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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
Special Features
English
Region 2
Region 2
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"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.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
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.
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!!
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I rate this item with only four stars cause my top comedies are ¨Fawlty Towers¨ and ¨Only fools and horses¨ .What can i say about this nice comedy? You will laugh a lot with David Jason and Ronnie Barker characters,the script is intelligent and both actors talk with their gestures and faces.
Having born and brought up in Argentina i feel something special for this comedy cause it reminds me during my childhood about the funny situations and anecdotes in a grocery round the corner so sometimes when i watch the comedy i feel as if it all happened here and not in England.
Thank God the dvd contains English subtitles cause the accents sometimes are hard to understand for a foreign person.
B-B-Buy it,you-y-you will enjoyyy it!!!
Having born and brought up in Argentina i feel something special for this comedy cause it reminds me during my childhood about the funny situations and anecdotes in a grocery round the corner so sometimes when i watch the comedy i feel as if it all happened here and not in England.
Thank God the dvd contains English subtitles cause the accents sometimes are hard to understand for a foreign person.
B-B-Buy it,you-y-you will enjoyyy it!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Genius!
Bought Open All Hours - Series One [1976] [DVD],Open All Hours - Series Two [1981] [DVD],Open All Hours - Series Three [1982] [DVD] [1976],Open All Hours - Series Four [1985] [DVD]... Read more
Published 8 months ago by babytree
"Fetch Your Cloth Granville!"
It's strange what you remember isn't it? When I first came to England during the mid 80's - I always remember my parents tuning into the repeats of Open All Hours on BBC1 - and it... Read more
Published 13 months ago by DL Productions UK
Great buy
I was looking for these DVDs everywhere they are great to watch over and over again and great value for money
Published 17 months ago by Debs
G-G-G-G-G-Granville! F-Fetch a cloth!
Another great BBC comedy. A great buy, but the comedy isn't quite at it's peak. Very funny - try series 2 or 3.
Published 22 months ago by Mr. V. Sampson
GREAT!!
A classic british sticom set in a small grocery shop, run by the bossy and untrusting Albert Arkwright and inexperienced nephew Granville. Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2010 by L. McAdam
It's just so funny
It's no wonder this was a huge success. Brilliant writing, David Jason and Ronnie Barker were perfect in these roles - love it.
Published on 5 Nov 2009 by Sunbird
Ronnie Barker Triffic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not Just this series ,, BUT ANYTHING with Ronnie Barker in floats My boat ,, it was a Very Sad day when He departed this life and NO-ONE could replace Him as Master of Comedy ...
Published on 27 Sep 2009 by Geordyboy
A slab of nostalgia.
It is truly astounding how things have changed since 1976. Watching this really does show how much too, although - as was pointed out to me - things in the south of England were... Read more
Published on 9 Mar 2009 by C Scognamiglio
C-C-C-Classic Comedy
This is a wonderful comedy series. Well written and superbly acted. I remember watching it as a child and it's as funny now as it was then. Read more
Published on 5 Sep 2008 by Vicky Welsby
Superb comedy for all generations
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... Read more
Published on 25 April 2008 by Gooner
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