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Open All Hours - Series 1 [1976]


RRP: £12.99
Our Price: £7.40 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Already old-fashioned when the show was made, Open All Hours now seems like a glimpse into a much earlier world. Ronnie Barker stars as Arkwright, a tight-fisted middle-aged Doncaster shopkeeper, while David Jason as Arkwright's nephew Granville makes deliveries by bicycle in a manner more evocative of the 1930s than the 70s. Barker's relationship with Jason parallels his rapport with Richard Beckinsale in Porridge (1974-8), and while the pair may not be in prison, the confines of the small general dealer's shop often seem like that to Granville. Even though at 36 Jason was patently way too old for the supposedly teenage Granville, he and Barker made a great double act.

The dry Northern humour centres mostly on money and sex, the latter interest in Arkwright's case being the buxom charms of Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, very well played by Lynda Baron. Like writer Roy Clarke's Last of the Summer Wine, the episodes are more amusing character sketches than stories, with the 1973 pilot and first regular episode "Full of Mysterious Promise" serving simply to introduce the players. In "A Mattress on Wheels", Arkwright is tempted to buy a van, and in "A Nice Cosy Little Disease" decides a fake illness will prompt Gladys Emmanuel to provide more than NHS standard TLC. "Beware of the Dog" is Arkwright's response to an attempted burglary, while when his best friend dies he plans a "Well Catered Funeral". Finally, in "Apples and Self Service", paranoia defeats Arkwright's attempts to move with the times.

On the DVD: Open All Hours has a 4:3 picture that is exceptional for a 1970s sitcom, while the mono sound is excellent. Extras are a reasonably detailed text biography of series writer Roy Clarke, and, much more notably, a complete bonus episode, the 1973 series pilot. The picture quality of this is not up to that of the series proper, but it is perfectly fine for vintage BBC TV. --Gary S Dalkin

Editorial
Special Features

English
Region 2

Editorial
Synopsis

In the sitcom OPEN ALL HOURS, Arkwright (Ronnie Barker), a stuttering, stingy shopkeeper, is constantly scheming to get money out of his gullible customers. He teaches his nephew, Granville (David Jason), the exciting world of corner shops while pining for his object of affection, nurse Gladys Emmanuel (Lynda Baron). This collection includes episodes from the first season.

Superb comedy for all generations
Review date: 2008-04-25 Rating: 10 out of 10

Some of the new comedy writers should watch this and learn. It deals with Sex, Drugs, Alcohol and human emotions - without a single swear word and whilst bringing the viewers to tears of laughter.

Englands two greatest Sitcom comedians together in one show - t...t..t..t.....t..t.timeless c......c..c..c.comedy!

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Reviews


This is a Great show.
Review date: 2005-07-26 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is a great show alot of FUN! When are they going to bring it back on DVD in North Amarica or at least make it? (regin 0). Thanks But it rilly is alot of fun,FUN!!!! 7/25/2005.

Ronnie Barker at his at his best
Review date: 2005-02-25 Rating: 10 out of 10

This might not be the best ever British sitcom. Only Fools and Horses and Blackadder are better. But this comedy contains the best ever interpretation of a sitcom character in the history of British comedy. Barker has no parallels and performs the part to perfection. Just to give you an idea of how highly I value Barker/Arkwright, I consider him better than John Cleese's Basil Fawlty, and that takes some beating! It never ceases to amaze me how he makes his stutter sound so natural

Cracking Comedy!
Review date: 2003-12-12 Rating: 10 out of 10

"Open All Hours" is a sometimes overlooked Ronnie Barker / David Jason masterclass in well written and wonderfully observed comedy. Similar in some ways to Porridge, with the two main characters tucked away in the shop, but good enough to stand on it's own two feet as a genuine British classic.

Set in a small corner shop in Doncaster (the exterior shots were actually of a hairdressers salon, expertly disguised, with the exterior filming being mainly done during the owners summer holidays!) and scripted by Roy Clark, the series is a hark back to a time that had practically passed when it debuted. This is part of the charm though.

Barker plays the tight-fisted but loveable Arkwright, owner of all he surveys from behind his grocers counter. He constantly pursues the affections of Nurse Gladys Emmanuel who lives opposite his shop, but with little success!

David Jason plays Granville, the down trodden shop boy. Although Barker is clearly the star, Jason often steals the scene with wonderfully scripted one-liners.

The extras include the original pilot (complete with a totally different Nurse Gladys!) which is worth the price alone. the quality is good too, considering that the pilot episode is now 30 years old.

I would recommend this comedy to anyone - great comedy doesn't age and the humour is real and warm. Ronnie Barker is a national treasure and every comdey fan should won at least one of his DVDs.

G-G-Great C-Comedy!
Review date: 2003-11-23 Rating: 10 out of 10

I first seen this series on UK Gold a couple of years ago and it really made me laugh. It is set in a corner shop with a stuttering selfish old man named Albert Arkright and his nephew Granville. Arkright is engaged to Nurse Gladys Emmanuelle, who lives across the road. Arkright is always trying to save money and rarely spends a penny. Granville delivers goods to peoples houses on the luxury shop bike and is not very happy with his life.

The DVD transfer is very good. Not a great deal of extras but I wouldn't suppose there's much that could've been done in the way of extras. Anyway, there's the pilot episode which introduces the series and is quite good. There's also a biography of Roy Clarke, the creator of Open All Hours.

You should get this DVD. If you like Porridge and Only Fools and Horses, you'll love this. G-Granville, F-Fetch a cloth!!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Stephanie Cole
Ronnie Barker
David Jason
Lynda Baron

Creators:
Ronnie Barker (Primary Contributor)
David Jason (Primary Contributor)

Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503114022
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2002-09-30
Number of discs: 1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 210 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1976-02-20
Language: English (Original Language)

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