'Open All Hours' could return for full series after Christmas special
As UK viewers will soon find out, Sir David Jason is set to return to the small screen and revive his character Granville in the revival of the classic sitcom Open All Hours. The one-off special, Still Open All Hours, is set to air this Christmas on BBC One. Jason originally starred with the late comic Ronnie Barker – who played stammering Albert Arkwright – in the much-loved show which ran from 1973 to 1985 and was set in a corner shop.
Sir David will be reunited with actress Lynda Baron, who played unlikely sex symbol nurse Gladys Emmanuel, in the half-hour Christmas special. Viewers will see Granville has taken over from his uncle Albert when Still Open All Hours is screened. Granville now runs the business with his son Leroy (James Baxter), a cheerful and good-looking lad who attracts many female admirers.
The special has been written by Roy Clarke, who also penned the original series. Remembering back to our 2010 PBS special, Behind the Britcom: From Script to Screen, and traveling to Yorkshire to interview a then 80-year old Roy Clarke to get his thoughts on writing, we were in awe of one of most accommodating individuals on the planet who just happened to have written every episode of not only Open All Hours but also Last of the Summer Wine AND Keeping Up Appearances. Here, he gives his thoughts on how he approaches a sitcom from character to story arc. It’s easy to see why LOTSW, KUA and OAH were so successful.
According to producer Gareth Edwards, there are plans to follow the one-off special with a full series. He said: “I can’t say too much about the plot, but it does involve anchovy paste – that’s all I’m saying.”
