Open All Hours
Encyclopedia
Open All Hours is a BBC
sitcom written by Roy Clarke
which ran for four series (26 episodes in all over three broadcast runs) a first run in 1976, a second run in 1981, third in 1982 and finally with a fourth (and final) run in 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One
series in 1973. In 2004, the series was voted eighth in Britain's Best Sitcom
.
, a suburb of Doncaster
in South Yorkshire
. The owner, Albert Arkwright
(Ronnie Barker
), is a middle-aged miser with a stammer
and a knack for being able to sell anything to any buyer, no matter how unwilling. His nephew Granville
(David Jason
), is his put-upon errand boy, whose attempts at a love-life or even just a meaningful social life fall flat. He blames his uncle, in particular, that, he has to be up early to open the shop, stay up late to close it with only an odd hour of free time and deliver large numbers of goods on a battered bicycle. Almost every mistake Arkwright makes is followed by a cry of "Gr-Granville! F-fetch yer cloth!". Granville was orphaned at an early age when Arkwright's sister died, leaving Arkwright to raise the boy. A recurring joke revolves around Arkwright's speculation that Granville's father, his identity and whereabouts unknown, was Hungarian — an issue never resolved. Granville's intellectual and emotional nature frustrates Arkwright, who wants his sole heir to develop an avaricious nature akin to his own.
The shop is crowded and most goods can only be reached from behind the counter — allowing Arkwright a chance to hawk more goods. The till is old, and an overtightened spring on its drawer terrifies Granville and Arkwright, as it results in many a close call as the till snaps shut, almost trapping the pair's fingers. Arkwright does not replace it partly because replacements are too expensive, and partly because it prevents people from taking his precious money.
Across the road lives Nurse Gladys Emmanuel (Lynda Baron
), Arkwright's long-standing fiancée; much of the skinflint's time is dedicated to trying to persuade her to marry him, or at least sleep with him. Nurse Gladys has her rounds and her elderly mother to occupy her. The only one with any influence over Arkwright, she forces him to give Granville more freedoms and spend money to modernize his archaic lifestyle. In the pilot episode, Nurse Gladys was played by Sheila Brennan with an Irish accent, and the character was slimmer than the buxom creature she became, played by Lynda Baron
.
Other regulars included the milkwoman
(Barbara Flynn
) with whom Granville had a romantic fling; Mavis (Maggie Ollerenshaw) a young woman who can never make up her mind what to buy; Mrs Blewett (Kathy Staff
), with a critical word for everyone; and Mrs Featherstone (Stephanie Cole
), nicknamed "The Black Widow", a sour-faced miser who admires Arkwright for being likewise and shows a degree of romantic interest in him.
A few complaints were registered over humorous use of a speech impediment, but Arkwright was so amiable and the humour so good-natured that most deemed it a portrayal without malice. The part was originally written without the stammer — Barker suggested it and it became part of Arkwright's character. Similarly, the dangerous cash-register was created mostly by Barker.
Two of Ronnie Barker's fake moustaches (donated by the BBC) used in the show were auctioned at the British Stammering Association conference in London, September 2005 (shortly before Barker's death).
The show's theme tune is a song called Alice, where art thou? music written by Joseph Ascher
. It was played in an arrangement for brass band
by Max Harris
, who also wrote the incidental music for the series.
The programme can be quite reflective and at times has moments of pathos
. Whilst everyone else in the programme is practical and shows no emotion or sentimentality, Granville is quite the opposite and throughout the series often reflects on life passing him by. Occasionally, characters he would have known as a teenager are brought in and whilst they have all gone on in life and had some success, Granville has remained his uncle's errand boy — the ageing Granville is still treated like a child, in particular by Arkwright, but also by customers in the shop, even those sympathetic towards his predicament.
, a suburb of Doncaster
; the shop itself is a hairdresser's salon.
Gladys Emmanuel's house was 34 Lister Avenue, Balby, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in the first series, but moved to number 32 in the second series.
The local council considered demolishing the shop used in Open All Hours and a web site has been set up for fans of the show to post messages in support of saving the shop. The shop was to be auctioned in Leeds on 24 November 2008, and was expected to fetch between £120,000 and £130,000, however, it failed to meet its reserve price.
All four series of all 26 episodes have now been released on VHS
and DVD.
governments of Harold Wilson
and James Callaghan
, with comments like "My top lip went all stiff and dead, as if it had been nationalised" and "When Wales get home rule, do you think they'll nationalise Clive Jenkins
". By the time the later series were made the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher
was in power, and fewer political observations were made against government or opposition.
