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Open All Hours
Series title card
Created by	Roy Clarke
Written by	Roy Clarke
Directed by	Sydney Lotterby
Starring	Ronnie Barker David Jason Lynda Baron Barbara Flynn Stephanie Cole Kathy Staff Maggie Ollerenshaw
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	26
Production
Producer	Sydney Lotterby
Running time	30 minutes per episode
Original release
Network	BBC-1
Release	1973 (pilot) 1976/1981 – 1985 (series)

Open All Hours was a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series (26 episodes in all) between 1976 and 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973. In 2004, the series was voted eighth in Britain's Best Sitcom.

Plot

The series centres around a small grocer's shop in Balby, a suburb of Doncaster in South Yorkshire. The store's owner, Albert Arkwright (played by Ronnie Barker), is a middle-aged miser with a stammer and a knack of being able to sell anything and everything to any passing visitor to his shop. His nephew Granville (played by David Jason) is the shop's put-upon errand boy, whose attempts at a burgeoning love-life (or, some might say, obsessions with local girls) somehow seem to fall flat. He blames his uncle, in particular for the fact that he has to be up at an extremely early hour of the morning in order to open the shop. Almost every mistake Arkwright makes is followed by a cry of "Ger-Granville! Fer-fetch yer cloth!". A recurring joke throughout the series revolves around Arkwright's claim that Granville's estranged father was Hungarian — an issue which is never resolved. Arkwright would also make cracks about the sexlife of his late sister (Granville's mother).

The shop is crowded and most goods can only be reached from behind the counter — allowing the smooth-talking Arkwright a chance to hawk more of his goods. The till is very old, and has a vicious spring on its drawer which terrifies both Granville and Arkwright, who is too much of a miser to buy a new one.

Across the road from the shop lives Nurse Gladys Emmanuel (Lynda Baron), Arkwright's long-standing (and still mostly chaste) fiancée; much of the old skinflint's time is dedicated to trying to convince her to make good on her promise to marry him, or at least sleep with him. Unfortunately Nurse Gladys has both her rounds and taking care of her elderly mother to occupy her. She is protective of Granville and tries to use her influence with Arkwright to get him a better lot in life. In the pilot episode, Nurse Gladys was played by Sheila Brennan with a decidedly Irish accent, and the character was considerably slimmer than the buxom creature she later became.

Other regulars to the shop included the early morning milkwoman (Barbara Flynn) for whom Granville had the hots for; Mavis (Maggie Ollerenshaw) a young woman who just could not make up her mind on what to buy; Mrs. Blewett (Kathy Staff), a gossip with a critical word for everyone; and Mrs. Featherstone (Stephanie Cole), aka the Black Widow, a sour-faced widowed woman who was also something of a miser and admired Arkwright for being likewise.

Episodes generally involve some plan by Arkwright to wed Nurse Gladys, save money or flog more stuff to the locals, and end with Arkwright shutting up shop for the night and praying as he walks round — mostly a matter-of-fact reflection on the day, addressed to God.

A few complaints were registered over the humorous use of a speech impediment but Arkwright was so amiable and the humour so good-natured that it was deemed by most people to be a portrayal without malice. The part was originally written without the stammer — Barker suggested using it in rehearsals and it became part of Arkwright's character. Similarly, the 'business' with the dangerous cash-register was created mostly by Barker.

Trivia

Two of Ronnie Barker's fake moustaches (donated by the BBC) used in the show were auctioned at the British Stammering Association conference in London, September 2005.

Locations

The exterior shots were filmed in Lister Avenue in Balby, a suburb of Doncaster; the shop itself is actually a hairdresser's salon.

Gladys Emmanuel's house was 34 Lister Avenue, Balby, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England, UK in the first series, but moved next door to number 32 in the second series and onwards.

The local council is considering demolishing the shop which was used in filming Open All Hours and a web site has been set up for fans of the show to post messages in support of saving the shop.

All four series of all 26 episodes have now been released on DVD.

Cast List

The following have appeared in more than one episode.

Episode list

Pilot

Air Date: 25th March 1973

Main Cast: Ronnie Barker (Albert Arkwright), David Jason (Granville)

Synopsis: Part of the Seven of One series

Series 1

Air Date: 20th February 1976 - 26th March 1976

Main Cast:

Ronnie Barker (Albert Arkwright)

David Jason (Granville)

Lynda Baron (Nurse Gladys Emmanuel)

Synopsis: Ronnie Barker stars as Arkwright, the stuttering grocer, in the first series of this cornershop comedy. Arkwright's urge to take money from his customers by fair means or foul is second only to his need to prevent his nephew, Granville, from discovering a world beyond the clang of the shop bell... And, of course, his consuming passion for nurse Gladys Emmanuel.

Series 2

Air Date: 1st March 1981 - 19th April 1981

Main Cast:

Ronnie Barker (Albert Arkwright)

David Jason (Granville)

Lynda Baron (Nurse Gladys Emmanuel)

Synopsis: Ronnie Barker's tight-fisted shopkeeper Arkwright continues to risk amputation rather than replace his death trap of a till. As Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, the owner of an awesome bosom and an old Morris Minor, deflates his amorous advances, Arkwright seeks solace in bullying his over-worked, sexually and socially-frustrated nephew and errand boy, G-G-G-Granville.

Series 3

Air Date: 21st March 1982 - 25th April 1982

Main Cast:

Ronnie Barker (Albert Arkwright)

David Jason (Granville)

Lynda Baron (Nurse Gladys Emmanuel)

Synopsis: Ronnie Barker's stuttering shopkeeper Arkwright lives for just three things - a regularly ringing till, a glimpse of Nurse Gladys Emmanuel's more than ample bosom and making the life of his nephew and errand boy, G-G-G-Granville ever more miserable...

Series 4

Air Date: 1st September 1985 - 6th October 1985

Main Cast:

Ronnie Barker (Albert Arkwright)

David Jason (Granville)

Lynda Baron (Nurse Gladys Emmanuel)

Synopsis: Ronnie Barker's great creation Arkwright continues to mind the store where the only thing going cheap is talk. The elusive Nurse Gladys Emmanuel is still there to drive him to distraction, while delivery boy Granville just yearns for a trendy girlfriend, a high-powered executive job, a sports car or even a new bell on his bicycle.

References

1. Britain's Best Sitcom:Top Ten, URL accessed December 2nd, 2006
2. Google Map of Lister Avenue and surrounding area
3. Famous TV shop faces demolition BBC News Online (retrieved 4 April 2007)

Template:Ronnie Barker

External links

• Open All Hours at the bbc.co.uk Guide to Comedy
• Template:Bbc series
• Open All Hours at the British Film Institute
• Open All Hours at the BFI's Screenonline
• Open All Hours at IMDb

• Image of Arkwright's shop in April 2007

• BBC television sitcoms
• Doncaster
• 1980s British television series
• 1976 television series debuts
• 1985 television series endings