10 Reasons Why Open All Hours Is Fantastically Funny

7. Sales Pitch

"I know you of old Arkwright," one customer says to Barker. "You'd sell a beggar anything." The shop itself in Open All Hours is an Aladdin's Cave of commodities and comestibles. More often than not these are the driving force of the comedy.

It's a theme carried through right from the first episode when Arkwright is trying to sell tins with no labels on them. Worm-eaten, sour apples are a sore note with Granville on another day as he is made to take what are supposed to be appetising bites out of the fruit only to discover the potential customer is totally deaf. If Granville's salesmanship is lacking then his uncle is a veritable master. Arkwright really could sell oil to the Arabs. He palms off lanterns, wooden clothes horses, genuine Jamaican ginger cake and much, much more on the unsuspecting inhabitants of Doncaster. And in so doing he spins some fantastic yarns. Helping male customers rekindle the flame of romance in their long-suffering marriages becomes a go to tactic for Arkwright later on in the series. A personal favourite of ours is when he sells Braddock's Bulldog Brand Black-lead €“ normally used for polishing stoves €“ to customers, claiming it restores and colours hair!