A Magnificient comedian, sorely missed...
Well, this is a wonderful boxset, containing - as stated:-

Seven of One - single serials which went on to spawn two of our best loved comedies - Open all Hours and Porridge itself.

Porridge - All three series' and the Christmas specials are here as well. What can be said about Porridge that hasn't already? Not much, it's simply fantastic - an iconic masterpiece, funny and touching and highlighted Richard Beckinsdale's talent, a man who died well before his time.

Going Straight - only one series of this, due to Beckinsdale's early passing - follows Fletcher's antics when he's released from Slade prison.

Open all Hours. Arkwright and David Jason are fantastically paired in this timeless comedy. Tighfisted skinflint Arkwright, and sexually undernourished Granville are dynamite in these four brilliant series'

Also included are Clarence and the Magnificent Evans. I must say, I haven't watched these, as I brought the set for Porridge and Open all Hours alone.

Simply put - this is a boxset which showcases one of Britains greatest comics, why he's so sadly missed, and launched David Jason's career. It also showcased Beckinsdale's considerable comic talent as well.

So buy this collection and revel in the memories of a great comic - and brilliant television.

Comedy has rarely been this good since.

nice one RONNIE.
entertainment of the highest quality from the master of comedy.
£40 for the box set is an absolute steal , the porridge set alone is worth that but my personel favourite from ronnie is clarence its so witty and clever only a true genius could write such a series and ronnie certainly delivers in his last offering before retirement.

Ronnie as Clarence & Arkwright is superb!!
An excellent collection. I've been a Ronnie Barker fan for years and jumped at the chance to buy this set.

I remember Open All Hours from when it was originally shown on Australian TV. Ronnie makes stuttering Arkwright one of the best comedy characters ever seen on TV. A very young David Jason proved the perfect foil for Ronnie's penny-pinching Arkwright. Brief aside here - why does a lot of David's early work (Porridge, Doctor In The House) entail him portraying old men? Strange that!

I've never been a fan of Porridge, but found I really enjoyed Going Straight (which I could not remember seeing on TV). Fletcher having to cope with life on the outside made him an even funnier character than that portrayed in Porridge. A very young Nicholas Lyndhurst was an added bonus.

Clarence was sublime!! I've been after this series for years. Ronnie and Josephine Tewson really sparked together. Pity only one series was ever made. This series alone was almost worth the purchase price of the whole set.

I enjoyed The Magnificent Evans and Seven Of One but unfortunately they could not compete with the brilliance of OAH and Clarence.

These comedies walk all over American comedies. The Brits (especially Ronnie) do it best!!

So where's the complete Two Ronnies set? I cannot believe one of the best comedy series ever made has not yet been released on DVD!!!! Series one release is NOT enough!

Worth it for Fletcher
Seven Of One: This must be a show to go down in history, purely because it sparked Porridge and Open All Hours. Effectively a series of 7 pilots, with possibilities for further series with each episode, Ronnie plays 7 completely different characters with perfect ease.

Porridge: Clearly one of the greatest comedies of all time. Fletcher captured our hearts with Ronnie Barker's terrific acting abilities, and his talent for bringing a monotonous situation to life. Excellent writing, excellent acting, excellent direction. Excellent.

Going Straight: Oft overlooked, I find this to be almost on a par with Porridge; it is to me a fourth series of Porridge, just in a different setting. Richard Beckinsale heads up a spectacular backing cast for Ronnie, who gives his level best again.

Open All Hours: Ronnie's second most famous piece, discounting the Two Ronnies, I have never liked this anywhere near as much as Porridge, but the shop holds some truly fabulous moments, characters, and catchphrases.

The Magnificent Evans: He's Welsh now, and he slips into this new role with perfect ease, and it's hard to believe he could be so different to Fletcher and Arkwright.

Clarence: Now he's blind. Not as funny as it might have been, but some moments in Episode 4 will surely have you rolling about with laughter.

What's missing? Not a lot. I would've liked to see the "Ronnie Barker Yearbook", one of the shows which began his path to glory, and I would have liked to see that "Fletcher: Beyond The Box" thing from a couple of years ago, where some reporters visit the characters from Porridge and see what they made of their lives. There's one brilliant moment when the illiterate Warren is being interviewed while painting a "SCHOOL-NO STOPPING" sign on the road. He seems a bit worried, and calls off to say "How many Os are there in school?" He gets the reply "Two", says "Oh, that's a relief", and the camera pans down to see "SKOOL-NO STOPPING".

Anyway, here's hoping they do a comprehensive Two Ronnies Boxset soon.

Five stars for Porridge and Open All Hours
This box set contains the following DVDs:
* Porridge series 1-3 & Christmas Specials
* Open All Hours series 1-4
* Going Straight
* Clarence
* Seven of One
* The Magnificent Evans
Porridge is Ronnie Barker's supreme achievement - his portrayal of Fletcher, the prison lag, is surely one of the best characters in comedy. Open All Hours, another of the top ten British comedies of all time, is a gentler comedy but also very good. Going Straight was a disappointment, and Clarence, from what I remember of seeing it on TV, wasn't that great either.
The price of this collection is amply justified by Porridge and OAH, and the others are interesting footnotes in Barker's career. Nevertheless, two of the greatest comic performances ever shown on TV - who can complain about that?

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