Message Boards

Good news about Christmas Specials, good about seldom seen episodes and really good news that the Golden officials are giving us feedback. I sensed a feeling of frustration and isolation in the past - may it never return!
WoW.

Regardless of blame for earlier misunderstandings, it's good news indeed that series 22 is coming. I don't know whether Gold have the Christmas Special "Last post and pigeon" but being the last "special" Bill Owen made, it would be a nice touch if it could be transmitted soon to accompany his other last programmes of series 21 already transmitted - please?

1 to BU: Sky remote controller has button marked tv guide. Use it! If still have probs, give me a ring so I can understand the prob and if necess tell our eager readers in case they have same prob.

2 to Geoff-etc: and while you/they're about it tell the announcer not to talk over the credits.

3 to Pixie: if your visit takes you to Wandsworth, we have nothing whatsoever to do with LOTSW but we do have some decent riparian boozers, and by the way your old chap may have turned 6 0 - that's nothing. Old Wrinkly here can give him 10 years and not notice it (but I think I speak for all of us when I say we'd all love to meet you).
TTFN WoW.

Sky's own "tv guide" on the remote control now shows the "correct" series 29 titles.
WoW

Ooooooh! It looks as if I might have to take that last bit back

Thanks all re stones. Props used to make the most realistic rocks and stones from expanded polystyrene. I remember one sad OB occasion when some riggers were playing football with a smallish one - unfortunately - well, I needn't finish, but it did hurt him.

I keep hoping the powers will sort the listings even though I'm a pessimist.

Famous Eccles: yes I did thanks, very much, partic as I don't think I saw it first time round. Can anyone who knows the area (or is any good at geography) tell me whether there really is a mini Stonehenge in Yorkshire? Also, why John Cleese? Perhaps he happened to be in the area.

More importantly, have the powers that be given up on the listings? There's still nothing after Sat 16th. They are/were a very handy way of what is coming up, and not just Summer Wine.

Is it something I'm (not) doing or is there something wrong with the TV listings? There's nowt after Sat 12th.

Greetings to all. Two questions and a comment:
1. Every time over the last year (at least) when series 15 (1993) started, instead of getting the first episode - "How to clear your pipes" - we had the first of series 16 - "The glory hole". WHY? My pipes are in a dreadful state and I haven't seen the episode since it was first transmitted. The forecast for early March follows the pattern.
2. Last night I watched "Uncle of the bride" - certainly in my top ten but: after Seymour so kindly gives health and safety advice to a painter on a scaffold tower on wheels, there's a scene shot at a sportsground (bowls etc) and ending with four chaps running through the town. Again, WHY - it seems to have no connection with anything in the story, or have I missed something?

Re last year's question about Sid and Ivy's surname, I'm still going through the whole series, roughly one per night, but haven't yet found the one with a proprietor's name above the café door (but I could have missed it). I'm pretty certain I remember it from first time around, but any help in pinning it down would be appreciated.

Happy new (rest of the) year,
WoW.

WoW concurrs with "frogface". The subtitles which are (or at least, were) normally taken from the script, updated with ad libs, charmingly start the scene with "(Foggy muttering angrily)" then "(Cursing indistinctly)", but at the crucial moment "frogface" is used, but then, it's not very likely that anything much stronger would be written.

Resurrecting the earlier question of the proprietor's name above the café door, I'm rewatching all episodes from the pilot, up to the end of series 8 and haven't found anything. When I get to the very end, I suppose I'll just have to start at the beginning again. Ho hum.

I've often wondered if the café front was sometimes built be the scenery dept. They are so good it can be impossible to tell - there are relatively few shots through the door, though that is probably because of lighting problems (e.g. colour temperature). I'm more confident that Auntie W's shop front is built for the occasion. Perhaps someone knows better.

TTFN, WoW
P.S. does my nom-de-net of Wrinkled now seem out of place following the sad loss of Nora?

