Heroes and Villains (Only Fools and Horses): Difference between revisions

"**Heroes and Villains**"
"Heroes and Villains"
Only Fools and Horses episodes
	File:Only Fools Batman.jpg
Episode nos.	Episodes 13; (Christmas Special)
Directed by	Tony Dow
Written by	John Sullivan
Produced by	Gareth Gwenlan
Original air dates	25 December 1996; (21.3 million viewers)
Running time	60 minutes 58:40 (DVD); 58:42 (iTunes);
	List of episodes

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"Heroes and Villains" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 1996 as the first part of the 1996 Christmas trilogy and the thirteenth Christmas special. It attracted a UK television audience of 21.3 million, at the time a record for the show. In the episode, Del and Rodney are invited to a fancy dress party. They arrive dressed as Batman and Robin.

Synopsis

On Rodney's birthday, he receives an identity bracelet from Del with the name "Rooney". Del's application for a council grant has been rejected, and Raquel receives a letter from her estranged parents, who want to meet her again. It emerges that Rodney and Cassandra have been trying for a baby, which leads to an unsuspecting Uncle Albert drinking one of Cassandra's urine specimens, believing it to be apple juice. Meanwhile, at Sid's cafe, Trigger is telling everyone in earshot about a medal he received from the local council for using the same broom for twenty years, despite the fact that it has actually had 17 new heads and 14 new handles in that time. Del buys tickets for himself and Rodney to attend a publican's fancy dress birthday party, Cassandra goes to Spain with her mother, and Raquel and Damien visit her parents.

At Del's insistence, he and Rodney go to the party dressed as Batman and Robin respectively, but their Reliant Regal van breaks down halfway there and they have to run the rest of the way. En route they interrupt an attempt to mug Councillor Murray and, emerging from the fog dressed as Batman and Robin, promptly scare away the thieves. Del and Rodney arrive at the party, unaware that the publican, Harry Malcolm, had in fact died the day before and the fancy dress has thus been cancelled in favour of a wake (a fact that Boycie, who met them in the doorway, neglected to mention), and they burst into the main room singing the Batman theme tune.

Del and Rodney are in the market the next day and see the gang of muggers again, this time attacking an elderly woman. Rodney gives chase, before one of the muggers then starts chasing him; Del ultimately knocks the mugger unconscious with his suitcase. Del (though not Rodney, much to his annoyance) receives a medal for apprehending the gang. While at the awards ceremony, he meets Councillor Murray again, who offers to do him a favour in return for rescuing her. That night Del announces that his application for a council grant has now been approved, and Rodney reveals that Cassandra is pregnant.

Episode cast

Actor	Role
David Jason	Del Boy
Nicholas Lyndhurst	Rodney
Buster Merryfield	Uncle Albert
Tessa Peake-Jones	Raquel
Gwyneth Strong	Cassandra
Roger Lloyd-Pack	Trigger
John Challis	Boycie
Kenneth MacDonald	Mike
Sue Holderness	Marlene
Paul Barber	Denzil
Roy Heather	Sid
Angela Bruce	Councillor Murray
Douglas Hodge	Old Damien
Jamie Smith	Damien
Steve Weston	Kenny
Scott Marshall	Gary (mugger)
Dan Clark	Scott (mugger)
Fuman Dar	Kevin (mugger)
Sheree Murphy	Dawn (mugger)
Bay White	Old Lady
Robin Meredith	Mayor
Richard Hicks	Photographer
Ted Shepherd	Tom (Commissionaire)

Reception

In a 2001 poll, Heroes and Villains was voted the UK's favourite Christmas show of all time.^[1] It received 35% of the vote in the survey of 1,500 viewers.^[2]

Popular culture

The Batman and Robin scene from the episode was partially re-created by actors during the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony. ^[3]

References

^ Day, Julia (7 December 2001). "Del Boy is Christmas number one". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
^ "Del tops Christmas TV poll". BBC News. 7 December 2001. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
^ Singh, Anita (10 August 2012). "London 2012 Closing Ceremony: here come the Spice Girls". The Daily Telegraph.

External links

[1] Day, Julia (7 December 2001). "Del Boy is Christmas number one". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 November 2009.

[2] "Del tops Christmas TV poll". BBC News. 7 December 2001. Retrieved 21 November 2009.

[telegraph2-3] Singh, Anita (10 August 2012). "London 2012 Closing Ceremony: here come the Spice Girls". The Daily Telegraph.

