Arkwright (Open All Hours) Arkwright (Open All Hours) Albert E. Arkwright, usually referred to simply as Arkwright, is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the British sitcom, "Open All Hours", played by Ronnie Barker. Arkwright is the uncle of Granville and the proprietor of an old fashioned Yorkshire corner shop, which in the era of the programme (1970s and 1980s) was a product of a bygone age. Arkwright's signature characteristic is his stutter, which Granville never misses an opportunity to mock. Arkwright is a pragmatic, miserly man with old-fashioned values, whose world seems to stop at his shop door, except for his
Ronnie Barker and in 1980 they appeared in the short-lived NBC variety show "The Big Show"; the two were glad the show did not last as they objected to the use of canned laughter by the American networks. Following the success of "The Two Ronnies", the BBC let Barker decide what he wanted to do. "The Two Ronnies" took up one third of a year to produce, allowing time for Barker and Corbett to do a solo project each. Barker opted to produce some sitcom pilots shown as part of 1973's "Seven of One". Two of these pilots, "Open All Hours" (written