10.030 minSeason 4 • Episode 6
LatestEver persistent to worm his way into Nurse Gladys' bedroom as well as her affections, Arkwright finds that flattery and chocolates are no use. But he's got a cunning plan to use Granville to impersonate a burglar, wearing a stocking mask to scare Gladys so that Arkwright can come running... into her room.
Open All Hours is a British television sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke, starring Ronnie Barker as penny-pinching corner-shopkeeper Albert Arkwright, and David Jason as his nephew and assistant Granville. The programme originated as a 1973 episode of Barker’s comedy anthology Seven of One, and later ran for 26 episodes; the first series broadcast on BBC2, the remaining three series broadcast on BBC1.
Acting
Barker and Jason's simmering uncle-nephew warfare is masterclass.
Writing
Roy Clarke squeezes three jokes into every breath Arkwright steals.
Production
Corner shop as character—claustrophobic, eternal, weirdly cozy.
Creator
Roy Clarke
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ronnie Barker invented Arkwright's signature stutter to stop himself speaking too fast—his natural pace outran the laugh track.
The 2016 sequel 'Still Open All Hours' ran longer than the original, proving Britain's endless appetite for miser nostalgia.
GB
