Only Fools and Horses - Review

If you enjoy watching television comedy shows, you probably remember the popular British sitcom called Only Fools and Horses. The show ran for seven seasons long and was broadcast from 1981 until 1991. The show was not broadcast in 1984, 1988, or 1990. During this time, there were also several Christmas specials produced. The title of the show originates from the saying that “only fools and horses work for a living”. In order to help audience viewers better understand the name of the show, the theme music was eventually changed to a different song that included the lyrics “Why do only fools and horses work?” The show won two awards including the 2004 Britain’s Best Sitcom award and a BAFTA comedy award in 1989. Only Fools and Horses was created by writer John Sullivan who also is known for several other sitcoms such as: Just Good Friends, Citizen Smith, Roger Roger, Dear John, and Green Green Grass. Green Green Grass is a sitcom series spin off from Only Fools and Horses.

The following is a list of the cast of Only Fools and Horses

Derrick Trotter- David Jason
Rodney Trotter- Nicholas Lyndhurst
Damien Trotter- Ben Smith
Raquel- Tessa Peake-Jones
Uncle Albert- Buster Merryfield
Granddad- Lennard Pearce
Trigger- Roger Lloyd-Pack
Boycie- John Challis
Marlene- Sue Holderness
Denzil- Paul Barber
Mike- Kenneth MacDonald
Sid- Roy Heather
Cassandra- Gwyneth Strong
Micky Pearce- Patrick Murray


The show is written around the main character Derrick Trotter, otherwise known as “Del Boy”, played by actor David Jason. Derrick lives in an council flat in South London with both his brother Rodney and their granddad. He is the breadwinner of the family and takes pride in looking after them, especially Granddad. The boy’s mother passed away when they were very young and their father left them soon after. Del has served as a father figure for Rodney since then.

Del is the kind of man who will try almost anything to make a few pounds. Talkative and easy going in nature, he is the perfect candidate to be a salesman. Del runs a business known as Trotter’s Independent Traders (TIT). He is always trying to sell a variety of dodgy odds and ends but often is not too successful. However, this does not stop him from trying. He is always thinking of a new product or scheme that will make the family rich. The family flat is often strewn with previously acquired items that Del and Rodney are unable to sell.

Unsurprisingly, one of Del and Rodney’s good friends is a dubious used car dealer by the name of Boycie. Boycie was a past schoolmate of Del’s and the two have been good friends for most of their life. Del and Rodney view Boycie as being financially successful. However, at times Boycie can act a bit conceited and is very ruthless when it comes to making business deals. Boycie is accompanied by his wife Marlene, to whom he has been married for several years. The couple has a son named Tyler, who is considered to be somewhat of a miracle child. Tyler was finally conceived after the couples many unsuccessful years of trying to have children. This problem is eventually attributed to Boycie’s low sperm count. Boycie and Marlene are the leading characters in the spin off series of Only Fools and Horses called Green Green Grass.

"At first the show was not that popular but eventually gained attention due to John Sullivan’s excellent writing and a superb acting performance by many of the characters."

Another of the main characters is a good friend of Rodney’s named Trigger. Trigger is also a past schoolmate of Del. Trigger acquired his name due to his striking resemblance to a horse. He is employed as a street sweeper and has somewhat of a checkered background. Trigger’s mother was a local woman with a reputation for getting around. Although Trigger never actually knew his father, he is told by his mother that his father was in the military. Even though Trigger is not the brightest of men, he is well liked by all.

At first the show was not that popular but eventually gained attention due to John Sullivan’s excellent writing and a superb acting performance by many of the characters. By 1985, Only Fools and Horses had a devoted following. The several Christmas episodes that followed ranked very high in the BBC’s ratings. Eventually the series was discontinued due to many factors, especially David Jason’s involvement in several other television shows.