tommy
Dedicated Member
Though it hadn't been written at the time, the prequel series showed that he was around more than just an occasional acquaintance but he was more a target of ribbing by the others than being inner part of the group.
Series Three (1976) Episode Reviews
- Thread starter David Piper
- Start date
David Piper
Dedicated Member
(S03 E02) Mending Stuart’s Leg
Original Airdate: November 3, 1976
The trio listen for “clicks” in their ailing friend Stuart’s leg. Failing that, they attempt to replace tiles on the cafe roof.
“When I press his knee, his mouth opens! Watch!”
~Compo Simmonite
In the opening scene as the trio crosses the busy town road, a Homepride Bakeries delivery truck is seen. Homepride is a flour company founded in 1920. In 1974, the company branched out into sauces.
That’s one treacherous curve on that two-lane street! In videos It looks like there’s near-constant, fast-moving traffic speeding by.
Mr. Wainwright (Blake Butler), the “left-wing, lecherous librarian” who “Spends his days dreaming of revolution” and “his nights dreaming of other men’s wives” from Series 1 is back. An obviously forgetful Compo says, “Hey, let’s pop in and explain our rules to the new librarian.” Wainwright mentions that before he was transferred back to this town’s library, he used to “indulge in a little dream. That he [Compo] might have emigrated, or stumbled in the path of an articulated vehicle!” Compo refers to Wainwright as “old shagnasty.”
Wainwright immediately throws the trio out of the library. Foggy says he’d never thought he’d see the day when a Dewhurst was “unwelcome from a seat of learning.” Clegg is amused that Wainwright remembered Compo.
Miss Moss (Kate Brown), the new assistant librarian resembles her predecessor, the lovely Mrs. Partridge (Rosemary Martin). Miss Moss seems quite taken with Mr. Wainwright.
Wainwright and Miss Moody eat lunch in the cafe, where a still-raging Ivy drops their plates on the table. With Ivy’s attitude, no wonder the cafe is always empty of customers.
The trio’s wandering-in-the-countryside scene is beautifully shot from afar, with the silhouettes of our heroes framed along the skyline. Foggy says the episode’s title.
At the cafe, an enraged Ivy throws dozens of saucers out the door at Sid. It boggles the mind as to how a “passionate” marriage such as theirs failed to produce any children. Watch for the funny bit with the fellow passing by, well aware of the domestic disturbance, says good morning to Sid, who’s sweeping up all the broken plates; just another day in the life of Sid!
Ivy has been quite angry and upset at Sid and the trio in her two most recent appearances. She even fires a broadside at a workman customer (Roy Sampson), referring to the “English male siesta. You know, the one that lasts from 9 ‘til 5.” The workman and Sid then have a funny exchange:
Workman: “Yours?”
Sid: “Aye.”
Workman: “Wouldn’t it be quicker just to cut your throat?”
Later, Ivy lets loose a man-hating barrage for the ages:
“Women's lib! You think we need an act of parliament to be the equal of you lot! Ooh, it makes me poorly. The only distinguishing factor about the male sex is that it's got more in its trousers than he's got in its head!. What it's got in its trousers it can keep!”
With Ivy’s outbursts one has to wonder if Roy Clarke is either 1) Playing up Ivy for comedic effect, or 2) Creating a chronicle of Ivy as a deeply unhappy woman. Given these early seasons’ penchant for pathos giving way to broader comedy, this viewer is inclined to believe the former.
Stuart (Reginald Barratt) doesn’t trust doctors, so he has relied on the trio to help mend his leg, much to his considerable physical agony.
Actor Reginald Barratt would die aged 57, on June 10, 1977; seven months after this episode aired.
The funny silent, visual gag of filming at knee level when Ivy confronts Stuart is a bit of inspired directing by Sydney Lotterby.
Sid and Ivy’s domestic discord notwithstanding, Last of the Summer Wine has already begun to soften its edges. Clegg is less pointed in his philosophical remarks, and he has also stopped smoking. Foggy doesn’t “approve” of cigarettes, and even Compo is not seen smoking.
There’s a wrestling poster on the cafe wall: “Steve Logan vs. Black Kwango.”
Steve Logan (1922-2002)
John Kwango (1920-1994)
“The prefix ‘Black’ was added to the name in 1950 and it was not uncommon for matches to be advertised as Black v White contests.” [Wrestling Heritage UK]
Nora Batty doesn’t (yet) demonstrate a similar unhappiness to Ivy’s. Speaking of Nora, she makes a welcome, but brief, return in this episode. She clubs Compo with her handbag after the two run into one another in an alley. Despite Compo’s claims to the contrary, Nora’s stockings don’t look so wrinkled! Is that even Kathy Staff walking away in that scene?
