Last of the Summer Wine
- Last of the Summer Wine is off air
- Remind me
Ahhh, the sound of the gentle harmonica melody, the images of the lush, rolling hills of the Yorkshire countryside and the entrance into a gentle world of northern village life. Join the playful antics of your three favourite delinquent pensioners, Seymour, Cleggie and Compo.
First of the Summer Wine
Originally written as a BBC Comedy Playhouse pilot way back in 1973, Last of the Summer Wine has gone on to become the longest running sitcom in the world - even now, a new series has just been filmed! Originally starring Brian Wilde as determined ex-Army man Foggy, Peter Sallis as the wary and unobtrusive Cleggie and the late Bill Owen as the legendarily mucky perennial adolescent Compo, the trio became a classic comedy combination. Refusing to grow old gracefully, the threesome captured the nation's hearts with their disastrous plans and wry discussions on the nature of the universe.
Village Life Imitates Art
The other star attraction, of course, has become the village in which the stories unfold. Holmfirth, near Huddersfield, is now a major tourist attraction with thousands flocking to West Yorkshire to look around its beautiful old streets. In fact, certain parts of the village have taken on their TV roles. Ivy's Café, for example, was once a paint shop dressed as a film set but has now become a real-life café!
Village People
We have the broadcaster, the late Barry Took, to thank for the location of the show. It was originally planned to have been filmed around the industrial streets of Doncaster or Rotherham. However, before locations for the programme were finalised, Barry was filming a show about working men's clubs which took him to one near Holmfirth (where Sunday lunchtime strip shows happened to be taking place!). He mentioned the beautiful village to producer and writer Roy Clarke who eventually visited and fell in love with the place.
Cast of the Summer Wine
The show has always been famed for having a stellar cast of some of the best British comedy acting talent around. The likes of Kathy Staff (as the inimitable Nora Batty and her wrinkled stockings), Thora Hird, Norman Wisdom, Jean Alexander and even Bert Kwouk (Cato from the Pink Panther films) have all played much-loved characters. What's more, some impressive guest and cameo appearances include Liz Fraser, Brian Glover, Gordon Kaye and John Cleese - who used the pseudonym Kim Bread! The latest cameos to look out for are Roy Barraclough and Cannon and Ball! Rock on, Tommy.
Compo's Last Stand
Compo has become such a legendary character that official planning permission has been granted by the local Kirklees Council for a bronze, life-size statue of Compo to be erected in the village. Fans and friends of the show had been lobbying for permission to be granted for years with a fundraising appeal set up. This statue will be sited in Kings Head Gardens in Holmfirth, opposite the "Wrinkled Stocking Tea Room".
Last of the Summer Quotes
LOTSW writer Roy Clarke is rightly seen as one of the finest comedy writers of all-time. Here's some comedy gems from the programme that show just why LOTSW is still going strong.
Nora Batty: "I wonder sometimes if you would ever miss me if I left."
Wally Batty: "We could give it a try."
Cleggy: "We were married all them years and never had children. Do you think flannelette causes impotence?"
The trio are out walking looking for wild flowers.
Compo: "Are you going to give me a hand?"
Foggy: "What, picking flowers? That's no job for a trained killer."
Compo: "Alright, pick stinging nettles instead."
More information
BBC information page
Originally written as a BBC Comedy Playhouse pilot way back in 1973, Last of the Summer Wine has gone on to become the longest running sitcom in the world - even now, a new series has just been filmed! Originally starring Brian Wilde as determined ex-Army man Foggy, Peter Sallis as the wary and unobtrusive Cleggie and the late Bill Owen as the legendarily mucky perennial adolescent Compo, the trio became a classic comedy combination. Refusing to grow old gracefully, the threesome captured the nation's hearts with their disastrous plans and wry discussions on the nature of the universe.
Village Life Imitates Art
The other star attraction, of course, has become the village in which the stories unfold. Holmfirth, near Huddersfield, is now a major tourist attraction with thousands flocking to West Yorkshire to look around its beautiful old streets. In fact, certain parts of the village have taken on their TV roles. Ivy's Café, for example, was once a paint shop dressed as a film set but has now become a real-life café!
