Sir David Jason has revealed he had no hesitation about agreeing to star in the Open All Hours reboot. The television icon is reprising his role as grocer Granville — a part he originally played in 1976 — in a U&Gold feature-length special entitled Open All Hours: Inside Out, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the beloved comedy, reports the Daily Star.
In the special, Sir David dons the apron of Granville one last time, closing up the shop for the evening while offering a touching glimpse into how his life has moved on since we last saw him. When quizzed about whether he had any reservations about coming on board, the Only Fools and Horses star said: 'No, I don't think I did.' He continued: 'I think revisiting Open All Hours was something that we all looked forward to. We would look forward to if it was to go again, because it was just so much fun to do and so much fun to be entertaining the audience, which after all is the first love of acting.'
The sitcom, which starred the late Ronnie Barker as shopkeeper Albert Arkwright alongside Sir David as his nephew and assistant Granville, first graced BBC screens as a one-off in 1973 before a full series launched in 1976. It then ran until 1985. It was revived for a sequel nearly three decades later, with Still Open All Hours broadcasting from 2013 to 2019.
Alongside the concluding scene written by Roy Clarke, Open All Hours: Inside Out will feature a retrospective look at all 67 episodes, spanning from the original pilot to the final special in 2019. The special will showcase iconic moments, along with exclusive never-before-seen outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage.
Sir David heads up a stellar line-up of cast and crew interviewees, including Johnny Vegas, Tim Healy, Maggie Ollerenshaw, Kulvinder Ghir, Barbara Flynn, James Baxter, Nina Wadia and Ronnie Barker's daughter Charlotte Barker. Upon the announcement of the special, Mark Iddon, senior commissioning editor, said: 'I can't wait for U&Gold audiences to see what we have cooked up for them.' He added: 'Open All Hours is one of those rare beasts that even after 50 years is still as timeless and relevant as ever.'
Open All Hours: Inside Out will air on U&Gold on May 7.