The most interesting part is what Compo shouts after (a giggling!) Nora when she pushes him away:
Compo: “Hey, it wasn’t so bad like this on VE night!”
Nora: “One night? The world was upside down!”
This leads the viewer to believe that a young Compo and Nora celebrated enthusiastically the day World War II in Europe ended. It begs the question: Will this momentous Compo-Nora event ever be mentioned again? The VE night encounter would certainly put their behavior in Some Enchanted Evening into clearer perspective!
The amusing, unfinished oddness of the Stuart story gives way to a tacked-on bit–though it stems from Ivy and Sid’s argument–in which the trio “help” Sid replace some tiles on the cafe roof. A crewman holding a boom microphone can be seen reflected in the van when Sid is driving the van to pull Compo up the ladder.
The trio are observed bringing out the long ladder by what appears to be non-actors, who look genuinely confused by the boys’ antics! The sooty city gets quite the showcase in these scenes.
Compo figuring in the physical stunts pays off with a couple of laugh-out-loud moments: Compo being hoisted up the ladder as Sid drives the van, and best of all, the view from inside the cafe as Compo’s legs are lowered down and then up as though he were being attached to a rope being pulled by Quasimodo himself. LotSW has entered a less philosophical, more slapstick era. The 1960s hangover that was 1970-75 has given way to a less abrasive mindset, both in this program and in popular culture in general.
My Rating: 8/10
Original Airdate: November 3, 1976
The trio listen for “clicks” in their ailing friend Stuart’s leg. Failing that, they attempt to replace tiles on the cafe roof.
“When I press his knee, his mouth opens! Watch!”
~Compo Simmonite
In the opening scene as the trio crosses the busy town road, a Homepride Bakeries delivery truck is seen. Homepride is a flour company founded in 1920. In 1974, the company branched out into sauces.
That’s one treacherous curve on that two-lane street! In videos It looks like there’s near-constant, fast-moving traffic speeding by.
Mr. Wainwright (Blake Butler), the “left-wing, lecherous librarian” who “Spends his days dreaming of revolution” and “his nights dreaming of other men’s wives” from Series 1 is back. An obviously forgetful Compo says, “Hey, let’s pop in and explain our rules to the new librarian.” Wainwright mentions that before he was transferred back to this town’s library, he used to “indulge in a little dream. That he [Compo] might have emigrated, or stumbled in the path of an articulated vehicle!” Compo refers to Wainwright as “old shagnasty.”
Wainwright immediately throws the trio out of the library. Foggy says he’d never thought he’d see the day when a Dewhurst was “unwelcome from a seat of learning.” Clegg is amused that Wainwright remembered Compo.
Miss Moss (Kate Brown), the new assistant librarian resembles her predecessor, the lovely Mrs. Partridge (Rosemary Martin). Miss Moss seems quite taken with Mr. Wainwright.
Wainwright and Miss Moody eat lunch in the cafe, where a still-raging Ivy drops their plates on the table. With Ivy’s attitude, no wonder the cafe is always empty of customers.
The trio’s wandering-in-the-countryside scene is beautifully shot from afar, with the silhouettes of our heroes framed along the skyline. Foggy says the episode’s title.
At the cafe, an enraged Ivy throws dozens of saucers out the door at Sid. It boggles the mind as to how a “passionate” marriage such as theirs failed to produce any children. Watch for the funny bit with the fellow passing by, well aware of the domestic disturbance, says good morning to Sid, who’s sweeping up all the broken plates; just another day in the life of Sid!
Ivy has been quite angry and upset at Sid and the trio in her two most recent appearances. She even fires a broadside at a workman customer (Roy Sampson), referring to the “English male siesta. You know, the one that lasts from 9 ‘til 5.” The workman and Sid then have a funny exchange:
Workman: “Yours?”
Sid: “Aye.”
Workman: “Wouldn’t it be quicker just to cut your throat?”
Later, Ivy lets loose a man-hating barrage for the ages:
“Women's lib! You think we need an act of parliament to be the equal of you lot! Ooh, it makes me poorly. The only distinguishing factor about the male sex is that it's got more in its trousers than he's got in its head!. What it's got in its trousers it can keep!”
With Ivy’s outbursts one has to wonder if Roy Clarke is either 1) Playing up Ivy for comedic effect, or 2) Creating a chronicle of Ivy as a deeply unhappy woman. Given these early seasons’ penchant for pathos giving way to broader comedy, this viewer is inclined to believe the former.
