Early Doors
Encyclopedia
Early Doors is a BBC
sitcom written by Craig Cash
and Phil Mealey
who also appear in the series playing best friends Joe and Duffy. The setting is The Grapes, a small public house
in Greater Manchester
, where daily life revolves around the issues of love, loneliness and blocked urinals. A number of the landmarks referred to in the series are in Stockport, such as the McVities factory.
), especially his preoccupation with his daughter Melanie (Christine Bottomley
), who is preparing to meet her real father and his nervous relationship with barmaid Tanya (Susan Cookson
). Ken's wife left him for his best friend.
The series reflects more than a little of the Northern
humour displayed in The Royle Family
(co-written by Cash). In a similar style to The Royle Family, every scene unfolds within the spatial context of The Grapes and it is also set in the Greater Manchester
area. Two series of the show were produced between 2003 and 2004.
customers who wait for or arrive soon after evening opening, around 5:30 pm. (Until the law was changed in 1988
pubs in England closed in the afternoon. Most are now open all day.) It is also widely heard in British football circles, and was resuscitated in comments about football. The phrase originates in the practice of British theatres from around 1870 of allowing customers who paid a little extra to enter the theatre early and choose their own seats before the rush just before the performance started.
from the 2002 album Surf
.
The 2006 Channel 4
documentary Who Killed the British Sitcom used the closing music from Early Doors over its own end credits.
announced in December 2009 that alcohol-free lager had been used instead of actual beer. However, during the middle of the first series, Craig Cash
admitted to Aherne his distaste towards the on-set beverage. A compromise was reached and carbonated apple juice was used thereon in as a substitute.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom written by Craig Cash
Craig Cash
Craig Cash is an English comedy actor, BAFTA award-winning writer and also a director.-Biography:Cash is best known for playing slightly dull and dopey working-class northern men, particularly Dave Best in the hugely successful BBC sitcom The Royle Family, which he co-wrote with Caroline Aherne...
and Phil Mealey
Phil Mealey
-Biography:Mealy co-wrote and associate-produced the BBC comedy series Early Doors with Craig Cash. Mealey also acted in the show, playing the character Duffy. Cash and Mealey won two North West Comedy Awards in 2005 for the writing and acting on the show....
who also appear in the series playing best friends Joe and Duffy. The setting is The Grapes, a small public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, where daily life revolves around the issues of love, loneliness and blocked urinals. A number of the landmarks referred to in the series are in Stockport, such as the McVities factory.
Scenario
The show centres on pub landlord Ken (John HenshawJohn Henshaw
John Henshaw is a British actor, best-known for his roles as Ken the landlord in Early Doors, Wilf Bradshaw in Born and Bred and PC Roy Bramwell in The Cops. He is often associated with playing "hard men"...
), especially his preoccupation with his daughter Melanie (Christine Bottomley
Christine Bottomley
Christine Bottomley is a British actress.She is best known for her regular roles as Melanie in the BBC comedy series Early Doors and Susie Ward in Heartbeat.-Life and career:...
), who is preparing to meet her real father and his nervous relationship with barmaid Tanya (Susan Cookson
Susan Cookson
Susan Cookson is an English television actress. She lives in Sheffield with her husband, actor Malcolm Scates, and her two children Ruari and Dan. She also has two sisters....
). Ken's wife left him for his best friend.
The series reflects more than a little of the Northern
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
humour displayed in The Royle Family
The Royle Family
The Royle Family is a popular, BAFTA award-winning television comedy drama produced by Granada Television for the BBC, which ran for three series between 1998 and 2000, and specials from 2006 onwards...
(co-written by Cash). In a similar style to The Royle Family, every scene unfolds within the spatial context of The Grapes and it is also set in the Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
area. Two series of the show were produced between 2003 and 2004.
Etymology of show's title
The title is a British slang phrase meaning those who arrive earlier than is customary, and was often associated with pubPublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
customers who wait for or arrive soon after evening opening, around 5:30 pm. (Until the law was changed in 1988
Licensing Act 1988
The Licensing Act 1988 is a statute, applying to England and Wales, which among other things, extended permissible opening hours for public houses to 11am to 11pm. Previously pubs were not generally allowed to open the afternoons....
pubs in England closed in the afternoon. Most are now open all day.) It is also widely heard in British football circles, and was resuscitated in comments about football. The phrase originates in the practice of British theatres from around 1870 of allowing customers who paid a little extra to enter the theatre early and choose their own seats before the rush just before the performance started.
