Modern Men (Only Fools and Horses)
Encyclopedia
"Modern Men" is an episode of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

 sit-com, Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...

. It was the second episode of the 1996 Christmas trilogy, and was first screened on 27 December 1996.

Synopsis

Because of the good news that Cassandra
Cassandra Trotter
Cassandra Louise Trotter is a fictional character from the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. She was portrayed by Gwyneth Strong.-Biography:...

 and Rodney
Rodney Trotter
Rodney Charlton Trotter is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst.-Personality:Rodney's personality was based on the experiences of series creator John Sullivan, who also had an older sibling and, like Rodney, claimed to have been a dreamer and...

 are expecting a baby, the Trotters go out for a night at the Nag's Head.

At the Nag's Head, Del Boy
Del Boy
Derek Edward Trotter, better known as "Del Boy", is the fictional lead character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses and one of the main characters of its prequel, Rock & Chips...

 is able to convince Mike to accept a fiver for a trayful of drinks as well as sell him a "hairdryer" (actually an electric paint stripper) by doing the "I can make you turn your hands over without touching you" trick. Mickey Pearce then reminds Rodney that he needs to get a proper job before his and Cassandra's child is born (Rodney accidentally quit his last job in "The Chance of a Lunchtime
The Chance of a Lunchtime
"The Chance of a Lunchtime" is an episode of the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of series 7, and first broadcast on 6 January 1991.-Synopsis:...

").

Later that night, while they are in bed, Del shows Raquel
Raquel Turner
Rachel "Raquel" Turner is a fictional character from the BBC television sit-com Only Fools and Horses, in which she was Del Boy's longtime girlfriend...

 a new book he bought called "Modern Man", which Del thinks will turn him into a very polite gentleman when he meets Raquel's parents in the near future. Raquel then requests that Del give Rodney a proper job, because in seven months time, he will be a father.

Meanwhile, while they are in bed, Rodney tells Cassandra that Del has to stop making on-the-spot decisions. Del, however, has decided to have a vasectomy
Vasectomy
Vasectomy is a surgical procedure for male sterilization and/or permanent birth control. During the procedure, the vasa deferentia of a man are severed, and then tied/sealed in a manner such to prevent sperm from entering into the seminal stream...

.

The next morning at Nelson Mandela House, Rodney tells Albert about a want ad in the paper advertising a highbrow company. He picks up the phone and dials the company, but does not realize that he's called Del's new mobile phone. Del takes part in the conversation with the false identity "Ivor Hardy" and talking in a strong Welsh accent, as well as explaining what his company sells; anything it can get its hands on, and Rodney's job is to take the stuff down to the market and sell it from a suitcase. Del enters the lounge and says in his own voice, "We're always on the lookout for dirty little plonkers like you!" Rodney realizes that the job he wanted is already his, and that Del only placed that ad in the newspaper so that someone could help him while Rodney looks for a real job. Del accuses Rodney of trying to get rid of him when Rodney said that he had not got a brother to Del. Completely understanding about his younger brother's worried pride, Del promotes Rodney to Sales Director.

The Trotter brothers go to Sid's cafe, and hide from a Sikh medic named Dr. Singh, who's looking for Del because of the faulty paint (whose expiration date was June 1983) he sold him. Del tells Rodney that he's getting a vasectomy, much to his younger brother's disapproval.

Sometime later, Del is in a medical clinic, ready for his vasectomy, and Dr. Singh is going to operate on him. Del screams loudly, and he wakes up in a cold sweat back in his own bed with Raquel. Del then decides to not have the vasectomy after all, and goes back to sleep.

The next day, upon coming back from the market, Rodney taunts Del for backing out of the vasectomy. But Dr. Singh shows up and demands that Del get rid of the faulty paint he sold him immediately. As the Sikh doctor leaves on a motorscooter, Del wisecracks about him not wearing a crash helmet because of his huge turban (a genuine legal exemption under UK law), which gives Del an idea.

Later at 5:30pm, Rodney is shown wearing a horseriding helmet with Raquel's scarf on it, which Del calls a Trotter Crash Turban. Raquel believes that the product will never catch on, while Albert
Uncle Albert
Albert Gladstone Trotter is a fictional character from the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He was introduced during the fourth season as a replacement for the character of Grandad due to the death of actor Lennard Pearce...

 receives a phone call for Rodney from Cassandra's bank that Cassandra suffered a miscarriage.

The Trotter Brothers quickly race to the hospital and ask the sister about which room Cassandra is in. As they head off, a drunken man is insulting the hospital staff and its patients.

