As part of the BBC's campaign to find Britain's Best Sitcom (smell the arguments from here), the case for Open All Hours, as a member of the top ten, was argued by Clarissa Dickson Wright, broadcast on 6 March 2004 at 9pm on BBC2. Clarissa has never been known for her knowledge of comedy before, but as she's merely there to read the auto cue, that didn't seem to matter too much. However, she certainly could do with acquiring some charisma.
The most important indicator that this was a decent stab to unravel what is certainly one of Britain's most popular sitcoms was the fact that it was set in the original location; a hairdresser's in Doncaster. The premises were transformed back into Arkwright's with astonishing care, and clever editing of Clarissa's actions and series footage (such as Clarissa throwing a cloth and Granville catching it), with laughter inserts, made you feel that the production team really did make an effort to do the programme justice. The transformation of the shop was shown to introduce a section with Ronnie Barker rightly explaining just how convenient a shop was as a set, what with props and easy entrance and exit for characters.
Interviews were carried out with Ronnie Barker, David Jason and Lynda Baron, naturally, more interestingly with Roy Clarke, Sydney Lotterby (director and producer) and designer Tim Gleeson. Cast regulars Maggie Ollerenshaw, Kathy Staff, Stephanie Cole, Barbara Flynn and cameo Liz Dawn also featured, with fans Mark Radcliffe, Maxine Peake and Jaik Campbell. Ronnie Barker gives us a welcome mention of The Odd Job, the first programme that Barker and Jason starred together in, and as a nice quality clip features from it. Another hint that this was more than a clip show was the inclusion of clips from the pilot, and not just in the section about celebrity cameos. Of course, the celebrity cameos section was a little misleading, as none of the 'celebrities' that appeared in the programme could really have been called that when they featured in it. Even Yootha Joyce, who appeared in the pilot, aired in 1973, was yet to be a household name in Man About the House, and Keith Chegwin, who appeared in the same programme, was an unknown Children's Film Foundation regular. Rather, the programme is a great place to spot actors before they got parts which made them household names, such as John Challis (Boycie in Only Fools and Horses, another BBS finalist), and Liz Dawn before she became Vera Duckworth. It also features many bit-part stalwarts of British comedy, such as Michael Redfern and Tony Aitken.
Another fine use of the pilot is featured in the section about Arkwright's avarice, which indicates that at least someone involved had their head screwed on. The pilot, although unavaliable until OAH's DVD release, is an excellent introduction to the main characters, with Arkwright telling Granville the benefits of not listening to the news being a perfect indication of the enclosed world in which he lives and in which he is determined to make Granville stay. The only character which falls flat is Nurse Gladys, but her somewhat mean-hearted dialogue is not helped by Shelia Brennan's portrayal of her, which is somewhat severe. Lynda Baron's performance is much warmer, which helps the character along. The till, as you would expect, is commented on, and its one-time workings explained by Tim Gleeson and is explained by several contributors as symbolic of Arkwright's hold on money, something which I have to admit hadn't occurred to me before, although this is probably because the till just slots into place so perfectly that it doesn't seem unusual. The section on Arkwright's avarice also had a fascinating mention of Lady Thatcher, whose father was a grocer in Grantham, and a lovely clip of an interview with her, where she proclaims herself to be "..always on the job..". The rumour that she had no sense of humour is somewhat confirmed here, as she looks bemused at the audience's mirth, although she tries to join in. It's not hard to see the connection here, although the programme doesn't overplay it.
Rather pleasingly, the social background of the show is also explored to a certain degree, as well as Arkwright's inability to move with the times. As well as Clarissa espousing the advantages of your local shopkeeper knowing your name and their stock, the downside was also provided with a clip of Arkwright presenting his advertised 'free gift' to regular Mrs Blewitt: a paper bag for her rice. Ah, the luxury of having little competition...
Of course, the idea of customers calling at Arkwright's would not be particularly credible, were it not for the fact that the shop is clearly a social centre, something else which the programme touches on. The gossip is demonstrated with some nice appearances of Mrs Blewitt, the best gossip in the show, and it is also mentioned that Granville is excluded deliberately from the subjects talked about. Granville is highlighted as the clown of the show, and some nice examples are used to emphasise David Jason's gift for physical comedy. The childishness of Granville leads from this, and Granville's arrested development is seen as a result of Arkwright keeping him inside the shop as much as he can. Roy Clarke reveals that Granville and his repressed lust made him a sex symbol for hardworking, middle-aged, Northern housewives, which is certainly the mothering instinct in action. Arkwright and Granville's failure to break out of their world is also looked at as a central tenet of the comedy, with perceptive comments from Mark Radcliffe about the happiness Arkwright has achieved with his acceptance of his life, as opposed to Granville's tortured ambition.
The show is mentioned as being the only one in the Top 10 set in the world of work, which is just wrong. Yes Minister, Fawlty Towers and Only Fools and Horses are just as immersed in work as OAH is, so I get the distinct impression this section was just filler, sadly. Certainly there is a work ethic in much of the humour, but this isn't really specified, and Arkwright's workaholic tendencies could just have easily been covered in other sections.