Regular characters
- Ken Dixon (John HenshawJohn HenshawJohn Henshaw is a British actor, best-known for his roles as Ken the landlord in Early Doors, Wilf Bradshaw in Born and Bred and PC Roy Bramwell in The Cops. He is often associated with playing "hard men"...
) - Landlord of The Grapes, son of Jean, and the father of Melanie. Ken is usually sarcastic and has been shown at times to be slightly crooked (i.e. once looking at the results for the football cards, taking forged money from his police friends, and putting a very small amount of charity money into his till.) but despite these attributes he is consistently shown to be kind hearted and sensitive. He lives above The Grapes with his mother and daughter (who is not biologically related to him). - Joe (Craig CashCraig CashCraig Cash is an English comedy actor, BAFTA award-winning writer and also a director.-Biography:Cash is best known for playing slightly dull and dopey working-class northern men, particularly Dave Best in the hugely successful BBC sitcom The Royle Family, which he co-wrote with Caroline Aherne...
) and Duffy (Phil MealeyPhil Mealey-Biography:Mealy co-wrote and associate-produced the BBC comedy series Early Doors with Craig Cash. Mealey also acted in the show, playing the character Duffy. Cash and Mealey won two North West Comedy Awards in 2005 for the writing and acting on the show....
, real name Nigel) - "The Boys" of the pub. Best mates Joe and Duffy's friendship goes back to their childhood. Duffy has children, and has been in trouble with his wife for sleeping with other women. - Janice (Maxine PeakeMaxine PeakeMaxine Peake is an English stage, film and television actress known for playing Veronica in Channel 4's Manchester-based drama series Shameless, Twinkle in Victoria Wood's sitcom Dinnerladies, and, most recently, barrister Martha Costello in BBC legal drama Silk.-Early life:Peake is the second of...
) (Series 1 only) - Janice is the single mother of a newborn baby, who she brings into the pub in the first episode and asks Joe and Duffy to mind while she goes to Melanie's aerobicsAerobicsAerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
class upstairs. It is suggested that the baby is the result of a one night standOne Night StandOne Night Stand is an HBO stand-up series that first aired on February 15, 1989. The half-hour series aired weekly and featured stand-up comedy specials from some of the top performing comedians. The series originally comprised 55 specials over the course of its four years on HBO...
with Duffy in LadbrokesLadbrokesLadbrokes plc is a British based gambling company. It is based in Rayners Lane in Harrow, London owned by Bhavin Kakaiya. From 14 May 1999 to 23 February 2006, when it owned the Hilton hotel brand outside the United States, it was known as Hilton Group plc...
doorway. Joe often teases Duffy about this but Duffy says he took precautions - "I told her I'd had a vasectomyVasectomyVasectomy is a surgical procedure for male sterilization and/or permanent birth control. During the procedure, the vasa deferentia of a man are severed, and then tied/sealed in a manner such to prevent sperm from entering into the seminal stream...
". - Eddie and Joan Bell (Mark BentonMark BentonMark Benton is an English actor, perhaps most famous for his roles as Eddie in Early Doors and Howard in Northern Lights.-Life and career:Benton was born in Guisborough, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England....
and Lorraine CheshireLorraine CheshireLorraine Cheshire is a British actress from Wythenshawe, Manchester.Date of birth: 4 September 1958 -Credits:*Massive 2008*Life on Mars 2007*Tittybangbang 2006*Early Doors 2003*Mrs Meitlemeihr 2002...
) - A boring, simple minded - but well-meaning - couple. Eddie's conversations with Ken are usually one-sided and often revolve around temporary traffic lights nearby - a topic that he is obsessed with, but no one else takes any interest in. Joan's mother is very old owns several pets including 6 cats, a Dog named Dopey and a Tortoise. Joan and Eddie are both quite intellectually slow and they often make pointless conversation. They still seem to be madly in love 19 years after marriage. - Tommy (Rodney LitchfieldRodney LitchfieldRodney Litchfield is an English actor born in Wigan, Lancashire.Litchfield's first TV appearances were in the 1980's, the first of which was the episode "First Leg" of the British drama Travelling Man....
