Return of Still Open All Hours will earn BBC plenty of criticism, says TV writer

The return of Doncaster based sitcom Still Open All Hours and a slew of other rehashed classic sitcoms will earn the BBC plenty of criticism, a TV writer has warned.
Still Open All Hours is returning to Doncaster next month.Still Open All Hours is returning to Doncaster next month.
Still Open All Hours is returning to Doncaster next month.

A third series of the cornershop classic, which is filmed at Balby, is due to begin production next month and will form part of an autumn and winter line-up that also includes remakes of Are You Being Served?, Porridge, Keeping Up Appearances and Goodnight Sweetheart.

Journalist Mark Jeffries, writing for the Radio Times, says that the BBC should prepare to come under fire for the return of much-loved shows in a new format.

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He wrote: "Ever since the BBC announced a landmark classic sitcom season there have been murmurings of negativity in the media and in online forums.

"The idea of bringing back one-offs of Are You Being Served?, Porridge, Keeping Up Appearances and Goodnight Sweetheart among others was never going to go unnoticed.

"And I have no doubt when the season starts on 28th August, social media won’t be kind to many of the remakes."

"The originals of these comedies are held dear in people’s memories, but that is not to say that many won’t enjoy the new versions."

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He added: "Still Open All Hours, a sequel to Open All Hours with original cast member David Jason, aired at Christmas in 2013 to fairly harsh reviews on the whole.

"But along with those reviews came an audience of 9.4 million and now several series have been made off the back of that one-off."

"The BBC is catering for the masses and once the moaning about ruining classics has died down I am pretty sure a couple of these shows will become series with big audiences like Still Open All Hours.

Mark Jefferies is Showbiz Editor at the Daily Mirror and co-edits the TV Column Square Eyes.