Still Open All Hours To Return To BBC One

BBC One has confirmed that the sitcom Still Open All Hours is to return for a third series, and a Christmas special.

Location filming will begin within the next few weeks, with studio filming to commence from October.

Sir David Jason returns as Granville, and he is joined by Gastric (played by Tim Healy), Leroy (James Baxter) and Mrs Featherstone (Stephanie Cole).

The series, which received its debut in 2014, will open with a Christmas special where Granville and Gastric find themselves playing marriage counsellors, while Leroy decides to adopt a festive disguise in order to avoid relationship trouble of a different kind. Then there is Mrs Featherstone's struggle to enter into the Christmas spirit. Kath, played by Sally Lindsay, tries to bring the street together as one harmonious choir of carollers and beat Finkle Street once and for all – but does Granville have a trick up his sleeve to help them out?

Also returning to the sitcom are series regulars Maggie Ollerenshaw as the love of Granville's life, Mavis, as well as Johnny Vegas as Eric, Kulvinder Ghir as Cyril, Brigit Forsyth as Madge, Nina Wadia as Mrs Hussein and Geoffrey Whitehead as Mr Newbold.

Lynda Baron is unable to join the cast for the new series, but she said: "I was thrilled by the huge success of Still Open All Hours and was very happy to be a part of it. However this year it just isn't possible to fit it in with my schedule. I am disappointed not least because it is beyond doubt the nicest cast and crew a girl could wish for. There are as many laughs off the set as there are on. Long may they stay Open All Hours."

Sir David Jason said: "I can't wait for viewers to see the scrapes Granville gets into this series, almost as much as I can't wait to start filming them. Roy Clarke has once again written seven fantastically warm, funny and inventive scripts, full of the humour and eccentric characters that the nation has come to love over the years."

Gareth Edwards, Executive Producer, commented: "I continue to be bowled over by the incredible audience response to Still Open All Hours, so it's a real pleasure to welcome the series back to BBC One. The opening Christmas special is our most festive yet, and the wonderful mind of Roy Clarke has conjured up many more eccentric, classic adventures for Granville and the gang over the series."

Chris Sussman, Head of Comedy, BBC Studios, added: "It's brilliant for BBC Studios to keep on working with comedy legends Sir David Jason and Roy Clarke. Long may it last."

Written by Roy Clarke, Still Open All Hours is a BBC Studios production, commissioned by Shane Allen Controller of Comedy Commissioning. It is produced by Alex Walsh-Taylor and directed by Dewi Humphreys.

Image: BBC Media Centre.

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre

(JP)