Before chancing upon this thread, I'd never seen a single moment of "Still Open All Hours" but, inspired by the controversy, I've just watched 15 minutes of series 5, episode 6.

The cast appears substantially to be geriatric but, if you can forgive that, it seems to be pretty good stuff. There are some very famous faces on show and the script is relentlessly funny. All in all, for what it is, you can't knock it.

Is it as good as Ronnie Barker's original? That's a matter of opinion but, in any event, it's not a matter that need affect our enjoyment of the show. It seems to me to be a natural and entirely acceptable continuation of the original Ronnie Barker series. Whether it's better or worse, the fact remains (in my opinion) that it's a commendable sitcom in its own right.

Series 6 confirmed for next year: https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/5152/still_open_all_hours_series_6/

I don't watch it but then I wasn't a huge fan of the original although I happily sat through the odd one if it came on. Its one watching point for me was the artistry of Barker in his prime, and I found it pretty reasonable sitcom entertainment one notch up from the then ubiquitous family sitcom but well below classic standard.

Never understood the huge popularity of it but that's the subjectivity of comedy is it not. Without Barker most of the magic will have gone but the scenario works for Granville to take over the shop so why not, it pleases millions of OAH and DJ fans, it can't possibly be worse than the majority of modern sitcoms and I don't have to watch it, so it can have as many series as it wants.

The BBC foist a sixth series of this dross on the viewing public. Please spare us and just retire, David Jason!