The Yellow Peril

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"The Yellow Peril"
Only Fools and Horses episode
Episode no.Series 2
Episode 5
Directed byRay Butt
Written by John Sullivan
Original air date18 November 1982 (1982-11-18)
Running time28:46
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"The Yellow Peril" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses . It was the fifth episode of series 2, and was first screened on 18 November 1982. In the episode, Del buys a consignment of yellow paint which, unknown to him, is actually luminous, a fact he only discovers when they use it to decorate a Chinese restaurant.

Contents

Synopsis

Del Boy is at a Chinese restaurant called the Golden Lotus and promises the owner Mr. Chin to paint his kitchen before the health inspector arrives. But Del cannot do it that day, because it is the anniversary of the death of his and Rodney's mother Joan.

At the cemetery, as they look at the fibreglass grave of their mother, Del tells Rodney that he remembers the words their mother said to him on her deathbed: "Look after Rodney for me, Del Boy. Share everything you've got with him, try to make him feel normal..." Del also informs Rodney that he had told Mr Chin that Rodney will help him paint the kitchen at the Golden Lotus tomorrow. Rodney refuses at first, but Del promises him a box of pornographic magazines in return for the painting.

The next day, the Trotter Brothers and Grandad arrive at the Golden Lotus and find unlabelled tins of paint to use. Rodney opens one to see that it is yellow paint. Rodney and Grandad then get to work, while Del disappears for unknown reasons. Before they begin painting, Mr. Chin explains that he received a telephone call from an anonymous man (later revealed to be Del) and said that the health inspector was coming to see him, and he better get his kitchen painted as soon as possible. [1]

A few days later, back at Nelson Mandela House, Trigger arrives with another load of paint for Del, and upon being questioned by Rodney as to where the paint came from, reveals that he and Monkey Harris stole it from a storage shed in Clapham Junction, and that the paint is used for painting signs inside railway tunnels. Rodney is infuriated that they have been using stolen paint, which leads to an argument between Del and Rodney about the ethics of doing so, Del giving a long argument that stealing paint is good for the economy. This is interrupted by Grandad, who asks how anyone is supposed to read a painted sign inside a pitch black railway tunnel. Trigger explains that the paint is luminous, much to Del's horror. Mr. Chin phones complaining about his now very brightly glowing kitchen walls. Del explains that the luminous paint is designed to save money on electricity. With that, Mr Chin asks them to paint his living room too. Del suddenly remembers for what else he used the paint for.

The Trotters drive to the cemetery and find out where Del had been for the last couple of days: painting his mother's monument with the luminous paint, so in the middle of the night it emits a near radioactive glow. [2] Del says that he will not bow his head to any town hall officials, but shall look them straight in the eye and say, "I am the man that's responsible – and I'm proud of it." But after having a double take at the monument, Del says that he, Rodney, and Grandad will pin the blame on vandals with Del saying "Let's get out of here before we get our collars felt!" before the credits roll.

Episode cast

ActorRole
David Jason Derek Trotter
Nicholas Lyndhurst Rodney Trotter
Lennard Pearce Grandad Trotter
Roger Lloyd-Pack Trigger
Rex WeiMr Chin

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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.

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References

  1. BBCWorldwide (27 January 2012), A Little Dab Will Do – Only Fools and Horses – BBC, archived from the original on 18 December 2021, retrieved 18 May 2016
  2. BBCWorldwide (27 January 2012), Glow-in-the-Dark Grave – Only Fools and Horses – BBC, archived from the original on 18 December 2021, retrieved 18 May 2016