Only Fools And Horses - the Grandad years

I love Only Fools And Horses, although anyone could see it should have ended on the trilogy, bringing them back was just tragic.

But I really really adored it when Grandad was in it. No offence to Buster Merryfield as the uncle but Len Pearce was just sublime, and totally believable in the role, whereas the uncle always felt tagged on so they would have someone else in the flat to bounce off and do the leads to the jokes.

Len's timing was a joy, from that great line about the bullet hitting his father's watch and blowing his brains out, to well, there are just so many. He was very integral to the charm of the original show. Having said that, they did go onto to make more rounded episodes later on, when it was allowed to grow and add pathos. But I always missed Grandad. Bless him.

I disagree that bringing them back was tragic - how so? It's more of a cliché saying than ever to suggest bringing the show back was "tragic" or "should have left it how it was in '96". An opinion is an opinion, but bringing it back was pretty special. If you love a show like OFAH enough, you won't mind it coming back and you'll understand that come-backs tend to be below-par. Just appreciate having some more OFAH material is what I say.

Re: Grandad - Great character. Albert was equally as great. You can't mock Albert's involvement. Del and Rodney bounced off Albert for one-liners as much as they did with Grandad. I don't think Grandad could have played the storylines Albert had as well.

Both sublime performers. Albert did add some life into the show, that's for sure.

I think Grandad was certainly a better character and certainly written with a lot more depth. Uncle Albert did seem, at times, just to be a bit of comic relief as mentioned above.

Quote: Tommy Griff @ 28th April 2014, 10:29 AM BST

Just appreciate having some more OFAH material is what I say.

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It's quality not quantity! I didn't like the trilogy as it was so far removed from the original series, but I really enjoyed the recent Sports Relief short.

Oh the Sport Relief thing was good, but I meant the final specials they made. I think if you knock them down and they get back up, it's fine, I thought making them millionaire was an okay idea, it seemed to tie it up. And the English do love to see their heroes succeed. I just thought seeing them losing the money was really tragic and it didn't work for me. Plus by that time, it was ready to end, it had got too long in the tooth. And the later scripts specials weren't that fresh anymore. Still ten times fresher than the constantly recycled Mrs. Brown scripts. It's still a show I love mind you, and it has an amazing pedigree even after all these years.

The funniest moment - the chandelier smashing - was all thanks to Grandad.

My favourite Grandad quote:

"Grandad: You wanna be a bit careful Del Boy! A joke's a joke but you never know when to stop! What about that April Fool's day! You told me the pools had rung to say I'd won 'arf a million!

Del: Yeah that was a belter weren't it!

Grandad: Oh wonderful! But you could have least stopped me going up West with me pension money! It wasn't funny Del! I mean there I was, in a Soho nightclub drinking champagne, and I suddenly realised I didn't even do the bloody pools!"

More classics here;

http://thenagshead.tripod.com/classic-grand.htm

Was he Caucasian,

No he was white.

I love Granddad, he was a comic masterclass.

Grandad on Phone "Del's gone out"..... Oh, I don't know where he's gone to"

Grandad shouts to Del " Where you gone to Del?"

Ha The good old episodes

I liked the bit where Grandad was fiddling with the microwave trying to get ITV on it.

It's always going to be tempting to bring back the classics, and the audience called for it too. Personally, I think they should have stopped in 1996 when they became rich. It was just the perfect ending and tied up the journey brilliantly. More importantly, it was funny.

Favourite lines, there's so many.
Rodney: "Trig why do you call me Dave? My name's not Dave, my name's Rodney."
Trigger: "What's Dave then, a nickname like?"

It was, it tied it all up, the last 3 that came after it, I didn't like, you know when you sit there and think I'm not going to like these, well that ran through my mind within the first 5 minutes. And I didn't. I can't even remember why now, I think it just felt like a strange post script, a sort of well we ll do it for the sake of it, and there's still an audience out there.

Like Minder in the Gary Webster years, when it ran out of steam, but soldiered on, it's always the same, you want it to succeed, but the thrill of the new has gone.

Arguably, bringing OFAH back whereby they lose all of their money makes perfect sense in the Trotter world.

Only Del and Rodney would make it possible to lose 6.2 million pounds (plus interest).

Comedy moves on, and so does people's taste and expectations.

From The Episode The Long legs of the law.

Del Boy: What're you doing?

Grandad: I'm trying to get the Dukes of Hazzard.

Del Boy: The Dukes of... That is a microwave oven, you dozy old twonk! Gordon Bennett, you'll be putting frozen pizzas into the portable next.

just brilliant

Comic book guy style voice - I think you'll find that episode is titled 'May the force be with you'

Sorry about that, but yeah great line.

One of my favourites from the very first episode, where Trigger is trying to sell Del Boy some brief cases.

Del Boy: What do you think Rodney?
Rodney: They're plastic!
Del Boy: Plastic??....(Sniffs the Brief cases)...That's old English vinyl.

Not an obvious 'gag' but sums up Del Boy and always cracks me up.

Quote: george roper @ 3rd June 2014, 1:13 AM BST

From The Episode The Long legs of the law.

Del Boy: What're you doing?

Grandad: I'm trying to get the Dukes of Hazzard.

Del Boy: The Dukes of... That is a microwave oven, you dozy old twonk! Gordon Bennett, you'll be putting frozen pizzas into the portable next.

just brilliant

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Yep, that was it.