Only Fools and Horses 'lost' scene unearthed 29 years later
A long-lost scene from one of Only Fools and Horses' most iconic episodes has resurfaced nearly three decades after it was originally written.
The missing moment was part of the 1996 Christmas special Heroes and Villains, where Del Boy and Rodney don Batman and Robin costumes and inadvertently stopping a mugging. However, a newly unearthed script has revealed there was even more action planned, including a scene in which Del chases down the mugger and knocks him out with his suitcase full of knock-off goods.
According to the script, a policeman then arrives and Del shouts: "It's alright officer, I caught him, he's over there!" — only for the officer to mistakenly arrest Rodney instead of the real culprit.
The scene never made it into the final cut but has now come to light in a 155-page working script that once belonged to the late Roger Lloyd Pack, who played Trigger.
The rare script is set to go under the hammer at Bristol-based Auctioneum and is expected to fetch between £2,000 and £3,000. It has been signed by several cast members, including David Jason (Del Boy) and the late John Challis (Boycie). Lloyd Pack marked his lines throughout the document in black ink.
Auctioneer Andy Stowe, who is overseeing the sale, described the find as "comedy history, in black and white". Mr Stowe is a lifelong fan of the series and said he noticed unfamiliar dialogue while flipping through the pages.
He explained: "As a fan of the show myself, I was flicking through the script and began to read lines of dialogue that I didn't recognise.
"As I carried on reading, I realised that these were scenes and lines that had been cut from the episode. Some of them are very funny."
Another deleted scene in the script shows Del and Rodney rushing out of their flat as a consignment of dodgy alarm clocks goes off. They arrive at Del's Capri Ghia to find the same group of muggers loitering around the car, but the would-be thieves quickly scatter thanks to the blaring alarms.
Mr Stowe added: "There are several scenes cut from the episode that focus on the plot of the muggers.
"There was considerable work by the writer, John Sullivan, to establish the threat of them throughout the episode but most of these early scenes were cut from the final show.
"To have Roger's actual script, with his lines marked within it, is really something special. This is comedy history, in black and white on the page."
The script comes from a private collector who originally acquired it through the Only Fools & Horses Society.
Heroes and Villains was first broadcast on Christmas Day in 1996 and drew a record-breaking 21 million viewers. The sale of the script is set to take place in Bristol on June 30.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I had no idea Australian city is so lush, sophisticated and funny'
Throwing a couple of sunglasses into my suitcases, along with hats, shorts and some very, very heavy-duty sun cream, I sang: 'I'm off to see the Wizard – the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.' At which point my husband asked: 'Darling, why are you packing to watch a film on television? And it's not going to be on for ages. Christmas is months away.' Very funny. 'Not that Oz,' I replied. 'I'm going to be Australia's own Dorothy. Throw another shrimp on the barbie because Sydney, here I come.' I've always wanted to see Australia, not least to check out if koala bears really exist. And so, in lieu of a house swept up in a tornado, a la the original Dorothy, I opted for a rather more comfortable means of getting there via a Qantas double-decker. It's 22 hours flying time from London to Sydney, possums, so if you can I'd recommend breaking it up with Singapore or Hong Kong. But I was extremely keen to get there, so I did it in one go, with the result that when I got off the plane, the combination of the sheer beauty of the place and jet lag really did make me feel as if I'd woken up in an alternative reality. And I'd landed the furthest I'd ever been from home. First impressions: I absolutely loved it. Sydney is so green it could easily be the Emerald City, while it was far more sophisticated and cosmopolitan than I'd been expecting (Dame Edna would have a lot to answer for and yes, I know she was from Melbourne.) And the Australian sense of humour is dry and laconic, very similar to ours. The city is beautiful and the spectacular Sydney Opera House is worth those 22 flying hours alone. In pictures, it looks as if it's slightly separate from the main body of the city, but actually it's right at the heart of everything. People who are not going to see a performance congregate there because there are many bars and restaurants dotted around. A chum who has lived in the UK for 20 years but is a Sydney native, says she always arranges to meet friends there. The locals, incidentally, have been known to observe that it looks like nuns in a rugby scrum. Inside, the building is vast and cavernous and home to a number of theatres, including one which housed the Australian Ballet performing Nijinsky and I scored myself a ticket. Ballet, champagne – the Aussies live very well – and the most spectacular views over the harbour? Strewth, this is my kinda town. But we Dorothys are made of stern stuff and as well as knocking