Still Open All Hours set to begin production on S3
David Jason is set to reprise his famous role of Granville once again in a Christmas special and third series of Still Open All Hours.
Darkening Arkwright’s doors in the Christmas special will be Gastric (Tim Healy), who together find themselves playing marriage counsellors, whilst Leroy (James Baxter) adopts a festive disguise to avoid relationship trouble of a different kind. Meanwhile, Mrs Featherstone (Stephanie Cole) struggles to get into the Christmas spirit and Kath (Sally Lindsay) attempts 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?
On returning to one of his most famous roles, Sir David Jason (Granville) 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.”
The second series of the Roy Clarke penned comedy – which also features series regulars Maggie Ollerenshaw, Johnny Vegas, Kulvinder Ghir, Brigit Forsyth, Nina Wadia and Geoffrey Whitehead – was BBC One’s highest rated comedy series of the past 12 months.
Unfortunately, Lynda Baron is unable to join the cast for this series, saying “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.”
Executive Producer Gareth Edwards said: “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.”
Still Open All Hours is produced by BBC Studios and directed by Dewi Humphreys. Location filming will begin in the coming weeks, with studio filming to follow from October.
The Christmas Special will air this Christmas (2016).