Stuart (Reginald Barratt) doesn’t trust doctors, so he has relied on the trio to help mend his leg, much to his considerable physical agony.
Actor Reginald Barratt would die aged 57, on June 10, 1977; seven months after this episode aired.
The funny silent, visual gag of filming at knee level when Ivy confronts Stuart is a bit of inspired directing by Sydney Lotterby.
Sid and Ivy’s domestic discord notwithstanding, Last of the Summer Wine has already begun to soften its edges. Clegg is less pointed in his philosophical remarks, and he has also stopped smoking. Foggy doesn’t “approve” of cigarettes, and even Compo is not seen smoking.
There’s a wrestling poster on the cafe wall: “Steve Logan vs. Black Kwango.”
Steve Logan (1922-2002)
John Kwango (1920-1994)
“The prefix ‘Black’ was added to the name in 1950 and it was not uncommon for matches to be advertised as Black v White contests.” [Wrestling Heritage UK]
Nora Batty doesn’t (yet) demonstrate a similar unhappiness to Ivy’s. Speaking of Nora, she makes a welcome, but brief, return in this episode. She clubs Compo with her handbag after the two run into one another in an alley. Despite Compo’s claims to the contrary, Nora’s stockings don’t look so wrinkled! Is that even Kathy Staff walking away in that scene?
The most interesting part is what Compo shouts after (a giggling!) Nora when she pushes him away:
Compo: “Hey, it wasn’t so bad like this on VE night!”
Nora: “One night? The world was upside down!”
This leads the viewer to believe that a young Compo and Nora celebrated enthusiastically the day World War II in Europe ended. It begs the question: Will this momentous Compo-Nora event ever be mentioned again? The VE night encounter would certainly put their behavior in Some Enchanted Evening into clearer perspective!
The amusing, unfinished oddness of the Stuart story gives way to a tacked-on bit–though it stems from Ivy and Sid’s argument–in which the trio “help” Sid replace some tiles on the cafe roof. A crewman holding a boom microphone can be seen reflected in the van when Sid is driving the van to pull Compo up the ladder.
The trio are observed bringing out the long ladder by what appears to be non-actors, who look genuinely confused by the boys’ antics! The sooty city gets quite the showcase in these scenes.
Compo figuring in the physical stunts pays off with a couple of laugh-out-loud moments: Compo being hoisted up the ladder as Sid drives the van, and best of all, the view from inside the cafe as Compo’s legs are lowered down and then up as though he were being attached to a rope being pulled by Quasimodo himself. LotSW has entered a less philosophical, more slapstick era. The 1960s hangover that was 1970-75 has given way to a less abrasive mindset, both in this program and in popular culture in general.
My Rating: 8/10
theatrically_inclined
Dedicated Member
Nearly right. But usually, the sheer amount of traffic means it is at a total standstill!
codfanglers
Dedicated Member
Good point, although I don't see Blamire being delusional enough to think he could diagnose Stuart's knee.
David Piper
Dedicated Member
When Ivy is throwing dishes at Sid, one of them just misses hitting him in the back of the head by mere inches!
I hope those were "stunt" plates being thrown!
I hope those were "stunt" plates being thrown!
You never know. Peter Sallis and Patrick McGoohan were close friends from what I understand. They both were in an excellent production of the Henrik Ibsen play "Brand" together, which is available on YouTube.I just wouldn't want the thread to look like tangled bootlaces.
Speaking of The Man from Oswestry, I neglected to mention that Cyril and Foggy were stationed together for 3 months in 1947.
Clegg has a great line, "You ever get the feeling that living in the second half of the 20th century is a bit like being detained on Her Majesty's pleasure?" The line is worthy of McGoohan's Number 6. Sid and Compo say nothing in response, which allows the line to sink in (or not).
David Piper
Dedicated Member
(S03 E03) The Great Boarding-House Bathroom Caper
Original Airdate: November 10, 1976
The trio, along with Sid and Ivy, go on a seaside holiday to Scarborough.
“The world is full of social reformers, and nothing irritates your social reformer more than finding some damned fool who’s happy!”
~Norman Clegg
That's a nice transition from seaside film shot to foggy holding a postcard at the cafe in the episode's opening.
In the cafe, Ivy’s posture and clothing call to mind her demeanor and appearance in the John Smith’s Yorkshire beer TV adverts.
Sid and Ivy have been married for 30+ years.