Thanks Big Unc - yes the Outtakes prog was repeated - can't think why they bothered though.

Re Sid's surname on the café: I've checked all series 2 but found nowt, but it was so good seeing them again I've gone back to the pilot and am going through them all (except, sadly, quite a few specials). If anything appears I'll report back but it may take some time - probably well into next year.

Toodle pip, WoW

Greetings all. Too late I noticed that on the "Watch" channel last evening, Out-take TV were showing "embarassing (sic) clips from LOTSW". Did anyone see it, and did I miss much.

I don't really want to see our heroes embarrassed (no sic) but sometimes these moments reveal interesting behind the scenes goings-on.

WoW.

Wandsworth calling, Wandsworth calling. Rx all clear but wrinkled. Greetings all round, over and out.

Wandsworth calling, Wandsworth calling. Rx all clear but wrinkled. Greetings all round, over and out.

My apologies, Grumpy. Big and I had been trying to make direct contact with one another to avoid boring you all with the sort of posts you mention. You'd have thought that at my age I'd know better. Thanks to the local parish church and the War of the Worlds, the problem is now solved.

Right then: to business. Episode "Tinkle" was for me at least, a joy, and a contribution to that was the audience reaction. One of my bugbears is the so called laughter track. I've been out of the business for several years now, but my understanding is that laughter is recorded during the show, or more likely during the warm-up. This is faded in and out whenever the person in charge thinks we need to be told that something funny is happening, and in broadcasters eyes, that is no longer canned laughter. The current trend seems to have been to enormous audiences with its own paarticular sound (the old BBC Concert Hall re-incarnation hasn't helped) and LOTSW is just too intimate a programme for such an approach. If anyone is still with me, the audience reaction to Tinkle really sounded realistic - you could pick out individual laughs - just like real life - and applause and laughter sounded spontaneous and genuine. Back to what Douglas Adams said that every civilation in every galaxy in the universe had had to develop (G&T). Waters of life later. That's all folks,

WoW.

Big Unc, you're getting close! Final piece of info: concentrate on 1891, the year he married his cousin Isabel.
WoW

Oh dear, Big Unc - I fear we've not been keeping up with our classical Greek. Just in case the younger readers are misled, dia means across or through as in diameter and dairrh . . (etc). I'm sure it was just a moment's distraction as you really meant to write duologue.

Am I the only one to feel that in last Sun's episode sex reared its head rather more overtly than ever before? I felt it intrusive. I can't remember who said "I don't want sex and violence on the screen - I get enough of that at home". Hmmm.

Not having had a letter pop through my letter box the Talisker is no more. Full strength Glenlivet this time - 57.5% abv!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know how they found room to get the cork in.

WoW

Big Unc, I support your contention re Liz Frazer in 2000 but have no recollection of a more recent appearance. I occasionally meet her and if I remember, I'll ask.
WoW

Seems ok now (Tues mid July - no idea of date)

Dead right, Grand Oncle, and now I think about it, so was Lilly bless her.

I don't think I ever saw Ain't Misbehaving and I'll cogitate on KUA - ah, of course, there's Miss Davenport. I know it's of no great worldly significance - I just enjoy seeing established actors from one series appearing in another - "ooh look, there's old . . . .from . . ." and there's quite a bit of it about.

WofW.

Thanks yet again B.U. Yes flying without pilot was first error - quel twit - my megalist has P instead of a 1 which I occasionally forget. All now revised. How I came to miss two complete series I don't like to think but it's probably doddering incompetence. I now completely agree with your numbering, but sad I missed the poss of a small celebration at no 250.

The thought of the delightful Maggie O (neé Wavey Mavis in Open All Hours) appearing again is most cheering. Has anyone else appeared in both Roy C's programmes?

