Still Game

Still Game is an absolute little gem of a comedy taking Victor and Jack from their sketch's in 'Chewin the Fat'into the wider world of fictional Glasgow scheme estate Craigland.

Victor and Jack are two elderly widowed gentlemen living in a grim world of scraping by on their pensions trying to keep warm in their high storey flats. But they make sure they make the most of their situation and it's pretty inspirational stuff.

The best laughs come from the other characters, crafty Winston, gossip Isa, shopkeep Naveed, barman Boaby etc, plenty of good story lines and sharp put downs make for the type of show where if you buy the DVD you watch one episode and keep on until the end, then go out and buy the another series Sadly on the network the BBC has seen fit to screen only a select few episodes. Okay the accents and certain jokes/references require a knowledge of Scottish culture/dialect but like Rab C Nesbitt the comedy is strong enough to shine through.

The laughs are often dark, and set amongst the bleak black drops of old age, poverty, crime, loneliness you name it! But like say 'One foot in the Grave' it is adept at handling serious situations then bringing us back to the comedy with just one hot line. For a spot of spirit in adversity look no further.

I was introduced to this series a fortnight prior to the time of writing,and can honestly say it is one of the best programs i have seen for years. Being a big fan of Phoenix Nights,Max and Paddy,Little Britain etc.. and even the Black Adder series, i thought when told about this 'Still Game' thing it would suck. How wrong i was..its absolutely BRILLIANT. The characters it portrays live on a council estate in Scotland. A shopkeeper,A landlord and a collection of various ageing punters who specialise in malicious gossip and sometimes cruel but funny mockery of each other. The acting is incredibly convincing and for the first time in years i can say,"Here is a series in which every character has you in stitches". All these factors contribute to a package that will have you splitting your sides. If you haven't seen it,watch it. If you have seen it,watch it again. I have over and over.

Still Game is fantastic - taking on board some of the other peoples comments - the humour has been crude at times, and you could see some things coming - but the best thing about it is that a joke comes completely out of the blue (eg. Series 3 Ep1 with the tacky souvenirs and the "Canadian Beaver" t-shirt).

Either way, it's worth a shot. Like many TV programs, it may take a few episodes to get into. In Scotland this series has been highly popular in the ratings, but not shown Nationwide in the UK.

There is some talk about toning down the language - It is a disgrace trying to change it, as this is a representation of part of Scottish culture. If we apply the BBC's attitude to Still Game to other comedies then Only Fools and Horses would have contained no Cockney Rhyming Slang (and no where near as funny as it actually is)

One interesting thing noted is that as a series it appears to be taking a leaf from "The Simpsons" and branching out with many supporting characters who appear from time to time. I think this is keeping the series fresh.

For those brave enough to visit where the series is filmed - you'll no be able to get a pint down the Clansman - as the pub you see from the outside was knocked down sometime between April and May 04.

Like most of the other comments about this show - I would recommend this to anyone.

Still Game is a smashing comedy. Being English, a bit of Translation is necessary, but if you get past that, it's a cracking show.

Some of the laughs are obvious, some are more dry wit. It's a good comedy that improves each time you watch. Jack and Victor are solid likeable characters, who deal with the problems of being old. Aided by Winston, Tam, Isa, Navid and Bobby.

A funny harmless comedy. Take it for what it is.

I can understand why it's not everyone's cup of tea. My wife doesn't like it, but I have friends who do. It's very subjective, and I'd encourage people to give it a go. It's quite unfair of reviews to tell you to avoid a show. You should try it.

Chewin the Fat is also a favourite of mine. Funny sketches, again a bit of translation necessary.

Back in the days NBC's "Golden Girls" pioneered in discovering a fresh comedic potential according to the premise: Pensioners are also entitled to some post-prime fun before a career-move that involves pushing up the daisies. Especially when they're operating from Miami, Florida, of course. Now picture this as good old Sophia would say: How about we give the whole retiree idea more edge, relocate the girls to Scotland (complete with heavy accent), change their gender and language to something way stronger and offensive (yet in its own way endearing), and replace the picturesque Miami-scenario with fictional "shitehole" Craiglang "somewhere near Glasgow" with prospects being hee-haw as a Scot would say. You'll see: The fun refuses to concede defeat. Quite to the contrary. Welcome to "Still Game"!

Spun off from Ford Kiernan's and Greg Hemphil's sketch show "Chewin' the Fat", "Still Game" features strong 70+ characters ranging from the comedic widower duo Jack and Victor (Kiernan/Hemphil) over curmudgeon Winston, blabbermouth Isa and tight-arsed Tam to Indian-born shop owner Navid, who sports a rare talent for one-liners of the side-splitting kind. Now pleasures may be limited for old duffers, but life goes on and as such revolves around the local waterhole "The Clansman", the bookies, and the grocer's, with Isa's rumor mill working incessantly. Romance is a mere footnote. In that sense "Still Game" is not that far off the mark as real old geezers go. But in Craiglang there's a bright side to the shadow of old age: Death for example is a constant companion, accepted and dealt with in creative fashion (two words: hypothermia sweepstakes), and in the meantime as far as shaping the rest of one's life is concerned: disaster, small or large, is always around the corner. "Still Game", while out-and-out hilarious, occasionally dark-humored and sometimes over-the-top in a memorable way, also has its powerful dramatic moments. Character developments feel palpable and add another layer to the show and depth one wouldn't want to miss. The nine year long pause between season 6 and 7 is hardly noticeable. Following popular demand, "Still Game" is back again, as stand-up comedy and sitcom. So brush up on your Scottish, or turn on the subtitles. You don't want to miss this.