Last of the Summer Wine
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Last of the Summer Wine, written by Roy Clarke, is a British sitcom, which has run longer than any other comedy series in the world, now in its twenty-seventh series. Set in and around Holmfirth, Yorkshire, the series centres around the adventures of three elderly, unmarried friends: Norman Clegg or "Cleggy" (Peter Sallis), a shy and self-effacing widower; William "Compo" Simmonite (Bill Owen), sly, small, scruffy and amorous towards one of the women, the ever-frumpish Nora Batty (Kathy Staff), and a third member, who varied through the series. This third member would generally act as an unofficial - and pompous - leader to the more mischievous Compo and Clegg, who would usually mock their companion. However, on the occasions where Compo and Clegg were left to their own devices, they would usually find themselves bored and in need of someone to take them on an adventure. The original third member was Cyril Blamire (Michael Bates 1973-1975), who always wanted to better himself and was embarrassed by Compo's poor personal hygiene, then -and most famously - Walter "Foggy" Dewhurst (Brian Wilde 1976 - 1985), a pompous and boastful ex-army corporal, then the ineffectual eccentric would-be inventor Seymour Utterthwaite (Michael Aldridge 1986 - 1990), the brother of Edie Pegden (Thora Hird), then a return by Foggy Dewhurst (1990 - 1997) and currently retired police officer Herbert "Truly" Truelove (Frank Thornton).
After the death of Bill Owen in 1999, he was replaced by Keith Clifford as Billy Hardcastle (who had made a couple of one-off apperences previously), who tried to emulate and claimed to be descended from Robin Hood. Also joining the cast was Owen's real life son, Tom Owen, playing Tom Simmonite, Compo's long lost son.
A spin-off series, First of the Summer Wine, used different actors to follow the exploits of the main characters in their youth.
Important regular sub-plots in Last of the Summer Wine revolve around Howard's love affair with Marina (which his wife, Pearl, knows about, and tolerates up to a point mainly because it gives her something to use against him); discussions of the women's informal group: Nora, Ivy, Pearl, Edie and Glenda (with the customary unspoken battle between Nora and Ivy as to who gets the eclaire); Compo's pursuit of Nora (in later episodes, after Wally Batty is no longer on the scene, having passed away); Aunty Wainwright's machinations to sell her merchandise; Eli's gaffes; and Tom's constant efforts to stay one step ahead of the repo-man.
At various times, Auntie Wainwright mentions that both Howard and Smiler are relatives of hers, but she never specifies how, though it is generally known among fans that Auntie Wainwright is Howard's aunt.
In 2004 the series came 14th in a high profile BBC poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom.
Major characters - the \"Summer Wine\" trio
The focus of 'Last of the Summer Wine' has been a trio of retired men, whose differing views of life provide much of the comic tension. Until the death of Compo in 2000 (following the death of the actor Bill Owen), two of the trio consisted of lower-class "Compo" Simmonite, middle-class Norman Clegg, and a "third man". The character playing the third man varied over the years, but was always an authoritarian figure, playing the ring-leader in the escapades of the friends.
William \"Compo\" Simmonite
(Bill Owen, 1973-2000) Working class, and dressed in scruffy trousers and wellington boots, Compo rarely (if ever) worked for a living, preferring the lazy life. A great physical comedian, Compo is often used as the butt of jokes caused by the many dirty jobs, stunts and escapades that are a central feature of the series. Another recurring theme of the series was Compo's lust for the ladies - espicially his next-door neighbour, Nora Batty. The character was killed off in 2000 following the real life death of Owen a year earlier. Although Compo was already seriously ill, it was the sight of Nora Batty in fish-net stocking which finished him off and he died with a smile on his face
Norman Clegg
(Peter Sallis: 1973-present) Middle-class Clegg aims for a quiet respectable retirement, but is continually involved in the schemes of Foggy and the others. Despite having been married, Clegg shies away from women - especially the forward Marina. In many senses, Clegg represents the eye of the viewer into the escapades. As such, he is notable for his wry philosophical asides.
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Cyril Blamire
(Michael Bates: 1973-1975) The first third man, and the most childishly argumentative. When Bates left the cast due to illness in 1975, Blamire was written out of the series: it was said that he had left to get married.
Walter \"Foggy\" Dewhurst
(Brian Wilde: 1976-1985, 1990-1997) The successor to Blamire, Foggy is generally considered the definitive third man. A former soldier, he likes to boast of his exploits in Burma during the Second World War (in fact, he was a sign-writer). Although he considers himself to be very regimental and heroic, when confronted Foggy is generally meek and incompetent. He considers himself the leader of the trio, and frequently takes charge of the lazy Compo and Clegg. When Wilde left the series in 1985 to star in his own sitcom, it was explained that Foggy had moved to Bridlington to take over his family's egg-painting business. Returning in 1990, he claimed he had tired of a life of egg painting. In 1997, when Wilde's illness prevented him from taking part in filming the series, it was said that Foggy was swept away to Blackpool by the local postmistress.
Seymour Utterthwaite
(Michael Aldridge: 1986-1990) Retired headmaster Seymour feels that it is his duty in life to educate the masses, and in particular Compo and Clegg. He likes to invent, but the resulting inventions invariably lead to disaster - especially for Compo, the reluctant guinea pig. When Aldridge left the series in 1990 to care for his sick wife, Seymour was last seen leaving on a bus to take up a new job as an assistant headteacher at a private school.
Herbert \"Truly\" Truelove
(Frank Thornton: 1997-present) A retired policeman, Truly is more relaxed and fun-loving than his predecessors as "third man". Divorced, he frequently makes disparaging comments about "the former Mrs Truelove".
The post-Compo era
Following the death of Compo (following the 1999 death of actor Bill Owen), the classic "trio" format of Compo, Clegg and one other was no longer sustainable. For several years, the show had become more of an ensemble performance: instead of viewing all events through the eyes of the trio, recurring characters had their own, independent plotlines. Several new characters were introduced, and previous guest stars became regulars. New characters included Compo's son Tom Simmonite (played by Bill Owen's son Tom), who was widely reported in the press as being a direct replacement for the Compo character. In fact, the closest direct replacement for Compo was in the form of Billy Hardcastle (played by Keith Clifford), who is often shown walking with Truly and Clegg, though without the stunts associated with Compo. With the introduction of Alvin Smedley (played by Brian Murphy), the stunts, and an element of physical humour returned to the series.
As of 2006, the show achieved average ratings of 4 million viewers per episode.
Other Recurring Characters
See Recurring characters in Last of the Summer Wine.
See also
- First of the Summer Wine
- Last of the Summer Wine episode list
- Yorkshire dialect and accent
- Yorkshireisms
External link
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