Hmmmmmmm. No it wasn't a typo, and for no rational reason, I think 250 is more likely to be celebrated than 270. I agree 100% with your inclusions and exclusions, so I'm puzzled. I'd readily admit to doddering incompetence, but out by 20????????!! Something must be fundamentally wrong with my megalist, but it's diff to believe I've lost 20. If you have a mo, can you confirm with any of the following?
No 50 Cheering up Ludovic
100 Landlady for Smiler
150 The love mobile
200 Why is Barry at an angle?

How are you getting on with the little problem I set? The relevant fact is that I live in the house that H G Wells lived in for his first marriage.

Toodle pip
WofW

I'm probably going to be proved wrong, but I THINK that "Cooper's Rules" was episode no 250. Any takers?

To Big Unc: if you ever come to London, a small amount of detective work will give you a good idea of where you might receive said Talisker if you combine my LOTSW name with a biography of H G Wells.

First to mark812: if you have a recording of the episode, watch again sometime - I had similar feelings to yours about the 2006 special, but really liked it on second viewing.

Next to BigUnc: once again I am most indebted to you. If I knew where and how to send it, a bottle of Talisker or the like would be on its way. It's a pleasant irony that LOTSW should drag me into 21st century. I had avoided the iPlayer thinking I would need to download yet another bit of software that wouldn't work properly but lo and behold, it was sitting there just waiting to be used - presumably the same as I use for missed radio progs, and it worked like a dream. I don't withdraw my feelings about the way my ex employer handled the LOTSW v tennis business but I'll take my pension with a happier disposition.

I fully agree with your comments about the programme - some good gags (and at 10 o'clock in the morning!). I do enjoy seeing established characters from one programme appearing in another - in this case Nicholas Smith who was Mr Rumbold in Being Served, and I still think Peter Seller's Baldrick (Bert Kwok aka Cato) is joyously bizarre, and of immediate interest, Ken Kitson from Mapp & Lucia.

I'm not sure if you were looking for the date that Emerick took over from Capstick - I make it 1989.

PS: opening the notification email for new postings now shows the formatting instructions that should be invisible. Is it me or does everyone suffer?

TTFN

Oh Grumpy - I know your comments on yesterday's episode are meant well but they do add to the acute frustration of having set TWO recorders to be sure of not missing it only to find . . . . . If it weren't for the fact that they pay my pension I'd post the most vituperative attack I've ever written. Is there a kind soul who can suggest how I can get to see it? I won't live long enough to see it via satellite.
WofW.

Two items: first for Big Unc, the PC's names appeared in the credits of episode 2.

Second, for everyone who hasn't spotted this already: go to Holmfirth on Google maps and tick the photos option.

WofW.

WoW again - whoops, sorry, should have been "page/13", not "page13".

Unlike Big Unc, the system emails me - I think it was an option when joining - when there is a new posting. the included link takes you (well, me anyway) to Page 1. I simply add "page 13 (or whatever) to the end of the address, and hey presto, you're there.

Regards to all.
WoW.

Thanks once again, Big Unc - a comprehensive answer!

WofW

Has the dust now settled enough for a definitive answer on which, if any, DVD has "Uncle of the Bride"? If it has, which??
Pip pip.

Many thanks Grumpy U. Strange thing is that none of the usual hire suspects seems to have that set so I'll be reduced to buying it, at which point the whole lot will be transmitted. That'll be my bit of altruism for 2008.

Long time no write, so I hope everyone's happy and well.
Can any kind soul who knows about DVD contents tell me if "A merry heatwave" has been issued on DVD please (and if so which one)?

Still with Danny o'Dea/Eli(jah) Duckett. The Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 17th April 03, records his death at the age of 91, so presumably it had happened within the previous few days. It continues that he had been out of the show for two years after retiring (at 89!) to live in Brighouse. From somewhere else a found that before Summer Wine he was noted for work in pantos.

