Little Problems

"Little Problems" was the last episode of the 6th series of Only Fools And Horses, airing on the 12th February 1989 with a viewing figure of 18.9 million, and this episode saw Rodney Trotter tie the knot with Cassandra. Also Rodney left Del Boy's "business empire" which was selling hookie gear down the markets and got a proper job working for Cassandra's dad Alan Parry's printing firm as the head of the computer section. And, Del has got into a spot of bother with The Driscoll Brothers, the Peckham answer to The Kray Twins.

This episode was watched by 20 million

viewers.

Synopsis[]

Rodney is depressed, as he thinks he has failed his diploma and the examiner handed out everyone's diplomas except for Rodney. He also needs another £2000 as a deposit on his flat. He confides in Albert Trotter who suggests that Rodney could go down the council and see if they have a place or sell his share of TITCO for £2000. Rodney thinks it is a good idea and will go to the council in the afternoon. Del Boy has now fully recovered from his stomach pains and is printing flyers for Trotters Independent Traders. TIT and DIC next to it, Diploma In Computerisation. Rodney says the flyer has TIT and DIC after it. Del realises he will have to change the flyers. Del is selling mobile phones, Mickey Pearce and Jevon have started trading and Del took 100 phones off them to help them out. Mickey and Jevon had them on sale and return.

That night, back at the Trotters flat, Del states that he will take care of these problems, as he announces that he's giving Rodney the £2000 as a wedding present, and then hands over Rodney's diploma, telling him that his teacher had been delayed in marking some of the diplomas. Also his future father-in-law Alan Parry has offered Rodney a job at his printing firm as a computer programmer. Del says Alan can offer him a future which is more than he can. After an overjoyed Rodney leaves, Del confides to Albert that Rodney had in fact completely failed his exam, and his teacher required a £150 bribe in order to give a passing grade. Del needs to get £2000 from somewhere so will either have to sell the phones or get Boycie to cough up the money for the VCR's Del sold him.

Del finds it hard to sell the phones and Boycie refuses to pay him as the VCR's don't work but Del says he knows a Chinese person who can fit adapters on them, the same one who fitted one of Del's machines, and it blew up, Del knows he can con Boycie out of £3000. Boycie says it is the kipper season, no one is buying cars, so business is bad for him at the moment, and he will pay Del when work picks up. Del says it will be too late as Rodney's wedding is coming up, he needs money.

Things get a lot worse when Mickey Pearce and Jevon enter The Nag's Head with cuts and bruises all over their bodies and tell Del that local crime bosses Tony and Danny, The Driscoll Brothers, the local answer to The Kray Twins, are coming for him, and that it was in fact the Driscolls that had supplied the phones that Del took off Mickey and Jevon. As they were on sale and return, the Driscolls think Del is trying to con them by taking 100 of the phones. And the Driscolls had beaten Mickey and Jevon up for giving Del the phones.

Trigger comes into the pub, saying a taxi almost reversed into The Driscoll Brothers Mercedes. An alarmed Del realises they have arrived at the Nags Head looking for him. Before they enter the pub, Mike Fisher tells Del, Mickey and Jevon to run upstairs and hide in the hall. Del, Mickey and Jevon, and Trigger, who does not know what is going on, run and hide upstairs in the hall. The Driscoll Brothers arrive in the pub. They have two henchmen with them. Danny Driscoll, is about 48 years old and tall, and Tony Driscoll, who is about 45, is short. Danny is the Reg Kray and Tony the Ron Kray of the duo.

Danny Driscoll sees a Pina Colada on the bar and Del's van in the car park. Mike allows them to look around, they go upstairs, the 4 of them are hiding behind the stage curtain in the function room. The Driscolls then leave, saying they shall try the toilets, and Trigger says they are in the clear but an antennae gets stuck up Del's nose. Del yelps in pain and this makes the Driscolls and their heavies return. Mickey, Jevon and Trigger quickly leave. Danny says that Del owes them £2000. Del should pay them or get a beating. Del buys some time when he reminds them he looked after their mother after their dad died and they were sent to a young offenders home. Danny agrees to give Del some time to get the money. As they leave, Boycie enters and Del lies to him by saying it was the VCR's that he took off the Driscolls on sale and return. Boycie quickly gives Del £3000. Del smiles in triumph.

A few days later, it is Rodney's stag night. A comedian is on stage. Rodney is drunk, and he thanks Del for bringing him up after their mum Joan Mavis Trotter died. Rodney worries that the registrar will reveal Rodney's middle name at the wedding. Rodney also says Del is a great man and he has promised him £2000 as a deposit for his new flat. Del quietly whispers to Denzil that he forgot all about that. He had promised Rodney £2000 as a deposit on his flat so this would leave the Driscolls £500 short. The Driscolls arrive in the pub, and Tony beckons Del over. Del decides to take a beating from the Driscolls rather than letting Rodney down. That same night Del was in the bathroom wincing at his cuts and bruises. He told Rodney his money is on the table.

