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
Underground (1958 TV play) Underground (1958 TV play) Underground was a science fiction television play presented as part of the British anthology series "Armchair Theatre" which was broadcast live by the ITV commercial network on 30 November 1958. It is chiefly remembered because an actor had a fatal heart attack during transmission. Written by dramatist James Forsyth (1913–2005) the play depicted survivors from a nuclear holocaust living in the London Underground. It featured actors Donald Houston, Ian Curry, Patricia Jessel, Warren Mitchell and 33-year-old Gareth Jones in what would be his last role. A little over halfway through the production, Gareth Jones complained of