The Miracle of Peckham
Encyclopedia
"The Miracle of Peckham" is an episode of the BBC
sitcom, Only Fools and Horses
. It was the second episode of series 5, and was first screened on 7 September 1986.
worries about what a muscular man named Biffo is going to do to him after a drunken Rodney stole his trumpet, which Albert
has subsequently thrown down the rubbish chute, Del Boy
goes to church to seek forgiveness for some stolen goods he has recently purchased, though he doesn't say what they were. The parish priest explains to Del how the local hospice is facing closure. Whilst there, the two are witnesses to a miracle: a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the altar appears to be weeping. Del instantly senses an opportunity to make money and save the hospice, and tells Rodney to alert the media. Within days, reporters and cameramen from all over the world are in Peckham
to cover the story. Del presents himself as a modern day prophet
, predicting when the statue will weep again.
A few weeks later, after several more miracles, enough money is raised to save the local hospice. It then suddenly dawns on the priest that the miracles always occur when it is raining. Upon inspecting the church's roof, he finds that all of the lead tiles are missing. Only then does it emerge that those lead tiles were the stolen goods Del had come to confess over, but he points out that the money raised from the resulting "miracle" did save the local hospice. The priest, much to Del's surprise, merely blesses him for doing it.
As they exit the church, Del and Rodney shake hands with the many reporters and cameramen, until Rodney finds out that he's shaking the hand of Biffo, who demands to know where his trumpet is. Rodney tries talking his way out of it, but then runs away with Biffo giving chase. Del Boy takes advantage of it by offering the reporters and cameramen a chance to film the chase, as long as they pay Del in return.
Note: In the VHS/DVD versions, Carl Orff's "O Fortuna" is replaced by a similar sounding piece of music.
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...
. It was the second episode of series 5, and was first screened on 7 September 1986.
Synopsis
While RodneyRodney 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...
worries about what a muscular man named Biffo is going to do to him after a drunken Rodney stole his trumpet, which 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...
has subsequently thrown down the rubbish chute, 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...
goes to church to seek forgiveness for some stolen goods he has recently purchased, though he doesn't say what they were. The parish priest explains to Del how the local hospice is facing closure. Whilst there, the two are witnesses to a miracle: a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the altar appears to be weeping. Del instantly senses an opportunity to make money and save the hospice, and tells Rodney to alert the media. Within days, reporters and cameramen from all over the world are in Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
to cover the story. Del presents himself as a modern day prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
, predicting when the statue will weep again.
A few weeks later, after several more miracles, enough money is raised to save the local hospice. It then suddenly dawns on the priest that the miracles always occur when it is raining. Upon inspecting the church's roof, he finds that all of the lead tiles are missing. Only then does it emerge that those lead tiles were the stolen goods Del had come to confess over, but he points out that the money raised from the resulting "miracle" did save the local hospice. The priest, much to Del's surprise, merely blesses him for doing it.
As they exit the church, Del and Rodney shake hands with the many reporters and cameramen, until Rodney finds out that he's shaking the hand of Biffo, who demands to know where his trumpet is. Rodney tries talking his way out of it, but then runs away with Biffo giving chase. Del Boy takes advantage of it by offering the reporters and cameramen a chance to film the chase, as long as they pay Del in return.
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 |
| P.G. Stephens | Father O'Keith |
| John Pierce Jones | Biffo |
| Peter Wickham | Australian reporter |
| Carol Cleveland Carol Cleveland Carol Cleveland is a British actress/comedienne, most notable for her appearances as the only significant female performer on Monty Python's Flying Circus.-Early life:... |
American reporter |
| James Richardson | Man in church |
Episode concept
- The idea for the script goes all the way back five years earlier to "The Second Time AroundThe Second Time Around (Only Fools and Horses)"The Second Time Around" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the fourth episode of series 1, and was first screened on 29 September, 1981.-Synopsis:...
", where GrandadGrandad (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...
told Rodney about how Del used to donate to the church roof fund.
Trivia
- The scene where Rodney sprinkles Del's aftershave over Albert's kipper was done without telling Buster Merryfield. Thus, his reaction to the kipper's aftershave taste was genuine. Reportedly, Merryfield was initially irritated by this.
Music
- Carl OrffCarl OrffCarl Orff was a 20th-century German composer, best known for his cantata Carmina Burana . In addition to his career as a composer, Orff developed an influential method of music education for children.-Early life:...
: O FortunaO Fortuna"O Fortuna" is a medieval Latin Goliardic poem written early in the thirteenth century, part of the collection known as the Carmina Burana. It is a complaint about fate, and Fortuna, a goddess in Roman mythology and personification of luck....
from Carmina BuranaCarmina BuranaCarmina Burana , Latin for "Songs from Beuern" , is the name given to a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces were written principally in Medieval Latin; a few in Middle High German, and some with traces...
Note: In the VHS/DVD versions, Carl Orff's "O Fortuna" is replaced by a similar sounding piece of music.