” A scone and tea at half past three, makes the day a little brighter, Keep your cakes and fancy tarts, And stick them up your shiter.”
T-15: Still Game
16 points, 2 out of 17 lists
Highest rating by HRHomer at #2
Still Game is a Scottish sitcom, featuring the Glaswegian pensioners Jack and Victor(played by Ford Keirnan and Greg Hemphill, much younger actors), who were first made famous in the comedy sketch show Chewin’ The Fat. They first took the characters on the road, in a stage play that toured the United Kingdom as well as Canada, before returning home to film it for television. The show began in 2002, and has currently aired six seasons, as well as various Christmas and Hogmanay specials. They are currently filming a seventh season, which is expected to be their last bar the holiday specials. It logs in tied at #15 on our top sitcom list, mainly due to under-exposure rather than opinion.
The shows two main stars, Jack and Victor, two old age widowed pensioners who live in a “craphole” called Craiglang, a fictional district in Glasgow. Victor has a son who lives in South Africa and never visits, and Jack has a daughter who lives in Canada. A lot of the storylines focus on the natural misery of the two, who spend their lives battling with the usual issues affecting pensioners, like poverty and just awaiting their inevitable deaths. The premise doesn’t sound the most exciting, but the creativity of Keirnan and Hemphill as well as a strong focus on the writing and interaction betwee the well-defined characters makes it work in hilarious fashion, whether it’s battling another winter, dealing with neds/chavs, or just trading insults with the local barman.
In one episode, one of their friends has had his wife pass away. He turns into a hermit never leaving his house, never tidying it etc, so Jack and Victor go along to help out and make sure he’s not busy commiting suicide in there. They help to tidy up, but then their friend has one last request….his toilet was clogged and so he’s been urinating in a pot that is under the bed. Could they remove it for him?
Or in this episode, where a simple peephole in a door fascinates the two:
The show also, especially in the earlier seasons, relies on its sketch comedy roots, with recurring characters that repeat the same kind of comedic skit each week. As the seasons went on, most of these characters get featured more, with many of the storylines focusing on them. The major secondary characters are Navid Harrid, who runs the corner store with his fat, non-English speaking Hindu wife. There’s also Isa Drennan, a gossiping old bag always sticking her nose into whatever is going on, and Boaby the Barman, whose main role in the show is showing off his poor patter, and getting ripped to shreds by Jack and Victor.
Then there’s Winston, often the show stealer, and pretty much a main character these days. Picking feuds with anyone and everyone and usually ending up on the losing side, as evidenced in this battle with some fat bird who keeps buying all the chops from the local butchers before he gets a chance:
The show also has one-time or rare characters. One of my favourite moments was when the local neds/chavs were running wild, and Jack and Victor brought in their mate, Big Innes to sort them out:
Although nothing comes close to Edith – if you watch one video, watch this one:
Overall, Still Game is just a fantastic show, and no doubt would be higher on this list if it had been viewed by more people. Unfortunately due to under exposure, this well written show, that focuses strongly on humorous banter that would appeal to the GB&NI crowd, is left barely making the list, tied for 15th place. Hopefully everyone reading it will check it out – especially season 3 onwards which is geared more towards a generic audience rather than just the Scottish, and I’ll leave you with some great banter between Jack, Victor and Boaby the Barman to wet your appetite for more:
“Pint Of Guinness.”
never heard of it.
Does it air in England?
wat?
Looks like Last of the summer wine without the politeness one gets from being English.
Does it air in England?
Yeah I've only seen the last couple of seasons. The first 4 or so were only on BBC Scotland. Knew it'd be listed and is very good, but didn't make mine. Prefered Chewing the Fat for the Big Man but it's obv not a sitcom.
WHY CANT YOU WAIT FOR THE WRESTLING LIST TO BE OVER?
Because August 20th is still a long time away.
This did not make my list but in retrospect it was foolish of me to omit it.
Never heard of it. I'm sure it's LOL though.
I think you should watch the clips, especially the last one.
It is gold. Didn't make my list, as I've not watched enough to warrant it, but it does have its moments.
Top UK Sitcoms? Really?
I'm still waiting for Vern's MMA thing and for the wrestling list thing to be over.
I WANT MORE WRESTLING LIST
I giggled for 20 seconds just at the first pic. Never heard of it though, will watch later.
Wrestling list entry will be uploaded tonight!
More lists the better though. Good stuff!
NO YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE UPSET THAT THERE IS A COMPETING LIST!
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE
Delay the wrestling list for a bit while we get through some more sitcoms.
It's for the best
shut your face, this list makes the baby Osiris cry
I'm more interested in this than flabby semi-naked men.
well thats because you can just look in the mirror topless if you want to look at flabby semi-naked men
I'm sure the luster wears thing after awhile.
I have to lose about 100 pounds before i can be classed as flabby.
fair point
How many shows are tried for 15th, and how many ties do we have overall?
The American version is better.
For some reason that made me laugh.
I blame the beer.
Whoever decided to do this really stumbled upon a fucking success, huh?
Scotsman.
And he had to put it on hold with going away and being snowed under at work (lol)
Peep Show won.
You misspelled "Father Ted".
And he had to put it on hold with going away and being snowed under at work (lol)
Surly.
I entirely support this decision.
I fucking love how it's him the first to go not any of the new boys!
edit: aw sausage said the exact same thing somewhere else