Last of the Summer Wine: 30 Years of Laughs - Channel 5

gothic said:
If I wrote what I actually feel I'd probably be banned for life, so i'll keep it as civil as possible.
I enjoyed the program for what it was. Yes, there were omissions, but **** what the **** do you expect, a bloody ten hour detailed documentary covering every aspect and character from the entire 30 years!!!!
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You are right of course Gothic, to cover every aspect of a sitcom that ran for more than 30 years would require a weeks programme time. I guess that we were all disappointed not to see a mention of our own favourite fragment of the show. My biggest disappointment was that this wonderful Forum we have here didn't get a mention. That, to me was a gross oversight. The main thing is that we are here forming the friendliest group on the net. Keep sharing the laughs, you will live a longer and happier life. :D:17::p
 
Just watched the programme and enjoyed it.
To show everything in the show in such a short time is impossible but what they did cover was great.
Anything that keeps the show in the minds of the public is ok by me.
Lovely touch at the end with Peter and Bill’s graves.
 
Barrychuckle said:
Cynicaly I'd question whether all the contributors were actually fans of the show or whether they just contributed for the publicity/fee. I thought the most insight came from the chap who worked in the greengrocers and was a pal of Bills, I was surprised to see Nora's really life daughter is a vicar!
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Yes I thought that about the talking heads. I’ve seen programmes before about ‘70’s toys etc that have opinions from people who weren’t even born until 20-30 years later than the toys that were being discussed !!!
Totally agree about the guy in the greengrocers.. he has a cracking shop too!
 
I thought I misheard the comment about Nora being Compo's landlady!

Yes, it did go very fast - no sooner had we got to Foggy arriving, we were on to Seymour, then Foggy's return, then Truly.

Perhaps we need a 3 hour programme.

Calling Uncle of the Bride the 1986 Christmas special was extremely wrong, as it shown on New Years Day 1986.

However, a very good programme, some nice fresh interviews, and a chance to see some unseen location filming.
 
This sounds interesting!! Any hope of it going across the Pond? Or has it crossed the Pond already?
 
Onslow said:
Still looking for how to see it here in the states. Will try the option mentioned as the end of this article.
www.express.co.uk

Last of the Summer Wine writer originally refused to cast Compo star

THE LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE writer Roy Clarke originally refused to cast Bill Owen as Compo according to the actor's son.
www.express.co.uk www.express.co.uk
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I'm working on this too, to the best as I can find so far My5 is not available in the USA. I think they might eventually have it on YouTube, but it's not easy to tell.
 
To play devil's advocate, to cram in 30 years worth of content it probably would have to be a 10 hour marathon, there was so much to cover BUT I do think they should have got a cast member to narrate it, theres still a fair few kicking about. I am however grateful they bothered at all.
 
ferret said:
Yes I thought that about the talking heads. I’ve seen programmes before about ‘70’s toys etc that have opinions from people who weren’t even born until 20-30 years later than the toys that were being discussed !!!
Totally agree about the guy in the greengrocers.. he has a cracking shop too!
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TV Comic and "PowerPoint presenter" Dave Gorman did a revealing spot in one of his "Modern Life is Goodish" shows (all on YouTube) about "talking head" shows ... his crew made a fake segment for the show with interviewees happily "remembering" things that never happened!
 
To be fair to Channel 5 it would've been made on a shoestring budget, but basics such as Nora not being Compos landlady shows lack of attention to detail, anyone of the cast or fans featured could've picked up on that. And I disagree that you couldn't have done the show justice in the allotted times, the documentary made after 30 years seemed to manage it.
 
Harsh as it sounds, Gothic has a point. We have to be realistic. And while we can't expect the reverence we may feel about it, accuracy and respectful regard would be nice. The article Onslow cited has two companion articles, one about Kathy Staff, and one about Peter Sallis. I have not read the article about Kathy Staff, but both the articles about Bill and Peter have inaccuracies that reflect a level of carelessness, if not manipulation, that I sincerely hope are not echoed in the documentary. As respectfully as I may, I will point out that Mr. Bray (I believe that is the greengrocers' name) has made statements in the past that were refuted by a member of this site. The video he made of himself draped all over Bill's gravestone not too long after Peter died, calling Bill only by his character name Compo, and advertising his own importance in everything makes me little inclined to trust him. The inclusion of people who have not had positive things to say in the past, or nothing whatever to say, suddenly ready to talk disturbs me too. They say history is written by the victorious. It is also re-written by the living. I'm afraid our collective memories will no doubt be a greater testimonial to what LOTSW means to us than any documentary or book that could now be written. Thank goodness we all have this place to share them.
 
This subject appears to be rather emotive, it reminds me of the differences between my dad and myself on First of the Summer Wine, I have the same passion for Last of the Summer Wine as my dad did but when it came to the prequel we differed. My dad watched the first episode and decided that he definitely didn't like it for one small fact, in Last Normans dad was a railway worker in First he was a painter and decorator and for that reason alone he refused to watch it. I on the other hand love both, I look past the little inconsistencies and enjoy them. The inaccuracies in the documentary has turned some people against it but others enjoyed it despite of them. I'm glad we're all different otherwise what would we have to talk about?
 
Pearl said:
This subject appears to be rather emotive, it reminds me of the differences between my dad and myself on First of the Summer Wine, I have the same passion for Last of the Summer Wine as my dad did but when it came to the prequel we differed. My dad watched the first episode and decided that he definitely didn't like it for one small fact, in Last Normans dad was a railway worker in First he was a painter and decorator and for that reason alone he refused to watch it. I on the other hand love both, I look past the little inconsistencies and enjoy them. The inaccuracies in the documentary has turned some people against it but others enjoyed it despite of them. I'm glad we're all different otherwise what would we have to talk about?
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Maybe Norman's dad was a Painter and Decorator on the Railway?.
 
Its all to do with Mastermind , we on this site are in essence the specialist subject element of the show whilst the people who made the show and most of the contributors are the general knowledge part and because of the latter you will never get the level of detail to satisfy we the specialist subject portion . Gothic is correct a ten hour documentary should do it but that is never going to happen . I have Ken Burns masterful documentary about the history of Jazz and that comes in just over 13 hours for 10 episodes and that covers Jazz from 1917 to Present [actually 2001] and while brilliant it simply cannot cover everything .

That said anything to both offer us another view on the show and to promote interest must be some sort of positive.
 
I take it the reference of Clegg's father working for the railway comes from Spring Fever, when Clegg is looking at his father's watch.

The times I've see that episode, yet somehow ignored that aspect of him working for the railway and not as a house painter.

And presumably the watch was for long service too.

I suppose it is hard to remember everything you write over the years after many episodes.
 
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