Synopsis
Roy Slater, a duplicitous, mean-spirited police officer and hated ex-schoolmate of Del Boy, has returned to Peckham, where he has been tasked with tracking down a stolen microwave. He meets Trigger and Boycie – both uncomfortable by his return – in the Nag's Head, and announces that he has recently been promoted to Detective Inspector. He begins talking to Rodney, who is unaware that Slater is a police officer, and tells him that he is an old friend of Del's.
Rodney invites Slater back to Nelson Mandela House to reunite with Del, to Del's shock. After spotting a suspicious microwave in the Trotters' flat, Slater arrests Del, Rodney and Grandad. At the police station, Slater interrogates the trio about where, and from whom, they acquired the microwave. In an improvised story, they state that it belonged to an unidentified deaf man in the market who dropped it. Del, Rodney, and Grandad are interviewed separately, giving vastly differing descriptions of the man in the market, disagreeing on height, age and ethnic group.
When Slater briefly leaves for the canteen, his partner, PC Terry Hoskins (whose mother, it emerges, has recently bought a gas fire from Del), advises Del to tell Slater the truth about the microwave. Slater returns with Rodney's criminal file for possession of cannabis, and makes a veiled threat that drugs may be planted on Rodney, meaning both he and Del would go to prison, leaving Grandad alone and at-risk on the estate. Del refuses to give the name of the person who stole the microwave until Slater prepares to have the charge sheets typed up, whereupon Del offers Slater the name of the thief, provided that he, Rodney, and Grandad are granted immunity from prosecution in writing and released without charge. Realising how much leverage being an informant would give him over Del in future, Slater happily agrees.
With all the paperwork drawn up and signed by the Superintendent, Rodney and Grandad are led back into the interview room to see a crestfallen Del as he prepares to sign it. He tells them of his predicament, explaining he has no choice but to co-operate, with he and Rodney facing the possibility of long prison sentences and Grandad being uncared for on the estate. He signs it and is asked by Slater: "Who nicked the microwave?" After further reassurances of his immunity from prosecution, Del confesses that he himself was the thief and confidently holds up his immunity document at a speechless Slater.
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.
Edward Kitchener "Ted" Trotter, better known as Grandad, is a fictional character who was one of the original leads of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He appeared in the show's first three series, played by Lennard Pearce. The character is grandfather to Del Boy and Rodney Trotter. Pearce's death in December 1984 was written into the series with the death of Grandad. His place was taken by Uncle Albert.
Rodney Charlton Trotter is a fictional character in the long running BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst.
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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"The Long Legs of the Law" is the first episode of series 2 of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was first broadcast on 21 October 1982. The title of the episode was a pun on the police term "the long arm of the law". In the episode, Del is horrified when he discovers that Rodney is dating a policewoman.
"Homesick" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the first episode of series 3, and was first broadcast on 10 November 1983. In the episode Rodney is appointed chairman of the local Tenants Association, and Del expects him to use his influence to secure a move to a council bungalow.
"Healthy Competition" is the second episode of series 3 of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was first broadcast on 17 November 1983. In the episode, Rodney decides to leave Trotters Independent Traders and go into business with Mickey Pearce, but soon learns that it is harder than it looks.
"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.
"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.
"Ashes to Ashes" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of Series 2, and was first screened on 28 October 1982.
"It Never Rains..." is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the sixth episode of series 2, and was first screened on 25 November 1982. In the episode, Del, Rodney and Grandad go on holiday to Spain. All is going well until Grandad gets arrested.
"Wanted" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the sixth episode of series 3, and was first broadcast on 15 December 1983. In the episode, after an incident with a local woman, Del Boy pretends that Rodney had been dubbed the 'Peckham pouncer' and is being hunted by the police, so Rodney goes on the run.
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.
"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.
"The Frog and the Pussycat" is the third and final episode of the Rock & Chips trilogy. It was first screened on 28 April 2011, six days after the death of writer John Sullivan.
