Only Fools and Horses: The Story of Britain’s Favourite Comedy

In September 1981, BBC One screened the pilot episode of a British sitcom set in a high-rise block of council flats in Peckham, south London – 9 million people tuned in. 15 years, seven series and over 60 episodes later, 24.3 million people watched the final instalment of Only Fools and Horses – over a third of the British population, and the largest audience for a sitcom ever recorded.In the 30 years since viewers first visited Nelson Mandela House, Only Fools and Horses has won countless awards and is still Britain’s most-watched and best-loved sitcom. Del Boy’s overwhelming popularity has even inspired the Oxford English Dictionary to include a selection of his most famous words and phrases – “lovely jubbly” and “twonk” are now found within its pages. In this fascinating, entertaining and meticulously researched book, acclaimed biographer Graham McCann goes behind the scenes to tell the inside story of Britain's most enduring comedy. With major contributions from the people who wrote, produced and starred in the programme and material drawn from the BBC archives, it’s time to take one last trip down Hooky Street . . .