The “surgery” is Del’s living room, with a kitchen chair and a lamp from the market. Rodney, playing dental assistant, holds a spatula and looks like he’s about to perform an exorcism. The tension is so thick you could spread it on a slice of fried bread.
Only Fools and Horses: Fatal Extraction on BBC Video (United Kingdom
Then comes the nacho moment: Del, hopped up on gas and air, starts rambling about “marginal gains” and “Spanish plumbers.” He clearly believes he’s in a Bond film. Meanwhile, Mr. Phillips botches the extraction so badly that the crown flies out and lands in a bowl of punch.
Let’s pause here. A twenty-four-carat gold crown is now marinating in Tropical Fruit Fizz. And Del’s first instinct isn’t “get it cleaned,” it’s “fish it out with a straw.” That’s pure Trotters logic—solve a problem, create a bigger one.
The Grand Finale: A Tube of Superglue
Desperate, Del grabs a tube of superglue from his infamous “Bendy Bully” toy stash. He crams the crown back into his mouth with it. Yes, he’s now effectively supergluing his own tooth. The camera lingers on his pained, triumphant grin.
Of course, the glue sets instantly. Del becomes a statue, frozen mid-smarm. Rodney has to use a chisel from the van to free his jaw. And when he finally speaks, it sounds like he’s gargling gravel.
Here’s a surprising behind-the-scenes fact: The superglue was actually a special effects prop—but David Jason (Del) insisted on using real nail glue for authenticity. He then spent three hours with a makeup artist trying to dissolve it off his teeth. The man is committed to the bit.
