Daily Record article Jul 7 2004 

Daily Record article Jul 7 2004

JACK AND VICTOR HIT THE ROAD

THEBBC is to show the first run of the next series of Scottish hit comedy Still Game on network TV.

The fourth series of the show, which features the antics of OAPs Jack and Victor, will be the first to be shown nationwide.

Viewers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to tune in to the misadventures of the Glasgow pair and their pals at the same time as their 1.5 million Scots viewers.

The news has delighted the show's stars and creators, Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill.

Ford said: 'It's about bloody time. It's been a long wait but we're really delighted that it's happened at last.

'We actually had an inkling that the BBC in London were considering letting Still Game go nationwide after BBC2 showed five episodes from series one and two earlier this year.

'The ratings for them were excellent, as was the feedback from viewers.

'So we've had high hopes that they would come round to our way of thinking and all we can say is, 'Well done Auntie Beeb.' ' Ford and Greg are hard at work on the scripts for the fourth series of the OAPs behaving badly in the fictional Glasgow scheme of Craiglang.

And Ford insists the cast won't be toning down their Scottish accents to pander to English ears.

He said: 'Changing the accents wasn't even up for discussion.

'They didn't ask for it and we would never have put up with it if they had asked.'

The show's executive producer, Ewan Angus, is one of the prime movers in persuading BBC chiefs in London to find a home for Still Game.

He said: 'The move is a credit to the writing and acting in the show.'