Last of the Summer Wine

I was a big fan of this series before i appeared in it. I still get letters and cards from fans despite leaving the show in 1988. Roy Clarke is one of the greatest comedy writers of his generation, he explores the British class system, old age, and the relationships between Yorshiremen and the Women they love brilliantly. The early shows were about boredom, retirement, life in Yorkshire and friendship between men of differing backgrounds. When the show was taken over by Alan J W Bell ,who produced and directed all the episodes i appeared in, the comedy broadened. Wonderful slapstick and unlikely romance became the strong central themes. In 1987 the show regularly had viewing figures just below 20 Million, and it continues to have a cult following to this day. I made some wonderful friends on the series too, Jane Freeman (who played my Auntie Ivy), Bill Owen (who i sadly miss) Peter Sallis (who taught me so much when we worked on stage together) Thora Hird (who told great stories of her early life in the Co-op as a sales assistant) Joe Gladwyn (who told me the most wonderful tales of early music hall and variety shows) to name just a few... I think one of the best qualities of this show is that anyone of any age can watch it and find something amusing, popular family entertainment is rare these days and this is a gem.

Simply put, this show has been my favorite discovery of late and I am definitely going to try and purchase each and every one of the episodes and specials if possible.

It has really not been done justice by the other comment here. I am absolutely in love with this show.

I had no idea it has been around as long as it has. Apparently the longest running show in England and possibly most anywhere.

With good reason as you will see if you watch a couple of episodes.

These gentlemen trying to recapture their youth are so funny and endearing

Several of listeners or watchers felt the series would not be as good without Compo. But this is not the case. We in Australia are seeing on UK TV, a pay channel, The new episodes from 2002 to 2004. BBC listeners are now seeing the new 2005 series.

Unfortunately UK TV does not have the rights to episodes from 1973 to 2001. It is the greatest show ever and Roy Clark is a genius, he also wrote "Keeping up Appearances" I have both DDVs from Amazon.A hope some of the old episodes will soon appear. There is a ready market out there.

The great strength of British sitcoms over American is the small number of episodes made each year. Let us hope Roy does not tire of the series.

My father got me hooked on this series, after he mentioned how much he enjoyed it. A local PBS station was running it, and I just fell in love with the three old men and their antics. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Peter Sallis is also the voice of Wallace, as in "Wallace & Grommit" -- another personal favorite. My biggest frustration is that our PBS station stopped running it, the BBC has only released one set of tapes, and that is criminal for a show that's been on the air for 30 years! For gentle, character driven comedies, this show cannot be beat. Also, the scenery is beautiful. All those rural, rustic shots of the English countryside are gorgeous.

Running since the dawn of time, Last of the Summer Wine is one of the mot reliable elements of the BBC's output. Featuring wonderful actors in unique roles, it's ideal viewing for sitting down with the Sunday tea. It's warm, sentimental and old-fashioned. That every episode seems to end with a couple of OAPs rolling down a hillside in a tin bath on wheels is neither here nor there: it's charming and friendly. Spiky edges are provided by Dame Thora Hird, the wondrous Kathy Staff, and Jane Freeman, and the series is not challenging viewing. Harmless. The kind of telly you could watch with your granny. That most of the cast are your granny's age is another joy. Hardly cutting edge, and guaranteed to run until the end of the world, Last of the Summer Wine is truly immortal.