A long-lost script from the final episode of Only Fools and Horses has revealed a joke that was cut from the 1996 Christmas special, in which Del Boy (David Jason) claims the pocket watch was cleaned with Brasso. The script is being sold by a former production crew member and is expected to fetch £2,000.
Cut Joke and Alternate Scenes Revealed
In the scene, when the pocket watch goes under the hammer at Sotheby’s, Del was supposed to say to Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst): "They’ve cleaned it with a bit of Brasso." The line never made the final edit of the famous episode, which holds the UK record for the most-watched sitcom episode of all time, with 24.3 million viewers when it originally aired.
The script also includes additional dialogue for car dealer Boycie (John Challis). In the auction aftermath, Rodney goes to buy a new Rolls-Royce for Del. Boycie initially laughs at his request until Rodney shows him the Sotheby’s cheque for £6.2 million. In the newly-found script, 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 him a drink, to which Rodney replies: "Triffic."
Alternative Ending to Batman and Robin Episode
In addition, an alternative ending to the "mugger" scene in the Batman and Robin episode has also been found. The historic documents, written by the late John Sullivan for the iconic British comedy, include previously unseen gags and scenes that didn’t make it to broadcast for the 1996 Christmas trilogy of episodes.
Only Fools and Horses is widely regarded as one of the UK's best sitcoms of all time, first airing in 1981 and gaining a cult following. The series followed black market trader Del Boy and his brother Rodney as they got caught in ridiculous and often hilarious deals to get rich quickly. The show ended with a 2003 Christmas special.
