Heroes and Villains (Only Fools and Horses)
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| Only Fools and Horses episode | |
| "Heroes and Villains" | |
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|---|---|
| Series | Christmas Special |
| Writer | John Sullivan |
| Director | Tony Dow |
| Producer | Gareth Gwenlan |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Airdate | 25 December 1996 |
| Audience | 21.3 million |
Heroes and Villains is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 1996 as the first part of the 1996 Christmas trilogy. It attracted a UK television audience of 21.3 million, at the time a record for the show.
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[edit] Synopsis
The episode opens with Rodney's futuristic dream, in which a grown-up Damien, head of the now multinational and all-powerful Trotters Independent Traders, rules the world, barking orders to President Keanu Reeves and waxing lyrical about the benefits of war in the year 2026. Del and Raquel live in a mansion, Trotter Towers, but Rodney himself is merely an old messenger, Cassandra is a maid, and Uncle Albert's body has been preserved.
Rodney wakes up back in 1996 on his 34th birthday to learn that Del's application for a council grant has been rejected, and Raquel receives a mysterious letter, which turns out to be from her estranged parents, who want to meet her again. It emerges that Rodney and Cassandra have been trying for a baby, which leads to an unsuspecting Uncle Albert drinking one of Cassandra's urine specimens, believing it to be apple juice. Whilst at Sid's cafe, Del and Rodney hang out with Trigger, who is telling everyone in earshot about a medal he received from the local council for owning the same broom for twenty years, despite the fact that it has actually had 17 new heads and 14 new handles in that time. Del also buys tickets for himself and Rodney to attend a publican's fancy dress birthday party, while Cassandra goes to Spain with her mother, and Raquel and Damien visit her parents.
At Del's insistence, he and Rodney go to the party dressed as Batman and Robin respectively, but their Reliant Regal van breaks down half way there and they have to run the rest of the way. Whilst en route to the party, they interrupt a mugging involving Councillor Murray and, emerging from the fog dressed as Batman and Robin, promptly scare away the thieves. Del and Rodney arrive at the party, unaware that the publican, Harry Malcolm, had in fact died the day before and the fancy dress has thus been cancelled in favour of a wake (a fact that Boycie, who meets them in the doorway, declines to mention), and they burst into the main room singing the Batman theme tune. Despite the embarassment, they are asked to stay at the party.
Del and Rodney are in the market the next day and see the group of muggers again, this time attacking an elderly woman. Rodney gives chase, before one of the muggers then starts chasing him; Del ultimately knocks the mugger unconscious with his suitcase. Following the mugging, Del (though not Rodney, much to his annoyance) receives a medal for apprehending the gang. Whilst at the awards ceremony, he meets Councillor Murray again, who offers to do him a favour in return for rescuing her a few nights previously. Later on at the flat, Del announces that his application for a council grant has now been approved, while Rodney reveals that he and Cassandra are expecting a baby.
[edit] Episode cast
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[edit] Trivia
- When production began on the 1996 Christmas trilogy, it originally started off as just one episode, where its original script included all the elements of both Heroes and Villains and Time On Our Hands, but compressed to fit into one movie. But as the ideas grew, John Sullivan told the producers that more than one episode would be needed, so Modern Men was written as a filler between the two episodes, and it ended up being the current trilogy.
[edit] Errors
- Raquel visits her parents whom she hasn't seen for years, yet in The Jolly Boys' Outing, Raquel told Del that she had no family left.
- Rodney buys Cassandra a rabbit because she's feeling broody, yet in Three Men, a Woman and a Baby, Cassandra said she's allergic to fur.
[edit] Quotes
- (at the funeral)
- Trigger: "Alright Del, Dave. Bit of a choker old Harry popping off like that."
- Rodney: "Yeah. We didn't even know the fancy dress had been cancelled."
- Trigger: "Me either."
- Rodney: "You mean that's your costume?"
- Trigger: "Yeah. I've come as a chauffer. I feel a bit stupid now."
- Del: "Yeah, you do stand out a bit."
- Trigger: "I don't think you'd have won first prize."
- Rodney: "No?"
- Trigger: "You're alright. But Del don't look nothing like Tonto."
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Fatal Extraction |
Only Fools and Horses 25 December 1996 |
Succeeded by Modern Men |
