Mike Fisher (Only Fools and Horses)
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mike" Fisher was a fictional character
in the BBC
sit-com Only Fools and Horses
. He was publican
of the Nag's Head and appeared in the show from 1983 to 1996. Mike was portrayed by the late Kenneth MacDonald.
Mike first appeared in Only Fools and Horses in the episode, Who's a Pretty Boy?
, in which Del
ingratiated himself with the new landlord by agreeing to a deal which would see Mike accept Del's £2000 offer to re-decorate the pub, leaving them with £500 apiece and using the remaining £1000 to pay Brendan O' Shaugnassy. With many scenes in subsequent episodes set in the Nag's Head, Mike became a regular character.
Good-natured but often gullible, Mike was often on the receiving end of Del's scams or attempts to sell his low-quality goods. He rarely managed to get to Del to pay off his bar tab or even to pay for his drinks as he ordered them (instead putting them on the 'slate'. He later comments that it's gotten so far out of hand he could retile the roof with them). Among the goods he bought from Del were a hairdryer which was actually a paint stripper
(leaving Mike with severe burns to the head), a deep fryer (which soon exploded) and a fax machine which didn't work. On the other hand, he was quite happy to con people out of their money when he could, evidenced by one occasion where he charged Denzil
a pound for a plate of stew, then sold exactly the same thing to a yuppie, only this time calling it "Boeuf Bourguignon" and charging £2.50.
When Kenneth MacDonald died in 2001, writer John Sullivan
added a storyline to new episode If They Could See Us Now
, which explained that Mike had been caught up in Del and Rodney
's shady financial dealings and attempted to embezzle the brewery
in order to cover his losses, for which he was imprisoned. Cafe owner Sid took over Mike's position of landlord.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sit-com Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
. He was publican
Publican
In antiquity, publicans were public contractors, in which role they often supplied the Roman legions and military, managed the collection of port duties, and oversaw public building projects...
of the Nag's Head and appeared in the show from 1983 to 1996. Mike was portrayed by the late Kenneth MacDonald.
Mike first appeared in Only Fools and Horses in the episode, Who's a Pretty Boy?
Who's a Pretty Boy?
"Who's a Pretty Boy?" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of series 3, and was first screened on 22 December, 1983.-Synopsis:...
, in which Del
Del Boy
Derek Edward Trotter, better known as "Del Boy", is the fictional lead character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses and one of the main characters of its prequel, Rock & Chips...
ingratiated himself with the new landlord by agreeing to a deal which would see Mike accept Del's £2000 offer to re-decorate the pub, leaving them with £500 apiece and using the remaining £1000 to pay Brendan O' Shaugnassy. With many scenes in subsequent episodes set in the Nag's Head, Mike became a regular character.
Good-natured but often gullible, Mike was often on the receiving end of Del's scams or attempts to sell his low-quality goods. He rarely managed to get to Del to pay off his bar tab or even to pay for his drinks as he ordered them (instead putting them on the 'slate'. He later comments that it's gotten so far out of hand he could retile the roof with them). Among the goods he bought from Del were a hairdryer which was actually a paint stripper
Paint stripper
Paint stripper, or paint remover, is the generic name given to solvent mixtures designed to remove paint and other finishes and also to clean the underlying surface. The principal active ingredient is usually dichloromethane...
(leaving Mike with severe burns to the head), a deep fryer (which soon exploded) and a fax machine which didn't work. On the other hand, he was quite happy to con people out of their money when he could, evidenced by one occasion where he charged Denzil
Denzil Tulser
Denzil Tulser , is a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses played by Paul Barber.Denzil is a long distance lorry driver, and a good friend of Derek Trotter, and one of Del's victims when it comes to dodgy goods...
a pound for a plate of stew, then sold exactly the same thing to a yuppie, only this time calling it "Boeuf Bourguignon" and charging £2.50.
When Kenneth MacDonald died in 2001, writer John Sullivan
John Sullivan (writer)
John Richard Thomas Sullivan OBE was an English television scriptwriter responsible for several popular British sitcoms, including Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith and Just Good Friends....
added a storyline to new episode If They Could See Us Now
If They Could See Us Now
"If They Could See Us Now" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December, 2001 as the first part of the early 2000s Christmas trilogy. It was the most viewed television programme of the decade.-Synopsis:...
, which explained that Mike had been caught up in Del and Rodney
Rodney Trotter
Rodney Charlton Trotter is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst.-Personality:Rodney's personality was based on the experiences of series creator John Sullivan, who also had an older sibling and, like Rodney, claimed to have been a dreamer and...
's shady financial dealings and attempted to embezzle the brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
in order to cover his losses, for which he was imprisoned. Cafe owner Sid took over Mike's position of landlord.