Sleepless in Peckham
Encyclopedia
"Sleepless in Peckham" is an episode of BBC
sitcom, Only Fools and Horses
, first screened on 25 December 2003 as the third and final part of the early 2000s Christmas trilogy, and as the final episode of the entire series.
is in the late stages of pregnancy, which means Rodney
will finally become a father. Del Boy
takes Raquel
's washing-up gloves and drives to the cemetery. At the cemetery, Del is cleaning up the monument of his and Rodney's mother Joan. It is revealed that after they became millionaires, the Trotters used some of their money to give their mother's grave a makeover.
Later, at the Nag's Head, Sid tells Trigger
(who has been creating a portable backscratcher made out of chopsticks) that he got some suggestions from Mike on how to make the pub look a lot better. He also shows Rodney, Del, Trigger, and Mickey Pearce an old photograph of the very first Jolly Boys' Outing in 1960. Del mentions the events of the last one when his dodgy radio blew up their coach
, as well as the fact that there were no more because the coach company were afraid of losing another coach. They also notice that Marlene has been mysteriously absent over the last several weeks. Mickey and Sid quickly believe that Boycie
killed her.
Back at the flat, Del helps Rodney with an idea for a film about Mel Gibson
and Julia Roberts
crashing an aeroplane on an uninhabited island of cavepeople, including Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. The next day, Rodney and Raquel berate Del because they are nowhere near the total sum of money that they owe the Inland Revenue. Del is deeply hurt when Raquel tells him "only women bleed", and he angrily recounts his own life of having to take care of both Rodney and Grandad after their father abandoned them. As Raquel goes to lie down, Del privately says to Rodney that if they do get evicted, then he and Raquel will go their separate ways, but he and Raquel reconcile.
The next day, the Trotter Brothers and Trigger catch Denzil at a pizzeria and ask him if he made off with Marlene. Denzil says that he hasn't seen Marlene recently either and has actually been in hospital getting treatment for piles. This prompts Del and Rodney to go straight to Boycie and ask him if he murdered his wife and buried her in the garden. The Trotter Brothers arrive at Boycie's house and ask him, and he replies that he didn't murder Marlene since she's home and upstairs asleep. Boycie promises that he'll bring Marlene with him to the Nag's Head tonight. That night, at the Nag's Head, Boycie arrives with Marlene, who shows everybody that the reason why she was absent for the last couple of weeks was to get her chest surgically enhanced. Raquel wisecracks at the sight of it, and Boycie and Marlene are forced by Sid to pay for everyone's drinks.
With only a few days left before the Trotters are evicted from Nelson Mandela House, Rodney gets an enlarged copy of the 1960 Jolly Boys' Outing photo and shows it to Cassandra at a restaurant. He shows her who was in the photo: Del Boy, Boycie, Trigger, Denzil, Sid, Roy Slater
, Grandad
, Reg—and local gentleman thief Freddie "The Frog" Robdal, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Rodney (and also played by Nicholas Lyndhurst). Rodney then tells Cassandra that Robdal is his biological father, explaining the affair he had with Joan Trotter. Meanwhile, back at the flat, after returning from the market, Del finds the original photo and comes to the conclusion that Rodney has learned the horrible truth. He tells Raquel about how he only knew Robdal as "Uncle Fred" back in the 1960s, as well as mention that Joan, Albert
, and Trigger's Aunt Renee knew all along that Robdal was Rodney's real father, yet Del was unaware of that fact at the time until Albert told him after getting drunk at a party. Del refused to tell Rodney about it out of fear of breaking his brother's heart. Raquel and Cassandra both ask Del and Rodney why they won't tell each other. The Trotter Brothers both answer that it would indeed break the other's heart.