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 == Synopsis ==
+On Rodney's birthday, he receives an identity bracelet from Del with the name "''Rooney''". Del's application for a council grant has been rejected, and Raquel receives a letter from her estranged parents, who want to meet her again. It emerges that Rodney and Cassandra have been trying for a baby, which leads to an unsuspecting Uncle Albert drinking one of Cassandra's urine specimens, believing it to be [[apple juice]]. Meanwhile, at Sid's cafe, [[Trigger (Only Fools and Horses)|Trigger]] is telling everyone in earshot about a medal he received from the local council for using the same broom for twenty years, despite the fact that it has actually had 17 new heads and 14 new handles in that time. Del buys tickets for himself and Rodney to attend a publican's [[fancy dress]] birthday party, Cassandra goes to [[Spain]] with her mother, and Raquel and Damien visit her parents.
-The episode opens with [[Rodney Trotter|Rodney]]'s futuristic dream, in which [[Damien Trotter|Damien]], head of the now [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] and all-powerful ''Trotters Independent Traders'', apparently rules the Western world in the year 2026, barking orders to [[Keanu Reeves|President Keanu Reeves]] to declare war on [[People's Republic of China|China]], claiming that "war is good". [[Del Boy]] (who is now an old man who is Lord of [[Peckham]]) and [[Raquel Turner|Raquel]] live in a luxurious office block, ''Trotter Towers'', but Rodney himself is merely an old messenger, [[Cassandra Trotter|Cassandra]] is a maid (after Damien took over her bank and fired her), and [[Uncle Albert]]'s body has been preserved (all he can say is his trademark phrase "During the war..." on a constant loop).
+At Del's insistence, he and Rodney go to the party dressed as [[Batman]] and [[Robin (comics)|Robin]] respectively, but their [[Reliant Regal]] van breaks down halfway there and they have to run the rest of the way. En route they interrupt an attempt to mug Councillor Murray and, emerging from the fog dressed as Batman and Robin, promptly scare away the thieves. Del and Rodney arrive at the party, unaware that the publican, Harry Malcolm, had in fact died the day before and the fancy dress has thus been cancelled in favour of a wake (a fact that [[Boycie]], who met them in the doorway, neglected to mention), and they burst into the main room singing the ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'' theme tune.
-Rodney wakes up back in the present day on his birthday, on which he receives an identity bracelet from Del with the name "''Rooney''". Del's application for a council grant has been rejected, and Raquel receives a letter from her estranged parents, who want to meet her again. It emerges that Rodney and Cassandra have been trying for a baby, which leads to an unsuspecting Uncle Albert drinking one of Cassandra's urine specimens, believing it to be [[apple juice]]. Meanwhile, at Sid's cafe, [[Trigger (Only Fools and Horses)|Trigger]] is telling everyone in earshot about a medal he received from the local council for using the same broom for twenty years, despite the fact that it has actually had [[Ship of Theseus|17 new heads and 14 new handles]] in that time. Del buys tickets for himself and Rodney to attend a publican's [[fancy dress]] birthday party, Cassandra goes to [[Spain]] with her mother, and Raquel and Damien visit her parents.
-At Del's insistence, he and Rodney go to the party dressed as [[Batman]] and [[Robin (comics)|Robin]] respectively, but their [[Reliant Regal]] van breaks down halfway there and they have to run the rest of the way. En route they interrupt an attempt to mug Councillor Murray and, emerging from the fog dressed as Batman and Robin, promptly scare away the thieves. Del and Rodney arrive at the party, unaware that the publican, Harry Malcolm, had in fact died the day before and the fancy dress has thus been cancelled in favour of a wake (a fact that [[Boycie]], who met them in the doorway, "forgot" to mention), and they burst into the main room singing the [[Batman (TV series)|''Batman'' theme tune]].
 Del and Rodney are in the market the next day and see the gang of muggers again, this time attacking an elderly woman. Rodney gives chase, before one of the muggers then starts chasing him; Del ultimately knocks the mugger unconscious with his suitcase. Del (though not Rodney, much to his annoyance) receives a [[medal]] for apprehending the gang. While at the awards ceremony, he meets Councillor Murray again, who offers to do him a favour in return for rescuing her. That night Del announces that his application for a council [[Grant (money)|grant]] has now been approved, and Rodney reveals that Cassandra is pregnant.
@@ Line 109: / Line 107: @@
 ==Reception==
-*In a 2001 poll, Heroes and Villains was voted the UK's favourite Christmas show of all time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/dec/07/broadcasting.bbc1|title=Del Boy is Christmas number one|date=7 December 2001|work=The Guardian|accessdate=21 November 2009 | location=London | first=Julia | last=Day}}</ref>
+In a 2001 poll, Heroes and Villains was voted the UK's favourite Christmas show of all time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/dec/07/broadcasting.bbc1|title=Del Boy is Christmas number one|date=7 December 2001|work=The Guardian|accessdate=21 November 2009 | location=London | first=Julia | last=Day}}</ref> It received 35% of the vote in the survey of 1,500 viewers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1697048.stm|title=Del tops Christmas TV poll|date=7 December 2001|work=BBC News|accessdate=21 November 2009}}</ref>
-It received 35% of the vote in the survey of 1,500 viewers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1697048.stm|title=Del tops Christmas TV poll|date=7 December 2001|work=BBC News|accessdate=21 November 2009}}</ref>
 ==Popular culture==
 The Batman and Robin scene from the episode was partially re-created by actors during the [[2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony]].
 <ref name="telegraph2">{{cite news|title=London 2012 Closing Ceremony: here come the Spice Girls|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/9466698/London-2012-Closing-Ceremony-here-come-the-Spice-Girls.html | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Anita|last=Singh|date=10 August 2012}}</ref>
-==Music==
-* '''[[M People]]''': [[Sight for Sore Eyes]]
-* '''[[UB40]] & [[Chrissie Hynde]]''': [[I Got You Babe]]
-* '''The Children Of [[Dunblane]]''': [[Knockin' on Heaven's Door]]
-* '''[[Dodgy (band)|Dodgy]]''': [[Good Enough (Dodgy song)|Good Enough]]
-* '''[[Boyzone]]''': [[Coming Home Now]]
-* '''[[Spice Girls]]''': [[2 Become 1]]
-* '''[[Neal Hefti]]''': [[Batman Theme]]
-* '''Del Boy & Rodney Trotter''': [[Three Lions]]
 ==References==

