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Global Telly Talk
Classic UK TV
The Great British Sitcom
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<blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 310022" data-attributes="member: 23"><p>Well, thanks to my current preoccupation with the Marvel Cinematic Universe my <em>Open All Hours </em>rewatch is bubbling along very slowly indeed. I'm watching an average of just one and a bit episodes a day. </p><p></p><p>Because of the site crash I'm not sure when I last watched the series, but it would be 2015 or earlier (according to the dates on my photos, I visited the exterior location for the shop in December 2015, and that was some time after my previous watch). </p><p></p><p>One thing I do remember about watching last time was that I found Granville increasingly irritating as the series went along. The same has happened this time. </p><p></p><p>While Series One was fine, it feels very much as though David Jason's role was significantly increased beginning with Series Two. This is understandable since there were five years between Series One and Two and Jason would have probably been more of a "name" by this point (<em>Only Fools And Horses </em>began some months after Series Two of OAH). All the same, some of the Granville scenes are the least enjoyable parts of the series for me. It's one thing for Arkwright to stammer but, the way it's played, Granville imitating him feels cruel to me. There's also the matter of David Jason being very obviously in his forties while playing a twenty-something errand boy, which makes the character's permanent teen angst and awkwardness feel disingenuous. Then there's all the mugging and gurning and overacting. I think the kindest thing to say is I'm not really a David Jason fan and that colours how I view his characters (to add balance, I'll add that I do love me some <em>Danger Mouse</em> and <em>Duckula)</em>. </p><p></p><p>Ronnie Barker is just magic, though. <em>Porridge</em> may be considered his greatest sitcom (and probably rightly so), but Arkwright is one of his finest characterisations because he's just so convincing in the role it's actually difficult to see any of Ronnie Barker in him at all. Each line is played to perfection. Despite having been impressed by him again and again over the last eight months in my <a href="http://tellytalk.net/threads/and-in-a-packed-programme-tonight-the-two-ronnies-at-50.10540/">viewing of The Two Ronnies and other related works</a>, I find myself unable to get enough of his brilliant characterisations. </p><p></p><p>The smaller roles, too, have been great, with lots of familiar faces. Kathy Staff's wonderful Mrs Blewett has been superceded by Stephanie Cole as the Black Widow Mrs Featherstone. Each interacts brilliantly in their visits to the shop. And of course Lynda Baron is so good as Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, cutting Arkwright down to size each time she opens her mouth.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mel O'Drama, post: 310022, member: 23"] Well, thanks to my current preoccupation with the Marvel Cinematic Universe my [I]Open All Hours [/I]rewatch is bubbling along very slowly indeed. I'm watching an average of just one and a bit episodes a day. Because of the site crash I'm not sure when I last watched the series, but it would be 2015 or earlier (according to the dates on my photos, I visited the exterior location for the shop in December 2015, and that was some time after my previous watch). One thing I do remember about watching last time was that I found Granville increasingly irritating as the series went along. The same has happened this time. While Series One was fine, it feels very much as though David Jason's role was significantly increased beginning with Series Two. This is understandable since there were five years between Series One and Two and Jason would have probably been more of a "name" by this point ([I]Only Fools And Horses [/I]began some months after Series Two of OAH). All the same, some of the Granville scenes are the least enjoyable parts of the series for me. It's one thing for Arkwright to stammer but, the way it's played, Granville imitating him feels cruel to me. There's also the matter of David Jason being very obviously in his forties while playing a twenty-something errand boy, which makes the character's permanent teen angst and awkwardness feel disingenuous. Then there's all the mugging and gurning and overacting. I think the kindest thing to say is I'm not really a David Jason fan and that colours how I view his characters (to add balance, I'll add that I do love me some [I]Danger Mouse[/I] and [I]Duckula)[/I]. Ronnie Barker is just magic, though. [I]Porridge[/I] may be considered his greatest sitcom (and probably rightly so), but Arkwright is one of his finest characterisations because he's just so convincing in the role it's actually difficult to see any of Ronnie Barker in him at all. Each line is played to perfection. Despite having been impressed by him again and again over the last eight months in my [url=http://tellytalk.net/threads/and-in-a-packed-programme-tonight-the-two-ronnies-at-50.10540/]viewing of The Two Ronnies and other related works[/url], I find myself unable to get enough of his brilliant characterisations. The smaller roles, too, have been great, with lots of familiar faces. Kathy Staff's wonderful Mrs Blewett has been superceded by Stephanie Cole as the Black Widow Mrs Featherstone. Each interacts brilliantly in their visits to the shop. And of course Lynda Baron is so good as Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, cutting Arkwright down to size each time she opens her mouth. [/QUOTE]
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