Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: David Jason, James Baxter, Stephanie Cole, Brigit Forsyth, Maggie Ollerenshaw, Kulvindar Ghir, Sally Lindsay, Johnny Vegas, Tim Healy, Katie Radford, Rita Tushingham, Roger Sloman, Geoffrey Whitehead, Sophie Willan.

At any time of year it is important to remember to shop local, the CEOs of large corporations don’t need that extra few bucks in which to keep to themselves, so called high flyers who profit off the debt in which we have become accustomed too, can by the collective will of the people, find themselves a little poorer, a little less sanctimonious, a might less smug.

At Christmas the need is greater, the corner shop, the tradesmen and women who value your custom with far weightier thanks, the remembered mince pies, the chance to shoot the breeze with fellow residents of the surrounding streets, and a final gossip to keep the home fires burning as the first piece of yule log is eaten and the preserve of sprouts causing more fights that an argument about the pros and cons of Britain leaving the European Union.

It is of course a welcome trap that Granville looks forward to setting, ever keen on finding ways to keep his shop Still Open All Hours, a wise sagely tale the sweet aroma in which many will constantly fall for, the meeting of an almost Dickensian loveable rogue and a community of sceptical but loving fans. A Christmas feast in which comes as timely reminder that not everything in life, or at this time of year, has to be about glitz and glamour, an episode that encapsulates a truth of the festive period for many, that it is more about who you spend it with, than being a faceless memory in a crowd.

It is a time for giving, and in David Jason, along with a cast of actors who have taken to their respective roles with juicy ease over the last few years, there is perhaps no finer approach to the gift of laughter. The art of the programme comes down to its Earthy nature, it does not rely on the extravagance which soon becomes a nauseating repeated belch, it only requires Roy Clarke’s expert observation of Northern life, the delicate comedy that can arise from any situation.

A growing bond between David Jason and James Baxter as father and son team Granville and Leroy Arkwright lights up the screen regardless, and Mr. Baxter has done himself proud as an actor learning from undoubtedly one of the finest in the business.

The tills are ringing with gentle comedy, proving that Still Open All Hours is a family favourite worth celebrating, dive in, after all not everything in life has to be a bounty, just a warm glow of well observed comedy.

Ian D. Hall