There’s great energy among the cast in the opening scene at the cafe as everyone awaits Compo’s arrival so they can all head out for a long-awaited holiday to Seahaven in Scarborough.
Peter Sallis is in superb form and gives one of his most energetic performances. He names another one of his “awards.” This time, he proclaims Foggy the winner of the “Norman Clegg Award for Outstanding Services to Human Lunacy.”
Sid is dapper in his suit and tie and Ivy looks elegant in her hat and coat.
Ivy is noticeably tense throughout the episode for reasons unexplained.
Compo’s aftershave is called “Biceps.” Sid says it smells more like footsteps.
Bill Owen’s performance is as comfortable as an old pair of wellies. Compo is the essence of child-like glee and mischief and is a joy to watch.
Foggy buys his holiday postcards at home because they’re cheaper. Foggy displays his own brand of enthusiasm about traveling to the seaside.
The gang are driven to Scarborough by Compo’s nephew Gordon (Philip Jackson), whose first appearance this is. Other than a faintly amusing line about how he likes the toilets at the pub where they stop for a pint, Gordon is given nothing interesting to say or do in this episode. Philip Jackson will appear in two more episodes in Series 3 and would go on to have a prolific career in British television.
Ronnie Hazlehurst provides a lovely, jaunty musical cue as the group head out on the road. The memorable music continues through a tire change and other unplanned stops along the way.
The seaside weather is idyllic, with plenty of sun and blue skies. The location crew were fortunate.
A jaunty, instrumental version of “Scarborough Fair” is heard during the boardwalk souvenir shop montage, with our heroes trying on hats and playing arcade games. The tune gives way in almost a melancholy fashion as the trio arrive at the dockside.
The scene on the beach calls to mind late Saturday afternoons of long-ago summers.
At the restaurant, Ivy affects a posh accent for the waitress, who’s called Rose. Rose (Jeanne Mockford) looks to be made from the same mold/mould as librarians Mrs. Partridge and Miss Moody.
Foggy is reading a book about French Marshal Ferdinand Foch (1851-1929), who became, in March 1918, the Supreme Allied Commander during World War I.
Compo wears a robe with “Property of Huddersfield Public Baths” printed on the back. Clegg comments that the robe-wearing Compo looks like Henry Cooper (1934-2011):
“Sir Henry Cooper OBE KSG was a British heavyweight boxer, best remembered internationally for a 1963 fight in which he knocked down a young Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali] before the fight was stopped because of a cut eye from Clay's punches. Cooper was undefeated in British and Commonwealth heavyweight championship contests for twelve years, and held the European heavyweight title for three years. In 1966 he fought Clay [sic] again, by then world heavyweight champion, and again lost with an eye injury. Henry was twice voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and after retiring in 1971 following a controversial loss remained a popular public figure. He is the only boxer in the UK to have been awarded a knighthood.” [Wikipedia]
Compo is seated outside the bathroom door, if only to make comical situations possible and to provide the episode’s punchline. Otherwise, it could be dismissed as just more patented Compo craziness. The scruffy herbert is reading The Hotspur Book for Boys:
“The Hotspur Book for Boys was a British annual published by DC Thomson that came out in September before the year on the cover, in time for being bought as Christmas presents by parents and grandparents, and forward dated so it wouldn't appear "old" when opened on Christmas Day. Sometimes bound in cardboard, sometimes in hardcover it included features and stories, the latter usually based on series running in the weekly comic.
"In 1959 Hotspur was restarted as a comic strip title, with the numbering resetting back to #1, and a few years later, in 1965, the Hotspur Book for Boys resumed annual publication. Twenty-nine annuals were released before the line again ended, in 1991.” [Comicvine]
Nora Batty makes an unexpected appearance, since Compo had previously said that Nora always looks after his ferrets when he’s away, but it all ties in nicely with the reveal that Compo has brought his ferrets with him on holiday.
The Great Boarding-House Bathroom Caper is a perfectly-paced episode (directed by Ray Butt) with enthusiastic performances from the cast along with some lovely seaside scenery and a fine musical score from Ronnie Hazlehurst. It’s as relaxing an episode as there’s been at this stage of the program. Great fun, like a holiday should be (with a touch of tension, courtesy of Ivy).
My Rating: 10/10
Original Airdate: November 10, 1976
The trio, along with Sid and Ivy, go on a seaside holiday to Scarborough.
“The world is full of social reformers, and nothing irritates your social reformer more than finding some damned fool who’s happy!”
~Norman Clegg
That's a nice transition from seaside film shot to foggy holding a postcard at the cafe in the episode's opening.
