Open All Hours

Ronnie Barker is tight fisted Doncaster shopkeeper Arkwright, working with his nephew Granville (David Jason) who makes deliveries for the shop on his bicycle. Old fashioned even at the time it was made in the 70's, the dry northern humour and relationship between the two main characters makes it a pleasureable watch - funny from the start to end, Jason and barker are the perfect Double-Act.

• The Complete Open All Hours - Series One-Four [1976] | DVD | (12/10/2009 from £15.05   |  Saving you £19.94 (132.49%)   |  RRP £34.99

  Ronnie Barker stars as Arkwright, the tight-fisted stammering shop-keeper, who would rather risk instant amputation than replace his death-trap of a till. A young David Jason plays Granville, Arkwright's ill-fated, over-worked, sexually-frustrated errand boy, while Lynda Baron is Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, the owner of an awesome bosom and an old Morris Minor and is the object of the grocer's undying lust.

• Open All Hours - Series 3 | DVD | (04/10/2004 from £3.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (225.56%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Voted number 8 in Britain's best sitcom - Series 3 sees Arkwright's daydreaming nephew Granville undergo an identity crisis ditching his apron for a hipper image! Meanwhile Arkwright looks to cut out the middlemen and market his own product... 'Arkwright's Treacle Toffee'! Contains all six episodes from the third series: An Errand Boy By The Ear: Arkwright decides that Granville needs to improve his sales technique. The Ginger Men: Arkwright improves the sale

• Open All Hours - Series 4 | DVD | (31/10/2005 from £4.31   |  Saving you £8.68 (201.39%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Ronnie Barker stars as Arkwright the tight-fisted stammering shop-keeper who would rather risk instant amputation than replace his death-trap of a till. A young David Jason plays ""G-G-Granville"" Arkwright's ill-fated over-worked sexually-frustrated errand boy while Lynda Baron is Nurse Gladys Emmanuel - the owner of an awesome bosom and an old Morris Minor - the object of the grocer's undying lust... Episodes comprise: 1. Soulmate Wanted 2. Horse-Trading 3. The Hou

• Open All Hours - Series 1 [1976] | DVD | (30/09/2002 from £4.87   |  Saving you £9.38 (259.83%)   |  RRP £12.99

  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

• Open All Hours: Series 2 [1980] | DVD | (29/09/2003 from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The complete second series of episodes featuring stuttering shopkeeper Arkwright (Barker) and his overworked assistant Granville (Jason). Episodes comprise: Laundry Blues / The Reluctant Traveller / Fig Biscuits And Inspirational Toilet Rolls / The New Suit / Arkwright's Mobile Store / Shedding At The Wedding / St Albert's Day