The curmudgeonly, penny-pinching Doncaster shopkeeper, Arkwright, afflicted
by a pronounced stammer and harassed by a vicious spring-loaded till, had his
first outing in Ronnie Barker's series of comic plays, Seven of One (BBC, 1973),
which had already spawned Porridge (BBC, 1974-77). Arkwright shared his corner
shop with Granville, his unworldly nephew of uncertain parentage - though
rumours abounded that he was of Hungarian origin - who was desperate for
experience with the opposite sex and forever lamenting his repetitive mundane
existence devoid of glamour, excitement or adventure. Open All Hours' episodes featured
Arkwright's mercenary attempts to turn an easy profit, which frequently involved
pulling the wool over the eyes of his hapless and gullible customers, and
followed Granville's misadventures on the shop bike, from which he would
invariably fall while making deliveries, as well as his unsuccessful pursuit of
girls.
Arkwright carried a torch for his Morris Minor-driving neighbour, District
Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, who was constantly fending off his lustful advances at
the same time as affectionately tolerating the 'great fool'. She was originally
played somewhat more sternly by Sheila Brennan in the pilot (tx. 25/3/1973),
before being replaced for the series by Linda Baron in 1976. Gags often focused
on the breadth of Nurse Gladys's bosom and behind, which, in addition to
Arkwright's comedic speech impediment made for - especially by today's standards
- distinctly politically incorrect humour, and a predictable laugh was always
elicited by the timely delivery of Arkwright's catchphrase "Granville!
Feh-feh-fetch a cloth!" Each episode was book-ended by Arkwright's inner
monologue as he opened, then closed up shop.
More parochial and regional in its focus than contemporaneous shop-based
sitcom Are You Being Served (BBC, 1973-85), Open All Hours was similarly reliant
on often laboured innuendo, albeit of a rather gentle kind; in its wistful
evocation of bygone days it more closely resembled writer Roy Clarke's
seventh-age sitcom Last of the Summer Wine (BBC, 1973-). The performances of, and
interplay between the principal trio of Barker, Baron and Jason were the show's
strongest elements, and probably explain its enduring presence in BBC schedules.
For its two leads, however, Arkwright and Granville were destined to play second
fiddle to Porridge's Fletcher and Only Fools and Horses' (BBC, 1981-2003) Del
Boy.
Hannah Hamad
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