Below is Info sent to me from Andrew Vine about the new losw book which may be available from August, Terry
LAST Of The Summer Wine - The Story of the World’s Longest Running Comedy Series will be published in August by Aurum Press and tells the definitive story of this, one of the greatest of all situation comedies.
The book has been written by Andrew Vine, a professional journalist for nearly 30 years, who is currently assistant editor of the Yorkshire Post, England’s largest regional morning newspaper.
It is the product of 18 months of extensive research that includes in-depth interviews with Roy Clarke and Alan J W Bell, as well as the two other producers who played such an important role in the Summer Wine story - James Gilbert and Sydney Lotterby. Cast members have also given generously of their memories and thoughts about the series, including Peter Sallis, Frank Thornton, Russ Abbot, Burt Kwouk, Brian Murphy, Jane Freeman, Jean Alexander, Mike Grady, Sarah Thomas, Jean Fergusson, Robert Fyfe, Jean Alexander and Tom Owen.
The book includes previously unpublished material from both the BBC archives and Brian Wilde that is revealing, candid, and sometimes surprising about the show that became Britain’s favourite comedy series, which at the peak of its ratings united a third of the country’s population in laughter.
Packed with anecdotes and revealing behind-the-scenes stories about life both on location and in the studios, this is also the story of the people who made the show such a success, of how Roy Clarke felt when he first sat down to write, of how it rescued Bill Owen’s career from the doldrums, of how misfortune and change were dealt with as the show constantly evolved and renewed itself. Here for the first time, amongst much more, is the touching story of Owen’s final weeks on the programme, the heartache behind Michael Aldridge’s decision to leave and the difficult circumstances that surrounded Thora Hird’s debut, as well as her determination to carry on in the face of illness.
By turns funny and moving, this is the complete story of Summer Wine from the very first episode to the last, and also places the show in context as not only the last survivor of a golden age of BBC sitcoms, but as one of the very greatest of all comedy shows.
LAST Of The Summer Wine - The Story of the World’s Longest Running Comedy Series will be published in August by Aurum Press and tells the definitive story of this, one of the greatest of all situation comedies.
The book has been written by Andrew Vine, a professional journalist for nearly 30 years, who is currently assistant editor of the Yorkshire Post, England’s largest regional morning newspaper.
It is the product of 18 months of extensive research that includes in-depth interviews with Roy Clarke and Alan J W Bell, as well as the two other producers who played such an important role in the Summer Wine story - James Gilbert and Sydney Lotterby. Cast members have also given generously of their memories and thoughts about the series, including Peter Sallis, Frank Thornton, Russ Abbot, Burt Kwouk, Brian Murphy, Jane Freeman, Jean Alexander, Mike Grady, Sarah Thomas, Jean Fergusson, Robert Fyfe, Jean Alexander and Tom Owen.
The book includes previously unpublished material from both the BBC archives and Brian Wilde that is revealing, candid, and sometimes surprising about the show that became Britain’s favourite comedy series, which at the peak of its ratings united a third of the country’s population in laughter.
Packed with anecdotes and revealing behind-the-scenes stories about life both on location and in the studios, this is also the story of the people who made the show such a success, of how Roy Clarke felt when he first sat down to write, of how it rescued Bill Owen’s career from the doldrums, of how misfortune and change were dealt with as the show constantly evolved and renewed itself. Here for the first time, amongst much more, is the touching story of Owen’s final weeks on the programme, the heartache behind Michael Aldridge’s decision to leave and the difficult circumstances that surrounded Thora Hird’s debut, as well as her determination to carry on in the face of illness.
By turns funny and moving, this is the complete story of Summer Wine from the very first episode to the last, and also places the show in context as not only the last survivor of a golden age of BBC sitcoms, but as one of the very greatest of all comedy shows.
