Only Fools and Horses Fans Hail 'Genius' Show in New Documentary

Fans of the iconic British sitcom "Only Fools and Horses" have expressed widespread praise for "The Lost Archive," a documentary that aired recently and offered viewers a trip down memory lane. The program celebrates the show's 45th anniversary by delving into the archives to unearth a wealth of previously unseen material.

Unearthing Hidden Gems

The documentary, which aired on Tuesday night, features approximately 66 newly discovered clips, along with nearly 100 other items such as rushes, behind-the-scenes footage, and outtakes. The cast and crew reunited for the U&GOLD documentary to discuss these discoveries. Among those featured are Sir David Jason (Del Boy), Tessa Peake-Jones (Raquel), Gwyneth Strong (Cassandra), Sue Holderness (Marlene), Steven Woodcock (Jevon), and Denis Lill (Alan), alongside director Tony Dow and editor Chris Wadsworth.

Viewers took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share their enthusiasm. Comments included "It was such a treat watching Only Fools & Horses: The Lost Archive, watching all those scenes that didn't make the final cut. Can't wait for next Tuesday!" and "watching only fools and horses the lost archives and I still find John Sullivan an absolute genius!"

"Only Fools and Horses" was one of the most popular sitcoms of its time, frequently drawing audiences exceeding 16 million viewers. However, significant portions of the show, featuring Del Boy Trotter and his circle of friends, were never broadcast.

Glimpses of Cut Scenes

The unearthed footage includes several notable scenes. From the 1989 Christmas special "Jolly Boys' Outing," a new character named Kenny, brother of Boycie's wife Marlene, is revealed. The same episode also explains why the coach hired for a trip to Margate exploded: a faulty radio supplied by Del Boy. A scene from the 1986 Christmas special "A Royal Flush," where Uncle Albert recounts narrowly escaping a shark attack during the war, also received its premiere. Additionally, Raquel's failed attempt to become a nightclub singer in the 1991 episode "Class Of '62" is broadcast for the first time.

Other previously unseen moments include an impromptu football match in "Jolly Boys' Outing" and a scene from the 1988 Christmas special "Dates" where Del Boy explains how he avoided jail after mistaking a policewoman for a stripogram.

Cast and Crew Reflections

Sir David Jason, 86, who gained fame for his BAFTA-winning role as Del Boy, admitted that watching the cut scenes with fellow cast members was occasionally frustrating. "I understand why scenes had to be cut - when you're pushed for time something has to give," he stated. "But I thought it was a real shame that certain scenes were cut. The one with Uncle Albert, for example, where he's talking about torpedoes and sharks. It's a nice piece of characterisation of him and his war effort and I would have wanted that to be kept in."

Tessa Peake-Jones, who played Raquel, found the experience of viewing the lost archive material unnerving at times. "I don't like watching myself, at the best of times, but seeing myself from 25 years ago was odd – it was almost like watching a different person," she said. "However, much of it was a lovely surprise. Because I don't often watch myself on screen, I never realised what had been cut or even that things overran and had to be edited. When I watched the archive material, I didn't even remember recording some of those scenes!"

The documentary also includes outtakes, which Peake-Jones believes audiences will find irresistible. "I imagine they are going to go mad for it: hats off to whoever made it possible!"

Archival Efforts

The discovery and compilation of this material are credited to former BBC producer and comedy archivist Richard Latto. He explained that he sourced the original 16-millimeter film recordings, which contained all the footage, including cut scenes and outtakes. Latto noted the rarity of these recordings surviving, as such film was often wiped and reused by the BBC to save costs.