Open All Hours was one of the BBC’s most enduring and fondly remembered comedies of its era – and now Sir David Jason is returning to play Granville one last time
Sir David Jason is returning to play Granville for a final time in an Open All Hours TV Special. The new U&GOLD programme sees him closing the shop for the night while offering a touching glimpse into how his life has moved on since we last saw the BBC sitcom character.
Open All Hours: Inside Out will be a 90 minute feature-length retrospective that celebrates one of Britain’s most beloved sitcoms and also includes a brand-new short scene, penned by original writer Roy Clarke. Sir David, 85, said: “It’s so good to be back! I played Granville for over half my life and so this show holds a very special place in my heart.
“There are countless memories and stories about this show, and I am thrilled to be able to share those with everyone.”
Corner-shop comedy Open All Hours first hit TV screens back in 1973 on the BBC with a one-off pilot, before it became a full series in 1976. The sitcom went on to run for four series until 1985, becoming one of the BBC’s most enduring and fondly remembered comedies of its era.
The comedy starred the legendary Ronnie Barker as Arkwright, a penny-pinching, stammering shopkeeper who’d do almost anything to save money.
At his side was a then-rising star in David Jason, who played his long-suffering nephew and assistant Granville. Together, the pair brought to life the quirks, chaos and cheekiness of running a small shop, with regular customers and neighbours popping in to add to the storylines.
The heart of the comedy lay in Arkwright’s obsession with Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, played by Lynda Baron, whose sharp wit and warmth provided a perfect foil to his penny-pinching schemes.
Although the sitcom only produced 26 episodes in total, its popularity never faded. Reruns on the BBC and later UKTV Gold introduced it to new generations.
2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the classic comedy, with Sir David Jason being the only actor to have starred in every episode of the original series, and the re-boot, Still Open All Hours. Sir David will discuss his personal journey on the show, revealing exclusive behind-the-scenes moments as well as some of his fondest memories from his time playing grocer, Granville.
Sir David will also be joined by some of his fellow cast who lift the lid on their experiences and celebrate one of the most iconic comedies of all time.
Senior Commissioning Editor, Mark Iddon said: “I can’t wait for U&Gold audiences to see what we have cooked up for them. Open All Hours is one of those rare beasts that even after 50 years is still as timeless and relevant as ever.”
Director of Programming Gerald Casey said: “Open All Hours is a classic, and part of our DNA here at U&Gold. We are thrilled to be able to give viewers more of what they love with Sir David Jason lifting the lid on some of his fondest memories on set alongside fellow cast members.”
The sitcom was so popular that the BBC revived it in 2013 with Still Open All Hours , once again fronted by David Jason, this time taking over the shop himself.
That spin-off ran for six series and speaking last year Jason admitted he would like the chance to revisit the show as a final series remains unmade and the storyline unfinished.
Asked if it is ever going to be finished, David said in 2024: “That would be wonderful, but you’d have to get in touch with Mr. BBC about that. The script is written by Roy Clark. It’s there and all it needs is the BBC to commission it and everybody that was in the original in the series was up for doing the last series because everybody thought it would be nice to the sew up the parcel, the one that Granville gets married to Wavy Mavy(Mavis), which we haven’t done, but that is what it’s about. Finally he makes an honest woman of her.”
Asked if it will happen, he added: “I’d like to think so, yes, but because the gap is getting longer without a commission… You can’t commission it and do it next week. You have to put all the bits together. That takes a lot of time putting that together. So the longer you don’t commission something, the more you get in trouble pushing it away.”
The new special and extra scene may be his way of saying goodbye to the show now instead.
Sir David credits Open All Hours co-star Ronnie Barker for some of his success on screen.
He said: “Ronnie wasn’t aware of the influence that he was having on me and I kept it quiet, as you do. But was an amazing influence and one of the big things that I tried to emphasise in the book was he was one of the kindest, nicest actors to work with. Most of them are, to be honest, but Ronnie was special.” The original Open All Hours was set in a grocer’s shop in South Yorkshire. The owner, Albert Arkwright was played by Ronnie Barker and was a middle-aged man who was tight with his money but also had a knack for selling. His nephew Granville was played by David Jason) and was a put-upon errand boy lacking a social life because of the amount of work his uncle gave him.
* Open All Hours: Inside Out is in production now and will air on U&GOLD in 2026.
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