Only Fools and Horses in the form of regulars at the local pub "The Nag's Head". These included pub landlord Mike Fisher (Kenneth MacDonald), lorry driver Denzil (Paul Barber), youthful spiv Mickey Pearce (Patrick Murray) and Boycie's flirtatious wife Marlene (Sue Holderness). As the series progressed, the scope of the plots expanded. Many early episodes were largely self-contained, with few plot-lines mentioned again, but the show developed a story arc and an ongoing episodic dimension. After Grandad died following the death of actor Lennard Pearce, his younger brother Uncle Albert (Buster Merryfield) emerged and moved in with Del and Rodney. After years of searching,
Thicker than Water (Only Fools and Horses) are glad to see him go, although Del still gives him some money on his way out. Music from the film "Sleepless Nights" Thicker than Water (Only Fools and Horses) "Thicker than Water" is the third Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom, "Only Fools and Horses", broadcast on 25 December 1983, and is the first to be screened on Christmas Day. The episode title comes from the proverb blood is thicker than water, highlighted by the appearance of Del and Rodney's father, Reg. Rodney and Grandad are watching television on Christmas Day, when a stranger appears at the door.