OUR recent request to Times Past readers for their favourite Still Game episodes, as the hit comedy celebrates its 20th anniversary, was an easy one to answer for East Kilbride actor Ken Lawton.
“I have three episodes, which are my favourite, and they happen to be three episodes in which I appeared,” he explains, smiling.
“I was, and an still am, an actor with 25-plus years behind me on stage, film, TV and radio. I was fortunate to get called for Still Game.”
He grins: “The first episode that I filmed was “Wummin” in 2003, for series two, alongside Celia Imrie. When I was telling a friend beforehand, he asked if I was off to somewhere exotic, to which I answered: ‘If you think a disused betting office on Maryhill Road in Glasgow is exotic then, yes… that is where I found myself with Celia. She was a very charming lady.”
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Ken’s next call was for “Gairden”, also in series two, in which Jack and Victor (Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill) build a garden on top of their block of flats to escape a couple of unruly youths and their dog who had been annoying them in the park.
Ken pauses. “Spoiler alert,” he laughs. “The top of the flats was in fact a set built out over a hill in Nitshill, which meant as you looked out you saw a roofscape of Glasgow but it really wasn’t too high.
“At the end of the episode, you see me and my (screen) wife talking to Jack and Victor, as the lift doors open to reveal the two thugs and their dog.”
Ken adds: “Everyone asks me about this bit. The boys advance and throw a stick for the dog to fetch. However, the stick sails over the wall and the dog quickly follows and disappears over the edge. Of course, just out of sight over the edge were two men and a net - nobody was hurt in the making of this episode…..but it was very effective on screen.”
Ken’s final Still Game experience was in the series six episode Hot Seat, in which he played an "angry man shaking a stick" at Jack and Victor.
“I enjoyed my time with Still Game, which had a happy crew and cast,” he says, adding with a laugh: “Now I am open to offers from Hollywood, Bollywood - or Maryhill. I hear they are looking for a James Bond……”
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He jokes: “Mind you, at my age now, I would need a stunt double to walk onto the set. I will be just do radio, as you do not have to learn the script.”
Have you ever appeared in a TV show or on film? Get in touch with Times Past – email ann.fotheringham@glasgowtimes.co.uk to share your memories and photos.
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