British Comedy Guide

Worst Only Fools episode. Page 9

Quote: Gordon Bennett @ December 9 2012, 9:00 PM GMT

"Vot ees yor nem!"

:D

Miami Twice part 2. David Jason's attempt at an American-Italian accent is painful. The last 2 were pretty bad aswell.

I hated Miami Twice Part 2 and Hull and Back wasn't the same without the laughter track.

Quote: george roper @ July 6 2013, 1:03 PM BST

Hull and Back wasn't the same without the laughter track.

Agree, that changed the feel of the show...still a great episode.

I personally do like all the Only Fools episodes, but I would probably say that the worst episode is most likely Miami Twice as I felt it was just too long and stretched out!

For me, it's "Strained Relations", the one where Uncle Albert is introduced, after the sad death of Lennard Pearce. It just feels too contrived, as if it was hastily rewritten to reflect the loss of one of the main actors.

Quote: Ben700 @ July 9 2013, 9:07 PM BST

"Big Brother" - the very 1st episode

Was repeated on BBC1 yesterday and reminded me how boring/average it is, very slow and nothing happens. The rest of Series 1 I can still enjoy.

The best thing in that episode is the introduction of Trigger.
Still, I think there are at least three episodes that are worse than this.

Miami Twice is one of the best it was so funny.

I don't like the Royal Flush because it was dull boring and it wasn't the right place for the Trotters to be there.

The thing first of all to say is that everything is comparative. The weakest episodes of OFAH tend to still provide more laughs than any episode of Mrs Brown's Boys that I've ever borne witness to. Nonetheless, the question has been asked and over 60-odd episodes there are bound to be a few dips. I'll say which episodes I enjoyed least in each series, as below:

SERIES 1 - The Russians Are Coming. I will admit that there is some warm and amusing dialogue between the characters, but it didn't really fit with the rest of the series. Del is lumbered with some surplus lead and then we end up with a sub-plot about the Russians invading. I was only 3 years old when this episode was transmitted and so maybe I'm missing something, but the episode didn't really work for me.

SERIES 2 - No Greater Love. I actually liked all of the episodes in series 2 pretty much, but I probably enjoyed this one least out of that series in as much as there isn't a whole lot of 'hookie' action taking place, apart from at the beginning of the episode where Rodney visits Irene. I remember finding it a bit strange that Del went to such lengths to try and preserve Rodney's relationship when he'd had been so disapproving earlier in the episode. It's a not a bad episode and it has its moments and it does feature the amusing 'bet he can get BBC2 on his hair' gag. It's just in what is one OFAH's strongest series, I'd regard it as the weakest episode.

SERIES 3 - Yesterday Never Comes & Wanted. It was only when OFAH was first repeated during the daytime a couple of years ago that I got to see Yesterday Never Comes for the first time, which is staggering really seeing as how I'd seen pretty much all of the other episodes on numerous occasions. I can see why it is repeated less than others though as it is a bit light on gags and you never really think there is much chance of romance brewing for Del. With Wanted, it's one of those episodes where Del is at his most mean spirited and although the closing gag is a bit of payback for Del, it's not one of those episodes I look forward to seeing when it's repeated.

SERIES 4 - Watching The Girls Go By. For pretty much the reasons already given. The episode is all about the Nags' Head party and yet we do not see anything take place at said party. Rodney's date's unacceptable behaviour all happens off screen. Some of that will be down it to being unsuitable for a pre-Watershed audience, but the episode doesn't really work without seeing at least a small part of the party. It's the same with the preceding episode, but at least with that you do see the lead singer in Rodney's band throwing a few haymakers.

SERIES 5 - Video Nasty. There are some good gags in this episode and I enjoy the scene in the Chinese takeaway and also the reaction when the video gets played in the back room at the Nag's Head. But the plot around the community film just seems a bit implausible and silly.

SERIES 6 - In Sickness & In Wealth - Series 6 was the best ever series IMO and it is more that I found the other 5 episodes that year funnier rather than it being a rank bad episode. It does seem to have dated less well than some episodes though, with the stereotypes about AIDS etc. The séance is a classic scene, mind you.

SERIES 7 - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Uncle - Following the same principle as with series 6, this isn't a particularly bad episode, but it is just not quite as funny as the rest of the series. It is good that Albert gets central billing for once, but there are a few cheap jokes with him forgetting how many 'muggers' there were and Albert wetting himself, albeit this does lead to an amusing sequence with Rodney sitting in the soiled chair.

