The old English little shop on the corner, serving a little community, focuses on tight-fisted Arkwright (Barker) and his put-upon nephew, Granville (Jason). Arkwright also has a stutter, but this has always seemed to work with the funny scripts nonetheless. ("Good morning my ber-ber-belov-ed!"). A lot of characters (customers) obviously are at at his mercy, prising them of money for things they didn't come in for anyway. Buxom Nurse Gladys Emmanuel (Lynda Barron) is his engaged 'p-person' and always the butt of his sex-related remarks, but reminds him that he'll have to extend his spending power to finally land her. 'G-G-Granville' is always under his thumb, wanting to better himself, enjoy life with the ladies and his belated adolescence but thwarted one way or the other by the miserly grocer ("I've a good mind to take this suitcase back for a refund - trouble is, they were bombed out during the war!"). Another facet is the 'spring clip' on the till, which, of course, isn't repaired by the meanie, but free to take the duo's fingers off! A lot of regular characters - Mrs fer-fer-Featherstone (sorry, can't resist saying it as he does!) Mrs Ber-Ber Bluett and various other customers all add to the sitcom's popularity. With Gladys, the comedy preserves the British postcard humour that typified the '70's - '80's but there were plenty of other good lines nonetheless. On seeing a youngster smoking: "You shouldn't be smoking at your age - not if you're not buying them from me you shouldn't!"
Review of Open All Hours
