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Last of the Summer Wine
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-sixth 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 - Foggy Dewhurst (Brian Wilde 1976 - 1985), a pompous and boastful ex-army officer, then the ineffectual eccentric would-be inventor Seymour Utterthwaite, the brother of Edie Pegden, (Michael Aldridge 1986 - 1990), 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 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); 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.
Cast
This show is very unusual for its large regular cast:
- Norman Clegg (Peter Sallis)- The cast's comparatively level-headed anchor who claims to prefer a quiet life but always gets involved in the schemes of Foggy and the others. Notable for his wry philosophical asides.
- The second member of the trio:
- Compo Simmonite (Bill Owen*) - The character was killed off in 2000 after the real life death of Owen a year earlier. Compo has absolutely no decorum, freely propositions women (especially Nora Batty), and contentedly lives a very slovenly life with no apparent means of support. 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.
- Billy Hardcastle (Keith Clifford)- Compo's replacement of sorts, an avid outdoorsman who claims ancestral ties to Robin Hood.
- The third member of the trio:
- Cyril Blamire (Michael Bates*) - 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) - Staid successor to Blamire; Foggy is generally considered the definitive third man. Although he considers himself to be very regimental and heroic, when confronted Foggy is generally meek and incompetent. 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 he left again when he was swept away to Blackpool by the local postmistress at the wedding of a friend.
- Seymour Utterthwaite (Michael Aldridge*) - Bridging the gap between Foggy's regimes is Seymour, who likes to invent things and put on airs. He thinks he's a brilliant pedagogue and can make "good boys" out of Compo and Clegg. 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. However, he was upset when, shortly before his departure, Compo and Clegg informed him corporal punishment was now illegal.
- Truly Truelove (Frank Thornton)- A bit more fun-loving than previous "third men", Truly is a mildly arrogant ex-police detective. Forever grouses about his ex-wife.
- Nora Batty (Kathy Staff), Compo's next door neighbour and love interest (especially after husband Wally's death) much to prudish Nora's despair. Compo's only complaint is her wrinkly stockings. Proudly devoted to strict drudgery, Nora stands as a monument to the classic old-fashioned Northern woman.
- Wally Batty (Joe Gladwin*), Nora's husband, until his death in 1987. A meek man, often indifferent towards or in favor of Compo's advances towards Nora.
- Sid (John Comer*), bluff tea-shop owner, who featured prominently for the first ten years, before his death in 1983. Ivy remembers him fondly, and often mentions him in conversation. Sid was one of the few characters who actually seemed to enjoy getting involved in the misadventures of the three central characters.
- Milburn, aka "Crusher" (Jonathan Lindsey), Ivy's nephew, although bearing a striking resemblance to Sid. Helped Ivy out in the cafe for a few years after Sid died.
- Ivy (Jane Freeman), joint owner of tea-shop with husband Sid, with whom she would often have blazing rows in the kitchen, until his death. She now runs it solely, and viciously scolds anyone who dares misbehave or criticise the food. Generally the wisest and most level-headed of the show's female social circle.
- Edie Pegden (Dame Thora Hird*), a highly opinionated older woman, sister of Seymour Utterthwaite and houseproud host of the women's coffee mornings. She was introduced, along with Seymour, her husband Wesley, daughter Glenda and son-in-law Barry in the 1985 episode "Uncle of the Bride". Wesley restored a convertible car for her to drive, despite the fact that she is a terrible driver. When Hird died in 2003, Edie was also said to have died.
- Wesley Pegden (Gordon Wharmby*), Edie's husband, who spends all his time in his workshop/garage. He constantly has to walk on newspaper in his home because he is covered in oil, and Edie won't stand him making a mess. When Wharmby died in 2002, Wesley also died; subsequent references to him were made in the past tense. The men would often come to him for mechanical assistance when the situation called for him; it always seemed Wesley would rather stick to restoring old motors.
- Glenda Wilkinson (Sarah Thomas), daughter of Edie and Wesley. It is considered by the other women in the group that she is somewhat naive, despite her being middle-aged. Whenever she attempts to join in a mature conversation, her mother would snap "drink your coffee!" She speaks glowingly of her husband Barry but is often insecure and unsatisfied with him at home.
- Barry Wilkinson (Mike Grady), hen-pecked husband of Glenda. Dull and ineffectual, Barry strives for adventure but seems destined for paperwork and domesticity.
- Howard (Robert Fyfe), shy, simpering, henpecked husband, and would-be lover of Marina. A creative but unconvincing liar. He tends to ignore Marina when he's out with her, partly out of fear of his wife Pearl, and partly because he gets so deeply caught up in cooking up charades to cover up his affair.
- Pearl (Juliette Kaplan), Howard's long-suffering wife and a bit of a shrew. She is almost gleefully obsessed with exposing Howard's philandering and generally tormenting him.
- Marina (Jean Fergusson), flashy but over-age, Howard's love interest. Marina works in a supermarket. She insinuates a smoldering past between herself and Clegg, which Clegg is always quick to deny.
- Aunty Wainwright (Jean Alexander), sly and grasping junk shop owner. She is Howard's "Auntie" and while both have a general predisposition towards sneakiness, Auntie Wainwright is much more adept at applying it.
- Roz (Dora Bryan), Edie's sister, who has always been more romantically adventurous, to Edie's unending shame.
- Smiler (Stephen Lewis), sour and not-too-bright comic foil. Seems to be suffering some sort of indentured servitude to Auntie Wainwright.
- Eli Duckett (Danny O'Dea*), extremely near-sighted bumbler. Eli has not appeared since the death of O'Dea, though the character has not been killed off.
- Tom Simmonite (Tom Owen), Compo's son on the show and in real life. Tom is a layabout like Compo but seems a bit more enterprising in his attempts to maintain his slothful lifestyle.
- Lolly Minerva Avery (Julie T. Wallace), Tom's live-in "associate"; much larger than him yet somewhat easily manipulated. This was not to last; she threw him out of their flat and disappeared from the series after a couple of years. Arriving on the scene with her and Tom was her niece Babs, but not much was done with her character and she quickly disappeared.
- Entwistle (Burt Kwouk), Electrician and fortune-teller from Hull. His real name is McIntyre but he changed it so people wouldn't mistake him for a Scotsman. Entwistle took over Wesley's job of shuttling the others across the countryside.
- Alvin Smedley (Brian Murphy), Nora's neighbour after Mrs. Avery relinquishes Compo's old flat following her disappearance from the show. Alvin publicly claims he can't stand Nora but he can't seem to resist trying to liven up her life a little.
- Policemen (originally Ken Kitson and Tony Capstick; Louis Emerick replaced the late Capstick in 2004), generally seen driving around the moors and trying not to get involved with anything.
- Barman (only occasionally seen).
- Mr Wainwright (Blake Butler) and Mrs Partridge (Rosemary Martin), library workers involved in an affair which they believe is secret. The two only featured in early episodes, when Compo, Clegg and Blamire would frequently visit the library. Though the characters disappeared as the library was written out as a favourite haunt the storyline was resurrected and used for Howard and Marina.
- Miss Davenport (Josephine Tewson), the current librarian, a very emotional woman.
*These actors have died and their characters' deaths have been written into the scripts.
See also
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