Edie Pegden Later Episodes

Barrychuckle

Barrychuckle

Administrator
Staff member
Watching the last couple of series that Edie appeared in it's clear to see that Thora Hird was clearly very old and frail. She couldn't stand unaided and in her scenes you could see she was sitting down or was being propped up. Also her lines weren't spoken as clearly as they once were and sometimes were more like a mumble. I don't want to sound harsh as there is no doubt she is arguably the best actor to appear in the series with 2 BAFTAs to her her name.

But I recall when I watched these episodes at the time, I felt she was perhaps being kept in the cast down to loyalty and possibly detracted from the overall brilliance of the show. I appreciate all the actors were of an age, but Edies character I felt was a weak link towards the end and I know my friends felt the same. Additionally stand in actors had to be used for more of her scenes and I felt these were pretty obvious. I've always wondered whether she should have perhaps been retired when Wesley passed away or even a series earlier?
 
For me there was always something quite special about Thora's performances. As you say towards the end coherence was definitely being lost but I like to think that rather than have the character's formidableness (is that a word - it is now ;) ) diminished in any way, they kept her lines as normally scripted and then made allowances for her physical state accordingly.

Just one look from Edie could petrify most of the menfolk and even if she wasn't fully understandable then her meaning would have been keenly felt. I'd have liked a strong reflective scene from her on the passing of Wesley too.

It would have been best to have her holding court still in the café or Chez Pegden but location filming and the car scenes with her at the wheel should have gone and been referenced more like how they did with her son-in-law in his absent years.
 
Alan Bell clearly had a loyalty to her and she also seems to have wanted to keep appearing. IIRC, in his book he says her final series was all filmed in a day or two in a studio with only Sarah Thomas present. It's interesting to watch that series and see how they made it look like she was part of scenes with other actors. OF course, they already pulled that off when Bill Owen died to finish his final episodes.

Perhaps they should have reduced her to some token appearances, much like they did with Peter Sallis and Frank Thornton on the last few years, but if what Bell says is true, they more or less already had. I think its fine that she was still around.
 
mashibinbin said:
It would have been best to have her holding court still in the café or Chez Pegden but location filming and the car scenes with her at the wheel should have gone and been referenced more like how they did with her son-in-law in his absent years.
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The car scenes worked for me because of their seated nature and not only continued a running gag but did it in the show's way of having characters do things obviously well beyond their abilities. The scenes I feel sad watching are ones like where everyone is at an event (wedding?) and they cut to her in front of hedge bushes all by herself that could have been anywhere for her to deliver her lines.
 
tommy said:
The car scenes worked for me because of their seated nature and not only continued a running gag but did it in the show's way of having characters do things obviously well beyond their abilities. The scenes I feel sad watching are ones like where everyone is at an event (wedding?) and they cut to her in front of hedge bushes all by herself that could have been anywhere for her to deliver her lines.
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She had a double for the driving scenes other than closeups as I believe Thora Hird didn't have a driving licence, or the insurance was too high!
 
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