- A character that is often seen drinking on his own. He is reluctant to accept free drinks or buy rounds as he is too miserly to part with his money. Tommy is a stereotypical old widower: he doesn't like socialising, is often miserable and has no problem expressing his complaints (of which he has many). In series 2, he starts a new job which he tells the other regulars he hates because of the "buggers he works with". As he finishes his drink and prepares to leave, it is revealed he is a lollipop manCrossing guardA crossing guard , a school crossing patrol officer , school crossing supervisor or school road patrol is a traffic management specialist who is normally stationed on busy roadways to aid pedestrians...
. - Tanya Susan CooksonSusan CooksonSusan Cookson is an English television actress. She lives in Sheffield with her husband, actor Malcolm Scates, and her two children Ruari and Dan. She also has two sisters....
- Part-time barmaid and love interest of Ken. She is best friends with Debbie. She is good hearted and down to earth and is known for being attractive, which is why it may be surprising that she clearly has feelings for Ken. Halfway through series 2 she informs Ken that she is leaving the pub but in the last episode he asks her to stay and she accepts his offer. - Jean Dixon (Rita MayRita May (actress)Rita May is a British actress. She has appeared in popular television series such as Early Doors and Drop Dead Gorgeous, and radio programmes including Ed Reardon's Week. She apperared as Jimmy Kemp's mother in the acclaimed nuclear war drama Threads...
) - Jean is Ken's mother, and is often seen as imposing and manipulative. She seldom leaves her chair, and is usually eating something. She usually complains about the greed and laziness of others, despite not being able to work her own kettle. Although she imposes on Ken's life and sometimes twists his words around to make people feel sorry for her, she really does care about her son. She shows disapproval about the mutual attraction that Ken and Tanya share, thinking Tanya isn't good enough for her son. She often chats to Winnie. It is stated on the DVD commentary for series 1 that Jean is the first name of Craig CashCraig CashCraig Cash is an English comedy actor, BAFTA award-winning writer and also a director.-Biography:Cash is best known for playing slightly dull and dopey working-class northern men, particularly Dave Best in the hugely successful BBC sitcom The Royle Family, which he co-wrote with Caroline Aherne...
's mother. - Winnie Cooper (Joan Kempson) - Cleaner of The Grapes and the upstairs flat, friends with Jean, and well liked by the regulars. She often makes comments that she knows will irritate Jean and shares all sorts of gossip with her. She has a son called Darren who has been in trouble several times with the law usually for theft. On the DVD commentary for series 1 it's stated that Winnie is the first name of Phil MealeyPhil Mealey-Biography:Mealy co-wrote and associate-produced the BBC comedy series Early Doors with Craig Cash. Mealey also acted in the show, playing the character Duffy. Cash and Mealey won two North West Comedy Awards in 2005 for the writing and acting on the show....
's mother. - Melanie Dixon (Christine BottomleyChristine BottomleyChristine Bottomley is a British actress.She is best known for her regular roles as Melanie in the BBC comedy series Early Doors and Susie Ward in Heartbeat.-Life and career:...
) - Ken's stepdaughter and only child. Melanie is doted on by Ken who hopes she won't leave him for her real dad Keith Braithwaite, who she searched for after learning Ken wasn't her real father. Melanie sees Ken as her real dad, although she does sometimes exploit his "soft" attitude towards her working hours and free drinks. Her biological father Keith starts a fight with Eddie at her 21st birthday. She has had two boyfriends in the series - Liam (James McAvoyJames McAvoyJames McAvoy is a Scottish stage and screen actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in 1995's The Near Room and continued to make mostly television appearances until the early 2000s. His notable television work includes State of Play, Shameless, and Frank Herbert's Children of Dune...
) - a student, Mel's boyfriend in Series 1.Liam is Scottish and is often seen smoking. Several jokes are made about the size of his genitals. - Dean (Lee InglebyLee InglebyLee Ingleby is a British film, television, and stage actor.He is perhaps best known for his roles as Detective Sergeant John Bacchus in the BBC Drama George Gently and as Stan Shunpike in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban...
