The episode of Only Fools and Horses banned from airing

South Wales Argus

a day ago

The BBC show, created by John Sullivan and starring Sir David Jason, is often regarded as one of the best British comedy shows of all time.
As the writer, Sullivan would often use his own life experiences in the show while adding that classic Only Fools and Horses twist.
However, there's one episode of the BBC sitcom that was banned from airing for some time after 9/11.
The banned episode of Only Fools and Horses
The episode, titled 'The Sky's the Limit', first aired in 1990 and follows Boycie, who had mysteriously lost his satellite dish, while Del Boy had just come into possession of one.
Rodney heads to Gatwick Airport to meet Cassandra, but when he arrives, he finds that her plane was diverted to Manchester and is left wondering why.
At the end of the episode, it's revealed that the three are all linked when Del Boy, Rodney, Raquel and Uncle Albert are watching TV.
On the TV, a news reporter says: "The radar transmitter dish, similar to the one shown here, was stolen from the end of Gatwick Airport's main runway during the early hours of yesterday morning.
"The theft brought Gatwick Airport to a standstill, has caused chaos throughout Europe, and left thousands of returning holidaymakers stranded."
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In the last scenes of the episode, a plane is seen flying dangerously low over the Trotters' tower block.
It's understood that those scenes left the episode banned from airing on TV for a while after 9/11.
According to Only Fools and Horses Fandom, the episode was inspired by Sullivan's holiday to Portugal when he discovered he was not booked on the plane.