Journalist watches Only Fools and Horses for the first time and says it ‘wasn’t all that funny’

Comedy fans in the UK must all be at least a little familiar with the long-running show Only Fools and Horses, which aired on BBC One from 1981 to 1991 and spawned two spinoffs, The Green Green Grass and Rock & Chips. The popular show was a phenomenon, and catapulted its two central actors, David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst, to a lifetime of stardom.

But while Only Fools and Horses is arguably one of the most famous comedy series of all time in the UK, there are still plenty of people who either haven’t watched it or just aren’t fans. As younger generations are getting ahold of the show for the first time, they aren’t exactly agreeing with what they’re seeing.

Case in point: A journalist named Ellie McKinnell recently wrote a story for MyLondon, documenting her first experience watching the comedic show. Instead of falling in love with the hilarious antics of brothers Derek “Del Boy” and Rodney Trotter, McKinnell didn’t find the storyline humorous like many do.

In her piece, McKinnell explains that she had heard of the show, but only because of her dad. She begins her story by stating that she would rather watch Friends than a comedy from the 1980s. Accessing the first-ever episode of Only Fools and Horses via Netflix, the journalist says:

"I definitely had a few chuckles throughout the half hour episode, sometimes at jokes that wouldn’t be allowed today as they’re not very PC, but more than not the jokes fell slightly short – the canned laughter just adding to the sense of it not being all that funny."

McKinnell admits that she was “warmed to” Del Boy and Rodney, however claims that she did not actually laugh more than a chuckle while watching the pair, calling it “dad humour funny.”

The writer concludes her review with:

"As a whole it’s a very good, and original, concept and the characters are very strong – it’s no wonder the show became so iconic and went on for seven series. But, for me, it’s not something to add to my watch list. I found it reasonably funny, but not enough for me to be interested in following the lives of Del Boy and Rodney for another 63 episodes."

So McKinnell certainly isn’t criticizing Only Fools and Horses too terribly, but she certainly won’t be tuning in for the rest of the show. We’re sure this review will receive divisive reactions, as the iconic British show has lived on as one of the greats for many people. As time goes on and younger generations have different interests, however, it only makes sense that the show won’t always be everyone’s cup of tea.