Last of the Summer Wine
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?’ CompoCompo: I thought you'd be open.Sid: Well that's a natural assumption if you ignore the drawn blinds and the forty foot sign that says closed.Set and filmed in and around Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, Last of the Summer Wine follows the adventures of three quirky pensioners and their equally unusual neighbours. A true British classic that appeals to all generations, it is our nation's longest running comedy programme. The line-up of the comedy trio has changed numerous times over the years, but the calibre of the family-friendly humour Roy Clarke creates has remained the same, and it’s as funny and eccentric now as it was in the first episodes he wrote over 25 years ago.Including the pilot, broadcast ten months before the first series, 29 series, made up of 279 episodes, have been screened to date, with the 30th series set to air this autumn. The sitcom has consistently been a favourite in the ratings, with viewing figures peaking at 18.8 million in the mid-eighties.Famous fans include Prince Charles, the Queen Mother and the Queen, who said it was her favourite TV show.The Best of British Comedy - Last of the Summer Wine includes:• The History: an overview of how Last of the Summer Wine was born and developed• Gags and Catchphrases: a collection of classic quotes• Did You Know?: snippets of info about the show, cast, etc.• Favourite scenes: the most memorable scenes in full• A LOSW quiz'If God's omnipotent, what could he possibly want with my old woman?' CleggCompo: Your old lady's dog is crapping all over the pavement.Blamire: That's funny. He usually sews it up in little bags and sends it by post.
Читать Last of the Summer Wine онлайн беплатно
Last of The Summer Wine
The Best of British Comedy
The Best Scenes, Jokes and One-liners
Richard Webber
Table of Contents
HAIL SMILING MORN OR THEREABOUTS
THE GREAT BOARDING-HOUSE BATHROOM CAPER
ONE OF THE LAST FEW PLACES UNEXPLORED BY MAN
SERENADE FOR TIGHT JEANS AND METAL DETECTOR
THE MYSTERIOUS FEET OF NORA BATTY
MERRY CHRISTMAS, FATHER CHRISTMAS
THE EMPIRE THAT FOGGY NEARLY BUILT
THE LAST SURVIVING MAURICE CHEVALIER IMPRESSION
THE MIRACULOUS CURING OF OLD GOFF HELLIWELL
Think for a moment about all those classic sitcoms. While the premise, period, setting and style may differ, there are ingredients which are inherent in all of the examples, factors which must be in place if the programme is to rise above the norm and reach the higher echelons of the genre. Without these, the comedyâalbeit watchable and likely to occasion a chuckle every now and againâwill be just another run-of-the-mill product. Of course, in todayâs ruthless world of TV, such offerings wouldnât get a second glance, let alone a commission.
So what are some of these magical elements which are intrinsically entwined in the fabric of the best sitcoms? If we knew the answer to that weâd been overflowing with scriptwriting millionaires and not have one small-screen turkey to ridicule. But itâs clear when you consider the likes of Dadâs Army, Porridge, Only Fools and Horses, Steptoe and Son, The Good Life, Fawlty Towers et al that there are similaritiesâand you certainly donât need to be Einstein to spot them, either. All possess a sterling cast, for starters; performers who are adept in their craft and can bring a script to life with a single glance, a strained twitch, a puff of the cheeks.
Then there is the script itself. A proficient cast needs decent material to work with, and itâs all too easy to forget the person behind the scenes, the creator whose job is to create, time after time, a high calibre script. In such a competitive arena one can only admire the ability of writers to produce an inordinate amount of crisp, rich and humorous material.
No finer example of the aforementioned qualities can be found than in Yorkshire-born Roy Clarkeâs scripts. A purveyor of fine dialogue and characterisation, this former teacher and policeman has afforded us the likes of Open All Hours, Keeping Up Appearances and, of course, the delectable Last of the Summer Wine.
If you ever wanted a seamless example of quality writing, acting and production then look no further than Summer Wine, the worldâs longest-running TV sitcom. For proof of its popularity and class, just consider how long itâs been entertaining audiences: 36 years. On the surface, the show appears simply to spotlight the daily lives of, primarily, three old men ambling through their autumn years. But, as expected, there is much more to the programme, including a recurring sense of sadness, a feeling of missed opportunities and contemplating the real meaning of life, beautifully expressed through the reflective nature of the leading characters.
DID YOU KNOW?
One of Summer Wineâs claims to fame is that it was the first British TV comedy recorded in stereo sound.
Weâll be sampling this and much more within these covers. If you want to find out how the series was conceived, discover some interesting facts about the show, learn about the writerâs, performersâ and producerâs experiences, as well as enjoying some of the finest scenes in the long-running sitcom, which extends to over 280 episodes, then settle back and keep reading!
RICHARD WEBBER
It was the 4 January 1973 and a half-hour comedy pilot, âOf Funerals And Fishâ, had just flickered on to our screens. Nora Batty was chatting with a neighbour when a small van pulled up outside. A man jumped out and disappeared into Bill âCompoâ Simoniteâs house next-door.
NORA: Theyâre taking his telly again.
NEIGHBOUR: God, is it Tuesday already?
These lines provided the first breath in the life of a programme which would become a small-screen legend; itâs the doyen of all sitcoms and still going strong, 36 years later. Itâs hard to find another sitcom which evokes so many emotions than Roy Clarkeâs
