Combining their unique ability to create “best-of” lists for just about anything with their definite love for the small screen, the British have done it again. This time, it’s Britain’s favorite television shopkeeper. According to a recent poll conducted by consumer watchdog, Which, and reported on in WalesOnline, Ronnie Barker’s portrayal of Arkwright in Open All Hours topped the list with respondents citing his “old-fashioned values” and customer knowledge as the reasoning behind their vote.

Top-10 television shopkeepers

The list of the nation’s favorite television shopkeepers are:

• Arkwright – Open All Hours
• Hardware shopkeeper – Ronnie Corbett, The Two Ronnies
• Apu Nahasapeemapetilon – The Simpsons
• Norris Cole – Coronation Street
• Mrs. Slocombe & Mr. Humphries – Are You Being Served?
• Bernard Black – Black Books
• Roy – Little Britain
• Tubbs and Edward Tattysyrup – League of Gentleman
• Pet store shopkeeper – Michael Palin, Monty Python (Dead Parrot sketch)
• Pete Beale – EastEnders

Personally, while I like most of these (not familiar with some), I would have to add the following:

• Renee Artois – ‘Allo, ‘Allo (I know, it’s not a shop, it’s a pub, but it’s my blog 🙂 )
• Reginald Perrin – Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin (how can you leave off the owner of Grot, the shop that sells useless goods at outrageous prices?)
• Yev Kasem (The Soup Nazi) – Seinfeld (hey, they picked an American sitcom character from The Simpsons in their poll)

Anyone else?