Still Game

Interview: Jane McCarry and Mark Cox

Jane McCarry and Mark Cox have eased themselves back into acrylic cardies and sensible shoes to reprise Isa and Tam for the new season of Still Game. The pair tell Janet Christie about the long-awaited return to Craiglang and their friendship forged since they were students.

Jack and Navid go on publicity tour

Still Game's Jack and Navid invite Daily Record's man on a whistle stop publicity tour before new show debuts.

Having been shown previously on BBC Scotland and BBC Two, this sitcom about the lives of Scottish pensioners Jack and Victor is back after a nine-year break with an upgrade to BBC One. And it's well worth a look if you've missed it before now. Tonight sees the life-long pals marvel at modern gadgets before buying some themselves, although Jack's eagerness to use his new "Techno Tub" leads to him getting stuck in the bath, for hours... All of Jack and Victor's friends are back too, including Winston, who's suspicious when his brother Walter visits unexpectedly, and with good reason. Charming and hilarious, it's not hard to see why this comedy has a huge fan base and sold out 21 arena shows in Glasgow in 2014. Welcome back, lads!

You're going to hate me for saying this. I already hate myself for even daring to hold these thoughts, but I need to be honest with you: this was a disappointment. Maybe there was simply too much expectation attached. Maybe next week's episode, when we've all calmed down, will be better? Maybe it isn't fair to expect a sitcom, off air for so many years, to immediately reconvene and be a thing of beauty?

The story is about Jack and Victor coming to terms with modern gadgets. They both discover the joys of online delivery companies and start ordering a lot of rubbish. Isa gets a plastic spaniel with glowing red eyes which sits on her doorstep and announces to visitors whether the lady of the house is at home. Victor gets a wee stone to conceal his spare house keys in and Jack gets a contraption to make bath time more fun. Chaos predictably ensues. In another story, Winston (usually the star of the show for me) is surprised to see his long-lost brother back in town.

Another of the recent zombie sitcoms, which is to say a comedy genre looking surprisingly lively after being thought long dead. Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill reprise their roles as Scottish pensioners Jack and Victor, two elderly gents occupying themselves with pub and newspaper and Summer Wine-style farce. Tonight, the Futuroo gadget catalogue arrives with the promise of attractive labour-saving devices. But will it create more problems than it solves?

The return of Still Game - preview

The BBC continues to plunder its own back catalogue for the next mainstream sitcom hit. Still Game isn't quite as antiquated as the likes of Open All Hours or Porridge, but its's been nine years since it was last on air. Even then many think the comedy, set in the fictional Glasgow district of Craiglang, was never given a fair showing south of the border.

Still Game review

A strong opening episode showed the main stars bearing the brunt of the physical comedy, but Winston's subplot did the emotional heavy-lifting.

TV review: Still Game, BBC One

Jack, Victor and the Craiglang gang are still funny after all those years.

Stars of Still Game share their magic memories

iN10 was given special behind-the-scenes access to meet the Still Game cast. Here, they share their magic memories...