The following have appeared in more than one episode. (The pilot episode starred Sheila Brennan as Nurse Gladys Emmanuel.)
Main Cast: Ronnie Barker (Albert Arkwright), David Jason (Granville)
Synopsis: Part of the Seven of One
series.
Note: Store location is different (and unknown) to the shop used in the main series.
Region 1 has released the box set but the series have not been released individually.
In Australia, the BBC with Roadshow released "Series One: Episodes 1-3 Comedy Bites" in 2010.
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 Roy Clarke
Roy Clarke
Roy Clarke OBE is an English comedy writer.-Career:Clarke is best known for creating BBC Sitcoms; Last of the Summer Wine, Open All Hours and Keeping Up Appearances...
which ran for four series (26 episodes in all over three broadcast runs) a first run in 1976, a second run in 1981, third in 1982 and finally with a fourth (and final) run in 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One
Seven of One
Seven of One was a British comedy series that aired on BBC2 in 1973. Starring Ronnie Barker, 7 of One is a series of seven separate comedies that would serve as possible pilots for sitcoms. Originally it was to be called Six of One, which Barker planned to follow up with another series called Half...
series in 1973. In 2004, the series was voted eighth in Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain'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...
.
Plot
The series features a small grocer's shop in BalbyBalby
Balby is a suburb of Doncaster located to the south-west of the borough in the north of England. It is home to the former secondary school, now sports college Balby Carr...
, a suburb of Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
. The owner, Albert Arkwright
Arkwright (Open All Hours)
Albert E. Arkwright, usually referred to simply as Arkwright or occasionally as 'Uncle' by his nephew, Granville is a fictional character in the British sitcom, Open All Hours played by Ronnie Barker. Arkwright is the proprietor of an old fashioned Yorkshire corner shop, which in the era of the...
(Ronnie Barker
Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
), is a middle-aged miser with a stammer
Stuttering
Stuttering , also known as stammering , is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds...
and a knack for being able to sell anything to any buyer, no matter how unwilling. His nephew Granville
Granville (Open All Hours)
Granville is a fictional character played by David Jason in the British sitcom Open All Hours. Granville is an errand boy to his uncle and employer, Arkwright, who is the proprietor of an old-fashioned Yorkshire corner shop....
(David Jason
David Jason
Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...
), is his put-upon errand boy, whose attempts at a love-life or even just a meaningful social life fall flat. He blames his uncle, in particular, that, he has to be up early to open the shop, stay up late to close it with only an odd hour of free time and deliver large numbers of goods on a battered bicycle. Almost every mistake Arkwright makes is followed by a cry of "Gr-Granville! F-fetch yer cloth!". Granville was orphaned at an early age when Arkwright's sister died, leaving Arkwright to raise the boy. A recurring joke revolves around Arkwright's speculation that Granville's father, his identity and whereabouts unknown, was Hungarian — an issue never resolved. Granville's intellectual and emotional nature frustrates Arkwright, who wants his sole heir to develop an avaricious nature akin to his own.
The shop is crowded and most goods can only be reached from behind the counter — allowing Arkwright a chance to hawk more goods. The till is old, and an overtightened spring on its drawer terrifies Granville and Arkwright, as it results in many a close call as the till snaps shut, almost trapping the pair's fingers. Arkwright does not replace it partly because replacements are too expensive, and partly because it prevents people from taking his precious money.
Across the road lives Nurse Gladys Emmanuel (Lynda Baron
Lynda Baron
Lynda Baron is a BAFTA-nominated English stage, film and television actress, perhaps best known for playing the extremely busty Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, the object of Arkwright's affection, in the BBC comedy series Open All Hours....
), Arkwright's long-standing fiancée; much of the skinflint's time is dedicated to trying to persuade her to marry him, or at least sleep with him. Nurse Gladys has her rounds and her elderly mother to occupy her. The only one with any influence over Arkwright, she forces him to give Granville more freedoms and spend money to modernize his archaic lifestyle. In the pilot episode, Nurse Gladys was played by Sheila Brennan with an Irish accent, and the character was slimmer than the buxom creature she became, played by Lynda Baron
Lynda Baron
Lynda Baron is a BAFTA-nominated English stage, film and television actress, perhaps best known for playing the extremely busty Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, the object of Arkwright's affection, in the BBC comedy series Open All Hours....
.