It is also mentioned that OAH is "..unafraid to be gentle.", and makes few demands on the viewer, enveloping them into the world of Arkwright, with jokes appealing to a broad cross-section of the audience. This is also often misinterpreted as poor writing, when it is the opposite. Roy Clarke is excellent at writing character-based jokes that blend into the ambience of the show, but often speak volumes about life. Gentle does not always mean shallow, and there are moments of true pathos in the series amongst the usual banter. The stutter was also mentioned as a tool for Arkwright to manipulate the English language to great effect, and mercifully the well-intentioned but wrong accusation of the stutter being a malicious joke was dealt with well. All human life is in OAH; why should stuttering be excluded? Roy Clarke also rightly points out that the stutter works as a flaw which makes the unsympathetic Arkwright more loveable and real as a character. It is also pleasing that the 'wrap up' bit of nearly all the episodes is talked about, as it is a central aspect of Arkwright's character. Arkwright thinks he knows everything, and certainly his experience of life gave him a philosophical bent, as can also be seen through his frequent monologues in the show. The fact that he knew little outside the next few streets clearly contributed to his sense of contentment.
The 'Northern' character of the humour and characters is given as a reason for the show's greatness, which is partly true. While there is a distinct tradition of down-to-earth humour with strong female characters in the North, I would argue, as a Southerner, that it is hardly confined to the north of Watford. It is certainly working-class humour, which can be found all over the country, but there is a particular type of stoicism which I have to admit is found primarily in areas like Yorkshire. Certainly the phraseology used is particular to that area of the country, something Alan Bennett has also used to great effect. The wordplay used in the show is explored at greater length, something of a speciality for Ronnie Barker as well as Roy Clarke, and the clips show just how clever the lines were written and delivered. Sadly, no mention is made of the fact that actually Arkwright began life as an invention of Barker's. It is also mentioned that it is the only programme in the Top 10 set in the North. While Clarissa asks if a conspiracy is at work by the 'chattering classes', I would argue that it is proof that the North doesn't have the monopoly on comic situations. David Jason correctly points out that Roy Clarke simply wrote what he knew about: Yorkshire.
The problematic element of the programme occurs near the end, when Clarissa sings the praises of OAH's 'political incorrectness'. This, as well as being a rather fashionable tirade nowadays, is a complete misuse of the term. It's a personal bugbear of mine that many people completely misunderstand what political correctness is about, and as a result have misunderstood many attempts to simply try and make Western society see people as individuals rather than a member of a particular group. Her championing of what is simply rather good innuendo, social comment and plain silliness does the programme no favours at all, and it is interesting that the one episode that mentions race explicitly, Horse-trading, is cited as an example, not only because it is from the last series, aired in 1985, and so is hardly an example of 'old-fashioned' attitudes. Firstly, Albert Gupta, played by Nadim Sawalha, is portrayed as just as cunning as Arkwright, which is surely a simple recognition that small shopkeepers are the same the world over, regardless of race, which his dismissal of the white Yorkshire customers he's trying to attract shows perfectly: "Between you and me, I wish they'd all bog off back to York!". Granville is also shown in the episode dressed up as an Indian woman, which is fairly meaningless out of context. Granville is actually in disguise, in order to buy back some of the stock Arkwright has sold Gupta, and so it makes perfect sense that Granville should be dressed like this, not only does it maximise Granville's embarrassment, it is appropriate, given Gupta's mainly Indian clientele and Granville's conspicuous lack of height. It also allows Granville to point out Arkwright's total ignorance of Indian people by his use of boot polish to blacken Granville's skin. As Granville points out, the shade of Indian skin is a "...delicate olive colour". This inclusion in the programme shows that the shadow of past racism haunts us still, even if there is no intention to offend. This misuse of political correctness also provokes contributors such as Roy Clarke and David Jason to mount a pointless, but understandable, justification of the humour used in OAH, when the context of the jokes speak for themselves. However, Maxine Peake does comment on the fact that a young boy is seen smoking in the programme, and wonders if this would be allowed today. I think you would see it, at least in the context in which it appears in OAH; Arkwright is clearly shocked by the boy's actions, and sees it as a modern thing.
The jokes about Granville's mother are focused upon, and it's interesting that Granville's mother is described as having abandoned him, when I gained the impression that she died either in childbirth or soon after. Roy Clarke explains that many of the jokes look vicious on paper, but the delivery takes the sting out of them. I would also say that your family are often your most honest critics, and that it is important that Arkwright is the brother of the victim. The context of the character is crucial, as Arkwright is seen occasionally to let down his guard and be genuinely distressed at the mistakes his sister made. The innuendo-laden dialogue is often used to attack the programme, but those who do this are really missing the point. There's nothing wrong with a good dirty joke, and Roy Clarke is a master of the art. None of the jokes used in the show are out of place, and are a great vehicle for carrying the message that, although Arkwright and Granville constantly talk about sex, they are nowhere near actually experiencing it. Also, as Mark Radcliffe points out, many men identify with Arkwright's obsession with Nurse Gladys's bosom, as well as Granville's joy with being clasped to it when Gladys discovers Arkwright has been mean to him yet again. All the jokes serve to clarify that Nurse Gladys is in total control, as are most of the women in OAH, whatever their character is. To be fair, this is pointed out, and mentioned that both Gladys and the milkwoman that Granville nearly has an affair with are independent women, with careers of their own, and are far from being two-dimensional. In short, it could be said that OAH is as politically correct as any programme nowadays. Liz Dawn probably sums the issue up in one sentence; "I think us Brits, we like a bit of healthy vulgarity, don't you?". Quite.
So, did I vote for OAH? Of course not. The competition is clearly a chase for ratings, and although some of the programmes it has produced may well have been interesting, it is clearly nonsense to proclaim a 'best sitcom'. It is a shame such a device has to be used before we can expect some decent analysis of comedy, but perhaps enough positive reaction will encourage more of such programmes, with a greater emphasis on why a programme is good on its own terms. We can but hope.