Open All Hours

Open All Hours has to be one of the best comedies ever made, along with Dad's Army, Fawlty Towers and Only Fools And horses.

This one is about a Northen shopkeeper, Arkwright and his nephew who works for him, Granville. His lover, Nurse Gladys Emmanual lives across the road. We get to see a variety of customers coming into the shop and also Granville's love for the milk woman. This series was filmed in Doncaster.

The brilliant cast includes the late, great Ronnie Barker as Arkwright, David Jason (Only Fools And Horses) as Granville and Linda Baron as Nurse Gladys. Others appearing as customers over the years include Kathy Staff (Last Of the Summer Winw) and Stephanie Cole (Waiting For God).

Open All hours is certainly a comedy classic and the BBC still regularly repeat episodes and is much better than any comedy made today. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

This is one of the best British sitcoms of all time and comes close to the likes of Porridge and Fawlty Towers.

It's basically about a shopkeeper, Arkwright, who is a tight fisted old miser and is constantly trying to seek great attention from nurse Gladys Emanuel, his neighbour and so-called fiancé. Arkright runs a grocers shop on a quiet little street, set in early 1970's Doncaster.

Each episode is mainly about the day-to-day running of the shop and Arkwrights' constant banter and disagreements with Granville, his nephew, employee and whipping boy. Granville is still a boy at heart, thanks to his uncle, who won't let him grow up. He is paid a pittance and is kept firmly at bay by his uncle from loose woman and any other form of socializing.

The funniest moments in the show are the lengths Mr Arkwright will go to sell his products. He will say just about anything to get his customers to spend their hard earned dosh in his shop. But the dialogue between all characters is superb and it's clearly a well written series.

As the viewer, you really get used to the regular customers in the shop, and it's hilarious to see them be minipulated into buying items they didn't come in for.

10 Out Of 10

"Open all hours" is as close to real life in the north of England as it can get. Tight fisted penny pinching corner shop keepers.The acting was based on a simple formula and perhaps a low budget at the start, which may have been expanded as the series went on. The series was carried by the main actor but eventually the others became as important as Barker and Jason. Every story proved totally enjoyable.

Open all hours is one of my favorite Roy Clarke shows. I have every episodes and replay them all the time. I also have all of the episodes of "Last of the Summer Wine". I also have most of the episodes of "First of the summer Wine". I am a fan of Roy Clarke and I hope he goes on forever. The so called comedy in the USA does not take up any of my precious time. Thank the LORD for British Comedy and British Mysteries. We have three PBS stations in my area of Arlington Virginia. They all show British Comedy and mysteries. This gives all of the Brit fans a nice weekend of TV watching. It is worth the small fee we pay to be a member and get all of the latest news. Liz Nichols

Two great comedy legends Ronnie Barker and David Jason come together to produce one of the greatest British sitcoms of all time.

The plots may seem a little twee compared to the more action packed sitcoms of today but there is something so charming about the simple shop set up combined with the writing talent of Roy Clarke that sets this show apart from anything that has been produced since. There is a timeless appeal about Open all hours.

Barker and Jason have fantastic chemistry and make the characters of Arkwright and Granville so iconic and loved that we get to know them so well over the four series run.

Comedy like this will live on forever while the so called modern classics of today will soon be all but forgotten and the cries of "Granville - get yer cloth" will generate laughter across the world forever.