Miami Twice

Miami Twice is a strong episode if you are lucky enough to see the original edit without the laughter track and music changes. For me the recut spoils it, particularly the laughter as it drowns out certain dialogue and ruins some of the comic timing.

It is very entertaining to see David Jason playing two parts. He is clearly having a ball as the Marlon Brando inspired character Don Ochetti. The Mafia premise is funny to me and a nice break from the usual family driven storylines and shenanigans of east end market trading.

I think the dialogue is solid, although not as consistently strong as peak OFAH. Though there are some great one-liners that standout, such as Raquel's response to the news story on TV at the Nag's Head, and most of Del and Rodney's banter with each other, and Boycie. The sight gags are very strong, with concepts like Del's driving, the various assassination attempts, the getaway, and Everglades scenes all very memorable.

As ever Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst lead it fantastically well. The location shots in Miami set the scene well and the US cast members contribute nicely, especially Antoni Corone and Tom Kouchalakos.

My rating of 8/10 is for the original cut (minus laughter track), whereas the changed version for me loses a point for unnecessary tinkering.

As a Christmas special, this episode is a fairly good movie in its own right. Regarded by David Jason as one of his favourites, we get a wonderful combination of British humour and authentic American dialogue which sometimes serves to comedically confuse the characters who couldn't be further apart in terms of lifestyle and - at times - the English language. The mafia heavies are brilliantly cast, believable and not overplayed or terribly exaggerated as you might expect from an English writer writing for Americans. John Sullivan was able to get it right here. David Jason's excellent portrayal of the sinister but likeable character, Don Ochetti, is just enough to take the episode from being an idea on paper as perhaps being rather silly, to an enjoyable and not to mention funny movie that is quite believable but more importantly a lot of fun. If you haven't seen this episode, or you haven't revisited it for a while, do so. It's worth the hour and a bit.

Part 2 of Miami Twice really sucks. This time they are actually in Miami for the entire episode and while the story is ludicrous and jumps the shark on more than one occasion, and its cheap and tacky jokes make it feel more like early 80s than early 90s, I did find myself wanting to stick it out to the very end.

Not sure I ever will again though. Skip this one.

Given its scale Miami Twice deserves to be watched on DVD in movie form (preferably late at night) unbroken with The American Dream serving as the prologue. On Gold you have the ads diminishing its effect and giving it a more televised episodic feel, and on BBC and other streaming services they've trimmed out the laugh track as well as a few funny scenes of dialogue which add context and pace.

Suffice to say Miami Twice is the "crème de la menthe" of Only Fools and Horses, and more than anything showcases John Sullivan's genius as a writer, for stepping outside the boundaries of Peckham and delivering an hilarious comedy which works as its own standalone film.

The American Dream is your more typical Only Fools... fare and is quite a quaint set-up for probably one of the best 'fish out of water'/gangster parody movies I've seen (no that's not a hyperbole). Del Boy and Rodney go on holiday to Miami, where Del makes no attempt whatsoever at immersing himself and sticks out like a sore thumb; he's then (unknowingly) drawn into a plot to have him killed by the son of a mob boss who's Del's exact double, with the intention to fool the authorities and take the heat off said mob boss who's about to go to jail for various crimes.

The mob are given their moments of comic relief but by and large are quite threatening, so despite their comedically-staged failed attempts at bumping off Del you do get a feeling the Trotters are in danger which adds a (albeit slight) sense of urgency. This really elevated the movie for me, as well as my allegiance to Del and Rodney, the latter of whom returns back to his affable self after the previous series where he acts like an immature brat during his rocky road with Cassandra.

Sullivan's sharp script and well realised Mafioso world is complimented by superior production values, some very witty direction, and a great soundtrack, which might sound odd giving this is meant to be a throwaway Christmas special, but the crew seem to have really invested, and have complete confidence, in the movie which pays off. In lesser hands all of this could've come across as pure farce, but it's pitched perfectly, without any crass slapstick and with Del and Rodney's relationship forming the heart of the film.

A shout out should also go to David Jason who's commendable in the dual role of Del and mob boss Don Occhetti; once you get past the initial novelty he actually really convinces in both roles, all with just a subtle change in demeanour and facial expression, so much so you feel he's equally suited to both The Nag's Head and the Miami drug scene!

Despite what a couple of detractors have said about the movie I think it boasts some of the best gags, and comedy in general, that I've seen from Only Fools..., and its quirky quality makes it impossible to resist. It's an absolute riot from start to finish and solidifies Only Fools' place as one the greatest British comedy series!

It has to be said that there are many episodes of 'Only Fools and Horses' that are excellent. But sadly, this isn't one of them. I now find it hard to decide whether it is this, or the episode 'A Royal Flush' which deserve the accolade as the worst of the entire series. By this time in the early 90s, John Sullivan was only turning out new stories once every Christmas. Watching this, I came to the conclusion that he had long lost interest in the life of the Trotters, and was only turning these out due to the popularity of the earlier TV series. Having said that, he would revive the series for season 8, which should have been the fitting end to the saga. But no!