Strangers on the Shore

Infobox Only Fools and Horses
episode_name = Strangers on the Shore


Series = Christmas Special
writer = John Sullivan
director = Tony Dow
producer = Gareth Gwenlan
Duration = 75 minutes
Airdate = 25 December 2002
Audience = 16.3 million
Cast =

Strangers on the Shore is an episode of the BBC sit-com, "Only Fools and Horses", first screened on 25 December 2002 as the second part of the early 2000s Christmas trilogy.

ynopsis

Because the Trotters lost their fortune due to investing in an embezzling Central American market, Del Boy has been driving for Boycie. As he and Marlene prepare to head to a relative's wedding, Boycie tells Del about how he's gonna be an even bigger millionaire when he goes to France to sign a deal. Del plays a prank by putting onion puree in Boycie's hair gel. Meanwhile, at Nelson Mandela House, Rodney is trying not to look at Damien. Then, as Del returns home, there's a letter for their late Uncle Albert, requesting his presence at a small village in France.

Sometime later at the "Nag's Head", Raquel and a pregnant Cassandra join Del and Rodney in a conversation about how Albert's life journey and love life are similar to the story "Captain Corelli's Mandolin", although Del doesn't have a clue about it. The Trotter brothers suggest that they go to France and represent their late great uncle. But Del has other things in mind: such as asking Denzil and Trigger to head to a wine warehouse when they all get there.

A few days later, Del and Rodney scatter Albert's ashes to the sea before arriving in port. They set off in their van to the village and meet another World War 2 soldier named George Parker. In a bar, as George tells them about how much of a ladies' man Albert was, the Trotter brothers notice that all the men in the village have the same beard as Albert. Meanwhile, at the wine warehouse, Denzil and Trigger talk all about their love lives, and Trigger talks about how he pictures his dream girl.

Later, as the Trotter brothers leave the village and prepare to drive back to the ship, Rodney wonders if Albert was really that popular with the ladies because of the many Albert lookalikes they saw in that village. Del just says "Captain Corelli's Mandolin? More like Captain Birdseye's Banjo!" They then arrive at the warehouse and quickly help Denzil and Trigger stock up on French wine to take back to Britain and the Nag's Head with them.

That night, back at Nelson Mandela House, Denzil and Trigger find an illegal immigrant in the back of Denzil's lorry. The Trotter brothers head down to the garage and investigate. The immigrant's name is unknown to them, and he doesn't even speak English. Del Boy and Rodney bring him up to the flat and introduce him to Raquel, Damien, and Cassandra as Gary, a friend who Rodney met at evening school. Boycie also shows up because a gas leak from Del's log-effect gas fires set his mansion alight! There were no injuries, and Marlene had taken Tyler and gone to stay at her mother's place, but Boycie has nowhere to sleep! The Trotters reluctantly agree to let him stay. A great deal of the comedy is derived from the unfortunate young man repeating "Gary" in a heavily accented voice, as a reply to absolutely everything that is directed at him.

A few days later, Boycie is allowed to go back into his mansion, and that he's heading to France right now. But unfortunately, Gary was captured when he was playing football with Damien and his friends. As Boycie and the Trotters head to France, there is a news report featuring Gary, in which his real name is revealed as Rashid Mamoon and that he has told the authorities he was being "kidnapped and held hostage by the Gary Gang". (He was accidentally caught in the back of Denzil's van when Del began to load it with booze.) When Del, Rodney, and Boycie arrive in France, they meet with Boycie's Iranian business partner, who introduces them to his son. To their horror, they see that it is actually Rashid, who claims Boycie and the Trotter brothers to be the Gary Gang. Immediately assuming Boycie to have attempted a ransom demand, Rashid and his father call the police, and Del, Rodney, and Boycie are arrested for kidnapping.

Notes

*Perry Agajenoffa, president of the OFAH Appreciation Society and founder of the OFAH Museum, appears in the background of the Nag's Head. [http://www.ofah.net/immediacy-75]

Errors

*While in the Nag's Head with Del and Rodney, Raquel and Cassandra claim that Albert met Elsie Partridge before the war, but in "Sickness and Wealth", Rodney says that Albert met Elsie at bingo.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/onlyfools/christmas/2002.shtml "Strangers on the Shore" at bbc.co.uk]