In the cafe, Ivy’s posture and clothing call to mind her demeanor and appearance in the John Smith’s Yorkshire beer TV adverts.
Sid and Ivy have been married for 30+ years.
There’s great energy among the cast in the opening scene at the cafe as everyone awaits Compo’s arrival so they can all head out for a long-awaited holiday to Seahaven in Scarborough.
Peter Sallis is in superb form and gives one of his most energetic performances. He names another one of his “awards.” This time, he proclaims Foggy the winner of the “Norman Clegg Award for Outstanding Services to Human Lunacy.”
Sid is dapper in his suit and tie and Ivy looks elegant in her hat and coat.
Ivy is noticeably tense throughout the episode for reasons unexplained.
Compo’s aftershave is called “Biceps.” Sid says it smells more like footsteps.
Bill Owen’s performance is as comfortable as an old pair of wellies. Compo is the essence of child-like glee and mischief and is a joy to watch.
Foggy buys his holiday postcards at home because they’re cheaper. Foggy displays his own brand of enthusiasm about traveling to the seaside.
The gang are driven to Scarborough by Compo’s nephew Gordon (Philip Jackson), whose first appearance this is. Other than a faintly amusing line about how he likes the toilets at the pub where they stop for a pint, Gordon is given nothing interesting to say or do in this episode. Philip Jackson will appear in two more episodes in Series 3 and would go on to have a prolific career in British television.
Ronnie Hazlehurst provides a lovely, jaunty musical cue as the group head out on the road. The memorable music continues through a tire change and other unplanned stops along the way.
The seaside weather is idyllic, with plenty of sun and blue skies. The location crew were fortunate.
A jaunty, instrumental version of “Scarborough Fair” is heard during the boardwalk souvenir shop montage, with our heroes trying on hats and playing arcade games. The tune gives way in almost a melancholy fashion as the trio arrive at the dockside.
The scene on the beach calls to mind late Saturday afternoons of long-ago summers.
At the restaurant, Ivy affects a posh accent for the waitress, who’s called Rose. Rose (Jeanne Mockford) looks to be made from the same mold/mould as librarians Mrs. Partridge and Miss Moody.
Foggy is reading a book about French Marshal Ferdinand Foch (1851-1929), who became, in March 1918, the Supreme Allied Commander during World War I.
Compo wears a robe with “Property of Huddersfield Public Baths” printed on the back. Clegg comments that the robe-wearing Compo looks like Henry Cooper (1934-2011):
“Sir Henry Cooper OBE KSG was a British heavyweight boxer, best remembered internationally for a 1963 fight in which he knocked down a young Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali] before the fight was stopped because of a cut eye from Clay's punches. Cooper was undefeated in British and Commonwealth heavyweight championship contests for twelve years, and held the European heavyweight title for three years. In 1966 he fought Clay [sic] again, by then world heavyweight champion, and again lost with an eye injury. Henry was twice voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and after retiring in 1971 following a controversial loss remained a popular public figure. He is the only boxer in the UK to have been awarded a knighthood.” [Wikipedia]
Compo is seated outside the bathroom door, if only to make comical situations possible and to provide the episode’s punchline. Otherwise, it could be dismissed as just more patented Compo craziness. The scruffy herbert is reading The Hotspur Book for Boys:
“The Hotspur Book for Boys was a British annual published by DC Thomson that came out in September before the year on the cover, in time for being bought as Christmas presents by parents and grandparents, and forward dated so it wouldn't appear "old" when opened on Christmas Day. Sometimes bound in cardboard, sometimes in hardcover it included features and stories, the latter usually based on series running in the weekly comic.
"In 1959 Hotspur was restarted as a comic strip title, with the numbering resetting back to #1, and a few years later, in 1965, the Hotspur Book for Boys resumed annual publication. Twenty-nine annuals were released before the line again ended, in 1991.” [Comicvine]
Nora Batty makes an unexpected appearance, since Compo had previously said that Nora always looks after his ferrets when he’s away, but it all ties in nicely with the reveal that Compo has brought his ferrets with him on holiday.
The Great Boarding-House Bathroom Caper is a perfectly-paced episode (directed by Ray Butt) with enthusiastic performances from the cast along with some lovely seaside scenery and a fine musical score from Ronnie Hazlehurst. It’s as relaxing an episode as there’s been at this stage of the program. Great fun, like a holiday should be (with a touch of tension, courtesy of Ivy).
My Rating: 10/10
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A great episode.
It really does feel like a holiday.
Again, it feels odd that Foggy who has just returned home is already going on holiday with all these people.
