Wanted (Only Fools and Horses)

"Wanted"
Only Fools and Horses episode
Episode no.	Series 3 Episode 6
Directed by	Ray Butt
Written by	John Sullivan
Produced by	Ray Butt
Original air date	15 December 1983 (11.2 million viewers)
Running time	29:47 (DVD) / 29:49 (iTunes)

Wanted is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the sixth episode of series 3, and was first broadcast on 15 December 1983. In the episode, after an incident with a local woman, Del Boy pretends that Rodney had been dubbed the 'Peckham pouncer' and is being hunted by the police, so Rodney goes on the run.

Synopsis

Rodney and Mickey Pearce are at business as usual trying to pick up girls at the Nag's Head, until Del Boy walks in to spoil their fun.

As Rodney walks home, he meets a drunken woman who's waiting for a bus. But when she's about to fall, Rodney puts his hands out to catch her, but the woman angrily berates Rodney for touching her. Rodney tries to calm the woman by saying that he's a doctor, then quickly runs off into the night, after the woman screams "Rape!"

The next morning at Nelson Mandela House, Rodney tells Del and Grandad about the woman he ran into last night. When Rodney describes her, Del realises he knows the woman and sees an attempt to tease his younger brother. Del tells Rodney that he's been dubbed "The Peckham Pouncer" by the police, and that vigilantes are also looking for him. When Rodney leaves the room and goes back to bed, Del explains to Grandad that Rodney had just met Blossom, a mental hospital patient who is let out on weekends for practice, and accusing people is her hobby which makes her well known to the police. Grandad asks why he doesn't tell Rodney, but Del suggests that he's going to wind Rodney up with the Peckham Pouncer story. Grandad then warns him to be careful with this joke.

That night, back at the Nag's Head, Del tells Trigger and Boycie about Rodney meeting Blossom, as well as Trigger mentioning how his cousin Marilyn was once accused by Blossom. Then, Grandad calls Del with bad news: Rodney's gone on the run, taken all the tinned food from the cupboard, and is hiding in a secret place. Del decides to go out and look for him.

The next morning, a tired and unshaven Del returns home to the flat and explains to Grandad that he looked everywhere in London for Rodney, and was offered by many drug addicts from £50 for his passport to a plate of Magic Mushrooms. Grandad then berates Del for not telling Rodney that it was just a joke yesterday instead of listening to his Johnny Cash Live at San Quentin LP. Del then starts to detect a strange smell. Grandad explains that it had been in the flats since last night, and it's coming from the ventilation shaft. This gives Del a clue to where Rodney is hiding.

Up in the tank room, Del enters and finds Rodney hiding. Del explains to him that he knows Rodney has been smoking drugs, where the smell wafted through the air ducts. After offering food and scotch, Del comes clean and tells Rodney about Blossom, as well as the whole Peckham Pouncer story. Del promises to make it up to Rodney by taking him out for a big meal after giving him a shower, but Rodney informs him, as his older brother is taking a sip of his scotch and water, that he's not going to stand under the water after what he's been doing in it, causing Del to spit out his scotch and water in horror.

Episode cast

Episode concept

• The idea for the script was based on a real life incident that happened to one of John Sullivan's friends.^[1]

Errors

• Grandad says that Rodney has a two-year suspended sentence for smoking cannabis in art college, but in "Big Brother", Del claims that Rodney got an 18-month suspended sentence. This is also mentioned in "The Long Legs of the Law", when Grandad tells Rodney and Del, who are arguing, about the suspended sentence Rodney has not completed.

Music

• "Disco Happening": Funky Moog

References

External links

• "Wanted" at BBC Online