Time on Our Hands

Classic stuff and probably should have been the final episode of the series (not that I was complaining when they announced a new episode would be coming in 2001). The Trotters finally get their break.

But this is contrasted with darker themes including Del trying to force Rodney to open up about his recent tragedy. It wants to wrap everything up and feels like it really was planned to be the finale, which is should perhaps have been, but there were still good moments to come.

Del and then Rodney both fainting at the auction are ingrained into my brain probably for life.

'Not only have you managed to sink every aircraft carrier and battleship you've ever sailed on but now you've gone and knackered the gravy boat!!'

Classic stuff again and probably well worth a watch for non fans as well.

Raquel gets to entertain her parents at Nelson Mandela House, Rodney and Cassandra are still trying to come to terms with her miscarriage.

What can you say, is this one of the best things on our screens over the last fifty years? I would argue so, one of the show's best episodes, TV is supposed to move you, this makes you laugh, cry, empathise, feel and celebrate. We all know the characters so well, and what happens to them matters. We have that agonising, heart breaking moment in the lift, and we have the ecstasy of the ending.

The comedy moments are perfection, the table and chairs, Albert's semantics over the war and of course the hilarious scene with the coffee and gravy mix up.

Subjective I know, but for me this should have perhaps been The end for The Trotters, a comedy dynasty that entertained us for many years, we watched them struggle, scrimp and save, and here we saw them finally achieve their ultimate goal.

Up there in the top three episodes of OFAH, 10/10.

John Sullivan delivers the finest hour of comedy gold. It helps if you're an only fools fan, but nonetheless, the build up to the auction scene is acting and comedy perfection in equal measure.

The Sotheby's scene is out of this World and is a fitting end to the Trotter story. Yet it wasn't the end... although it should have been.

This very strong episode should have been the final hour of Trotters Independent Traders.

John Sullivan addresses the impact of Cassandra's miscarriage effectively and seemingly concludes 16 years of entertainment with a spectacular piece of ironic humour.

The dialogue between Rodney and Del in the lift is one of the most powerful scenes in the show's run. David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst are both incredibly good.

Emotion is not limited to this scene. There is also one reflective moment near the end that should tug at the heart strings of any fans of the show. It certainly did for me back in 1997 when I assumed it was going to be my last ever glimpse of these characters and that location.

The comedy does not take a backseat to the drama, as Sullivan balances it wonderfully as ever. The banter is sharp, the sight gags work and the timing of Jason, Lyndhurst, Merryfield and co are as great as ever.

Time On Our Hands is the perfect ending to Only Fools and Horse and all involved in its production know/knew this to be true.