nicholas Lyndhurst Rodney Trotter
Renu Setna Mr. Ram
Ahmed KhalilVimmal Malik
Babar Bhatti Restaurant manager

This is one of only two episodes to not feature Lennard Pearce as Grandad.

Episode concept

The idea for the script was based purely on the name of the episode, "Cash and Curry", from that the script was devised. [3]

Music

Pink Floyd : "Money"

Note: In the VHS/DVD versions, Pink Floyd's "Money" is replaced by another piece of music. The original soundtrack is restored on the iTunes release.

Ronnie Hazlehurst : Original Theme Tune

Note: In the original series 1 broadcasts of Only Fools and Horses, the theme tune was very different to the version adopted from series 2, which became the standard version known today. Composed by Ronnie Hazlehurst, the original theme tune was a jazzy instrumental tune that played over the start and end credits. This tune was replaced in series 2 with a version written and sung by John Sullivan. After the initial run of series 1, all future re-runs replaced the Hazlehurst version with John Sullivan's to match the other series. The VHS/DVD versions all contain John Sullivan's version, and recordings with Hazlehurst's original tune are extremely rare, though it can be heard in a scene during episode 1 of the first series.

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.

"Thicker than Water" is the third Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, broadcast on 25 December 1983, and is the first to be screened on Christmas Day.

"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.

"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.

"Strained Relations" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of series 4, and was first screened on 28 February 1985.

"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.

"The Longest Night" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the third episode of series 5, and was first screened on 14 September 1986. In the episode the Trotters are accused of shoplifting at a local supermarket and taken up to the manager's office. Whilst there they are held hostage by an armed robber who shares a connection with Del.

"Little Problems" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of series 6, and was first screened on 12 February 1989.

"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.

"The Class of '62" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the fourth episode of series 7, and was first broadcast on 20 January 1991. In the episode, Del Boy, Rodney, Boycie, Denzil and Trigger attend a school reunion which, to their surprise, has been arranged by Roy Slater.

"Mother Nature's Son" is the eleventh Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was first broadcast on 25 December 1992 and also the first special since Thicker than Water to feature the holiday of Christmas in the episode itself. In the episode, Del sells tap water as Peckham Spring.

"A Losing Streak" is the third episode of series 2 of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was first broadcast on 4 November 1982. In the episode, Del Boy plays a high-stakes game of poker with Boycie. Also, this is the only episode in the series in which Boycie serves as an antagonist.

"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.

"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.

"The Miracle of Peckham" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of series 5, and was first broadcast on 7 September 1986. In the episode, Del witnesses a miracle at his local church, which creates a media frenzy.

"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.

"As One Door Closes" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of series 4 and first broadcast on 4 April 1985. In the episode, Del and Rodney hunt for a rare butterfly.

"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.

References

  1. ↑ "Episode Summary". BBC. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  2. ↑ "Full Episode Script". ofah.net. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  3. ↑ Did You Know? Archived 16 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine ofah.net
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.