Ronnie Barker same year, determined not to be remembered only as Fletcher, Barker opted to end "Porridge" after three series and instead focused on the second pilot "Open All Hours", alongside David Jason. Barker starred as Arkwright, a money-grabbing, stuttering shopkeeper. Arkwright's stutter was not in the script; Barker was inspired to use it by Melvyn's performance and use of a stutter in a 1955 play the two performed at the Palace Theatre called "Hot Water". "Open All Hours" aired one series in 1976 on BBC Two but was not renewed due to low ratings. As a result, Barker backtracked on his
His Lordship Entertains In addition the scripts were published in Ronnie Barker's anthology "All I Ever Wrote". His Lordship Entertains His Lordship Entertains was Ronnie Barker's second sitcom vehicle for his Lord Rustless character, first seen three years earlier in "Hark at Barker" on ITV. This time though, Rustless had switched channels and was now appearing on BBC2. "Hark at Barker" had also included sketch inserts, whereas "His Lordship Entertains" was a regular sitcom. Set again in the aristocratic Chrome Hall, which had now become a hotel. It again also starred David Jason as the 100-year-old Dithers and Josephine Tewson as Mildred Bates,