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Still Game Series 9 - The Final Series

Started by Malcy, July 13, 2018, 11:51:09 AM

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Malcy

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/3178/still_game_to_end/

I was at Dumbarton Studios last month and was told that they were returning to film again but didn't know it was the last. After the laugher free shitefest of the last series I'm glad they're ending it.

Once they done the stage show and added date after date they were straight into writing the comeback series. It was ok. 8 was an abomination. The characters were all wrong. The situations were so badly and obviously set up and the Africa episode had a massive chunk of dialogue that was lifted straight from the Cottiers stage show. The big joke of the episode was almost 20 year old material.

Disappointing effort. I'm not all that sure I'll watch these final episodes. I certainly won't be sat in front of my tv to watch it when it airs only to sit with barely a smile on my face. Especially after laughing solid through Not Going Out right before it.

Hope they kill at least Jack or Victor off.


Nowhere Man

I never thought possible that Series 7 and 8 would have been so mediocre as too completely eradicate any enthusiasm I have for this show, but they did. I loved all of the original run, but they've just plain forgotten how to write these incredible characters.

Quote from: Malcy on July 13, 2018, 11:51:09 AM
Hope they kill at least Jack or Victor off.

I hope they torture Methadone Mick, then kill him.

Custard

After that genuinely appalling, almost laugh-free last series, there's no way I'm wasting time on this

Still, we'll always have those first few series. Remember it that way

Malcy

I was a huge fan right from the beginning and got a lot of people to watch it but these days I don't even watch the old ones. The last 2 series have killed my enthusiasm for even that as well.

I still have a few boxes of the Tennant's lager sets with Jack & Victor on the cans. Probably just gonna sell them or drink them. I see them in the cupboard and just sigh!

timebug

The last two series have also ruined it for me; I used to watch the original six series (and the specials) from time to time, but the memory of the last two series has spoiled what was a good premise to me. I am happy that after seven years the two old mates got to be friends again,and buried their differences, but if they can't come up with anything better, maybe time to try something else?

Pebble_Mill

Quote from: Malcy on July 13, 2018, 12:11:20 PM
I still have a few boxes of the Tennant's lager sets with Jack & Victor on the cans. Probably just gonna sell them or drink them. I see them in the cupboard and just sigh!

Desolation

Malcy

Quote from: timebug on July 17, 2018, 09:37:48 AM
The last two series have also ruined it for me; I used to watch the original six series (and the specials) from time to time, but the memory of the last two series has spoiled what was a good premise to me. I am happy that after seven years the two old mates got to be friends again,and buried their differences, but if they can't come up with anything better, maybe time to try something else?

That's what worries me. Apart from Two Doors Down, which has been far funnier than the recent Still Game, BBC Scotland aren't doing much in the way of comedy. I hope all the money that goes on Still Game gets passed around to nurture new talent and ideas rather than giving it all to Ford & Greg if they want to write something else.


MattD

Gave up after the second episode of the last series. My brother told me of an episode with Craig Ferguson in it? He said if it were the older series the ending would have been something quite sweet but instead the reveal was that he had no cock or something like that?

Malcy

Quote from: MattD on July 17, 2018, 08:37:26 PM
Gave up after the second episode of the last series. My brother told me of an episode with Craig Ferguson in it? He said if it were the older series the ending would have been something quite sweet but instead the reveal was that he had no cock or something like that?

Yeah he was a local who had gone to America and became famous and looked like your typical old celebrate with loads of work done. Isa took him home for a shag and he took everything off and was bald and falling apart etc. I think hiscock was gone but to be honest I've blocked mist of the last series out.

Jane McCarry who plays Isa has said she has been reading the scripts for the final series over and over and has been crying at them. To be fair, if I had read the scripts for series 8 before seeing the episodes I would have done the same!

Malcy

Sunday Feb the 28th on the new BBC Scotland channel with a BBC1 airing later in the year.

Bobtoo

This car that I had for a couple of weeks last year is going to be in an episode. The guy I borrowed it from sometimes supplies cars for filming, he had a few in that fuck awful David Walliams thing last year.




I'll give it a chance but I don't know if I'll manage any more than the first episode and the one the car is in. The shark was well and truly jumped in the last series.

Malcy

First episode has been bumped up to the 24th on the launch night of the new channel.

Malcy


Malcy

Steaming pile of shite. Painfully unfunny. Switched it off after 10 minutes. Glad I never got screening tickets i would have walked out. Biggest fall in quality in any comedy I've ever watched.

Malcy

Getting panned on Twitter. There is nothing that will make me watch the rest of the series. Larry David, Alan Partridge & Brian Butterfield could all appear in character and i'd still avoid it like the plague.

ajsmith2

I honestly thought it was no bad at all. Way less clunky than the average for the last 2 series. Decent premise (yes very old hat but they are behind the times pensioners) done a fair amount of justice. No bad amount of laughs. Hearteningly decent. And I was prepared for a forensically cold car crash hate watch after the drubbing it's getting on Twitter. Undeserved I think. Maybe fatigue over the last 2 generally poor seasons has obliterated all goodwill?

Nowhere Man

It wasn't great, but it was alright. It takes a lot of willpower to watch the new episodes, but I could happily watch the first six series on repeat for hours. Moreso than the dodgy writing, it has only a glimpse of that old warmth it used to have. Mind you, that glimmer of warmth is what keeps me watching.