Village People
We have the broadcaster, the late Barry Took, to thank for the location of the show. It was originally planned to have been filmed around the industrial streets of Doncaster or Rotherham. However, before locations for the programme were finalised, Barry was filming a show about working men's clubs which took him to one near Holmfirth (where Sunday lunchtime strip shows happened to be taking place!). He mentioned the beautiful village to producer and writer Roy Clarke who eventually visited and fell in love with the place.
Cast of the Summer Wine
The show has always been famed for having a stellar cast of some of the best British comedy acting talent around. The likes of Kathy Staff (as the inimitable Nora Batty and her wrinkled stockings), Thora Hird, Norman Wisdom, Jean Alexander and even Bert Kwouk (Cato from the Pink Panther films) have all played much-loved characters. What's more, some impressive guest and cameo appearances include Liz Fraser, Brian Glover, Gordon Kaye and John Cleese - who used the pseudonym Kim Bread! The latest cameos to look out for are Roy Barraclough and Cannon and Ball! Rock on, Tommy.
Compo's Last Stand
Compo has become such a legendary character that official planning permission has been granted by the local Kirklees Council for a bronze, life-size statue of Compo to be erected in the village. Fans and friends of the show had been lobbying for permission to be granted for years with a fundraising appeal set up. This statue will be sited in Kings Head Gardens in Holmfirth, opposite the "Wrinkled Stocking Tea Room".
Last of the Summer Quotes
LOTSW writer Roy Clarke is rightly seen as one of the finest comedy writers of all-time. Here's some comedy gems from the programme that show just why LOTSW is still going strong.
Nora Batty: "I wonder sometimes if you would ever miss me if I left."
Wally Batty: "We could give it a try."
Cleggy: "We were married all them years and never had children. Do you think flannelette causes impotence?"
The trio are out walking looking for wild flowers.
Compo: "Are you going to give me a hand?"
Foggy: "What, picking flowers? That's no job for a trained killer."
Compo: "Alright, pick stinging nettles instead."
More information
BBC information page
Your Comments
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Big Unc
wrote on 09 Feb 2010 at 11:36 AM
In the interests of research I went back to the current start of this thread back in February 2007. (We know it started before that but some of the very early posts have been deleted). I did not go page by page but took a shortcut. It is currently 53 pages long. To get there use:
[link]
I was so amused and surprised to find this entry for 3rd March 2007:
"Sat 3 Mar 2007, 6.48PM
Wrinkled of Wandsworth
Grumpy Uncle's so so right. More specifically, I don't think "A Merry Heatwave" from series 4 has been shown for yonks if at all, and many of the Christmas and other specials never get an airing.
Also, it would be helpful if we fans - who give you a guaranteed audience - could have some notice of what is coming."
If someone has the time to trawl back through this thread they might get a definitive answer but I do not think "A Merry Heatwave" ever got shown on G.O.L.D. or its predecessers, UKTV Gold and Drama. I ceased worrying about it when Series 3 & 4 DVD came out and it was on there.
"A Merry Heatwave" was, of course, the first Christmas Special but it was a bit confusing because some of the references treated it as an episode of Series #4. And, to be fair, it was shown during Series #4 run.
I am far from sure, in fact, that more of the early Specials were ever shown. I know how frustrated I used to get when "The Loxley Lozenge" was shown so often as if it was a regular epoisode from Series #8. But I do not recall "Small Tune on a Penny Wassail", "And A Dewhurst Up A Fir Tree", "Whoops", "All Mod Conned" or "Merry Christmas Father Christmas" being shown. I ceased worrying when they came out on DVD. Before then it was very exciting one Christmas when three/four Specials were shown: "Big Day At Dream Acres", "Crums", "What's Santa Brought for Nora Then?" and possibly "Barry's Christmas".
Eventually, the two feature length episodes "Getting Sam Home" and "Uncle of the Bride" did get shown and, of course recently we had a feast of the later Specials.
So, I am unsure of the early seven I listed, particularly "A Merry Heatwave" but, as I said, I lost interest when they came out od DVD.
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