v t e Only Fools and Horses episodes
Series 1 (1981)	"Big Brother" "Go West Young Man" "Cash and Curry" "The Second Time Around" "A Slow Bus to Chingford" "The Russians Are Coming"
Series 2 (1982)	"The Long Legs of the Law" "Ashes to Ashes" "A Losing Streak" "No Greater Love" "The Yellow Peril" "It Never Rains..." "A Touch of Glass"
Series 3 (1983)	"Homesick" "Healthy Competition" "Friday the 14th" "Yesterday Never Comes" "May the Force Be with You" "Wanted" "Who's a Pretty Boy?"
Series 4 (1985)	"Happy Returns" "Strained Relations" "Hole in One" "It's Only Rock and Roll" "Sleeping Dogs Lie" "Watching the Girls Go By" "As One Door Closes"
Series 5 (1986)	"From Prussia with Love" "The Miracle of Peckham" "The Longest Night" "Tea for Three" "Video Nasty" "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
Series 6 (1989)	"Yuppy Love" "Danger UXD" "Chain Gang" "The Unlucky Winner Is..." "Sickness and Wealth" "Little Problems"
Series 7 (1990–91)	"The Sky's the Limit" "The Chance of a Lunchtime" "Stage Fright" "The Class of '62" "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Uncle" "Three Men, a Woman and a Baby"
Specials	"Christmas Crackers" (1981) "Diamonds Are for Heather" (1982) "Thicker than Water" (1983) "To Hull and Back" (1985) "A Royal Flush" (1986) "The Frog's Legacy" (1987) "Dates" (1988) "The Jolly Boys' Outing" (1989) "Rodney Come Home" (1990) "Miami Twice" (1991) "Mother Nature's Son" (1992) "Fatal Extraction" (1993) "Heroes and Villains" (1996) "Modern Men" (1996) "Time on Our Hands" (1996) "If They Could See Us Now" (2001) "Strangers on the Shore" (2002) "Sleepless in Peckham" (2003)
Other episodes	The Funny Side of Christmas: "Christmas Trees" (1982) "Licensed to Drill" (1984) "White Mice" (1985) "Royal Variety Show" (1986) "The Robin Flies at Dawn" (1990) "Comic Relief special" (1997) "Beckham in Peckham" (2014)