Other regulars included the milkwoman
Milkman
A milkman is a person, traditionally male, who delivers milk in milk bottles or cartons. Milk deliveries frequently occur in the morning and it is not uncommon for milkmen to deliver products other than milk such as eggs, cream, cheese, butter, yogurt or soft drinks...
(Barbara Flynn
Barbara Flynn
Barbara Flynn is an English actress. She first became known for her appearance in the ITV drama A Family at War, that followed the fortunes of a lower middle class family living in Liverpool from 1938 and through World War II.During the 1980s Flynn's acting skills led to her being cast in several...
) with whom Granville had a romantic fling; Mavis (Maggie Ollerenshaw) a young woman who can never make up her mind what to buy; Mrs Blewett (Kathy Staff
Kathy Staff
Kathy Staff was an English actress, well known for her work on British television...
), with a critical word for everyone; and Mrs Featherstone (Stephanie Cole
Stephanie Cole
Stephanie Cole, OBE is an English stage, television, and film actress, best known for playing characters a great deal older than her actual age.-Early life:...
), nicknamed "The Black Widow", a sour-faced miser who admires Arkwright for being likewise and shows a degree of romantic interest in him.
A few complaints were registered over humorous use of a speech impediment, but Arkwright was so amiable and the humour so good-natured that most deemed it a portrayal without malice. The part was originally written without the stammer — Barker suggested it and it became part of Arkwright's character. Similarly, the dangerous cash-register was created mostly by Barker.
Two of Ronnie Barker's fake moustaches (donated by the BBC) used in the show were auctioned at the British Stammering Association conference in London, September 2005 (shortly before Barker's death).
The show's theme tune is a song called Alice, where art thou? music written by Joseph Ascher
Joseph Ascher
Joseph Ascher was a Dutch-Jewish composer and pianist.He was born in Groningen, the son of the chazzan of the city, who went on to become a cantor in London. Ascher started his music studies in London...
. It was played in an arrangement for brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
by Max Harris
Max Harris (composer)
Max Harris was a British film and television composer and arranger. He played the piano and piano accordion....
, who also wrote the incidental music for the series.
The programme can be quite reflective and at times has moments of pathos
Pathos
Pathos represents an appeal to the audience's emotions. Pathos is a communication technique used most often in rhetoric , and in literature, film and other narrative art....
. Whilst everyone else in the programme is practical and shows no emotion or sentimentality, Granville is quite the opposite and throughout the series often reflects on life passing him by. Occasionally, characters he would have known as a teenager are brought in and whilst they have all gone on in life and had some success, Granville has remained his uncle's errand boy — the ageing Granville is still treated like a child, in particular by Arkwright, but also by customers in the shop, even those sympathetic towards his predicament.
Locations
The exterior shots were in Lister Avenue in BalbyBalby
Balby is a suburb of Doncaster located to the south-west of the borough in the north of England. It is home to the former secondary school, now sports college Balby Carr...
, a suburb of Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
; the shop itself is a hairdresser's salon.
Gladys Emmanuel's house was 34 Lister Avenue, Balby, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in the first series, but moved to number 32 in the second series.
The local council considered demolishing the shop used in Open All Hours and a web site has been set up for fans of the show to post messages in support of saving the shop. The shop was to be auctioned in Leeds on 24 November 2008, and was expected to fetch between £120,000 and £130,000, however, it failed to meet its reserve price.
All four series of all 26 episodes have now been released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD.
Political reference
While Arkwright does not seem to have any particular political convictions, he is an avid political commentator, usually not in a serious capacity. In the earlier episodes the series makes many references to the policy of the LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
governments of Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
and James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
, with comments like "My top lip went all stiff and dead, as if it had been nationalised" and "When Wales get home rule, do you think they'll nationalise Clive Jenkins
Clive Jenkins
David Clive Jenkins was a British trade union leader. "Organising the middle classes", his stated recreation in Who's Who, sums up both his sense of humour and his achievements in the British trade union movement....
". By the time the later series were made the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
was in power, and fewer political observations were made against government or opposition.
