Go West Young Man (Only Fools and Horses)

"Go West Young Man"
Only Fools and Horses episode
Episode no.	Series 1 Episode 2
Directed by	Martin Shardlow
Written by	John Sullivan
Produced by	Ray Butt
Original air date	15 September 1981 (6.1 million viewers)
Running time	30 minutes 30:44 (DVD) 29:43 (iTunes)

"Go West Young Man" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of series 1, and was first screened on 15 September 1981.^[1] This was also the lowest rated episode of the entire series, with only 6.1 million tuning in on the original broadcast. Compared with 15 years later, this figure had gone up by 20 million. In the episode, Del sells a faulty car to an Australian man.

Synopsis

Rodney is feeling down in the dumps, since his friend Mickey Pearce had moved in on his latest girlfriend, Monica (who according to Del has fat thighs). Del Boy on the other hand is more upbeat as he lays down his latest idea of where the future of Trotter's Independent Traders lies to Rodney and Grandad. He suggests they participate in the second-hand car trade. Del buys a faulty Ford Cortina MkII Crayford Convertible that's being used as a part-exchange for a Vanden Plas in Boycie's used car lot.

Del sells the Cortina to an Australian man for £199, much to Rodney's annoyance who concludes that it's a death trap thanks to the severely worn brakes. Rodney is particularly unimpressed to hear that instead of changing the oil, Del simply removed the bulb of the warning light. Meanwhile, the Trotters get to house Boycie's Jaguar E-Type Series III V12, which he bought as a birthday gift for his bit on the side, for a week in their garage. That night, Rodney decides to go out on the town and forget about Monica. He asks Del to go with him, but Del says he'll only go with him if he has a lack of company. Rodney instantly dismisses this by claiming that he has several friends who are ravers, although this does not appear to fool Del. After some intense persuasion, Del agrees to join Rodney.

The two brothers go to a nightclub but because it's still early evening, it's quiet. Del questions how many times Rodney has gone to the club, as he told him that it was one of his regular clubs, it turns out Rodney has never been to the club at all. After having trouble ordering a drinks to the camp waiter, Rodney tells Del about his "women in uniforms" fetish, to which Del concludes that he is a pervert. Rodney then notices two women at the bar but as Del chats them up, it turns out they are a pair of transvestites. Realising that it was a nightclub for gay people, Del and Rodney leave in embarrassment.

Later that night, at another nightclub, they find two beautiful women named Nicki and Michelle. Del lies about Rodney being an international tennis player, christened "Hot Rod" by the press, who faced "Jimmy Conelley" (Jimmy Connors, whom Del states was knocked out in the first round by Rodney) in the final of the Miami Open which was strangely played indoors, yet they are able to persuade the two ladies to write their telephone numbers on Del's cigar pack, with the promise of a date next Friday.

On their way home in Boycie's Jaguar, Rodney accidentally throws the cigar pack out the window, and when Del hits the brakes to get out and recover it, another car smashes into the back of the Jaguar. The Trotter Brothers find out that it was the faulty Cortina driven by the Australian man, who gets out and chases them up the street.^[2][3]

Episode cast

Nick Stringer also appeared in another episode of Only Fools and Horses five years later, this time playing a different character. He played Del's old friend and business partner Jumbo Mills in the fifth series finale "Who Wants to be a Millionaire". He also appeared alongside David Jason in Open All Hours.

First appearances

• Boycie

Music

• Enigma: "Ain't No Stopping"

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Go West Young Man

• "Go West Young Man" at BBC Online
• "Go West Young Man" at BBC Programmes
• "Go West Young Man" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Go West Young Man" at TV.com
• Full Episode Script