Del Boy returns for Christmas

The Trotters' story will be brought up to date

The Trotters will return to British TV screens this Christmas, with an episode of Only Fools and Horses spearheading the BBC holiday season schedule.

It will be the first time in five years that Del Boy and Rodney have been seen in a new episode of the much-loved comedy.

The Conan Doyle classic will benefit from computer technology

Three new programmes have been made - but only one will be shown this Christmas, with the other two being screened over the next year or two.

Other highlights over Christmas and the New Year include a remake of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle tale The Lost World starring Bob Hoskins, Peter Falk and James Fox.

The cast will work alongside animations using technology from the Walking With Dinosaurs series, for the two parts of the classic story.

Alistair McGowan will offer a seasonal sample of favourite faces, while Lenny Henry returns with new characters in a comedy special.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling will be the subject of an Omnibus Special, while Stephen Fry goes In Search Of Paddington Bear.

Only Fools and Horses became a hit in the 1980s

BBC Two highlights include The Weakest Link, a television adaptation of Trevor Nunn's stage production of The Merchant of Venice - and a whole day dedicated to ballet.

Movie premieres lined up for the Christmas period include animated hits Toy Story and Antz, the Mask of Zorro with Catherine Zeta Jones and Antontio Banderas, and two movies starring Gwyneth Paltrow - Sliding Doors and Shakespeare in Love.

The return of the Trotters had been widely expected but the BBC has confirmed that the much-reported collaboration with ITV - that would have seen Del Boy on the quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? - is definitely off.

A BBC spokesman said that licence fee-payers' money could not be used to fund a request by ITV for a repeat episode fee, so the episode was rewritten.