The Special Relationship (The Green Green Grass)

Last updated

"The Special Relationship"
The Green Green Grass episode
Episode no.Series 3
Episode 8
Directed byDewi Humphreys
Written byJohn Sullivan
Keith Lindsay
Production code3:8 (23)
Original air date30 December 2007 (2007-12-30)
Running time40 Minutes
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Lust in Translation"
Next 
"The Path of True Love"
The Green Green Grass (series 3)
List of episodes

"The Special Relationship" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass . It was first screened on 30 December 2007, as the 2007 Christmas special. [1]

Contents

Synopsis

Whilst out in the fields, Boycie and Marlene are horrified when Earl digs up an unexploded hand grenade, and after throwing it as far away as possible, they take cover behind the nearest tractor – only for Earl to bring it back to them. A further search reveals that there are many old military relics in the fields, and Boycie decides to transform one of his barns into a military museum. Tyler and Bethany play a prank on Boycie by pretending to stage several interviews with international newspapers, but he catches them in the act. It turns out, however, that one of the calls he received was a genuine call from a local Peckham newspaper.

Shortly after, an article in the Peckham Times about Boycie's discovery catches the eye of one Cliff Cooper (George Wendt) a billionaire American CEO from Los Angeles. Cliff then drives up to visit Oakam, and turns up unexpectedly at The Grange. He reveals that The Grange was used as an officer's barracks for an overseas US Army base near the village, and he was billeted there in the 1970s as a young army officer. Boycie and Marlene are quick to invite him to their home as a guest, and at the local pub, Cliff reminisces fondly about his posting at the village, sharing banter with Elgin (an old friend) about 'Cloud Day' – a covered-up incident in which a nuclear device stored at the local village leaked a cloud of steam through the village, and it soon emerges that Cliff was a lady's man, having had more than a few flings with the local women during his posting (although an angry Llewellyn storms that the American soldiers had an unfair advantage over the loval men because of their money, smart clothes, aftershave and regular bathing). Cliff mentions that a colleague had mentioned to him that he might well have had offspring in the village from one of his girlfriends, and it soon emerges that the girl he remembers most fondly is Mrs. Cakeworthy's mother. After checking Mrs. Cakeworthy's details in the old Landlord's files, the date reveals that her birthday was around nine months after Cliff's posting ended, and when she mentions that she never knew her father, and that her mother always talked about him being a US Army officer, they begin to suspect that she might be his daughter. He and Boycie conspire to get a DNA sample from Mrs. Cakeworthy's tea cup, and after running tests on the cup Boycie took, the results come back positive. Cliff gleefully proclaims himself to be Mrs. Cakeworthy's long-lost father, and the two are delighted.

Deciding to bring her with him to the States, Cliff and Mrs. Cakeworthy are preparing to leave, when it is noticed on her passport that the birth-date is almost a year prior to the one in the files, and she admits that she lied about her age to get a job with the old Squire, and she was actually born a year before Cliff came to the UK, and Marlene reveals that the cup Boycie took for DNA testing was actually Cliff's. On the other side of the farm, Jed reveals while on the phone to the bank that his mother was, in fact, Aurora, another of Cliff's flings, and suggesting that he is Cliff's son. As a saddened Cliff is leaving the farm, deciding that he will have to return to the United States without knowing who he is the father of, he and Jed make eye contact, and both men realise the truth. Meanwhile, a miserable Mrs. Cakeworthy is commenting about how her mother had mentioned her father having been an American Army Captain, and Elgin (who had borrowed a Captain's uniform to have a better chance with the ladies) is worried upon realising that he might be her father.

Episode cast

ActorRole
John Challis Boycie
Sue Holderness Marlene
George Wendt Cliff Cooper
Jack Doolan Tyler
David Ross Elgin
Ivan Kaye Bryan
Ella Kenion Mrs Cakeworthy
Peter Heppelthwaite Jed
Alan David Llewellyn
Paul Bown Colin Cakeworthy
Lisa Diveney Beth

Related Research Articles

Del Boy 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 Inbetweeners star 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.

<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.

The Green Green Grass is a BBC television sitcom, created and initially written by John Sullivan, produced by 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.

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleepless in Peckham</span> Episode of Only Fools and Horses

"Sleepless in Peckham...!" is the finale 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock</span> 7th episode of the first series of The Green Green Grass

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 25 December 2005, as the 2005 Christmas Special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">From Here to Paternity</span> 8th episode of the 2nd series of The Green Green Grass

"From Here to Paternity" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 25 December 2006, as the 2006 Christmas special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Rocky Start</span> 2nd episode of the 1st series of The Green Green Grass

"A Rocky Start" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 16 September 2005, as the second episode of series one.

"The Country Wife" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 23 September 2005, as the third episode of series one.

Pillow Talk (<i>The Green Green Grass</i>) 5th episode of the first series of The Green Green Grass

"Pillow Talk" is an episode of the BBC sitcom The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 7 October 2005, as the fifth episode of the first season of the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex and the Country</span> 6th episode of the first series of The Green Green Grass

"Sex and the Country" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 14 October 2005, as the sixth episode of series one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bothered and Bewildered</span> 3rd episode of the 2nd series of The Green Green Grass

"Bothered and Bewildered" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 29 September 2006, as the third episode of series two.

"But is it Art?" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 2 November 2007, as the first episode of series three. The title derives from Rudyard Kipling's poem "The Conundrum of the Workshops" (1890), which uses the phrase repetitively.

"The Lonely Herdsman" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 9 November 2007, as the second episode of series three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Path of True Love</span> 1st episode of the fourth series of The Green Green Grass

"The Path of True Love" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was screened on 8 January 2009, as the first episode of the fourth series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calendar Boys</span> 3rd episode of the fourth series of The Green Green Grass

"Calendar Boys" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was screened on 22 January 2009, as the third episode of the fourth series.

Your Cheating Art 5th episode of the fourth series of The Green Green Grass

"Your Cheating Art" is an episode of the BBC sitcom The Green Green Grass. It was screened on 5 February 2009, as the fifth episode of the fourth series. This episode was written by John Sullivan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Done It My Way</span> 7th episode of the fourth series of The Green Green Grass

"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.

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

"Keep On Running" is the first episode of the BBC sitcom The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 9 September 2005.

References

  1. "New Comedy Series Starting Soon – British Comedy Guide". Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2015.