Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)With seven series and numerous Christmas specials, this gem of a Britcom, which ran for over 20 years (1981-2003) is--at least in my opinion--one of of the best ever made, and it's release on DVD is long, long overdue.
The series revolves around two brothers who sell "hooky" goods down at the local market. Perhaps the taxes are owing or the goods have entered the country illegally--elder brother Del finds it best not to be too curious about their origin, his usual line being that they've "fallen off the back of a lorry"! Whatever there origin, they are invariably substandard (if not downright rejects!) and tacky to say the least. The closing theme song sums it up: "No income tax, no VAT, no money back, no guarantee."
Derek "Del Boy" Trotter (the signature role for veteran comedy actor David Jason (A Touch of Frost, The Darling Buds of May, Open All Hours, Micawber)) is the street-smart, smooth-talking, self-confident, self-important "brains" of the business (and I use the term loosely!). To his credit, he knows the ropes, is capable of looking after himself, and has enough savvy to actually sell some of his dodgy rubbish. Where Del hilariously falls short, however, is in thinking he has taste and culture, in thinking he's god's gift to women (he wears and abundance of gold jewellery and cheap scent and, in fairness, is attractive to, well, a certain kind of woman!), and in believing himself to be a knowledgeable and informed man-of-the-world--a real mover and a shaker. His pet expression is "Next time this year we'll be millionaires", yet somehow the Trotters always manage to be living pretty much hand-to-mouth, as they drive about in Del's run-down three-wheeled van.
Del lives in a council flat with his younger brother Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst (The Piglet Files, Butterflies)). Rodney hasn't half the street-smarts as Del; as a result, he makes some nearly fatal errors in judgement--like asking a police woman out on a date (he has a thing for women in uniforms!), or falling asleep while he's on duty as "lookout" while Del flogs the goods. Though he may be an idiot (a "plonker" as Del calls him), he is actually the more intelligent, knowledgeable and cultured of the two (though strictly by comparison!).
The brothers live with their frail old Grandad (Lennard Pearce, who sadly died, aged 69, of heart failure in 1984), whose missing a marble or two himself. Two other regulars are Del's half-witted friend Trigger (Roger Lloyd Pack--The Vicar of Dibley's farmer Owen), who insists on calling Rodney "Dave"; and Boycie, a pompous, shady businessman who enjoys thumbing his nose at Del.
The DVD boxed set contains the complete first three series (twenty 30-minute episodes) which date from 1981 to 1983. Special features include three half-hour Christmas specials (one to follow each of the series), an enjoyable 70-minute behind-the-scenes special entitled "The Story of Only Fools and Horses", a Photo Gallery, the Peckham Concise Trotter Dictionary, and Cast Bios (both text-based).
In conclusion, I highly and unconditionally recommend this outstanding series to anyone who enjoys the very best in British comedy. This is one series, however, that I strongly recommend taking the plunge and getting BOTH boxed sets, as many people (myself included) seem to think the second set is even funnier. At any rate, I know I'm not alone in hoping the BBC will soon release the rest of this classic series!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Only Fools and Horses: The Complete Series 1-3
Often touted as the best British sitcom ever, Only Fools and Horses tells the story of the crafty cockney huckster Derek Trotter (David Jason), who has finally found the perfect scheme which he is convinced will make him a millionaire within a year! Del's kid brother Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) and his sweet but doddery old granddad (Lennard Pearce) have seen 'em all, however, from the one-legged turkeys to the Old English vinyl briefcases which no one can open. Even the Trotter's car, the 3-wheeled Robin Reliant, is forever slightly off balance. Brilliantly written and populated by a colorful cast of characters, Only Fools and Horses boasts 13 top comedy awards including 2 British Academy Awards for Best Comedy Series, and its 2002 Christmas special was viewed by 2 out of 3 households in the U.K. As Del-boy himself would say: "Lovely jubbly!"DVD Features:BiographiesDocumentaryOtherPhoto gallery
Click here for more information about Only Fools and Horses: The Complete Series 1-3
0 comments:
Post a Comment