It goes to show that you don't need familiar settings for an episode to be one of the very best.
Roy Clarke would use Scarborough again for his police comedy series Rosie, and also for one episode of Still Open All Hours.
It really does feel like a holiday.
Again, it feels odd that Foggy who has just returned home is already going on holiday with all these people.
It goes to show that you don't need familiar settings for an episode to be one of the very best.
Roy Clarke would use Scarborough again for his police comedy series Rosie, and also for one episode of Still Open All Hours.
codfanglers
Dedicated Member
I must be a little forgetful with the Blamire years. Which episode are you referring to?
David Piper
Dedicated Member
A Quiet Drink (S02 E05). Cyril was setting up one of the trio's confidence games to fool cheapskate Mouse into buying a round of drinks. Did Cyril really believe in second sight? I doubt it, and if he did, it's unlikely Cyril believed that Mouse had second sight.
David Piper
Dedicated Member
(S03 E04) Cheering Up Gordon
Original Airdate: November 17, 1976
The gang are still at Scarborough. The trio encourage the lonely Gordon to pursue girls, and Gordon teaches the trio how to fish.
"In a jungle, I could have crept up on you and cut your throat from ear to ear. Come on, wake up, man! It’s a beautiful day outside!”
~Foggy Dewhurst
Ray Butt once again directs.
It looks like Bill Owen has a partially-missing pinky on his right hand.
Compo is in full holiday attire. He wears a striped (Cricket?) blazer, nice charcoal gray trousers, white sneakers, and it’s all topped off with a wide-brimmed straw hat. His green wool cap is nowhere to be seen.
Harold, yet another relative of Compo’s, is mentioned.
Foggy runs off onto the studio beach and then out into the real, filmed beach and into the frigid surf is a scene reminiscent of the opening of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976-79). The subsequent cut of a frozen, shivering Foggy rattling his tea cup is funny.
Foggy is far more military obsessed than his predecessor Cyril Blamire ever was. Corporal Dewhurst is much more the caricature of a military man, but that is intentional, as it plays into the broader comedy situations for which the show would become famous.
Nora and Wally Batty once again appear, both in the studio and filmed segments. Nora’s hair is in fine form, with nary a curler to be seen.
Clegg namedrops the apparently heavily-advertised music show of Max Jaffa:
“Max Jaffa OBE (1911 – 1991) was a British light orchestral violinist and bandleader. He is best remembered as the leader of the Palm Court Orchestra and trio, with Jack Byfield (piano) and Reginald Kilbey (cello), which broadcast on BBC Radio. His career lasted 70 years, before retiring in 1990.” [Wikipedia]
A portion of the studio audience applauds during the scene of Gordon riding the donkey on the beach; the applause carries over into the golf scene.
Among the studio audience, there’s a woman with forced, high-pitched laughter who only makes herself heard when no one else is laughing.
Wally Batty mentions “the zoo at Marineland.” Marineland is the name of various, unrelated water animal theme parks in Europe, Canada and the United States. Wally and Nora have a scene at a sparsely-attended Marineland dolphin show. The scene is not particularly amusing. The weather is overcast, but points go to the production for including more location footage. Nora and Wally are later seen golfing.
The trio attend church, though they are thrown out by the vicar because Compo brought his ferrets inside. The ferrets are ostensibly under Compo’s jacket, but they are never seen. The church scene is merely a static shot of the building with voiceover and no footage of the church interior.
Clegg is seen wearing Compo’s straw hat.
Compo is once again reading the Hotspur magazine.
Ivy excitedly reads a My Love magazine romance story, which Jane Freeman reads in a voiceover. Ivy complains to Sid about his romantic inadequacies, which Sid brushes off with ineffectual wisecracks. It’s an uncomfortable scene–especially for Last of the Summer Wine–and includes some bold dialogue that may have made similarly-aged 1976 audience members glance accusingly at one another.
Are the Ivy and Sid scenes supposed to be played for laughs? Their rows now come off as sad and depressing and Ivy has become tension and unhappiness personified. The couple do get a scene in which Sid takes Ivy around in a boat, making for a refreshing change from their verbal fisticuffs.
Clegg is saddled with the groan-inducing line: “I suppose they need effeminate bread men for people who like effeminate bread.” Thankfully, Clegg later gets a nice comeback line to Compo:
Compo: “Well don’t blame me for the peace coming so soon, I wasn’t fighting all that hard.”
Clegg: “That’s not what Nora Batty said on VE night!”
