Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, the creators of hit sitcom Still Game, have said they're "pretty positive" that the format will return to BBC One for an eighth series.

The comedy, which follows the adventures of Scottish pensioners Jack and Victor, was back on television last year after a break of nine years. It was the first series to be broadcast nationwide via BBC One, and was warmly received by the audience and press.

The Scotsman reports that Kiernan and Hemphill are now confident they will get the go ahead in the next few months to make Series 8.

The newspaper quotes them as saying: "The BBC has been making noises and saying they're keen. Last time it took 18 months to get the green light. We don't worry about these things."

Kiernan, who plays Jack Jarvis, says: "We're pretty positive that it will be green-lit for this year. We've got plenty of ideas. We come up with different ones all the time. They get squirrelled away. That's the way it's always worked."

Hemphill, who portrays Victor McDade, spoke further about their writing process: "A lot of writers map out a story. We don't do that. We'll maybe get about eight scenes mapped out and then start writing. That element of surprise is great for comedy. Part of the fun is keeping yourselves challenged by not planning too much."

The duo were speaking as they prepare to launch their second live show at the SSE Hydro arena in Glasgow this coming weekend. The premise of Still Game: Live 2 will see the residents of Craiglang "struggling to stay warm and still paying off the cost of the festive season."

Speaking to The Scotsman about the new show and the pressures on following up on the last live show, a performance run which set audience records, they say: "We hadn't done Still Game for seven years the last time, there was an enormous goodwill in the room. We had that luxury and people welcomed us back with open arms. This time we don't have that. People are spending a lot of money to come and see the show. We have to work hard and make sure everybody is on their game. We're our own harshest critics. We don't want to put anything out half-baked."

Kiernan adds: "The last show was a reunion, this is more of a big night out. We've got a phenomenally faithful following. They'll not be disappointed. We've gone out of our way to give them a show they can talk about for a long time to come."

The stars also said the new show will avoid any politics, explaining that it is intended to be "a holiday for the viewer to get away from all that nonsense and not have to listen to it. The amount of politics on television now compared to three years ago is ridiculous." They added: "Apart from anything else, it divides the audience. We don't do football, religion and politics. There's no point."

'Still Game: Live 2' runs from Saturday 4th February until Thursday 16th February at the SSE Hydro, Glasgow.