Lost 'Only Fools and Horses' Scenes Featuring Del Boy and Uncle Albert to Be Revealed

Previously unaired scenes from the iconic British sitcom "Only Fools and Horses," featuring deleted moments with characters Del Boy Trotter and Uncle Albert, are set to be broadcast for the first time. The material will be revealed in a two-part documentary titled "Only Fools and Horses: The Lost Archive." This comes 23 years after the final episode of the series aired.

Surviving cast members, including Sir David Jason, who played Del Boy, and Tessa Peake-Jones, who portrayed Del Boy's wife Raquel, will watch these "brilliant" missing moments together for the first time. They shared their reactions to seeing the cut footage in the new documentary.

"It's a real shame" that some scenes were left on the cutting room floor, Sir David Jason stated. He explained that during production, episodes often ran long, necessitating cuts to fit the 30-minute broadcast slot. "When you're pushed for time something has to give," he recalled. He specifically mentioned a scene featuring Uncle Albert discussing torpedoes and sharks as a piece of characterization he wished had remained in the final cut.

Tessa Peake-Jones described the experience of watching the lost footage as "unnerving," admitting she doesn't often watch herself on screen. "Seeing myself from 25 years ago was odd - it was almost like watching a different person," she said. However, she also noted that much of it was a "lovely surprise," and she didn't even recall filming some of the scenes.

The unearthed clips include a scene from the 1989 Christmas special, "Jolly Boys' Outing," which introduces Kenny, the brother of Boycie's wife Marlene. The same episode's cut material also explains why the coach hired for the trip to Margate exploded – due to a faulty in-vehicle radio supplied by Del Boy's father, D.B. Trotter. Additionally, a scene from the 1986 Christmas special, "A Royal Flush," will premiere, showing Uncle Albert recounting his wartime experience of narrowly escaping a shark attack. Raquel's failed attempt to become a nightclub singer, from the 1991 episode "Class Of '62," and an impromptu football match from "Jolly Boys' Outing" are also among the featured segments. Another cut scene from the 1988 Christmas special, "Dates," shows Del Boy explaining how he avoided jail after mistaking a policewoman for a stripogram.

The documentary also includes outtakes from the show. Peake-Jones found filming romantic scenes with Jason a particular source of amusement and believes audiences will be captivated by the new material.

Former BBC producer and comedy archivist Richard Latto is credited with discovering these un-aired clips. He described it as a "miracle" that the original 16-millimeter film recordings, which contained all the footage, have survived. Latto explained that such film was often wiped and reused by the BBC to save money, citing the infamous instance of the moon landing coverage being recorded over with horse racing. "It's a wonder Only Fools And Horses didn't suffer the same, sorry fate!" he remarked.

"Only Fools and Horses: The Lost Archive" is scheduled to air on Tuesday, October 20th, at 9 p.m. on U&Gold.