MV5BMjVlMmMwNzMtNjg3NS00OGRhLWJmMmItYjAwYTM1ZDFkMWQzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjc0ODQ0NzM@ — Rodney & Cassandra get married

The big day arrives for Rodney and Cassandra, their wedding day at Peckham Registry Office. The registrar reveals Rodney's middle name Charlton. All the guests laugh and the registrar is not impressed. Rodney and Cassandra are now married and they all head off to The Nags Head for the reception in the function room upstairs. Pamela Parry says the room is ghastly. Alan gets sick on jellied eels. Del says to Rodney he was very proud of him now, he has it all now, a new flat, a good new job, new wife and a new life. He has flown the nest, no longer Del's dogsbody selling hookie gear down the markets.

A minute after Del says he is proud of Rodney, Alan Parry jokingly reminds Rodney not to be late for his first day at work upon his return from honeymoon. Rodney and Cassandra leave for their honeymoon. When the others leave, Marlene asks Del why he never got married. Del says that none of the women he went out were interested in helping to raise Rodney, and he wasn't willing to put his brother into foster care. As a result, Del broke up with them because family came first.

After Boycie and Marlene leave, Del spends a minute to himself in the room, remembering all the good and bad times he has experienced, as well as Rodney's new found happiness. Mike interrupts him saying Alan is ill, and also that he has to lock up. Del thanks him for the do, then leaves.

Two weeks later, Del comes home one night and gets a call from Albert who is staying with Elsie Partridge for the evening. When they finish their phone call, Rodney comes in and sits down, dressed in a 3 piece suit. Del reminds him he does not live there anymore. Rodney realises Cassandra will be wondering where he is and he says "Bloody hell, she'll go loopy". Rodney then quickly bolts out of the flat into the night. Del is amused as he knows Rodney will always be around. He sips his cocktail and says "What a plonker".

Cast[]

Main cast

Guest cast

The Driscoll Brothers - Roy Marsden and Christopher Ryan
Henchman 1 - Uncredited
Henchman 2 - Uncredited
Registrar - Derek Benfield
Alan Parry - Denis Lil
Pamela Parry - Wanda Ventham
Comedian - Jeff Stevenson

Previous Episode Sickness and Wealth[]

Next Episode The Jolly Boys' Outing[]

Observations[]

John Sullivan's idea for the script came from a drink with David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst one evening, and the idea grew into this episode.
Patrick Murray, who played Mickey Pearce, really did have a badly injured right hand after falling over his dog and through a pane of glass at his home. John Sullivan had to rewrite the original script to allow for Mickey's injuries and the story worked brilliantly, even though Murray was in considerable pain whilst filming his part.
A small reference is made to a previous episode, Thicker than Water, the Christmas 1983 episode, where Rodney puts his father Reg's occupation down as "Porter" on his marriage cert. Reg was said to have been working as a porter in Thicker Than Water.
According to producer Gareth Gwenlan, the studio audience were emotional when Del was alone in the reception room with Simply Red's "Holding Back the Years" playing in the background. John Sullivan told Gwenlan that the audience weren't laughing, and Gwenlan simply replied it was because they were crying.
The A to Z of Only Fools and Horses book, published in 1998, written by Steve Clark, says that "Little Problems" could have been the last episode of the series, and if it had have been, the show would have ended on a high, with Rodney, having not had a proper job since leaving school, and having spent the last 8 years being a lookout for Del down street markets, and humping his suitcase all over London, finally got a proper job, running a computer section of his father in law Alan Parry's printing firm, and also marrying Cassandra, whom Del once called a "posh tart". A newspaper article from mid February 1989 said that it was the last of the Trotter's - for now. The article went on to say that a future series was still being discussed. Other TV listings also said "Last in the current series". This meant that the episode was never intended to be the last ever episode, and John Sullivan already had plans to continue the series before "Little Problems" was even broadcast, and that "Little Problems" set the stage for future episodes.
"Little Problems" was another chapter in the OFAH franchise. Just a few months after the episode was aired, filming started on the 1989 Christmas special, "The Jolly Boys' Outing" on the 1st May 1989. This means that "The Jolly Boys Outing" was probably planned as soon as the early 1989 series finished in February 1989, as John had to write the episode and have it commissioned. As the series was to continue, Rodney and Cassandra's marriage was to hit the rocks, as first seen in "The Jolly Boys Outing", when Rodney punched Cassie's boss Steven The Yuppie in a jealous rage, and then he was to ask a receptionist out on a date, and later on in true plonker style, Rodney was to lose his highly paid job after 2 years and end up working for Del again, humping his suitcase all over London yet again. Old habits die hard. Rodney did reconcile with Cassie, but never worked for Alan Parry again as he swiftly got a replacement for Rodney when he resigned.

Blunders[]

The wedding certificate says Rodney and Cassie wed on the 25th January 1989, yet "The Jolly Boys' Outing" was set in August 1989, and Rodney and Cassie were celebrating a year since they married, their first wedding anniversary. In The Jolly Boys Outing they should only have been married 7 months by then, which was August 1989.

Locations seen[]

The Nag's Head (main bar, upstairs function room, stage area behind curtain)
The Trotters flat (living room, entrance hallway, hallway near bedrooms, bathroom)
Registry office (seating area, wedding area)