David Jason to return for new series of Still Open All Hours on BBC1
David Jason will return for a Christmas special and new series in 2017, although the series has lost one of its original cast members
David Jason will be returning for at least one more shift as convenience store owner Granville in Still Open All Hours, the BBC has confirmed.
The comedy revival will be back for a Christmas special and a third series, having first returned in 2014. However, original cast member Lynda Baron, who played nurse Gladys Emmanuel in the original and the comeback series, will not be returning.
“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," Jason said. "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 news follows a series of comedy revivals by the BBC for its sitcom season, including Are you Being Served, Porridge, Young Hyacinth, Till Death Us Do Part, Goodnight Sweetheart, Hancock's Half Hour and Steptoe and Son.
Still 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 BBC1. 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."
