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.

Jack and Victor from Chewin' the Fat now have a show of their own and if the first episode is anything to go by then success is a certainty. The first episode was about Victors next door neighbour dying and Jacks attempts at getting the house and removal day. A nice little subplot was the grandson trying to be a boxer. As per usual there was lots of originality and typical Scot's humour. One of the best scenes was all Jacks worldly possessions going up in flames in a dodgy removal van. Of the new characters I liked was the Asian shopkeeper and his wife. The wife you never seen her face, that sort of reminded me of the next door neighbour in Home Improvements. Shot on location in Maryhill, Glasgow its good to see old characters played so well. Possibly only Harry Enfield has ever made being an old git so funny.

We just "discovered" this show on NetFlix two weeks ago and we are addicted to it! We have watched all the episodes on NetFlix and are watching them all again already. (Thank goodness for the subtitles because some of the slang we can't understand, haha.) Great actors, clever scripts, so funny! We just LOVE Victor, Jack and Winston!! This show is unique because it's funny and has genuine "heart". The cast is top notch and we truly care about them so when Jack is missing his wife or Jack and Victor go to visit Winston in his awful new apartment out of town, the viewers really care about these characters in their sad situations (this proves what great actors they are). There are too many great episodes to pick a favorite! So many lines from this hilarious TV series have crept into our every day language, like "cheery-bye" (haha). We love how they make reference to many famous American entertainers that we love (like Perry Como, Jack Lord, "Quincy," Abbott & Costello, etc.) We are so excited to hear that they are filming a new season this summer although we don't know how long it will be until American viewers can see them. Unfortunately, we can't find the series on Region 1 or 0 even though we would love to own them on DVD. We love, love, love "Still Game"! Thanks, NetFlix, for bringing this amazingly clever, creative, fun, unique show to American viewers! (This show is funnier than any new American TV shows/movies!)

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.

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.