Mike Fisher (Only Fools and Horses)

Last updated

Mike Fisher
Only Fools and Horses character
Mike Fisher (Only Fools and Horses).jpg
Portrayed by Kenneth MacDonald
Duration1983, 1985–1993, 1996
First appearance Who's a Pretty Boy?
Last appearance Time On Our Hands
Classification Former; regular
Created by John Sullivan
In-universe information
Occupation Barman (1983–1996)
Pub landlord (1983–2001)
WifeUnnamed wife (divorced)

Michael David Fisher (born 12 December 1950 in Acton) [1] is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses . He was publican of the Nag's Head, the fictional Peckham pub that frequently serves as a setting in the show. Mike was portrayed by Kenneth MacDonald, and appeared in the show from 1983 to 1996.

Mike first appeared in Only Fools and Horses in the episode, Who's a Pretty Boy? , in which Del ingratiated himself with the new landlord by agreeing to a deal which would see Mike accept Del's £2,000 offer to re-decorate the pub, leaving them with £500 apiece and using the remaining £1,000 to pay Brendan O'Shaughnessy. With many scenes in subsequent episodes set in the Nag's Head, Mike became a regular character.

Friendly but dull-witted, Mike was often on the receiving end of Del's shenanigans or attempts to sell his low-quality goods. He rarely managed to get to Del to pay off his bar tab or even to pay for his drinks as he ordered them. Among the goods he bought from Del were a hairdryer that was actually a paint stripper (leaving Mike with severe burns to the head), a malfunctioning deep fryer and a faulty fax machine. On the other hand, he was quite happy to con people out of their money when he could, evidenced by one occasion where he sold Denzil a plate of beef stew for £1, then sold exactly the same thing to a yuppie for £2.50, calling it "Boeuf Bourguignon."

When Kenneth MacDonald died in 2001, writer John Sullivan added a storyline to new episode "If They Could See Us Now", which explained that Mike had been caught up in Del and Rodney's shady financial dealings and attempted to embezzle the brewery in order to cover his losses, for which he was imprisoned. Café owner Sid took over Mike's position of landlord.

In the 2015 book He Who Dares, a fictional Del Boy autobiography, it is said that Mike's prison sentence had been reduced and he had retired to the Isle of Wight to write a memoir of his time inside. Del had left him a number of messages, but had never received any responses.

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">Del Boy</span> Fictional character

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.

Trigger (<i>Only Fools and Horses</i>) Fictional character from Only Fools and Horses

Colin Arthur Ball, better known as Trigger, is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses and its prequel Rock & Chips. He was played by Roger Lloyd-Pack in Only Fools and Horses and Lewis Osbourne in Rock & Chips. According to Del Boy, he earned the nickname Trigger because he looks like a horse.

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

Terrance Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, played by John Challis. His story is continued in the spin-off series The Green Green Grass in which Boycie and his family flee to the countryside to escape from the Driscoll Brothers. A younger Boycie also appears in the prequel series Rock & Chips. Along with Denzil, he is one of only two characters to appear in all three.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth MacDonald (English actor)</span> Actor, best known for playing Mike Fisher in Only Fools and Horses

Kenneth MacDonald was an English actor who was best known for the parts of Gunner Nobby Clark in It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Mike Fisher in Only Fools and Horses.

"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.

Rachel "Raquel" Turner is a fictional character from the BBC television sitcom Only Fools and Horses, in which she is Del Boy's long-term partner. She is portrayed by Tessa Peake-Jones.

"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 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.

"If They Could See Us Now.....!" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 2001 as the first part of the early 2000s Christmas trilogy and the sixteenth Christmas special. In the episode, the Trotters lose their fortune and Del goes on a game show to try to regain some of it.

"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.

"Who's a Pretty Boy?" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the penultimate episode of Series 3 and was first broadcast on 22 December 1983. In the episode, Del persuades Denzil to let them redecorate his flat, despite the objections of Denzil's wife Corrine. Things go awry when they think they have killed Corrine's pet canary.

"Danger UXD" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of series 6 and first broadcast on 15 January 1989. In the episode, Del acquires a batch of faulty sex dolls, which have inadvertently been filled with an explosive gas.

"Watching the Girls Go By" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the sixth episode of series 4 and first broadcast on 28 March 1985. In the episode Rodney, egged on by Del, bets Mickey Pearce that he can find a date for an upcoming party and Del decides to help him win the bet.

"Sickness and Wealth" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the fifth episode of series 6, and was first broadcast on 5 February 1989. In the episode, Del is suffering from stomach cramps, but refuses to see a doctor. Elsewhere, Del organises a séance.

<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.

Keep On Running (<i>The Green Green Grass</i>) 1st episode of the 1st series of The Green Green Grass

"Keep On Running" is the premiere episode of the BBC sitcom The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 9 September 2005 as the first episode of the first series. It was written by The Green Green Grass and Only Fools and Horses series creator John Sullivan and directed by Tony Dow.

References

  1. "Comedy - Only Fools and Horses - Mike".