Still Game facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Still Game
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Ford Kiernan Greg Hemphill
Developed by	Ford Kiernan Greg Hemphill
Directed by	Michael Hines
Starring	Ford Kiernan Greg Hemphill Paul Riley Jane McCarry Mark Cox Sanjeev Kohli Gavin Mitchell James Martin
Theme music composer	Frank Chacksfield and The Cuban Boys (2002–2007) BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (2016–2019)
Country of origin	Scotland
Original language(s)	Scots English
No. of series	9
No. of episodes	62 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Ford Kiernan Greg Hemphill Steven Canny
Producer(s)	Colin Gilbert Michael Hines Ewan Angus Jacqueline Sinclair
Production location(s)	Glasgow and the West of Scotland
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	The Comedy Unit Effingee Productions BBC Scotland BBC Studios Comedy Productions
Release
Original network	BBC One Scotland (2002–2004, 2006–2007) BBC Two (2005–2008) BBC One (2005, 2016–2019) BBC Scotland (2019)
Original release	6 September 2002 (2002-09-06) – 31 December 2007 (2007-12-31)
Chronology
Related shows	Chewin' the Fat

Still Game is a very popular Scottish sitcom (a funny TV show about everyday life). It was made by Effingee Productions, The Comedy Unit, and BBC Scotland. The show was created by Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill. They also played the main characters, Jack Jarvis and Victor McDade. These two elderly friends live in Glasgow, Scotland.

Jack and Victor first appeared in another TV show called Chewin' the Fat. Still Game started as its own show on 6 September 2002. There were 62 episodes in total, including special Christmas and New Year's Eve shows. The creators, Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, took a break after the sixth series in 2007. They later said they just needed time off from working on the show.

They returned to make the seventh series, which started in October 2016 on BBC One. The ninth and final series was announced in July 2018. It premiered on 24 February 2019 on the new BBC Scotland channel. Still Game is loved by many people and is seen as a classic Scottish TV show. In 2020, a poll by The Scotsman newspaper named it the best Scottish TV programme ever.

The Story of Still Game

From Stage to Screen

The original stage play of Still Game (1997–1999)

Still Game first began as a play performed on stage. It featured three characters: Jack, Victor, and Winston. In the play, they get stuck in Victor's flat because of a broken lift. They talk about many different things, sharing funny stories and thoughts about everyday life. This play traveled around Scotland, England, Ireland, and Canada. It was even filmed in Glasgow in 1999 and later released on DVD.

When Still Game became a TV show, some things changed. For example, Gavin Mitchell, who first played Winston on stage, later became Boabby the barman in the TV series. Paul Riley then took over the role of Winston. Other characters who were only mentioned in the play became important supporting characters in the TV show.

Early TV Appearances

Before their own show, Jack and Victor appeared in short comedy sketches. They were part of a documentary about Scottish pop music in 1998. They also featured in almost every episode of Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill's sketch show, Chewin' the Fat. These early appearances helped make the characters well-known and loved by audiences.

Broadcasting and Changes

The first three series of Still Game were shown only on BBC One Scotland. Later, from the fourth series onwards, the show was broadcast across the whole of the UK on BBC Two. This meant more people could watch Jack and Victor's adventures! The show also changed its episode titles. At first, they used Scots words. But from series four, they used standard English titles to help a wider audience understand.

A Timeless Story

In Still Game, the characters don't really get older, even though many years pass in the show. This is called a 'floating timeline'. For example, Victor says he is 74 in one early episode, but he doesn't celebrate his 75th birthday until much later in the series.

A Break and a Big Return

After the sixth series in 2007, the show took a long break. The creators, Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, needed time away from the demanding work. There were rumors that they had fallen out, but they later said this wasn't true. In 2012, the original stage play was performed again by a new group. Ford and Greg saw these shows and started thinking about bringing Still Game back.