The next morning, Del and Rodney are called to see a solicitor named Mr. Cartwright, thinking that they failed to pay the Inland Revenue. But fortunately, Mr. Cartwright brings good news to the Trotter Brothers, and it has plenty to do with their late Uncle Albert, who invested his share of the Trotter fortune in a much safer spot prior to his death, while his nephews invested their shares in the Central American market. And according to his will, Albert wanted to give his enlarged share of the fortune to his nephews, leaving them with £145,000 each. Del and Rodney are both stunned by all this, until Del gets a phone call from Raquel that Cassandra's gone into labour. Del and Rodney race to the hospital and almost end up in the wrong delivery room, but eventually make their way to delivery room #16, where Raquel and Damien
wait outside. The good news is that Rodney and Cassandra are now the parents of a baby girl. As Rodney looks at his newborn daughter, Raquel asks Del what the good news he had was, only for Del to say that that he'll tell her later but mentions Albert as the reason.
A few days later, Rodney and his daughter are in the cemetery, as Rodney looks up to the heavens and asks his mother if Freddie the Frog ever really loved her, and that if she ever sees Albert, Joan should tell him that Rodney and Del said thanks. Del also shows up, and asks Rodney if he came up with a name for his daughter. Rodney just hints at Del to look at their mother's grave, which now reads: "Here lies Joan Mavis Trotter. Fell asleep 12 March 1964. Wife of Reg. Mother of Del Boy and Rodney. Grandmother of Damien and Joan." Finally, as they're leaving the cemetery, Rodney asks Del if he's anything like his father, Freddie the Frog. Del replies firmly by saying that Robdal was "a womaniser, a home-breaker, a con-man, a thief, a liar, and a cheat... So no Rodney, you're nothing like him." The Trotter Brothers then leave the cemetery and drive off in their three-wheeled van back home to Nelson Mandela House, with a new Joan Trotter for the world.
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...
sitcom, 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...
, first screened on 25 December 2003 as the third and final part of the early 2000s Christmas trilogy, and as the final episode of the entire series.
Synopsis
All seems calm and peaceful at Nelson Mandela House. CassandraCassandra Trotter
Cassandra Louise Trotter is a fictional character from the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. She was portrayed by Gwyneth Strong.-Biography:...
is in the late stages of pregnancy, which means 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...
will finally become a father. 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...
takes 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...
's washing-up gloves and drives to the cemetery. At the cemetery, Del is cleaning up the monument of his and Rodney's mother Joan. It is revealed that after they became millionaires, the Trotters used some of their money to give their mother's grave a makeover.
Later, at the Nag's Head, Sid tells Trigger
Trigger (Only Fools and Horses)
Trigger is a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He is played by actor Roger Lloyd Pack....
(who has been creating a portable backscratcher made out of chopsticks) that he got some suggestions from Mike on how to make the pub look a lot better. He also shows Rodney, Del, Trigger, and Mickey Pearce an old photograph of the very first Jolly Boys' Outing in 1960. Del mentions the events of the last one when his dodgy radio blew up their coach
The Jolly Boys' Outing
"The Jolly Boys' Outing" is the eighth Christmas special episode of the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December, 1989...
, as well as the fact that there were no more because the coach company were afraid of losing another coach. They also notice that Marlene has been mysteriously absent over the last several weeks. Mickey and Sid quickly believe that Boycie
Boycie
Terrance Aubrey Boyce best known as Boycie is a fictional character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses played by John Challis. His story is continued in the spin off series The Green Green Grass, which began filming in June 2005, in which Boycie and family have fled from a gang of...
killed her.
Back at the flat, Del helps Rodney with an idea for a film about Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
and Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
crashing an aeroplane on an uninhabited island of cavepeople, including Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. The next day, Rodney and Raquel berate Del because they are nowhere near the total sum of money that they owe the Inland Revenue. Del is deeply hurt when Raquel tells him "only women bleed", and he angrily recounts his own life of having to take care of both Rodney and Grandad after their father abandoned them. As Raquel goes to lie down, Del privately says to Rodney that if they do get evicted, then he and Raquel will go their separate ways, but he and Raquel reconcile.