Cast
| Actor name | Character name | Episodes | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Barker Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman... |
Arkwright (Open All Hours) Albert E. Arkwright, usually referred to simply as Arkwright or occasionally as 'Uncle' by his nephew, Granville is a fictional character in the British sitcom, Open All Hours played by Ronnie Barker. Arkwright is the proprietor of an old fashioned Yorkshire corner shop, which in the era of the... |
|
|
| David Jason Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack... |
Granville (Open All Hours) Granville is a fictional character played by David Jason in the British sitcom Open All Hours. Granville is an errand boy to his uncle and employer, Arkwright, who is the proprietor of an old-fashioned Yorkshire corner shop.... |
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| Lynda Baron Lynda Baron is a BAFTA-nominated English stage, film and television actress, perhaps best known for playing the extremely busty Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, the object of Arkwright's affection, in the BBC comedy series Open All Hours.... |
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| Barbara Flynn Barbara Flynn is an English actress. She first became known for her appearance in the ITV drama A Family at War, that followed the fortunes of a lower middle class family living in Liverpool from 1938 and through World War II.During the 1980s Flynn's acting skills led to her being cast in several... |
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| Stephanie Cole Stephanie Cole, OBE is an English stage, television, and film actress, best known for playing characters a great deal older than her actual age.-Early life:... |
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| Kathy Staff Kathy Staff was an English actress, well known for her work on British television... |
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| Maggie Ollerenshaw Maggie Ollerenshaw is a British actress most famous for her role as Mavis on the sitcom Open All Hours. She also played Mrs. Clegg in the short-lived series, First of the Summer Wine. She became a more familiar television face after playing Florence Ranby in The House of Eliott terrorising the... |
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| Madge Hindle Madge Hindle is a British actress, best known for her roles on television series.Madge's big break came when her good friend, British playwright Alan Bennett, asked her to appear in his 1966 BBC comedy series On the Margin.From 1968 to 1973, she played the role of Lily Tattersall on the series... |
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| Barbara Keogh Barbara Keogh was a British actress who is possibly best remembered for playing Lilly Mattock in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, as well as playing various roles in comedy sketch-show, Little Britain.... |
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| Nick Stringer Nick Stringer is an English actor.In a thirty year career, Stringer has appeared in numerous well-known British television shows, including The Bill, Open All Hours, Only Fools and Horses, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Coronation Street, Family Affairs, Minder, Johnny Jarvis, Butterflies and My Family... |
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| Teddy Turner Teddy Turner was a Yorkshire-born English actor and comedian who shot to fame as dustbin man, Chalky Whiteley in the top rated ITV1 soap opera, Coronation Street. In the late 1970s he played the part of Mrs... |
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| John Challis John Challis is an English actor.-Career:He is probably best known for his role as Terrance Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce in the long running comedy show Only Fools and Horses, and its 2005 spin-off, The Green Green Grass.... |
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Pilot
Air Date: 25 March 1973Main Cast: Ronnie Barker (Albert Arkwright), David Jason (Granville)
Synopsis: Part of the Seven of One
Seven of One
Seven of One was a British comedy series that aired on BBC2 in 1973. Starring Ronnie Barker, 7 of One is a series of seven separate comedies that would serve as possible pilots for sitcoms. Originally it was to be called Six of One, which Barker planned to follow up with another series called Half...
series.
Note: Store location is different (and unknown) to the shop used in the main series.
| Episode | Title | Broadcast details |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Open All Hours | 25 March 1973: BBC2, Sun 20:15 |
| Cast | Keith Chegwin Keith Chegwin is an English television presenter, former child actor and singer.-Early career:Chegwin's early roles were in works of the Children's Film Foundation, appearing as Egghead Wentworth in The Troublesome Double Egghead's Robot . He also appeared as a stowaway in Doomwatch episode... (Boy Buying Lolly), Elissa Derwent (Girl from Petrol Station), Yootha Joyce Yootha Joyce Yootha Joyce was an English actress, best known for playing Mildred Roper in Man About the House and George and Mildred.-Early life:... (Mrs. Scully), David Valla (Bread Man) |
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| Synopsis | |
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Series 1
Air Dates: 20 February – 26 March 1976| Episode | Title | Broadcast details |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Full of Mysterious Promise | 20 Feb 1976: BBC2, Fri 21:00 |
| Cast | |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #2 | A Mattress on Wheels | 27 Feb 1976: BBC2, Fri 21:00 |
