Only Fools and Horses off-screen chaos – prop disaster, riot fears and Christmas clash

Only Fools and Horses may not immediately spring to mind when you think of Christmas – but it still remains a festive favourite.

The laugh out loud sitcom, created and written by the late great John Sullivan, centred around the chaotic lives of wheeler dealer Del Boy Trotter and his younger brother Rodney.

A staggering ratings hit, the legendary show still holds the record for the highest UK audience for a sitcom episode – with 24.3 million viewers tuning in for ‘Time on Our Hands’ in 1996.

The original series came to and end in 1991 but spawned a large number of specials until finally coming to a close in 2003, including a whopping 16 seasonal specials.

The 1996 Christmas edition, Heroes and Villains, has regularly been voted as the nation’s favourite ever Christmas show.

But the iconic image of Del Boy and Rodney running into shot as Batman and Robin was nearly ruined amid a stand-off with the BBC.

Over the years there have been many dramatic behind-the-scenes moments that caused chaos off-screen, including disasters with props and fears over a possible riot.

BBC Christmas row

Del and Rodney dressed in fancy dress as Batman and Robin in Heroes and Villains ( Image: BBC)

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Possibly the greatest ever episode of Only Fools was nearly ‘ruined’ by the BBC.

Heroes and Villains saw Del and Rodney dress up as the caped crusader and his trusty sidekick – scaring away some thugs after they emerged from the fog in their outfits.

Then they rocked up at what they thought was a party, but Boycie “forgot” to mention that the host had died and it was now a wake they were dressed as Batman and Robin for.

But the laugh out loud moment would not have packed the same punch had the BBC gone ahead with their plan to reveal it in the teaser trailer.

In Sir David Jason’s 2020 memoir, A Del Of A Life, the actor explained that revealing the outfits would have “shredded all that careful build-up” in the scene.

“Even a glimpse of Del or Rodney in those stupid costumes before the episode was broadcast, indeed at any moment… would have been ruinous,” he wrote.

David and the rest of the team told the BBC that nothing showing Del and Rodney in their sphere costumes should be leaked, so thankfully the surprise was not spoiled.

Bristol riot fears

The Trotters lived in Nelson Mandela House ( Image: BBC)

Bristol was often used as a location to film the show and the Whitemead block of flats became Nelson Mandela House.

For that Heroes and Villains scene, filming started shortly after midnight so that know passers by would witness the epic scene.

Security guards were hired to cordon off the area and stop any photographers or members of the public getting a sneak peak.

But locals got a shock on a night in November 1993 when police officers with batons and shields rolled up and started clashing with masked youths waving around sticks and bin lids.

A police helicopter hovered close to the 11-storey tower blocks while cars exploded and petrol bombs were thrown beneath.

However, this wasn’t a real riot, but rather a hilarious scene for that year’s Christmas special, Fatal Extraction.

During the episode, a drunk Del Boy upsets his neighbours and causes the fight to break out.

In one incredible moment, a policeman on horseback shouts “hold it, hold it, it’s Del Boy” into a megaphone as the crowd parts to let him through in his car.

The crafty geezer then uses the opportunity to make a quick buck by selling off dodgy ski masks to both the rioters and the police.

Prop disaster

The Christmas specials were the best

Filming something as funny as Only Fools must have been impossible at times.

The cast were not immune to getting the giggles and there would be times they laughed so hard they could “barely get the scene shot”.

It got so bad while filming Heroes and Villains that bosses feared the sun was going to rise before they got enough footage for the night scene.

Producer Ray Butt got “seriously annoyed” with David and Nicolas Lyndhurst on one occasion because they laughed so many times.

And Nicholas was even threatened with being sacked if he giggled during the famous chandelier smashing scene, because it was so expensive that they only had one take.

David Jason as Del Boy and Nicholas Lyndhurst as Rodney removing a chandelier in a classic scene

It wasn’t just the cast though, as even members of the crew were unable to keep a straight face during filming.

In the 1982 Ashes To Ashes episode, the lads try to scatter the ashes of Trigger’s grandad in the Thames but the urn got sucked up by a street cleaning lorry.

When Rodney tells the driver “you’ve just sucked up our urn”, he replies: “Oh my god, what was he? A kitten?”

It was such a hysterical moment that the cameraman got “the shakes” and someone else had to take over.

“We had to haul out the cameraman and replace him for that shot in the end,” revealed David.

The final ‘lost’ episode

There could have been one more final episode ( Image: PA)

A final episode of Only Fools And Horses was once planned in which Del Boy would retire as a millionaire.

John Challis, who played second-hand car dealer Boycie and sadly passed away this year, revealed how the story was supposed to end.

A flush Del would have been enjoying his retirement drinking in the Nags Head, but sadly writer John Sullivan tragically died before the script could be totally completed.

The cast were excited to put one final show together but the 78-year-old told The Sun that the creator’s illness meant it just didn’t happen.

“The 30th anniversary was coming up and John was in the process of getting together a Christmas special or something,” he said.

“It was going to be Del Boy’s 65th birthday, he was going to retire and there was going to be a bit of a get-together in the Nag’s Head. But unfortunately he (John) got ill and didn’t come out of it.”

He added: “It was a complete shock to everybody. We got a phone call from the producers giving us the bad news.”