back fizz and appreciating high culture, there's a city to explore. With three clicks of the heels of her red shoes Dorothy could soar to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge – but the rest of us are more prosaically able to climb it. In total, it takes about three hours and provides you with more world-class views. Incidentally, you are breathalysed for safety before you're allowed on the bridge, so hold back on the fermented fruits of the country's numerous vineyards the night before. My personal Yellow Brick Road was George Street, which runs through the heart of the commercial and business district, which is also the best shopping area in the city. You can take the girl out of the Kansas shopping mall but you can't take the Kansas shopping mall etc etc. Check out the Queen Victoria Building, home to shops and cafes. There you will find international brands as well as Australian designer labels, which tend to be very brightly patterned – absolutely beautiful. I recommend Camilla and Leona Edmiston, where, in lieu of red shoes, I invested in a beautiful red silk dress. A local speciality, incidentally, are Australian opals, and you will find many jewellery stores selling them. Sydney is a very modern city but, of course, it is part of a history that extends back 65,000 years. There is a great deal of debate about what to call the people who were originally there before Europeans, including among those people themselves, but I'm going with indigenous on the grounds that it doesn't seem to offend anyone. And so I found myself on a Guided Tribal Warrior Cultural Cruise, a tour of Sydney harbour by boat. 'Here are the life jackets in case there's an iceberg in the harbour,' said the skipper (it was a boiling hot day and I told you the humour is laconic). We sailed to Clark Island, once a sacred ground for some of the indigenous people and these days, while much of it is open to tourists, there are some bits you must stay away from. We were shown around by a very personable indigenous brother and sister team – he played the didgeridoo to welcome us on to the island, and if you're a woman, here's a heads up – didgeridon't touch it. Not culturally sound. There we learned about ancient methods of fishing and farming while the men in our group were taught how to perform a traditional courtship dance. It is the women who choose their partners in this matriarchal society, although it is also said in the West that men chase and women choose. More in common under the skin and all that. And you can't visit Sydney without going to the beach. Bondi is the most famous one but another option, and it is worth it, is Manly Beach, a short ferry ride from Circular Quay, near the Harbour Bridge. We walked through the centre of the pleasant suburb to Cabbage Tree Bay – many restaurants were advertising Manly fish, which I first took to be extremely macho ocean life and then suddenly realised they were local fare. You can snorkel to get close-ups of oceanic life or simply wade through the surf and the fish will swim up to say hello. Or will they? Were they swimming – or circling? This is Australia, after all. The most common fish is the grouper: the male of which is blue and the female brown. He can fertilise up to five females, but if he dies, the strongest female will change sex, turn blue herself, and start fertilising off her own back, or gills, or whatever it is that fish do. They're very pragmatic in Oz. Two of us stopped at a local cafe where I learned about a speciality you will find everywhere. 'I'll bring you some banana bread,' said the waitress, magicking up a loaf and some butter enhanced with maple syrup. 'No I couldn't possibly, it's totally against my diet,' I said. 'Oh my word that smells amazing. Perhaps another slice.' No wonder this is such a sporty culture, they need to work off all the fantastic Aussie cuisine. I never did get a shrimp from a barbie but the fish I did have was superb. It was Australia that gave us fusion cooking, originally a combination of Japanese food and that of the West. On the way back to the ferry I stopped at a shop called Budgy Smuggler to buy, yes, a budgie smuggler for my very own Wizard of Oz – he laughed uproariously when he saw it but strangely has yet to try it on – before going back to sample the multiple delights the city has to offer. The tranquil Royal Botanic Garden is home both to indigenous species and those brought in from abroad. It also offers stunning views of the Opera House and the bridge from across the harbour. Slightly further out is Taronga Zoo, where you can both stay and dine and appreciate yet more spectacular harbour views. And the zoo is probably your best bet to see a koala bear as their natural habitat has been damaged in recent years. My only complaint about Sydney is that I didn't have enough time there. There are numerous museums, art galleries, restaurants – you could spend weeks there and never be bored. Would I go back? Like a shot and this time for longer. The whole place is magical. Simply wizard, in fact. GET THERE Qantas flies from Heathrow to Sydney starting at £1,475 return, £3,097 in Premium Economy. BOOK IT Rooms at The Langham hotel, Sydney, start at around £240 a night. MORE INFO
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