| Cast | George Innes George Innes is an English actor.-Stage career:He began his career on the stage with the National Theatre of Great Britain under Laurence Olivier. Before that, he trained at Toynbee Hall and evening classes at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art , where he was awarded the Shakespeare Cup... (Used Car Salesman), Barbara Keogh (Mrs. Ellis), Harry Markham (Freddie) |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #3 | A Nice Cosy Little Disease | 5 Mar 1976: BBC2, Fri 21:00 |
| Cast | |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #4 | Beware of the Dog! | 12 Mar 1976: BBC2, Fri 21:00 |
| Cast | Kevin Moreton Kevin Moreton is an English actor, best known for his portrayal of Kevin Marsh in Coronation Street, the British prime-time soap opera set in the fictional town of Weatherfield, made by Granada Television... (Boy), Shirley Steedman Shirley Steedman Shirley Steedman is a British actress.Possibly her best known role is Monica in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. She also played Princess Alice in Edward the Seventh, and her mother Queen Victoria in a 1976 television adaptation of East Lynne, and other plays and comodies.-External links:... (Maureen) |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #5 | Well Catered Funeral | 19 Mar 1976: BBC2, Fri 21:00 |
| Cast | John Challis John Challis is an English actor.-Career:He is probably best known for his role as Terrance Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce in the long running comedy show Only Fools and Horses, and its 2005 spin-off, The Green Green Grass.... (Bread Man), Kathy Staff (Mrs. Blewett), Elizabeth Dawn Elizabeth Dawn Elizabeth 'Liz' Dawn MBE , is an English actress, best known for her role as Vera Duckworth in the long-running British soap opera, Coronation Street... (Woman Outside Shop - uncredited) |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #6 | Apples and Self Service | 26 Mar 1976: BBC2, Fri 21:00 |
| Cast | Edna Doré Edna Doré is a British actress. Doré is one of Britain's best known senior citizen actresses. She is known for her bit-part roles in situation comedies and for playing the character of Mo Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders .- Career :She began her career as a chorus girl in ENSA, then spent... (Woman Wanting Firelighters), Madge Hindle (Mrs. Jardine), John McKelvey (Hard of Hearing Man), Michael Redfern (Southerner) |
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Series 2
Air Dates: 1 March - 19 April 1981| Episode | Title | Broadcast details |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Laundry Blues | 1 Mar 1981: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
| Cast | Maggie Ollerenshaw Maggie Ollerenshaw is a British actress most famous for her role as Mavis on the sitcom Open All Hours. She also played Mrs. Clegg in the short-lived series, First of the Summer Wine. She became a more familiar television face after playing Florence Ranby in The House of Eliott terrorising the... (Mavis), Matthew Scurfield Matthew Scurfield Matthew Scurfield is an actor and the eldest child of the late author George Scurfield and his wife Cecilia in Cambridge, England.... (Man from Bus Stop), Renu Setna Renu Setna Renu Setna is a Pakistani actor, perhaps best known for his appearance as the shopkeeper Mr. Kittel in In Sickness and in Health.Setna made an appearance in the british BBC Sictom Only Fools And Horses, in the episode "Cash and Curry", where he played a con-artist who cons Del and Rodney out of Two... (VAT Man), Nick Stringer (Neville) |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #2 | The Reluctant Traveller | 8 Mar 1981: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
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| #3 | Fig Biscuits and Inspirational Toilet Rolls | 15 Mar 1981: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
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| #4 | The New Suit | 22 Mar 1981: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
| Cast | Michael Bilton Michael Bilton was an English actor best known for his roles in the British television sitcoms To the Manor Born and Waiting for God.... (Hypnotist), Frances Cox (Mrs. Parslow), Frances Goodall (Woman on Bench), Emrys James (Eli Bickerdyke), Kathy Staff (Mrs. Blewett) |
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| #5 | Arkwright's Mobile Store | 29 Mar 1981: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
| Cast | Paula Tilbrook Paula Tilbrook is an English actress who has played Betty Eagleton in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale since 1994.In 1977, she made an appearance as Stella Rigby in Coronation Street, and followed this by appearances as Olive Taylor-Brown in the same show in 1978 and 1980. From 1991 to 1993, she... (Mrs. Tattersall) |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #6 | Shedding at the Wedding | 5 Apr 1981: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
| Cast | Patsy Smart Patsy Smart was an English actress who is best remembered for her performance as Miss Roberts in the 1970s ITV television drama Upstairs, Downstairs.... (Customer), Kathy Staff (Mrs. Blewett) |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #7 | St. Albert's Day | 19 Apr 1981: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
| Cast | Oscar Quitak Oscar Quitak is a British film and television actor.His television credits include: Z-Cars, Man in a Suitcase, Doomwatch, Ace of Wands, Colditz, The Changes, The New Avengers, Open All Hours, Kessler as Josef Mengele, Chessgame, Howards' Way, A Very British Coup, Yes, Prime Minister and... (Hungarian), Teddy Turner (Gordon) |