As Del and Rodney arrive at Cassandra's room in theatre gowns, Del tells Rodney that he has to be comforting and understanding as well as talk about the future, not the past or present. The Trotter Brothers enter, and Cassandra emotionally says that she's sorry. To Rodney's surprise, Del begins to cry. Rodney tries his best to comfort his wife and tell her that things just happen. Del agrees and leaves the room sobbing. Cassandra then says that she lost the baby, but Rodney tells her that they will get through this. Cassandra smiles and hugs her husband.

Back in the waiting room, the drunken man is still insulting the staff, and becomes even more angry when Mike (who accidentally burned his forehead with the paint stripper Del sold him) is attended to before him. As Del enters the room to dry his tears, he is insulted by the drunken man's trash-talking. Del Boy shuts the drunken man up by hitting him square on the jaw. The impact from the blow causes the drunken man to sober up. Now feeling better, Del says to a waiting patient, "I bet you wish you'd gone private!" then leaves satisfied.

Episode cast

Actor Role
David Jason
David Jason
Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...

Del Boy
Nicholas Lyndhurst
Nicholas Lyndhurst
Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, Gary Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart, and as Adam Parkinson in Carla Lane's series Butterflies...

Rodney
Buster Merryfield
Buster Merryfield
Harry "Buster" Merryfield was an English actor best known for starring in the BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses.-Early life:...

Uncle Albert
Tessa Peake-Jones
Tessa Peake-Jones
Tessa Peake-Jones is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Raquel in the television comedy series Only Fools and Horses. She had a co-starring role in the 1999 TV series Births, Marriages, and Deaths...

Raquel
Gwyneth Strong
Gwyneth Strong
Gwyneth Strong is an English actress. She is probably best known for her role in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses as Cassandra, who was married to Del Boy's brother Rodney.-Career:...

Cassandra
Roger Lloyd Pack
Roger Lloyd Pack
Roger Lloyd-Pack is an English actor known for his roles in the TV shows The Vicar of Dibley, Only Fools and Horses and The Old Guys.-Career:...

Trigger
John Challis
John Challis
John Challis is an English actor.-Career:He is probably best known for his role as Terrance Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce in the long running comedy show Only Fools and Horses, and its 2005 spin-off, The Green Green Grass....

Boycie
Kenneth MacDonald Mike
Sue Holderness
Sue Holderness
Sue Holderness is an English actress. Since 1985 she has played the role of Marlene Boyce in the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses and its spin-off The Green Green Grass .-Career:...

Marlene
Paul Barber Denzil
 
Actor Role
Roy Heather
Roy Heather
Roy Heather is an English actor. He began as an amateur actor when he was spotted by David Tudor who gave him his first professional job in Repertory. For David he played many leading roles including Frank in "Winter Journey", Reg in "The Norman Conquests" and co-starred in the world premiere of...

Sid
Bhasker Patel Dr. Singh
Jamie Smith Damien
Patrick Murray Mickey Pearce
Phil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell is an English comedian, actor, impressionist and writer. He is probably best known as being part of the Dead Ringers television and radio series...

Drunken Man in hospital
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills (actress)
Beverly Hills is a British actress who is played Kate Warren in Backup, Elaine Davies-Johnson in Brookside, Liz Walton in Accused, Monika Gaye in Peak Practice, Shirley Slipman in The Bill, Viv Kelly in Dalziel and Pascoe and she has also appeared in Casualty, Holby City and Silent Witness-External...

Sister
James Olver Doctor
Corrine Britton Nurse
Lorraine Ashley Receptionist

Music

  • Oasis
    Oasis (band)
    Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...

    : Roll with It
  • Louise
    Louise Redknapp
    Louise Elizabeth Redknapp is an English singer and media personality. She was a member of the girl group Eternal from 1992 to 1995, before becoming a solo singer . She has presented several television shows and served as a judge on the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance...

    : Light of My Life
    Light of My Life
    "Light of My Life" is a song released by UK singer Louise in 1995 as her debut single as a solo artist. It charted at number 8 in the UK and number 18 in Ireland...

  • Boyzone
    Boyzone
    Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...

    : Love Me for a Reason
    Love Me for a Reason
    "Love Me for a Reason" is a song by The Osmonds, and released in 1974. Twenty years later, Boyzone covered the song. Both versions were successful, reaching the top ten of the charts in many countries.-Original song:...

  • Blur
    Blur (band)
    Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...

    : Country House

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK