![Early Doors: Series 1 & 2 [DVD] [2003/2004]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31cnh1yOEKL.jpg)
Series 1 A gentle yet compelling story of life, love, loneliness and blocked urinals. Each evening, the regulars bring their particular foibles and characterstics up to the bar. Overhearing their conversations and reliving the events in each of their lives is both moving and amusing. Series 2 The welcome return of the gentle, critically acclaimed comedy set entirely in The Grapes, a small pub in the North of England. Into this warm, slightly hopeless environment come a group of lovable characters who like a pint, but more than that, like each other. Lads Joe and Duffy command centre table and most of the conversation, largely at the expenses of landlord Ken's less acute regulars, such as Eddie, for whom a change in the town's traffic flow can become a preoccupation Features As per original releases Early Doors S2 The welcome return of the gentle, critically acclaimed comedy set entirely in The Grapes, a small pub in the North of England. Into this warm, slightly hopeless environment come a group of lovable characters who like a pint, but more than that, like each other. Lads Joe and Duffy command centre table and most of the conversation, largely at the expenses of landlord Ken's less acute regulars, such as Eddie, for whom a change in the town's traffic flow can become a preoccupation. Meanwhile, Ken's preoccupation is how his stepdaughter Melanie will respond to having met her real dad, while local policemen Nige and Phil show their concern over the level of crime in the neighbourhood by listening to police radio in the comfort of Ken's snug. Overhearing their conversations and reliving the events in each of their lives is both moving and amusing.
C**E
Excellent comedy series
Brings back memories from when I lived in Manchester
B**Y
Brilliant, Funny And Witty
Classic Brit comedy at its best, great characters and a well told theme throughout. Loved it.
P**4
Pure Comedy Genius
Brilliant casting and great characters, each and everyone plays their part in this wonderfully hilarious and entertaining series set in a greater Manchester pub. Excellent script by proven comedy writers Craig Cash and Phil Mealy, who are also part of the cast. Set in ‘The Grapes’ The show centres on pub landlord Ken (John Henshaw), especially his preoccupation with his daughter Melanie (Christine Bottomley), and his nervous relationship with barmaid Tanya (Susan Cookson)The series beautifully reflects Northern humour and satire at its best.
P**S
Pure Gold
'Early Doors' was recommended to me by sister who lives in the UK but unfortunately I couldn't lay my hands on Series 1 or 2 here in Australia. I wanted good English comedy with lots of laughs with many subtle twists and turns in the story line with lots of inuendo. I was not dissapointed when my copies arrived from Amazon UK just before Christmas.I have now watched Series 1 & 2 at least four times and I am still picking up on some of the more subtle deeper humour. The two policeman, Phil and Nige are dispicable scroungers of free booze who always duck for cover whenever there is any police action called on the radio. Also, listen out for their radio call signs using the phonetic alphabet. Eddie and Joan make the perfect under I.Q'd pub couple, with Eddie having a propensity to use his fingers and hands in an over the top way. Joe(Dave Cash) and Duffy(Phil Mealey) are the pub clowns who have a liking for polaroids of Duffy's mistress and they can recall most of the 1966 England, World Cup winning team during moments of sexual pleasure. The landlords mother, Joan, never stops eating and is rarely seen downstairs in the pub and between her and the pub cleaner Winnie dispense the local gossip. Tanya the stand in barmaid who ends up chasing Ken the landlords body is superb and often has her trophies on display. Ken's late teenage daughter who is spoilt rotten by him is a bit of tease and with attitude. Tommy, the old man who has sat at the same table for the past 30 years, always wants to "stay on my own" rather than get embroiled in a costly round of drinks and is a constant misery guts. He also likes wrapping up and saving his sandwiches in his dirty hankerchief for ron (later on). Be sure to watch the 'out-take specials' of all the cock ups during filming. The acting is superb, the plots are subtle and the humour is nothing but pure gold. If you want belly laughs and uncontrolable tears you can't go past this pub called the Grapes in "Early Doors."
M**H
Laugh out Loud Funny
I bought this for a friend who had never seen it. I had a feeling that he would really like it and he did. So funny, Northern humour which IS the best, at its best. Great characters, very well observed. Its set in a very ordinary pub where very little happens, yet you feel that you know the people who go in there and care about what happens to them.Like all good humour, is allows itself to be sad so poignant too.I am surprised that its not been repeated,(not that I have seen anyway) when you consider the s***e that is churned out relentlessly, writers of My Family, yes I am speaking to you. For heavens sake, I cant believe that this tosh has won lots of awards and they KEEP making series after series, I strayed upon it once accidently and within seconds wanted to wash my brain as I could feel my IQ dropping.Ken is very funny, you so want him to make a go of it with Tanya, Kens mother in law is great in the British battle axe tradition. The police officers are worryingly useless!Early Doors is clever, Craig Cash is a very clever man cunningly disguised as a very stupid one! He does this very well, don't forget he was also partly responsible for The Royle family, another of my favourites
D**W
Great series
I overlooked this series when it was on television but have often had it recommended as a great character study so took the plunge & bought it. Craig Cash is such an observational writer as well as actor & it has some very funny moments. 4* instead of 5* as may not be everyone's cup of tea
M**N
Brilliant series
These were a gift but I'm assured they really enjoyed them.
S**S
Excellent
Brilliant under-rated series. I was recommended to watch by a work colleague. Glad I followed it up. The series then shown again on BBC.
C**6
I love it
Stumbled on this one but glad I did. Ability to understand a Mancunian accent and sense of humor a plus. The characters are better-developed in the second season than in the first. Also check out 'The Royle Family'.
D**N
An incredibly funny series
Absolutely one of the best comedy series I've seen.
M**M
Yuck!
Am I missing something? Is it really funny to describe announce to a bar full of people that a guy is having a bowel movement in the men's room?? We bought this because we love Shakespeare and Hathaway and wanted to check out something else the main character actor was in. BIG mistake!
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