There's an artfully-framed shot of Gordon fishing at the pier in the foreground as the trio walk up from the distance while conversing.
Compo gets the episode’s funniest slapstick moment when his fishing reel line gets hooked on a passing car. Compo runs behind the speeding car while the trio head to the pub!
Gordon meets Josie (Liz Goulding), a girl from Linley Street back home. Actress Liz Goulding would later appear as “Pat” in series 3 and 4 of I Didn’t Know You Cared (1975-79), another Northern-based comedy co-starring John Comer.
The nighttime revelry of drunken holiday makers is heard outside the boarding house where the trio are staying.
The episode ends with Compo’s delightfully-mad laughter, which makes even Foggy laugh.
Cheering Up Gordon makes good use of the filmed outdoor scenes in Scarborough. However, a few “outdoor” scenes shot at the studio at times give the episode a distracting, patchwork look. For the most part, however, the episode flows well and is enjoyable due to the extensive location filming.
My Rating: 9/10
Original Airdate: November 17, 1976
The gang are still at Scarborough. The trio encourage the lonely Gordon to pursue girls, and Gordon teaches the trio how to fish.
"In a jungle, I could have crept up on you and cut your throat from ear to ear. Come on, wake up, man! It’s a beautiful day outside!”
~Foggy Dewhurst
Ray Butt once again directs.
It looks like Bill Owen has a partially-missing pinky on his right hand.
Compo is in full holiday attire. He wears a striped (Cricket?) blazer, nice charcoal gray trousers, white sneakers, and it’s all topped off with a wide-brimmed straw hat. His green wool cap is nowhere to be seen.
Harold, yet another relative of Compo’s, is mentioned.
Foggy runs off onto the studio beach and then out into the real, filmed beach and into the frigid surf is a scene reminiscent of the opening of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976-79). The subsequent cut of a frozen, shivering Foggy rattling his tea cup is funny.
Foggy is far more military obsessed than his predecessor Cyril Blamire ever was. Corporal Dewhurst is much more the caricature of a military man, but that is intentional, as it plays into the broader comedy situations for which the show would become famous.
Nora and Wally Batty once again appear, both in the studio and filmed segments. Nora’s hair is in fine form, with nary a curler to be seen.
Clegg namedrops the apparently heavily-advertised music show of Max Jaffa:
“Max Jaffa OBE (1911 – 1991) was a British light orchestral violinist and bandleader. He is best remembered as the leader of the Palm Court Orchestra and trio, with Jack Byfield (piano) and Reginald Kilbey (cello), which broadcast on BBC Radio. His career lasted 70 years, before retiring in 1990.” [Wikipedia]
A portion of the studio audience applauds during the scene of Gordon riding the donkey on the beach; the applause carries over into the golf scene.
Among the studio audience, there’s a woman with forced, high-pitched laughter who only makes herself heard when no one else is laughing.
Wally Batty mentions “the zoo at Marineland.” Marineland is the name of various, unrelated water animal theme parks in Europe, Canada and the United States. Wally and Nora have a scene at a sparsely-attended Marineland dolphin show. The scene is not particularly amusing. The weather is overcast, but points go to the production for including more location footage. Nora and Wally are later seen golfing.
The trio attend church, though they are thrown out by the vicar because Compo brought his ferrets inside. The ferrets are ostensibly under Compo’s jacket, but they are never seen. The church scene is merely a static shot of the building with voiceover and no footage of the church interior.
Clegg is seen wearing Compo’s straw hat.
Compo is once again reading the Hotspur magazine.
Ivy excitedly reads a My Love magazine romance story, which Jane Freeman reads in a voiceover. Ivy complains to Sid about his romantic inadequacies, which Sid brushes off with ineffectual wisecracks. It’s an uncomfortable scene–especially for Last of the Summer Wine–and includes some bold dialogue that may have made similarly-aged 1976 audience members glance accusingly at one another.
Are the Ivy and Sid scenes supposed to be played for laughs? Their rows now come off as sad and depressing and Ivy has become tension and unhappiness personified. The couple do get a scene in which Sid takes Ivy around in a boat, making for a refreshing change from their verbal fisticuffs.
Clegg is saddled with the groan-inducing line: “I suppose they need effeminate bread men for people who like effeminate bread.” Thankfully, Clegg later gets a nice comeback line to Compo:
Compo: “Well don’t blame me for the peace coming so soon, I wasn’t fighting all that hard.”
Clegg: “That’s not what Nora Batty said on VE night!”
There's an artfully-framed shot of Gordon fishing at the pier in the foreground as the trio walk up from the distance while conversing.
