Renewed: Still Open All Hours

UK comedy Still Open All Hours will be back for a third season.

The BBC has previously confirmed the renewal for the show, a sequel to Open All Hours, which sees Sir David Jason reprise his role of Granville.

Now it adds a Christmas special to the order.

Since 2014, the series written by Roy Clarke, has been a hit with audiences, with the most recent UK run being the highest rated comedy of the past 12 months.

“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,” said Jason.

Returning are Maggie Ollerenshaw, Johnny Vegas, Kulvinder Ghir, Brigit Forsyth, Nina Wadia and Geoffrey Whitehead.

However, Lynda Baron is not returning as Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, unable to fit it in her 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,” she said.

Still Open All Hours screens in Australia on ABC.

The series opens with a Christmas special where Granville and Gastric (Tim Healy) 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?

Location filming will begin in the coming weeks.