Cast say emotional goodbyes as Still Game airs final episode

And as the iconic duo hang up their hats one last time on television, Greg says he doesn't know if they'll ever be lucky enough to work on a show like it ever again.

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The final episode saw the pensioners of Craiglang sit in the Clansman for the last time, and look back on the passing of time; something that the creators themselves have done after the show's end.

Ford, who portrays Jack, says the ending was emotional: "It’s been a terrific opportunity to play these characters for that amount of time so separation is always going to be emotional.  

"We didn’t try and make it overly emotional for the audience afterall there were stories to be told and tie-ups to be made."

Greg agreed, and said: "Still Game has been a big part of all of our cast’s lives over the years and I don’t know if we’ll ever be lucky enough to work on a show like it ever again."

But they admitted that they had toyed with different endings in the lead up to the final episode. 

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Ford said: "We abandoned the whole cast going off the edge of a cliff in a double decker bus on account of the fact that The Young Ones had done that years before!

"And at the same time we didn’t want to give everybody a heart attack in The Clansman either because no one would be happy with that.

"I hope that everyone’s favourite character got the send-off the viewers wanted for them."

And Greg said that ultimately, the ending was for the audience: "It’s really up to people to interpret what they saw in the final episode.

"The reason we chose that ending is because we wanted it to feel right for us but most of all for the audience."

Read more: Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill say farewell to the hit BBC Scotland comedy

Some viewers are up in arms over whether or not the core characters died in the final episode, but Ford and Greg are remaining tight-lipped about the debate.

Picture: Alan Peebles/BBC

Greg said:"It’s for the audience to decide for themselves and interpret it any way they see fit!"

Music played a key part in the final episode, and the creators say Bob Dylan's 'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right' was fitting to the last episode.

"About three or four months during the writing process, as we were heading towards the last episode, we compiled a list of songs and every day we added more," said Greg.

"It was a big long list but it was always something we’d choose together and in the end it was the most fitting of them all. It’s very poignant."

It's not the last time viewers have the chance to see their favourite pensioners; they're heading to the SSE HYdro for five 'farewell' shows this year.

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The cast say it seems fitting that the show ends where it started - in the theatre.

Ford said: "There are two different ways to tell the Still Game story – on TV and on stage.

"Theatre’s a very different animal to TV, there’s a certain type of atmosphere that you only get on stage.

"We just felt it’s the right thing to do, to finish Still Game where it started."

And now that it's over on television, Greg says that the live shows will pick up where tonight's episode left off.

He said: "We basically feel that there’s one story for Jack, Victor and all the gang still to be told.

"This will be the last one we’re doing, we won’t be doing any false endings.

"Our audiences have been incredible over the years, especially the last couple when we came back.

"It’s been an amazing five years we’ve had recently and we don’t want to outstay our welcome.

"This will be Jack and Victor’s retirement party."