'Only Fools and Horses' still has legions of fans chuckling away, despite the years rolling by since it first hit our screens. .
The cult classic may be from another era but it's a staple on the telly, with reruns keeping millions laughing.
'Only Fools' charmed us with seven seasons and 64 unforgettable episodes. Yet, there's one episode that's been stamped the "worst" by viewers - A Royal Flush.
This particular instalment didnt hit quite the right note, as it showed Del Boy (played by Sir David Jason) in an uncharacteristically mean and downright offensive light. In A Royal Flush, Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst) fumbles to impress Vicky at the opera, only for Del to barge in and botch it up.
Fans have minced no words on a dedicated Facebook fan page, expressing their displeasure about that specific episode. One noted, "Del was a plonker in this, really annoys me," reports the Mirror.
Echoing the sentiment was another, who pointed out, "Del was so unlikeable in this one. Just wasn't the Del we all know and love. The episode has funny moments but Del was horrible."
And then theres someone who bluntly put it, "Worst episode ever, Del was always a rough diamond, in this episode he was a complete k***."
The original cut of A Royal Flush ran for 76 minutes but was eventually pared down to 59 minutes for DVD releases. This resulted in the episode undergoing significant editing, including the addition of 'canned' laughter.
Not just viewers, even writer John Sullivan and actor Dir David weren't fans of the episode, agreeing it was the worst one. In a 2003 interview, John reportedly expressed regret over creating the episode, and the show's producer is said to have contacted the BBC's Head of Comedy on Boxing Day to ask to step down from the series.
Filming the episode wasn't smooth sailing either, with numerous hiccups encountered by both the cast and production team. Sir David lost his voice for three days.
Once he recovered, Nicholas was struck down with flu, sidelining him for some time.
These setbacks caused worry among the production team as they were almost forced to go live on Christmas Day in 1986. Due to the tight schedule, the episode couldn't be shown to the usual studio audience and had to be broadcast without a laughter track or music.
Once aired, it was clear to viewers that the episode lacked the same vibe as previous ones.