Given, therefore that he lived on after his last appearance, and as an old pro it is unlikely that he would have quitted (unless seriously ill) mid series, my guess would be that he was in series 22 (2001) but not series 23. I can confirm that he was in the last of 22 - "the coming of the beast" where he confuses a JCB with a giraffe, and I'm pretty certain that he wasn't in the following Special.

One of the two drunks that BigUnc notes was of course Eli Woods.

On the subject of names (for the benefit of younger readers), there was a good opportunity yesterday to compare the youthful Bert Kwok as Peter Sellers' fall guy Cato in the Pink Panther films with his more sedate Entwistle.

Finally, nominative determinism: can anyone offer examples (from LOTSW) other than Stuart FELL the stunt arranger?

Thanks yet again, BigUnc. It's always good to have prejudices confirmed. However, quite a few DVD players now replay NTSC as well as PAL, so it might be poss to replay here - assuming area bans can be overcome. If it appears on Amazon for hire, I'll give it a go and report back.

Can anyone tell me please whether the series 17 DVD has any Christmas Specials (and if so, which ones)?

Thanks again, BigUnc. Since this message board seems to be the only way of contacting you, would others please forgive the following.

For BigUnc:
I love your idea of a Compo/Nora-style seduction, but sadly it's all rather more prosaic: I'm the lucky owner of a picture (water colour on litho) by John Ward RA who died a few weeks ago. It's of the hills of Urbino with a picnic scene in the foreground. The opening long-shot of the Dales in an LOTSW episode strongly resembled the Urbino hills. John painted the picture earlier this year when he was coming up to 90 - still very active (happily painting nubile nudes in his studio) but in his LOTSW years. I thought an italian translation would make an appropriate title for the painting. Not a good idea! Italian and italian-speaking friends were no help, hence my clogging up this message board. It does seem that other countries don't have the same concept of "running down" that underlies the title - possibly because of a stronger sense of family, but that's another subject.

Pip pip, WofW.

Big Unc: many thanks. Your suggestion about A Merry Heatwave makes a lot of sense. Its position as no 7 in series 4 came from a web site which listed "all" episodes with a short summary of plot - unfortunately I can't easily find the address.

Having now thought a bit more about the Specials, I wonder if their absence is caused by the BBC. I notice from the contribution by "Richard" (thanks again for pointing this out) that UK TV buy these programmes from the Beeb - maybe the latter's marketing wing hasn't quite got its act sorted out yet - or even that they are charging a "special" price. I'm not really cynical.

Re LOTSW in Italian, you've accurately put your finger on the problem. It's unfair on others to go into this any more but I'll happily let you know what's behind my interest separately. There may be a way of contacting you individually via this site but I haven't found it
Thanks again, WofW

Sorry, I know there were three questions, not the promised two. I can count on a good day, but forget to do so.

WofW

First, thanks to all of you who've added to my love of and knowledge of LOTSW, and even answered questions I haven't got around to asking yet.

Here's two I have got around to: what's happened to "a merry heatwave", transmitted in '76 or '77 in series 4? It's always missed out when the series is shown (as currently).

Does anyone in UKTV drama planning or scheduling - or any other dept. come to that - actually read these contributions? It would be helpful to know why some episodes are never transmitted. May be there are copyright problems, or perhaps the BBC isn't releasing them, but knowing would help reduce the frustration.

Finally, can anyone offer a translation into Italian of Last of etc. I need something that captures the full meaning of the phrase - end of an era and that sort of thing. To explain why I need it would take far too long but if anyone really wants to know I can email them - it's in a good canse.

WofW.

I accept that programme planning and scheduling is not as simple as it appears, and that UK TV Drama may not have access to all LOTSW episodes. Also this message board, despite the unanimity of our messages, may not be regarded as typical of the rest of the audience. However, the number of us contributing must be minuscule compared with those "outside" with similar feelings. In some areas the constant repetition of the same episodes is regarded as a joke.

Please would somebody who is really involved in scheduling give us a statement as to why there is such vain repetition when variey is apparently equally easy to provide.

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.