Shame they didn't learn their lesson over Methadone Mick, does anyone like that character?

Mobius

Quote from: Nowhere Man on February 26, 2019, 08:11:41 PM
Shame they didn't learn their lesson over Methadone Mick, does anyone like that character?

He's awful and just doesn't fit the show. It's amazing they can't see that. Maybe the character is popular on the live shows or something?

Rev+

I don't think he even appears in the live shows - the first one was just the core band, at least.  He's the replacement for Pete the Jakey, but that character was used sparingly, and Mick is all over the fucker.  I don't get it, there's nothing to like there.

The episode was actually alright.  The quality of the early days isn't coming back but it wasn't the black hole of the last series.  Not many laughs but kind of amiable, and hopefully they've not led with the strongest episode.  We do need to demand more from comedy than that, but we've only got a couple of hours and a bit left with some characters we've known for a long time, and all I want here is an improvement on the last run and a retirement that doesn't completely shit the bed.

BlodwynPig


Bobtoo

Quote from: Rev+ on February 27, 2019, 01:07:32 AM
I don't think he even appears in the live shows - the first one was just the core band, at least.  He's the replacement for Pete the Jakey, but that character was used sparingly, and Mick is all over the fucker.  I don't get it, there's nothing to like there.

The episode was actually alright.  The quality of the early days isn't coming back but it wasn't the black hole of the last series.  Not many laughs but kind of amiable, and hopefully they've not led with the strongest episode.  We do need to demand more from comedy than that, but we've only got a couple of hours and a bit left with some characters we've known for a long time, and all I want here is an improvement on the last run and a retirement that doesn't completely shit the bed.

Methadone Mick did the safety announcement video at the start of the second live show but he didn't appear in the show itself. I don't get why he's in every episode either, he's be ok if he was an occasional character like Chris the postie.

I thought that episode was better than most of the other recent Still Game episodes.

The Giggling Bean

There were a decent amount of chuckles to be had. Although as I'd heard people saying it was awful, maybe I went in with low expectations.

I've got to echo the statements on Methadone Mick. I don't get why Ford and Greg have pushed him to be a bigger character than he deserves to be. Pete the Jakey was an ancillary character that was rarely the primary focus. Mick is getting several pivotal to the plot appearances and is in nearly every episode. The character is just annoying and really not as funny as Ford and Greg think it is.

ajsmith2

Yeah it's mental: it's like they subconsciously wanted to create their own Poochie as a signifier that these are now The Shite Years or something. Like they lost confidence in being able to write Still Game again after the break so they subconsciously wanted to self sabotage it. I agree completely that Methadone Mick would be entirely acceptable as a semi regular; it's the forced and from nowhere promotion to the front line and the entirely manufactured 'new favourite breakout character' stuff that really grates and makes people loathe him. Especially bad when he takes screen time away from the established regulars, in particular Tam who I think has suffered the worst in the new series in terms of being side lined (although I wonder if part of that is to do with them not wanting to pick up the thread of the baby story line from the end of the original run).

Glad more people here agree that 9:1 was on balance actually fairly good. I think the last 2 series destroyed a lot of goodwill though, and it's doubtful they can claw most of it back in the last 5 shows. Here's hoping I'm wrong.

The Giggling Bean

Any thoughts on the second episode? It seems like ep 1 was used to launch BBC Scotland but Thursday night is its regular spot. It was improved greatly with no Methadone Mick appearance and, again, there were some laughs to be had.

Mrs Bean and I have been rewatching episodes from the  first 5 series and the quality between those and this relaunch is noticeable. I really don't get how the quality has dipped so much. I also thought that everyone is looking noticeably older now that there may not be much need for make up now.

Malcy

Haven't watched the second episode and don't intend to either. I've been looking at twitter and other forums to see what the reception has been and had mostly seen that it was even worse than the first episode.


The Giggling Bean

It's a long way away from its peak but I've still got some goodwill left for the characters. There's still some chuckles to be had, plus it's the last series so I'm going to ride it out to see how it finishes.

I'm a bit concerned because I reckon they'll end it with either Jack, Victor or both dying. I recall the actress playing Isa said the scripts made her cry when she read them. I suspect I'll do the same as it's not hard to punch my emotional button.

ajsmith2

It was alright, the various plots were a bit bitty but not bad. I think everyone seems to have remembered how to play their characters again after the break and there's far less emphasis on contrived unfunny set pieces and film references so far. I really think this series is a huge improvement so far, even if not up to 1-6 standards.

The Giggling Bean

So that's episode three broadcast now, and part one of a two parter. I don't know if we still have the spoiler tab so I won't say too much. However I've said to Mrs Bean that it'll turn out to be an insurance scam, along the lines of the broken TV to help Winston.

Nice that Tam has some focus on him now though. I'm still convinced that one or both of the main characters are going to die in the final episode. If not I reckon they'll end it with one of them saying something like "after all these years we're still game".

Anyway, thoughts???

The Giggling Bean

Oh, and no Methadone Mick appearance either...2 eps now, good stuff.

Malcy

I read barely a sentence of the plot and the 'big shock' and could deduce the outcome easily. Predictable shite but people I've spoken to said it was a big improvement though. Still not enough to make me watch though. That ship has sailed for now.