Happy Returns

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Only Fools and Horses episode
"Happy Returns"
Series	4
Writer	John Sullivan
Director	Susan Belbin
Producer	Ray Butt
Duration	30 minutes
Airdate	21 February 1985
Audience	15.2 million

Happy Returns is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the first episode of series 4, and was first screened on 21 February 1985.

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Rodney's latest girlfriend of the week is a newsagent worker named Debbie. Meanwhile, Del saves a 9-year old boy from getting hit by speeding traffic, as well as give him money for ice cream.

That night, the boy, whose name is Jason, tells Del that he got in trouble with his mother for letting the air out of the tyres on the Trotters' van. Del tells him that they'll tell his mother that it was a fun challenge for Rodney to reinflate the tyres.

Del is surprised to see that Jason's mother is June, one of Del's old girlfriends from the 1960s. The two get reaccquainted and go to the Nag's Head to talk about old times, as well as the fact that Debbie is also June's daughter, as well as approaching her 19th birthday next Wednesday. But however, Del finds out that Debbie is possibly his daughter, and finds that Rodney is already at her flat.

At Debbie's flat, Rodney brushes his hair in the mirror, until he notices Del behind him. Del quickly drags his younger brother back to Nelson Mandela House.

Rodney is angered to hear that Debbie is his niece and Del's daughter. Del explains to Rodney on what would've happened if he married Debbie, which would've made Del as Rodney's father-in-law, June as Rodney's aunt, Debbie as Rodney's second cousin, and Grandad as the fairy godmother.

The next night, June comes clean to Del by saying that Debbie's father is actually Albie Littlewood, Del's old friend, who June was cheating on Del with. Albie died while cycling on railway lines. Del also comes clean by admitting that he was also cheating on June with Albie's girlfriend Deirdre. Mickey Pearce comes in with Debbie, and Del warns him not to cycle across the railway line.

[edit] Trivia

June's flat is quite clearly a re-dressing of the Trotters' flat. It is excusable, though on an estate of flats, it's quite feasible that the layout of each flat would be almost identical.
Grandad didn't appear in this episode, as Lennard Pearce was in hospital at the time and the cast and crew had to begin filming without him. Shortly after, someone arrived on the set to inform them that Lennard had died.