# Open All Hours (1976)

> A penny pinching Yorkshire corner shopkeeper and his put upon nephew scheme and squabble their way through the daily trade of a small northern shop.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2068

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 25
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Roy Clarke
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Ronnie Barker, David Jason, Lynda Baron, Barbara Flynn, Stephanie Cole, Kathy Staff, Maggie Ollerenshaw, Frances Cox
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074036/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: dry, wistful, warm, comedic, nostalgic

## What critics say

Critics and audiences broadly agree that Open All Hours is a warmly regarded sitcom, prized for Ronnie Barker's miserly shopkeeper and David Jason's put-upon nephew.

## Synopsis

Open All Hours (1976-1985) is a British BBC sitcom created by Roy Clarke for BBC One. Ronnie Barker plays Albert Arkwright, a stammering, penny-pinching corner shopkeeper in a Yorkshire town, and David Jason plays Granville, his put-upon nephew and assistant who dreams of escaping the dusty shop. Their days revolve around the till, the stock room and the constant flow of customers, from the milk woman to the well-endowed local nurse Gladys Emmanuel, played by Lynda Baron, whom Albert is hopelessly enamoured of. Each episode is built from small schemes to save a penny, bungled deliveries and awkward courtship, all played out in a cramped shop interior. The tone is warm, dry and wistful, with comic timing that rewards careful attention to Barker's pauses and Jason's frustrated reactions. Running four series and twenty-five half hour episodes, it is a tight, character driven comedy in the tradition of classic British sitcoms. Fans of Porridge, Last of the Summer Wine and Only Fools and Horses will find much to enjoy here.

## Shows like Open All Hours

- [Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973)](https://ember.film/tv/5635)
- [The Good Life (1975)](https://ember.film/tv/2628)
- [Steptoe and Son (1962)](https://ember.film/tv/3171)
- [Only Fools and Horses (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/64)
- ['Allo 'Allo! (1984)](https://ember.film/tv/2096)
- [Phoenix Nights (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/2212)
- [To the Manor Born (1979)](https://ember.film/tv/112)
- [Keeping Up Appearances (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/27)
- [Fawlty Towers (1975)](https://ember.film/tv/2092)
- [Porridge (1974)](https://ember.film/tv/2173)

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