) - Mel's boyfriend in Series 2. Dean seems to be liked by Ken and is a typical jack the lad type character who gets on well with most if not all of the regulars. It is loosely implied on some occasions that Joan may have feelings for Dean. - Debbie (Lisa Millett) - Pub regular and good friend to Tanya. She often leaves her kids in the car while she goes in for half a ciderCiderCider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
. She has cheated on her husband, and has "gone with" Duffy rather than walk home. Debbie is possibly not the best mother, behaving neglectfully yet strictly towards her children. She seems to take a liking to Melanie's biological father Keith Braithwate (at least after a few drinks). - Phil and Nige (James Quinn and Peter Wight) - Local crooked policemen who Ken is friendly with. They often come knocking on the back door for a bitterBitter (beer)Bitter is an English term for pale ale. Bitters vary in colour from gold to dark amber and in strength from 3% to 7% alcohol by volume.-Brief history:...
and Coke, though they are partial to the odd cigarCigarA cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
or brandyBrandyBrandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
chaser. Phil and Nige often break the law themselves, having stolen from an electrical store that was being robbed and are shown to be recreational drug users. In the second series they lose any faith they had in their work after bungling a raid by falling asleep, so turn to drug dealing, while doing the odd bit of police work on the side. - Keith Braithwaite (Eamon BolandEamon BolandEamon Denis Boland is an English actor.He has played Tony Walker in Casualty, Frank O'Connor in Coronation Street, Gerry Hollis in Kinsey, Jim Gray in The Chief, Phil Fox in Fox...
) - Melanie's biological father. He is discussed several times in both series but does not appear until the final episode of series 2 when it is Melanie's 21st birthday party. Keith has a very brash personality and regularly uses the catch-phrase "Tick, Tock". Jean sings 'Angels' on the karaokeKaraokeis a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
after dedicating it to Ken, "who has been there all Melanie's life, not just one night". He becomes upset by this comment and tries to pick a fight with Eddie in the toilets but Ken intervenes and punches him, knocking him unconscious.
Other Characters
- Nicola (Sue McArdle) - Appears in 3 episodes of series 2. She is Debbie's cousin and has a sexual encounter in the toilets with Joe in the final episode of series 2.
- Bill Cooper - Winnie's Husband. Bill appears in episode 3 of series 2; he has a minor speaking part when he wins the football card.
Theme music
The theme music for the series is "Small World" by Roddy FrameRoddy Frame
Roddy Frame is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician, who was the founder of the 1980s indie band, Aztec Camera, and more recently is a solo performer.-Career:...
from the 2002 album Surf
Surf (album)
Surf is the second solo album by Scottish singer–songwriter Roddy Frame, first released in the UK on 5 August 2002 via Redemption Records, and in the US on 8 October 2002 via Cooking Vinyl. Surf is notable in that every song on the album was recorded in Roddy Frame's "own front room".-Critical...
.
The 2006 Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary Who Killed the British Sitcom used the closing music from Early Doors over its own end credits.
Critical reception
- "such a slow-burning comedy that you only start to smile during the next programme." - The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- "Early Doors, a comedy by Craig Cash averaged only 1.7 million viewers in its first outing, but scored particularly highly on the appreciation indices. Jane RootJane RootJane Root is a creative executive in the media industry, who has run major television networks on both sides of the Atlantic...
decided to commission a second series, partly because such a high proportion of viewers enjoyed it." - The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format... - The show was placed at 91 in the 2003/4 BBC's Britain's Best SitcomBritain's Best SitcomBritain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC, to identify the United Kingdom's best situation comedy. Viewers were asked to vote for their favourite by phone, text message and on the web. The top ten went forward to a final round of voting...
poll.
Filming
After much public speculation, Caroline AherneCaroline Aherne
Caroline Mary Aherne is an English comedian and BAFTA winning writer and actress, best known for Mrs Merton and The Royle Family.- Background :...
announced in December 2009 that alcohol-free lager had been used instead of actual beer. However, during the middle of the first series, Craig Cash
Craig Cash
Craig Cash is an English comedy actor, BAFTA award-winning writer and also a director.-Biography:Cash is best known for playing slightly dull and dopey working-class northern men, particularly Dave Best in the hugely successful BBC sitcom The Royle Family, which he co-wrote with Caroline Aherne...
admitted to Aherne his distaste towards the on-set beverage. A compromise was reached and carbonated apple juice was used thereon in as a substitute.