Picture from BBC

Rodney and Cassandra got married today, well they actually got married in 1989 but thanks to the magic of the pile of VHS tapes we were given they got married again. This is a nice episode as it gives Rodney a chance (albeit a temporary one it will turn out) to spread his wings away from the sometimes controlling arms of his big brother. In contrast to the rather off-piste Christmas Day 1986 episode that I wrote about recently it showed how much Del actually sacrificed for Rodney since their mother died and their dad left them, bringing him up in the role of both mum and dad. 

The character of Del Boy changed slightly over the years apparently at the request of David Jason who wanted to be a more responsible role model given how many young people watched the show. Over time apart from the occasional cigar both of the lead characters reduced their on screen smoking, (Uncle Albert's pipe vanished altogether) and the language although never gratuitous was lessened. Another interesting trait is that Del started selling iffy gear (fire damaged smoke alarms for example) that he had bought from suppliers, perhaps not the most honest suppliers but this moved away from the blatant criminality of the early episodes. Fast forward to a later episode, Fatal Extraction - the Christmas Day episode from 1993, and Del drives his car into the Peckham riots and beeps his horn parting the police and the rioters, all of whom seem to respect Del and his standing in the community. This is an interesting part of Del's character that only gets hinted at throughout the entire run of the show, that Del is something of a tough guy around his stomping ground despite occasionally being a figure of ridicule. There are two references to it involving Boycie despite his habit of looking down his nose at everybody. In To Hull and Back he tells Abdul that he wouldn't have given Del his payment in counterfeit money because he doesn't like plastic surgery and in A Losing Streak Del says that Boycie wouldn't cheat at cards because he'd break his arms. 

This episode demonstrates Del's loyalty to Rodney by contributing the two thousand pounds that his kid brother needs for a deposit on the new marital home yet at the same time owes that sum to the feared gangsters the Driscoll brothers. They had been mentioned before but this was their first and only on screen appearance and interestingly they are the only characters that Del is frightened of. Rather than let Rodney down he takes a beating and we see him in the bathroom hiding his battered body from view. The scene when the guests are leaving the reception and Del is left on his own in the room is one of a handful of truly moving moments that this sitcom did so well and changed the dynamic of the whole show for the next few years at least.

The Sunday Alternative Podcast #59 is available from here

===

October Housekeeping

Donations have slowed down a bit and this has had an adverse effect on filming plans. Ideas are waiting to become reality so please do consider making a donation using the PayPal button above.

In return for your gift I will make entertainment that I will put online to be enjoyed free of charge by everyone. Comedy sketches, documentaries, short films and podcasts are waiting to be made so dig deep.

You get 365 blogs a year, a weekly podcast and a forthcoming Nottingham music podcast (at Christmas) free of charge already.

Some ways to help:

You can have a kazoo cover dedicated to you.

Beat the 5p carrier bag charge here (and check out other goodies)

Download my audio books here.