but I do think they should have a couple more episodes
Still Open All Hours - 2013 Special Page 8
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I think it is really healthy to revisit old shows and strip what used to be serials as soaps across the week. It's what made the BBC the best television producer in the world, for a while at least. Innovative, inventive and leading the field. Oh... hang on. 
How do you explain that wishy washy episode? So I gather now it was an intro taster for a definite new series, makes more sense but I'm sure it would make much better sense to get viewers on board with a strong first episode with a proper story even if just a backstory. If Granville had become like Arkright over the years then it wasn't well explained. The writing was pitiably weak imo, didn't get into the character at all, just showed him as a shadow of his uncle with no backstory, no detail. It just showed us a vaguely familiar character, in an updated shop, with lots of other side characters popping in and doing nothing more than say hello.
It was never in my top ten but I always found it enjoyable with that great partnership starring. But after that weak return I cannot see a reason for watching it if they do make more.
Quote: maidenpriest @ 26th December 2013, 9:00 PM GMTGranville was just a poor copy of Arkwright and his son was not funny all the slapstick was copied from incidents and stories in the previous series, shame
Seems so.
Quote: Gordon Bennett @ 26th December 2013, 8:19 PM GMTAnd it felt like the start to a new series: revisiting old characters, old gags and introducing new characters, no real plot.
And I can't think that's a good idea with the new series not even scheduled. If it was to start next week then fair enough, it leads us in, but I still think that's a dodgy way to write a sitcom pilot/1st episode, doesn't give you hope for strong stories to come.
Quote: Marc P @ 26th December 2013, 10:25 PM GMTI think it is really healthy to revisit old shows and strip what used to be serials as soaps across the week. It's what made the BBC the best television producer in the world, for a while at least. Innovative, inventive and leading the field. Oh... hang on.
Soapy is exactly what it seemed like, a sort of mildly funny offshoot of Coronation Street. Way too many characters for a single sitcom episode. Has Clarke lost the plot or what? (lost the plot 
) oh okay.
I thought this special was utter crap, did not laugh once. The worst thing on over Christmas!
The special was amazing loved it! I hope it comes back!
I actually switched this episode off after 15 minutes, it was painfully unfunny.
Sat through the beginning of the episode wondering why David Jason kept going in and out of the role of Ronnie Barker's character? I also felt that the supporting cast were dire!
The characters who popped into the shop looked out of sorts, the accents were terrible and there was no banter and it felt like it was all forced.
It's about time the BBC started finding some new writers, and putting on some sitcoms that are funny, as their current offerings are indeed very poor.
I think some of the comments about this are quite harsh. It was an amiable and inoffensive piece of nostalgia and Roy Clarke was hardly going to start breaking new ground at his age.
Johnny Vegas, Stephanie Cole and Maggie Ollerenshaw (as Mavis) were the highlights imo.
Not sure why we have this obsession with bringing back shows of yester year. They were good for their time and should be left in the past. Sometimes it makes more sense to have the great memories of a great series programme.
Look for example OFAH. It should have been put to bed after they became millionaires and this was them at their pinnacle. The specials that followed were a pale imitation of what was a great seres
Terribly mannered, slow, dull, could have been mistaken for a work of anti theatre by Ionesco, that or a big dog poo which another dog had poohed on and then eaten and then poohed out and poohed on again.
Basically old, smelly stale pooh.
David Jason is an utter, marvel has he got a heroin problem. Because this is the second piece of utter crap he's done that's massively below his talents. It's just awful and are there no talented writers that the BBC can hire.
smc4761:
The reason, might be that "nostalgia" sells and production relish in it. People want to relive times long gone, but it's difficult to evade the present unless there's some sort of dream sequence or something. Open All Hours is a very telling show even if just a sitcom, it brings back memories of that corner store we knew before Tesco took over and snatched corner store character.
Watching Open All Hours today brings back memories, to me at least, of products signs and candy and exposed bread.
As for the word Nostalgia the show might have brought memories for some people, but it was just not funny.
We all know that comedy shows have good and bad episodes, Only Fools And Horses had a few of them too. I felt that David Jason either didn't have any input in this show's writing, or the writer was simply was out of touch, as is the people at the BBC who decide on comedy, if it wasn't for relying on the old re-runs of Morecambe and Wise they'd be stuffed!
David Jason is a very talented man, and he looked like he was struggling with this show, could there be a reason why this show hasn't been back until the other day 
Quote: Aziza Sabah @ 27th December 2013, 3:40 PM GMTIt's about time the BBC started finding some new writers, and putting on some sitcoms that are funny, as their current offerings are indeed very poor.
(I wave & so do a good number of talented, original comedy writers, all of us patiently/frustratedly waiting for our turn to prove ourselves. The BBC know where we live.)
What about applying for the BBC staff's jobs then 
That was piss poor.
Why, do you work there?