Open All Hours

Open All Hours
GenreSitcom
Created byRoy Clarke
Written byRoy Clarke
Directed bySydney Lotterby
Starring
Theme music composerJoseph Ascher
Opening theme"Alice, Where Art Thou?"
Ending theme"Alice, Where Art Thou?"
ComposerMax Harris
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series4
No. of episodes26 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersJames Gilbert
(pilot episode)
ProducersSydney Lotterby
(1976–1985)
Production locationEngland
Running time30 minutes
Production companyBBC
Original release
Network
Release23 March 1976 (1976-03-23) –
6 October 1985 (1985-10-06)
Related
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Open All Hours is a British television sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC, starring Ronnie Barker as penny-pinching corner-shopkeeper Albert Arkwright and David Jason as his assistant and nephew Granville. The series began as a 1973 episode of Barker’s comedy anthology Seven of One and later ran for 26 episodes across four series, first broadcast on BBC2 from 20 February 1976, and on BBC1 from 1981 to 6 October 1985.

Set in a small grocer’s shop in Balby, Doncaster, the programme follows Arkwright’s attempts to maximise profits and pursue nurse Gladys Emmanuel (Lynda Baron), while Granville struggles with long hours and a stalled social life. The supporting cast includes Stephanie Cole, Maggie Ollerenshaw, Kathy Staff and Barbara Flynn.

Open All Hours ranked eighth in the 2004 Britain's Best Sitcom poll. A sequel series, Still Open All Hours, aired from 2013 to 2019.