THEY were the Craiglang codgers who killed off following a series of stage shows after the end of their hugely popular TV series.
But now Still Game's Jack and Victor are to make a return to television screens or at least their voices will.
On Wednesday the first-ever TV advert for Jack and Victor Whisky will be aired on STV at 3.58pm on Wednesday.
Directed by Still Game director Michael Hines, the 20-second advert will run on screens until Wednesday, December 15.
Featuring the voices of Jack and Victor, the advert showcases their new limited edition gift pack which includes two 20cl bottles of blended whisky.
The Still Game stars started the long goodbye to their fans two years ago with the opening instalment of a farewell run of live shows in Glasgow - set in an alternative world to the hit TV show.
After nearly 20 years and 62 episodes seen by millions of fans, the duo were last seen in the final TV episode of the sitcom in March, 2019 heading up Ben Lomond before fading away at the TV show's emotional final, with Victor asking: "Do you think they’ll be wondering where we went?"
But the pair were reunited with their departed pals from the Clansman for a fun-filled farewell fling masterminded by creators Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill for a 15-show run at the SSE Hydro.
They were reincarnated in surreal style for the farewell perfomance where thousands of fans joined them for nearly two hours in the afterlife as they signed off.
The apparent resurrection of the duo after the first batch of Jack and Victor was launched in May of this year to huge demand, selling out in just 36 hours.
Created by ‘master tasters’ Jack Jarvis and Victor McDade the Scotch is said to have been created for both whisky lovers and newcomers alike.
Speaking about the TV advert, Still Game co-creator, Ford Kiernan, said: “We’re regularly asked by fans if we’d ever be back on their screens, so when we were planning the limited-edition Christmas gift pack of our whisky, we thought why not make this the perfect excuse.
"We roped in our old pal Michael Hines who directed Chewin’ the Fat and Still Game to help with the ad, so it was nice to have some of the original team back together. It was great fun to make, and we’re sure fans will love hearing Jack and Victor’s voices again.
“This is just the start of what we’ve got planned for Jack and Victor Whisky in the lead up to Christmas, so keep your eyes peeled on TV, social media, roads, sky and maybe even the rivers…”
Co-creator, Greg Hemphill, added: “We’ve had a great reaction from Still Game fans and whisky drinkers since we launched our own dram earlier this year, and with Christmas round the corner it’s the perfect opportunity to share a goldie with pals, which was our thinking around creating the two-bottle gift pack. It means you can enjoy a wee bottle each and don’t have to worry about someone drinking your share, which is exactly what Tam would have done if he’d been around during the tasting sessions.”
Producers needed some film footage to drop into the stage show – of Jack and Victor’s skeletons out in the wilds.
And it had previously been revealed that that scene was shot at Lang Craigs - the mix of ancient woodland, sheltered glens, jagged outcrops, newer plantations and rugged moorland which lies at the foot of the spectacular Kilpatrick Hills.
By coincidence, the location is a name reversal of the beloved sitcom stars’ home in Craiglang.
The "resting place" was revealed by the charity Woodland Trust Scotland, who own the woods and helped producers achieve their plan.
Jack and Victor were already old codgers when Kiernan and Hemphill introduced Still Game to TV screens in 2002.
After a nine year sabbatical from 2007, they returned more popular than ever following a record breaking run of live shows at the Hydro.
The stage show, performed to 10,000 people per night at the Hydro arena ended its run on in October, 2019 meaning the legendary creations would have been seen for the last time.
Fans were also treated to the video footage of the skeletons -- side by side and still in their iconic bunnets - alongside a musical number titled We're Deid.
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