B&M shoppers race to snap up ‘crazy' discounts on toys that are perfect to ‘put away for Christmas'
A huge selection of items was on offer TOY JOY B&M shoppers race to snap up 'crazy' discounts on toys that are perfect to 'put away for Christmas' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHOPPERS are racing to bag a deal with "crazy" discounts on toys being offered up by retailer B&M. One eagle eyed bargain hunter spotted the reduced prices in a branch of the budget store. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 A huge selection of toys was on offer in the sale Credit: Facebook 2 Shoppers hailed the 'crazy' deals and said they would stock up for Christmas Credit: Facebook Shoppers were left stunned by the range of toys with some being offered for as little as £3. Sharing news of the deals to social media one shopper said: "So many reduced toys at bargain prices at B&M this morning. Glasgow branch." Dozens of different toys are being offered by the retailer with shoppers eager to snap them up. Everything from soft toys to toy cars were on offer in a massive sale at the B&M toy section. Social media users joked about stocking up for Christmas to save on presents. Barbie dolls, Harry Potter models, soft toys, cars, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift branded items were all stocked on shelves marked "sale." Prices ranged from just £3 for some items to £7 for others, all of them a massive discount on the original price tag. Shoppers raced to their local B&M to see if similar deals were available ahead of the expensive Christmas shopping season. A post on social media sharing the details of the sale received a massive reaction. Shoppers were keen to snap up a bargain for themselves and took to the comments section to praise the "crazy deals." 6 ways to get the biggest bargains in B&M One user said: "We should have checked ours, could have got bits to put away for Christmas." Another commented: "look at the crazy deals." Tons of bargain hunters tagged their friends urging them to check their local stores for the same sale. B&M regularly hosts sales offering heaps of goodies for reduced prices. Shoppers can download the B&M app if they want to get the best bargains themselves. You can scan every product in store using the app and it will tell you if it's on sale even if it hasn't been updated on the shelves yet. Budget shoppers were eager to get their hands on the bargains after seeing the selection of reduced goods on offer. The sale wont last forever so shopper hoping to cash in on the opportunity will need to hurry to their local B&M. Not every B&M store will host the same sales, the one shared on social media was spotted at a Glasgow site.
Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘For crying out loud' fume shoppers as chocolate advent calendar ALREADY on shelves at UK supermarket
One expert argues that shopping for Christmas early means you'll bag the best deals XMAS COMES EARLY 'For crying out loud' fume shoppers as chocolate advent calendar ALREADY on shelves at UK supermarket Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DESPITE the UK basking in glorious sunshine and with still plenty of time left of August, some shops are sneaking in early Christmas treats. Fed-up shoppers took to social media to name and shame one supermarket after noticing an Advent calendar on its shelves. 2 The fancy Advent calendar is already in stores Credit: Facebook The shop in the firing line is B&M, after a photo of the Guylian countdown treat was shared on New Foods UK's Facebook. "For crying out loud, it is only August! Some of us haven't had our summer holiday yet," one moaned, adding angry-face emojis. Another pointed out: "The way the chocolate is going in b&m during this heat, I would hate to think what it would be like in Dec!" "It's bloody August!" a third echoed. "Can't we just enjoy summer? We'll have months of this to come," argued a forth. But not everyone was annoyed by the bargain retailers forward thinking. One person tagged her husband and wrote: "Please do not pass by this in B&M without buying me one!!" Another tagged a friend and said: "Get looking early. I'd like one of these please." The £12 calendar is filled with three different flavours of the iconic Belgian chocolates. From December 1 to 24, behind each door is a milk truffle, original seashell, or salted caramel delight. And it's not just Advent calendars that the bargain store is flogging. Another picture of seasonal goodies was shared on Dansway Gifts and Bargains UK Facebook Group. "Festive Chocolate Selection Boxes are BACK at B&M," one shopper wrote. "A few we found whilst in store today, there's lots of other Christmas chocolate to choose from!" But one disappointed customer penned: "We've not even finished summer yet or had Halloween. "I swear Christmas gets earlier and earlier every year, makes you wonder how long these chocolates sit there before we buy and save for Christmas." Another added: "Too soon for Christmas but I'd still scoff them." While it may feel premature to start stocking up on Christmas treats, bargain hunters often bag better deals in the off-season. In fact, one expert has shared why now is the ideal time to buy your festive decorations, and where to buy them. 2 B&M is also flogging selection packs of chocolates Credit: Alamy