The next day, the Trotter Brothers and Trigger catch Denzil at a pizzeria and ask him if he made off with Marlene. Denzil says that he hasn't seen Marlene recently either and has actually been in hospital getting treatment for piles. This prompts Del and Rodney to go straight to Boycie and ask him if he murdered his wife and buried her in the garden. The Trotter Brothers arrive at Boycie's house and ask him, and he replies that he didn't murder Marlene since she's home and upstairs asleep. Boycie promises that he'll bring Marlene with him to the Nag's Head tonight. That night, at the Nag's Head, Boycie arrives with Marlene, who shows everybody that the reason why she was absent for the last couple of weeks was to get her chest surgically enhanced. Raquel wisecracks at the sight of it, and Boycie and Marlene are forced by Sid to pay for everyone's drinks.
With only a few days left before the Trotters are evicted from Nelson Mandela House, Rodney gets an enlarged copy of the 1960 Jolly Boys' Outing photo and shows it to Cassandra at a restaurant. He shows her who was in the photo: Del Boy, Boycie, Trigger, Denzil, Sid, Roy Slater
DCI Roy Slater
Detective Chief Inspector Roy Slater is a recurring character in the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He is played by Jim Broadbent and, in the prequel Rock and Chips, by Calum MacNab.-Background:...
, Grandad
Grandad (Only Fools and Horses)
Edward Kitchener "Ted" Trotter better known simply as Grandad, was a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses from 1981-1984...
, Reg—and local gentleman thief Freddie "The Frog" Robdal, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Rodney (and also played by Nicholas Lyndhurst). Rodney then tells Cassandra that Robdal is his biological father, explaining the affair he had with Joan Trotter. Meanwhile, back at the flat, after returning from the market, Del finds the original photo and comes to the conclusion that Rodney has learned the horrible truth. He tells Raquel about how he only knew Robdal as "Uncle Fred" back in the 1960s, as well as mention that Joan, 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...
, and Trigger's Aunt Renee knew all along that Robdal was Rodney's real father, yet Del was unaware of that fact at the time until Albert told him after getting drunk at a party. Del refused to tell Rodney about it out of fear of breaking his brother's heart. Raquel and Cassandra both ask Del and Rodney why they won't tell each other. The Trotter Brothers both answer that it would indeed break the other's heart.
The next morning, Del and Rodney are called to see a solicitor named Mr. Cartwright, thinking that they failed to pay the Inland Revenue. But fortunately, Mr. Cartwright brings good news to the Trotter Brothers, and it has plenty to do with their late Uncle Albert, who invested his share of the Trotter fortune in a much safer spot prior to his death, while his nephews invested their shares in the Central American market. And according to his will, Albert wanted to give his enlarged share of the fortune to his nephews, leaving them with £145,000 each. Del and Rodney are both stunned by all this, until Del gets a phone call from Raquel that Cassandra's gone into labour. Del and Rodney race to the hospital and almost end up in the wrong delivery room, but eventually make their way to delivery room #16, where Raquel and Damien
Damien Trotter
Damien Derek Trotter is a fictional character in the BBC series Only Fools and Horses. He is son to Derek Trotter and Raquel Turner.Damien is the only child of Del and Raquel and nephew of Rodney Trotter...
wait outside. The good news is that Rodney and Cassandra are now the parents of a baby girl. As Rodney looks at his newborn daughter, Raquel asks Del what the good news he had was, only for Del to say that that he'll tell her later but mentions Albert as the reason.
A few days later, Rodney and his daughter are in the cemetery, as Rodney looks up to the heavens and asks his mother if Freddie the Frog ever really loved her, and that if she ever sees Albert, Joan should tell him that Rodney and Del said thanks. Del also shows up, and asks Rodney if he came up with a name for his daughter. Rodney just hints at Del to look at their mother's grave, which now reads: "Here lies Joan Mavis Trotter. Fell asleep 12 March 1964. Wife of Reg. Mother of Del Boy and Rodney. Grandmother of Damien and Joan." Finally, as they're leaving the cemetery, Rodney asks Del if he's anything like his father, Freddie the Frog. Del replies firmly by saying that Robdal was "a womaniser, a home-breaker, a con-man, a thief, a liar, and a cheat... So no Rodney, you're nothing like him." The Trotter Brothers then leave the cemetery and drive off in their three-wheeled van back home to Nelson Mandela House, with a new Joan Trotter for the world.