Miami Twice

"Miami Twice"
Only Fools and Horses episode
Episode no. Episode 10
(Christmas Special)
Directed by Gareth Gwenlan (Part 1)
Tony Dow (Part 2)
Written by John Sullivan
Produced by Gareth Gwenlan
Original air date 24–25 December 1991
(14.9 million (Part 1)
17.7 million (Part 2) viewers)
Running time

145 minutes

  • 50 minutes (Part 1 – The American Dream)
  • 95 minutes (Part 2 – Oh to Be in England)
  • 139 minutes ("Miami Twice: The Movie" The 1998 Version – VHS & DVD release)

"Miami Twice" is the two-part tenth Christmas special edition of the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. The first episode, on-screen subtitle "The American Dream", was first screened on 24 December 1991. The second episode of "Miami Twice" was first screened the following day on 25 December 1991. According to Steve Clark's official book The Only Fools And Horses Story, the second episode is sub-titled "Oh to Be in England". The title of the two-part special is derived from the 1984 American television series Miami Vice. On the VHS & DVD releases, it was re-edited as one episode, and titled Miami Twice: The Movie.

David Jason chose the second episode as his favourite episode of Only Fools and Horses in 2015, recalling its background on a special pre-recorded clip that was broadcast before a repeat of the episode on Gold as a prerunner for the Only Fools and Horses Top 20 series.[1]

Synopsis

Miami Twice – Part One: The American Dream

The episode opens with Damien's christening, shortly after which Del Boy concludes a deal with the vicar to sell "pre-blessed" communion wine from Romania. The vicar will bless lorry loads of wine, which will then be sold to churches all over Britain. Meanwhile, Rodney is slowly patching things up with Cassandra, staying with her on weekends, and has learned from Alan that having resigned from his job with Parry Print Ltd in "The Chance of a Lunchtime", Rodney can now claim his pension money.

A few days later, at Sid's cafe, Del tells Rodney about how he can get him and Cassandra back together instantly: a holiday in Miami, for which Del has already bought tickets – with Rodney's pension money. Del's "pre-blessed" wine deal also becomes problematic; the wine he intends to use turns out to be Romanian Riesling, which is white and unsuitable for communion.

A furious Rodney returns home later that night, having learned that Cassandra has important meetings with her bosses at the bank that week and thus cannot go with him. Despite Rodney's initial hostility to the idea, Del persuades his brother to let him go with him instead. The episode ends as the Trotter Brothers board their Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 plane to America (comically bumping into Richard Branson; "anybody would think he owned the plane" says Del).

Miami Twice – Part Two: Oh to Be in England

With Del Boy and Rodney having arranged a holiday to Miami, this one takes place predominantly in that location. It emerges that boss of a local mafia family, a Don Corleone parody named Don Vincenzo "Vinny the Chain" Ochetti, is on trial and facing life imprisonment for murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking. Ochetti is also a Doppelgänger for Del Boy (and is thus also played by David Jason). When his son Rico is with members of the family in a bar, they spot Del Boy. Befriending him and Rodney, they hatch a plot to assassinate Del with the intention of fooling everyone into thinking that the Don himself has been murdered, thus sparing him the trial and likely imprisonment.

After arranging for their camper van to be robbed, the group invite Del and Rodney to stay at the family mansion. Over the following days, several attempts to assassinate Del, including shooting him in a beach-side restaurant and sending him off on a jet ski with a broken throttle, prove unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, Rodney gets in touch with Cassandra and during their conversation learns that Del knew Cassandra would be unable to go on holiday that particular week and therefore booked it to wangle himself a free holiday with Rodney's pension money. A furious Rodney bumps into Ochetti and believing him to be Del shoves him up against the wall and promises to make him pay. However just after the confused Don leaves, Rodney meets Del, who admits to Rodney that he wanted to run away from England to avoid repercussions from the Church for selling them the white wine. Rodney however is unable to understand how Del got back into their room as Rodney got there first and locked the door whilst Del is also wearing different clothes. Rodney begins to think there is someone in the mansion who looks like Del.

Whilst browsing around the family mansion, Del discovers who Rico's family really are after inadvertently being left in a meeting with two Colombian drug barons by Rico, who mistook Del for his father. After the meeting he also informs Rodney of Rico and the family's true nature. Realising he has just threatened the head of a mafia family, Rodney agrees to quickly leave and the two brothers escape through the window and flee, ultimately ending up in the Everglades, dodging the gangsters and a vicious alligator where they meet the holidaying Boycie and Marlene. Despite being shot at by the gangsters, they manage to escape.

After pinning the drug dealing papers on the park ranger station's door, the Trotter brothers go straight to the airport and wait there until their return flight to England, where it is revealed on a news programme that Ochetti had been found guilty on all counts, and Rico was arrested for illegally hunting in the Everglades. Upon returning home, Del Boy and Rodney find stacked boxes of white wine in their flat, as well as a relieved Raquel and Albert.

Cast

Part One

In order of appearance

Part Two

Anomalies

– The second part of 'Miami Twice' is something of an anomaly in the series. There is incidental music throughout the episode, which is not normally used on the show. It is one of only two episodes to be shot entirely on film (the other being "To Hull and Back" although, unlike that episode, the Nag's Head and Flat sets do not have an extra wall), only three without a laugh track (the others being "To Hull and Back" and "A Royal Flush"), one of three not to use the regular closing music (the others being "The Jolly Boys' Outing" and "Rodney Come Home") and the only episode not to use the regular opening titles and theme music, instead opting for a cover of The Lovin' Spoonful song Summer in the City, recorded by the Gutter Brothers. The only on-screen mention of "Only Fools and Horses" in this episode appears on the first caption of the closing credits, only the "Miami Twice" name appears in the opening titles. The second part's title "Oh To Be In England" does not appear on screen, but was confirmed by Steve Clark.[2] The first part "The American Dream" uses the regular opening titles and end theme however, and is also produced like a regular episode – with a studio audience and on videotape.

The 1998 Version

For the 1998 VHS release, the episode was titled "Miami Twice: the Movie" and the two episodes were combined into one, with the credits removed from the first episode and a laugh track added to the second episode. The end credits are also remade, including the credits for both episodes and carrying the 1997 BBC logo. This version was also used for the 2003 DVD release.

Music

MIAMI TWICE – Part 1: The American Dream

MIAMI TWICE – Part 2: Oh To Be In England

Note: In the VHS/DVD versions, Status Quo's "Rockin' All Over The World" is replaced by Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". Carl Orff's "O Fortuna" is replaced by a similar-sounding piece of music. In part 2, Amy Grant's "Baby Baby" is replaced with "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul.

During Part 2, Del Boy also sights Barry Gibb on a boat trip and sings "How Deep Is Your Love".

References

  1. ↑ UKTV (2015-05-11), Only Fools and Horses | David Jason's Favourite Episode | Gold, retrieved 2016-05-19
  2. ↑ Clark, Steve (1998). The Only Fools and Horses Story. London: BBC. ISBN 0-563-38445-X.
Preceded by
"Three Men, a Woman and a Baby"		 Only Fools and Horses
24 & 25 December 1991 		Succeeded by
"Mother Nature's Son"
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