is renowned for its hilarity, so it's no surprise that the set was a hotbed of pranks, primarily orchestrated by and Nicholas Lyndhurst. Much like their characters Del and Rodney, the pair were always up to some mischief. Over the years, many of these pranks have been shared in interviews, but one stands out for nearly giving a cleaner the fright of his life.

This particular prank took place early in the show's run when David and Nicholas, looking for some amusement on set, decided to bring in a pack of gunpowder bangers to play with their colleagues. These small packets of explosive powder, often used by children, make a snapping sound when dropped from a height. As part of their prank, they hid the bangers on top of stacked chairs and toilet cubicle doors, where unsuspecting crew members were likely to knock them off, reports .

At one point, production assistant Tony Dow was so startled after unstacking the chairs and hearing the loud noise that he was afraid to touch them again, unsure of where the sound came from.

David and Nicholas found great joy in their antics, but things took an unexpected turn when a cleaner at the studio was scared out of his wits by one of the bangers placed atop a cubicle door in the men's room. Unsurprisingly, after this regrettable event, the pair decided not to repeat their practical joke.

The pair's departed fellow actor, Lennard Pearce, who was iconic as Grandad on the show, also felt the sting of their mischievous antics. Jason and Lyndhurst pulled a prank that didn't go quite as plannedtampering with Pearce's costume, fixing his shoes to the ground and reversing his outfit.

Pearce, however, didn't take kindly to the joke, becoming so enraged he halted work. Intense negotiations by producer Ray Butt were required to coax him back on set, Jason disclosed in a 2013 chat with MailOnline: "He refused to work until we apologised effusively."

There was regularly drama behind the scenes, as classic Christmas special, A Royal Flush, was plagued by production issues in 1986 when Nicholas Lyndhurst contracted the flu, putting the Christmas Day broadcast in jeopardy.

Filming halted due to Lyndhurst's illness, leaving the team with a worryingly tight deadline. To make matters worse, David Jason, who played Del Boy, lost his voice and required a three-day break to recover.

Further delays ensued when the cast was invited to perform at the Royal Variety Performance, which took place a month before the festive episode's premiere. The performance was recorded on November 24 during the six-week shoot, and the team also made use of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane for the episode, incorporating it into the storyline.