Sir David Jason, now 86, has reflected on his role as Granville in the classic sitcom Open All Hours, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Despite also starring as Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses, Jason never considered leaving the part of the put-upon corner shop assistant, calling it a joy to play such a different character.
Open All Hours, created by Roy Clarke, featured Ronnie Barker as penny-pinching shopkeeper Albert Arkwright and Jason as his shy, awkward nephew Granville. The show originally aired as a pilot in 1973 but was not fully commissioned until 1976, after Barker's success in Porridge. Despite initial scheduling on BBC Two, it became a hit, averaging over six million viewers in its first series.
Jason praised Barker as a comic genius and a generous mentor. In a new U&GOLD special, Open All Hours: Inside Out, he said: 'Ronnie was at the top of his trade... the rest of us crawled about underneath desperately trying to learn how to be as clever as Ronnie B.' He described working with Barker as a 'huge learning curve' and a 'great journey.'
The show was revived for a second series in the early 1980s, airing on BBC One, with Jason juggling it alongside Only Fools and Horses. Ratings soared to an average of 13 million. Jason noted that Granville appealed to viewers as a dreamer, saying: 'People saw a bit of themselves in him.'
