Quite simply, Last of the Summer Wine is the longest-running comedy programme in the world. It premiered 37 years ago, in 1973, and, after 31 series it finally came to an end last year – even though all its original protagonists – Compo, Foggy, even Nora Batty – are now dead. Remarkably, for a series of such longevity and international appeal, it is all about elderly people, has little action or plot, and is set and filmed in and around the small Yorkshire town of Holmfirth. Now, Andrew Vine, the deputy editor of Yorkshire’s daily newspaper, has written the definitive history of this television phenomenon. It covers the show’s inauspicious beginnings, with low ratings, its endless reinvention as participants like Bill Owen, Michael Bates, Brian Wilde and Kathy Staff retired or died, the appearance of a string of guest stars from John Cleese and Norman Wisdom to Thora Hird and Russ Abbott (both of whom soon found themselves fixtures in the cast), and the ingenious plot contrivances as the protagonists became too old and frail to attempt any of the slapstick stunts with runaway prams – indeed any outdoor action. Holmfirth is now a year-round tourist attraction, and endless repeats and new DVD box sets will ensure a readership for this book for years to come.
The best jokes, gags and scenes from a true British comedy classic. ‘Do you reckon I’m in love with Mrs. Batty, or is it just sex?’ Compo
So lock up your ferrets (and Nora Batty!), here come Yorkshire's hilarious adventurers -- three pensioners in four classic capers from the BBC television series which still has England laughing after more than twenty-five years.
The lyrical tales of three bumbling, elderly eccentrics have been delighting loyal audiences of all ages for over twenty-five years, and this book celebrates the show's incredible success.
This book is a tribute to the long-running sitcom "Last of the Summer Wine.
Public performances.
Summer Wine and Vintage Years
Last of the Summer Wine: A Country Companion by Clegg, Foggy & Compo
Kathy Staff's part as Nora Batty in The Last of the Summer Wine has made her a household name.
Making of the Vintage Years of Last of the Summer Wine
In the unusual world of Green Town, Illinois, a twelve-year-old discovers the wonders of reality and the power of imagination during the summer of 1928