Cast
Phil Mealey
as Duffy
Mark Benton 
as Eddie
Craig Cash
as Joe
John Henshaw
as Ken
Crew
Producer(s): John Rushton , Lucy Ansbro ,
Early Doors - Complete Series 1 & 2 (Two Discs)
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Early Doors - Complete Series 2
DVD: More Info | Buy
"Early Doors" (2003-)
Length: 30 minutes | Episodes: ongoing | Channel: BBC Two
'To the regiment, I wish I was there!' The catch phrase frequently exclaimed by the regulars of The Grapes Pub. 'Early Doors' is a comedy all set in one pub, with no exterior scenes.
If this format reminds you of 'The Royle Family,' you won't be surprised to hear that 'Early Doors' is written by former 'Royle Family' star and writer, Craig Cash.
Caroline Aherne and Craig teamed up to make this new sitcom after 'The Royle Family,' but due to personal problems Caroline pulled out, leaving Craig to gain the help of fellow writer Phil Mealey.
They both appear in the show as regulars, Craig playing Joe and Phil playing Duffy. The pub is run by Landlord Ken (John Henshaw). He faces the daily battle of keeping his pub open with ever decreasing publicans dropping in. Ken is no spring chicken, nonetheless he is still wrapped in cotton wool by his mum Jean (Rita May) who sits on her bum all day in the flat above the pub, eating confectionery. She does her best to keep an eye on her son, relying on her cleaner for all the gossip.
As well as worrying about the pub Ken is trying his best not to lose his daughter Melanie who is on a mission to get in touch with her biological father. In one touching ending to an episode we see Ken's anguish when Melanie reveals she's going to see her real father.
'Early Doors' is a great slice of humdrum, northern life. The premise owing to that time of day in pub land known as 'Early Doors' - when a pub opens early evening.
The regulars of The Grapes are not very exciting people. From simpleton couple Eddie and Joan, to Tommy the miserable, old man who sits in the corner with his roll ups. Of course no show is complete without a romance, coming in the form of down to earth Tanya, who Ken is falling in love with.
This brilliantly observed comedy makes the obscurest things in life seem funny when the regulars chat about their lives. At times though, you can't help but feel the show is too sentimental and similar to 'The Royle Family.' With a second series now available on DVD this comedy is considered by its cult audience as a modern classic.
'Early Doors' does no favours for the police force, with two of the characters being harmless and bumbling bent coppers. They sit in the kitchen of the pub and offload their problems onto Ken, who already has enough to worry about. They abuse their position to get cheap, stolen electrical products and any other goodies they can grab.
In one episode our friends with the talking broaches Phil and Nige (James Quinn, Peter Wight) skin up a spliff and get stoned in ken's kitchen, he of course is too polite to tell them where to go. Ken is also in a difficult position as he gets a certain amount of immunity from the police, as he does a favour for the two bent coppers by allowing them into the pub so they can have a tipple whilst on duty. This may be a slightly controversial situation to show on TV, but we all know it happens in real life!
Just like 'The Royle Family,' you can watch the show and identify with the characters as it's all very true to reality. The only possible flaw with a show like this is that we only see a certain amount of what the characters are capable of. Anything else we hear about them, we have to take for granted when they talk about what's going on in their lives, as everything takes place in The Grapes.
A third series of 'Early Doors' has been commissioned by the Beeb and will air in 2006.
by James Phillips