CHRISTMAS SPECIALS - Of the ones mentioned by others, To Hull & Back, Dates and The Frog's Legacy all rank highly with me. I actually quite enjoyed Miami Twice. OK, some parts don't work particularly well, but it was a bit of a departure from the usual OFAH Christmas special. The plot with Del being mistaken for the Mafia boss strangely I found quite funny because of how unlikely/surreal it was. The scene where bullets are fired at the back of Del's chair is what I remember the episode most for. My main criticism of the 2nd part is that it is too long in length.

Royal Flush I've watched less times than some of the specials and I'd have to agree it is pretty weak by the usual standard. The skiing gag seems quite callous by Del, which is not normally a boundary he oversteps. I also didn't quite see why Del invited June along as his companion when she hadn't featured since 'Happy Returns' nearly 2 years previously and they hadn't exactly parted cordially. She also seemed more earthy and less believable than she had in that episode. Fatal Extraction is good in parts, although not the best of the specials. The last 3 episodes shouldn't really have been made as the perfect ending had been achieved and it should have been up to the imagination of the viewer to determine whether they'd blow the loot or not. The timing and writing wasn't quite there. Even so, there were some witty and poignant moments. The first of the 3 final episodes was the worst out of that trilogy and the second was the best with the trip to 'Trottersville' and the Gary plot, albeit the scene at the flat where Rodney 'introduces' Gary was excruciating. The last episode was OK, but a far less fitting end to the show than 'Time On Our Hands' could and should have been, not least because the revelation that Rodney was Freddie The Frog's son seemed unnecessary and only done to provide a vehicle for another show in the form of Rock & Chips.

TOP 10 LEAST FAVOURITE EPISODES
1) The Russians Are Coming
2) If They Could See Us Now
3) Watching The Girls Go By
4) Wanted
5) Royal Flush
6) Yesterday Never Comes
7) Video Nasty
8) Christmas Crackers
9) It's Only Rock & Roll
10) As One Door Closes

Quote: joeinbrighton @ July 25 2013, 6:29 PM BST

TOP 10 LEAST FAVOURITE EPISODES
1) The Russians Are Coming
2) If They Could See Us Now
3) Watching The Girls Go By
4) Wanted
5) Royal Flush
6) Yesterday Never Comes
7) Video Nasty
8) Christmas Crackers
9) It's Only Rock & Roll
10) As One Door Closes

-Agree with you on 3),4),6)...

-I'm defending "The Russians..."...I have a soft spot for that one. I like these claustrophobic episodes...like Porridge's "A night in"

- I absolutely loathe "Sleepless in Peckham"; how are your thoughts on that one?

Quote: Gordon Bennett @ July 25 2013, 6:35 PM BST

-
- I absolutely loathe "Sleepless in Peckham"; how are your thoughts on that one?

I sort of touched on it in my last post. There are some scenes I enjoyed, but like some other posters, I felt it was unnecessary to reveal Rodney as being Freddie The Frog's son rather than Reg Trotter's. I think that while 'Thicker Than Water and 'The Frog's Legacy' posed some questions about Rodney's parentage, these would've been better to have left unresolved on screen and left to people's imagination, which this episode removes the possibility of doing, for seemingly no other reason than to create a vehicle for a spin-off series. It was a much less fitting end than 'Time On Our Hands' would have been and it was borderline whether it made my least favoured 10.

The Chance of a Lunchtime- Feel sorry for Rodney and I thought it was a painful episode to watch.

Cash and Curry- Just boring, no Grandad in that episode. Disappointing.

Royal Flush- Everyone hates it. Awful.

Yesterday Never Comes- Unrealistic as Del would never date someone like Miranda. Awful episode.

Hole in One- Uninteresting episode, didn't really like it. Rodney I felt sorry for in the episode at the start.

Apart from a few good lines here and there, I would say that "Healthy Competition" is at the bottom of the list with "Royal Flush" just above it. The opera scene saves it.

Miami Twice

Friday The 14th

Hull & Back

The Frogs Legacy some bits are funny in it but I find it absolutely boring for me.

Suprised to see 'Strangers on the Shore' disliked by so many people. I watched it yesterday and thought it was brilliant!

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