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Series 3
Air Dates: 21 March – 27 December 1982| Episode | Title | Broadcast details |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | An Errand Boy by the Ear | 21 Mar 1982: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
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| #2 | The Ginger Men | 28 Mar 1982: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
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| #3 | Duet for Solo Bicycle | 4 Apr 1982: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
| Cast | Sally Miles Clarence Paul "Sally" Miles was the head coach of the Virginia Tech college football program from 1905 to 1906.Known as "Mr. VPI," there isn't much Miles didn't do during his nearly 59 years at Virginia Tech... (Mrs. Whittington), Donald Morley (Man Looking for Directions), Maggie Ollerenshaw (Mavis), Liz Whiting (Wendy) |
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| #4 | How to Ignite Your Errand Boy | 11 Apr 1982: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #5 | "The Man from Down Under" | 18 Apr 1982: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
| Cast | Teddy Turner (Gordon) |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #6 | The Cool Cocoa Tin Lid | 25 Apr 1982: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
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| Synopsis | |
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| Special | The Funny Side of Christmas | 27 Dec 1982: BBC1, Mon 20:05 |
| Cast | ||
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Series 4
Air Dates: 1 September – 6 October 1985| Episode | Title | Broadcast details |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Soulmate Wanted | 1 Sep 1985: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #2 | Horse-Trading | 8 Sep 1985: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
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| #3 | The Housekeeper Caper | 15 Sep 1985: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
| Cast | |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #4 | The Errand Boy Executive | 22 Sep 1985: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
| Cast | |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #5 | Happy Birthday, Arkwright! | 29 Sep 1985: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
| Cast | |
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| Synopsis | |
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| #6 | The Mystical Boudoir of Nurse Gladys Emmanuel | 6 Oct 1985: BBC1, Sun 19:15 |
| Cast | |
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| Synopsis | Meanwhile, Granville takes to wearing tights on his head, and attempts to persuade his uncle to finally buy a new till. |
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DVD releases
All four series have been released in Regions 2 and 4, both individually and in box sets.Region 1 has released the box set but the series have not been released individually.
In Australia, the BBC with Roadshow released "Series One: Episodes 1-3 Comedy Bites" in 2010.
| DVD Title | Discs | Year | Ep. # | DVD releases | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
Region 2 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
Region 4 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
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| Complete Series 1 | 1 | 1973 1973 in television The year 1973 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1973.-Events:*January 4 – The record breaking, long-running comedy series in the UK and the world "Last of the Summer Wine" starts as a 30-minute pilot on BBC1's Comedy Playhouse show.... and 1976 1976 in television The year 1976 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1976.-Global television events:*The Olympics, broadcast from Montreal, Canada, draw an estimated one billion viewers worldwide.... |
7 | — | 30 September 2002 | 1 April 2003 | Includes the 1973 pilot. | |
| Complete Series 2 | 1 | 1981 1981 in television The year 1981 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1981.For the American TV schedule, see: 1981-82 American network television schedule.- Events :... |
7 | — | 29 September 2003 | 3 December 2003 | — | |
| Complete Series 3 | 1 | 1982 1982 in television The year 1982 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1982.For the American TV schedule, see: 1982-83 American network television schedule.-Events:... |
6 | — | 4 October 2004 | 2 March 2005 | — | |
| Complete Series 4 | 1 | 1985 1985 in television The year 1985 involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1985.For the American TV schedule, see: 1985-86 United States network television schedule.-Events:*January 1 – VH1 launches in the United States.... |
6 | — | 31 October 2005 | 8 August 2006 | — | |
| Complete Series 1 – 4 | 4 | 1973 1973 in television The year 1973 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1973.-Events:*January 4 – The record breaking, long-running comedy series in the UK and the world "Last of the Summer Wine" starts as a 30-minute pilot on BBC1's Comedy Playhouse show.... – 1985 1985 in television The year 1985 involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1985.For the American TV schedule, see: 1985-86 United States network television schedule.-Events:*January 1 – VH1 launches in the United States.... |
26 | 9 June 2009 | 13 November 2006 | 1 August 2007 | Includes the 1973 pilot. | |
External links
Guide to Comedy.- Open All Hours at the British Film InstituteBritish Film InstituteThe British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
.... - Image of Arkwright's shop in April 2007