In 2013, it was announced that Still Game would return with live stage shows in Glasgow. These shows were incredibly popular, selling over 210,000 tickets! The success of these live shows helped bring the TV series back. In 2014, Jack and Victor even appeared in a special sketch for Children in Need.

The BBC officially announced the show's return for a seventh series in May 2016. It aired in October 2016, nine years after the last series. This return was a huge success, with millions of viewers across the UK. An eighth series followed in 2018. The creators then planned a ninth and final series, which aired in 2019, bringing the TV show to a close.

Episodes and Series

Watching Still Game

There were nine series of Still Game, along with several special episodes.

Meet the Cast

Main Characters

• Ford Kiernan as Jack Jarvis Esq.
• Greg Hemphill as Victor McDade
• Paul Riley as Winston Ingram
• Mark Cox as Thomas "Tam" Mullen
• Jane McCarry as Isa Drennan
• Sanjeev Kohli as Navid Harrid
• Gavin Mitchell as Robert "Boabby The Barman" Taylor

Other Important Characters

• Shamshad Akhtar as Meena Harrid
• James Martin as Eric "Auld Eric" Jones
• Paul Young as Hugh "Shug" McLaughlin
• Jake D'Arcy as Peter "Pete the Jakey" McCormack
• Matt Costello as Stevie "The Bookie" Reid
• Lynne McCallum as Peggy McAlpine
• Sandy Nelson as Chris "The Postie" Armstrong
• Kate Donnelly as Frances Mullen
• Maureen Carr as Edith
• Jamie Quinn as Derek "Fergie the Ned" Ferguson
• Scott Reid as Michael Doherty
• Marj Hogarth as Fiona Jarvis
• Bruce Morton as Ian Duncan Sheathing (and Doctor in previous episodes)

Behind the Scenes: Production

Filming Locations in Glasgow

Maryhill features as Craiglang in Still Game. The tower block is the fictitious Osprey Heights, the flats in which Jack and Victor reside

Largs in Ayrshire was one of two filming locations for the fictional seaside town of Finport

Still Game is set in a made-up area of Glasgow called Craiglang. Many real places in the Maryhill district and other parts of Glasgow were used for filming. For example, the block of flats where Jack and Victor live, called Osprey Heights, is actually on Collina Street in Maryhill. You can often see the Forth and Clyde Canal in the background of these scenes.

The shops in the series, including the outside of Navid's shop, are located near the center of Glasgow in Townhead. For the first three series, a real pub called The Gimlet in Ruchill was used as the outside of the Clansman pub. When that building was taken down, the film crew built a copy of the pub's outside for later series.

Inside the Sets

The inside scenes, like Jack and Victor's flats, the hallways, and the inside of Harrid's shop, were filmed on special sets. These sets were built in a large warehouse in Maryhill. Other scenes were filmed in different parts of Glasgow, like Knightswood, for outdoor shots and golf course scenes.

Trips Outside Craiglang

Sometimes, the characters would leave Craiglang for an adventure. For example, the grand Ardgowan House in Inverkip was used as the fancy Blairtunnoch Estate. The fictional seaside town of Finport was filmed in the real towns of Largs and Saltcoats in Ayrshire. These towns were once popular holiday spots for people from Glasgow.

Unexpected Visitors

Before filming for the fifth series began, a team had to be called to the Maryhill studio. They found that rats had moved into Navid's shop set and were eating the fake food! This happened because the studio was close to the Forth and Clyde Canal, which can have many rats.

Theme Music

The catchy theme music for Still Game comes from a song called "Cuban Boy" by The Cuban Boys. This song itself uses a sample from an older track by Frank Chacksfield. For the later series, starting from the seventh, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra recorded a new, updated version of the theme tune.

Awards and Recognition

Still Game has won many awards over the years, showing how much it is loved by audiences and critics.

DVD Releases

You can find all the series and specials of Still Game on DVD.

Still Game in Comic Books

In August 2024, it was announced that Still Game would return in a new way: as a comic book. The first comic book volume, which was based on the first TV series, was released in September 2024.