Fantasy LOTSW Cast

Barrychuckle

Barrychuckle

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Further to recent discussions elsewhere on the forum about Still Open All Hours and its similarities with Last Of The Summer Wine, got me thinking what LOTSW would be like if it still was running today. Clearly the cast would have had to evolved as many of the favorites have passed away since the series finished. However these are my ideas.

Trio of Bobby Ball as the Compo type character with Cooper & Walsh now retired from the Police making up the group on their usual mad antics.

Howard & Alvin would be supporting actors with Pearls long lost sister keeping an eye on them, perhaps played by someone like Stephanie Cole whom I think would suit the role perfectly.

The ladies would be, Glenda & Stella & I'd also add Miranda Hart who I think would be a great addition to the dynamic.

Marina & Miss Davenport would still also have plots like before.

Finally I'd have someone like Lynda Baron having taken over the shop from Auntie Wainwright. Clearly I'd have other actors periodically popping up, I think Peter Kay would be brilliant intermittently appearing cast member and he would make the series very funny.

Clearly this is just my dreams of how the series could look, I'd be interested to see if anyone else ever thinks how the series could look today and which actors would be used?
 
I think with her association with Open All Hours and a few appearances already in LOTSW, Maggie Ollerenshaw would be useful here.

There's not many actors now worthy of being in such a show now, but some good ideas in the above post.
 
I would have Barry as the Clegg type - he's so similar really, and with all those years in the show, the natural choice.

Personally I would want to see Tom Owen back as Tom as the Compo type, like he was when he first appeared, not the boring waste of time character he became.

Russ Abbot would naturally continue playing Hobbo, the third man.
 
Must be a part for Paula Wilcox , Stephanie Beecham , Alison Stedman,Oh sorry Auntie already had the successor of sorts to LOTSW about a group of later in life people who were quite outrageous at times it was called Boomers and the binned that like they binned LOTSW . Russ Abbot was in that as was the wonderful Phil Jackson , all 5 would be good in LOTSW. Agree with Peter Kay as a guest star and Dave Spikey . I would like to see a role for Justin Moorhouse as well although he is from the wrong Rose county in the context of the show. I watched Whitehouse and Mortimer go fishing and both would be a good fit , Paul Whitehouse is a wonderful comedic actor .
 
A lot of really good actors and actresses mentioned to make up a fine cast. I watched a little Rising Damp recently. What about Leonard Rossiter as a snarky pub landlord? Maybe Frances de la Tour could help Miss Davenport in the library.
 
Fantastic, we're getting some brilliant ideas and casting here!!

I forgot to include Barry sorry, naturally he's a shoe in. However I didn't include him in the trio as the original premise was they had to be single and unattached. Paul Whitehouse what an amazing character actor, but Bob Mortimer - can he be forgiven for this 3 men in a bath sketch with Vic Reeves which was a swipe at our comedy :42:????

Pearl not sure if you saw Peter Kay on Coronation Street a long time ago when he played an undertaker, I feel that sort of character would fit into the series brilliantly!!! (here's the link of him, still think its brilliant!
)

Also as the series was renowned for pulling in the very best actors what about Sir Ian McKellan playing a Seymour type character???
 
and7barton said:
Well, this is fantasy, so it doesn't matter if they are no longer with us. It will never happen anyway, regretfully.
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I often think about LOTSW being reborn. I think that in a few years some attempt will be made to reintroduce the show but it would be a mistake to try and make copies of the old characters. Maybe three old women instead of men, or, four old men. Maybe a mixture of the sexes but that has been tried in Boomers which, I liked but was not entirely happy with the camera arrangements. The cafe, of course, would have to be a must. One day, someone may write something based on village life with the antics of the older generation coping with modern life and modern technology.
 
If we are talking 'fantasy' Summer Wine, here are couple of people I would've loved to see either as part of the main trio, or as bit part characters for an episode or two.
Albert Finney
Jos Ackland
Andre Maranne (the French fella from The Pink Panther films). I think he would've been grand as a one off.
Geoffrey Whitehead, who is currently doing well as Mr. Newbold in SOAH.
I think had we had another series, I would've liked to see Alvin and Stella get it together and take over the Cafe from the ailing Ivy.
 
RickAns said:
I liked the interplay of Alvin and Stella. Them running the cafe together would have been pretty funny.
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Rick, I always thought that might have been a nice line to pursue. Ivy was obviously struggling and the conflict between Stella and Alvin could have given the Café a new Sid and Ivy feel.
I thought possibly that Travis could've been introduced too, possibly as not quite the no mark that Nelly portrayed him to be. Perhaps as a Ladykiller, suave type, once he'd got his bearings.
 
Some absolutely wonderful ideas here, clearly there was plenty of life left in LOTSW had it not been for the BBC axe, it would've evolved and I'm sure Roy Clarke would have still been writing for it. However as there has been such a gap I agree it'd probably never be a good idea to resurrect it.

I'm still gutted it finished, just think people would be talking about it approaching it's 50th birthday had it still been running today :frown2::frown2::frown2::frown2::frown2:
 
Those two slipped my mind. Crusher and Fran would have been nice to see them come back to work the cafe. Stella and Alvin could help out from time to time waiting tables, haha!
 
Barrychuckle said:
Some absolutely wonderful ideas here, clearly there was plenty of life left in LOTSW had it not been for the BBC axe, it would've evolved and I'm sure Roy Clarke would have still been writing for it. However as there has been such a gap I agree it'd probably never be a good idea to resurrect it.

I'm still gutted it finished, just think people would be talking about it approaching it's 50th birthday had it still been running today :frown2::frown2::frown2::frown2::frown2:
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I totally agree Barry, there was plenty of plot variations left and life in it and from my point of view, there is no way that the final series 'seemed' like it was written by a writer looking for closure.
I think Roy was probably promised more life and was just writing like there was development and was led up the garden path by the BBC. Had it been me and I'd have known it was to be the final series, there is no way I would've wasted it on Howard and his attempts to get home again. And I say that with all respect to Howard and Pearl.
If I was Roy and I'd been told it was the last series, I would have made sure it was both a better ending than that and would have tied up loose ends and made sure major characters were involved.
It just had the feel of an ordinary series that was still developing a new main character....with more scope to follow.
The final series was OK, watchable, but nothing special.
Had Roy known it was the final stretch, I'm sure it would've been different.
There was plenty of life left in it.
 
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