An unearthed script from the final episode of Only Fools and Horses has revealed a Del Boy joke that was cut before the show aired, offering fans a glimpse of what might have been. The script, penned by the late John Sullivan, is being auctioned by a former production crew member and is expected to fetch £2,000.
Cut Joke from the 1996 Christmas Special
The 1996 Christmas special, which holds the official UK record for the most-watched sitcom episode of all time with 24.3 million viewers, originally included a quip about Brasso. In the scene where Del Boy and Rodney auction a pocket watch at Sotheby's, Del was meant to say: "They've cleaned it with a bit of Brasso." The line was removed from the final cut, leaving audiences unaware of the gag for nearly three decades.
Additional Dialogue for Boycie
The script also features extra dialogue for car dealer Boycie, played by John Challis. In the aired episode, Rodney visits Boycie to buy a Rolls-Royce for Del after the auction. The newly discovered script shows Boycie initially laughing off the request until Rodney produces a Sotheby's cheque for £6.2 million. Rodney then says: "Six million. We were hoping for more, but the market's a bit depressed." Boycie responds: "Sit down - please," before opening a cocktail cabinet and offering a drink, to which Rodney replies: "Triffic."
Alternative Ending for Batman and Robin Episode
In addition to the Christmas special, the documents include an alternative ending for the "mugger" scene in the Batman and Robin episode. The scripts, written by John Sullivan for the beloved BBC sitcom, contain previously unseen jokes and scenes that never made it to air during the 1996 Christmas trilogy. Only Fools and Horses first aired in 1981 and quickly became one of Britain's greatest sitcoms, following market trader Del Boy (David Jason) and his brother Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) as they pursued get-rich-quick schemes, often with hilarious results.
