Only Fools and Horses ran on British television from 1981 to 2003, following Peckham traders Del Boy and Rodney Trotter, played by David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst. Plonker became one of Del Boy's signature insults for his younger brother, especially when a money-making scheme collapsed, and British viewers adopted it as affectionate slang for a fool. Clips of the line spread through television repeats, compilations and social media, keeping the catchphrase alive long after the show ended and turning a short sitcom insult into a widely recognised reaction sound.