Early Doors

I watched both series on the BBC and now own the DVD's. A well crafted comedy with what I would consider instantly likable characters. To pick out one character, would be a dis-service, as all shine. I believe the key to good comedy is the relationship on and off camera between the actors and it's a delight to watch the out-takes on the DVD, must have been a joy to go to work everyday.

Shame it's not too well known, people either shake their head or shrug their shoulders when I ask them if they've seen it. I prefer this to the Royle Family, probably cause I know what it's like to walk into a pub where the regulars are regular. Hoping for more.

This show is just about as good as TV gets. To watch it and suddenly realize 30 minutes have elapsed invariably surprises me. It is just about the most relaxing TV I have ever seen.

The Grapes is typical of the back street pub close to extinction in the north west of England. Especially one that serves cask conditioned beer. It's a celebration of it's gentle goings on and a sad obituary to their passing.

The latest series has just started and Ken realises the men in suits from the PubCo are round the corner, waiting to do what men in suits are consistently good at. Close the pub.

In the second episode, Ken soldiers on stoically, he has a cold, his bone idle fat arsed mother asks how the kettle works, the degenerate bobby's Phil and Nige are passing the dutchie in the back room and in the front room, the sparse customers expose their lives unashamedly because that's what you do in The Grapes.

After an episode packed with one liners, Ken finds himself propositioned by his barmaid. I only hope we don't have a storyline coming on. God forbid it. Early Doors is The Grapes not The Rovers Return.

I love Early Doors! Every character is so complete and every one of them each have their moment of the comic genius. Some of my favourites are of the cleaner, Winnie, winding up Jean - especially the scene where she's winding Jean up about her husband going to court for 'allegedly' being too familiar with the barmaids.

Scenes that absolutely kill me are: 'Do you like circuses?' 'And all the kids shout out 'where's dopey?'' There are just too many moments of comic genius and this is the only comedy (other than The Royale Family) that I can watch over and over again and never get bored of it.

Please, please, Craig Cash, if you read this, do a third series! I know you can do it. Save us from crap like 'My Family'! You're the best.

Set solely in a Northern Boozer in Manchester, Early Doors is a sitcom with a small selection of witty characters. It is a fly on the wall type show which is packed full with realism, witty dialogue and lovable, complete characters who all add something special to the show. It is one of the most relaxing shows I have ever seen and at 3 hours per season, time will fly by without you noticing whatsoever.

The assemble of characters is what makes this show so memorable as they are all perfectly created and the actors/actresses are selected with faultless precision. You have the barman Ken with his adopted daughter Mel and his Mother, his Mothers cleaner and friend, the old miserable man who doesn't like conversation or to be involved in anything and who is angry at the world. The best friend men in dead end jobs who have marriage problems, the table of gossiping women, out for free drinks, looking to cop off and the oddball couple who have a heart of gold but are ultimately social outcasts, although they are still loved by everybody! There are also a couple of on- duty bent coppers who regularly appear for free drinks in return for 'law enforcement'. Other characters come and go but that is your main group and it works perfectly!

Early Doors taps in to the concept that the average person who is working class, visits the boozer night after night to drink the cheapest beer they can find and smoke their nights away, is more than happy to see the same people every night and talk about unimportant things, often repeated daily. Runnings jokes are common in this show and they make it all the funnier, it doesn't get boring or repetitive, it's simply realistic and hilarious. The temporary traffic light joke is a prime example of this!

Craig Cash writes and stars in this and he does it in complete comedy gold. Not much happens in each episode, nothing needs to happen really. All you need is good dialogue, witty sarcastic banter and a sense of working class realism to make it feel authentic and special. Craig Cash masters this perfectly. You could say it's the Royle Family in a pub, or Phoenix Nights without Peter Kay. I would say it's neither as it has its own style and is strong enough to stand on its own as a British Classic, an overlooked gem which sadly doesn't get the recognition that it truly deserves.

10/10

The other day I went to my special little video shop again to get some nice DVD for the evening in and found Early Doors sitting on the shelf. I had never heard about it, I didn't know the actors and feared I wouldn't be able to understand the northern dialect. But I rented it nevertheless (there were subtitles, they convinced me, because the mere sound of a Yorkshire dialect is beautiful, but I also want to know what they say) and was interest what Early Doors would be.

In the first episode I got to know the characters, in the second their habits and moods, in the third you got used to them, in the fourth you started to like them, in the fifth you did like them and the sixth... was the last, unfortunately, although by now you loved the pub and its people and wanted to know more about them. But then it was already over. Three hours had passed without me noticing it! I hope there will be more episodes out on DVD soon, I really would love to watch them.

And I can't get this catchy tune from the credits out of my head. For days now I'm humming it. This really is a beautiful little gem of a series. Typically British, I'd say. Let me tell you, if you love Britain and the British, watch Early Doors. You won't be disappointed. Time for more, gentlemen, please!