Compo gets the episode’s funniest slapstick moment when his fishing reel line gets hooked on a passing car. Compo runs behind the speeding car while the trio head to the pub!
Gordon meets Josie (Liz Goulding), a girl from Linley Street back home. Actress Liz Goulding would later appear as “Pat” in series 3 and 4 of I Didn’t Know You Cared (1975-79), another Northern-based comedy co-starring John Comer.
The nighttime revelry of drunken holiday makers is heard outside the boarding house where the trio are staying.
The episode ends with Compo’s delightfully-mad laughter, which makes even Foggy laugh.
Cheering Up Gordon makes good use of the filmed outdoor scenes in Scarborough. However, a few “outdoor” scenes shot at the studio at times give the episode a distracting, patchwork look. For the most part, however, the episode flows well and is enjoyable due to the extensive location filming.
My Rating: 9/10
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I think it was this part of the two-parter where Foggy goes for a swim.
The bit where he prepares for his swim shot in the studio on video tape does look awful, in those days you needed film and a real exterior location to make it look right. It was important in those days for a certain percentage of scenes to be shot in the studio, to give the audience something 'fresh' to watch.
The next scene, where Foggy goes into the water (actual pre-filmed location footage now) is one of the main factors which Michael Bates decided he couldn't do Series Three. You can imagine how cold it would have been, and demanding physically.
I never expected there to be a second part to The Great Boarding House Caper when I saw it on TV back in the day. A pleasant surprise indeed. Even a third part could have been possible - though we kind of got that with Going to Gordon's Wedding.
This episode has the brilliant line from Wally. I think Nora says something a bit like 'Are you going to just sit there while he (Compo) insults me?' - and Wally says something like 'No, I thought I'd go and have a look at the lifeboat'.
A fantastic two-parter which shows what holidays really should be about - British seaside, boarding houses with one bathroom and a dining room - brilliant stuff, if only more people did this stuff now.
The bit where he prepares for his swim shot in the studio on video tape does look awful, in those days you needed film and a real exterior location to make it look right. It was important in those days for a certain percentage of scenes to be shot in the studio, to give the audience something 'fresh' to watch.
The next scene, where Foggy goes into the water (actual pre-filmed location footage now) is one of the main factors which Michael Bates decided he couldn't do Series Three. You can imagine how cold it would have been, and demanding physically.
I never expected there to be a second part to The Great Boarding House Caper when I saw it on TV back in the day. A pleasant surprise indeed. Even a third part could have been possible - though we kind of got that with Going to Gordon's Wedding.
This episode has the brilliant line from Wally. I think Nora says something a bit like 'Are you going to just sit there while he (Compo) insults me?' - and Wally says something like 'No, I thought I'd go and have a look at the lifeboat'.
A fantastic two-parter which shows what holidays really should be about - British seaside, boarding houses with one bathroom and a dining room - brilliant stuff, if only more people did this stuff now.
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David Piper
Dedicated Member
That is correct. It was also one of the first things mentioned in the review.
I think it just came down to trademark BBC production values. Even the era's major Hollywood films were packed with obvious, set-bound scenes that the viewer "had to" accept. It was part of the medium and continues to be, although green screen ostensibly makes such mock ups appear more convincing.
Good point.
Wally Batty seems to be a fan favorite. I am warming to him, and Joe Gladwin inhabits the role to perfection.
There are so many nostalgic moments in the program. I was quite young in the '70s, but I apparently logged enough time in the decade that it has made an indelible impression on me, unlike the 1980s, which is supposed to be my "glory years", but it didn't turn out that way.
In those days though, the audience would expect to see a fair bit of acting performed 'live' in front of them.
They wouldn't have been happy to watch 95% of the programme off a monitor screen.
And you're quite right, there will have been other factors involved, usually cost related, and something a good director has to take on the chin.
Of course, in the latter days of the show believe the audience did watch the entire show off a screen, and their laughter dubbed on.
They wouldn't have been happy to watch 95% of the programme off a monitor screen.
And you're quite right, there will have been other factors involved, usually cost related, and something a good director has to take on the chin.
Of course, in the latter days of the show believe the audience did watch the entire show off a screen, and their laughter dubbed on.
David Piper
Dedicated Member
Does the British seaside vacation atmosphere as depicted in these episodes still exist? I know Blackpool is still a big deal, but how goes the rest of the coastal areas?
Update: Cheering Up Gordon's rating bumped up to a 9.
Update: Cheering Up Gordon's rating bumped up to a 9.
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There are some seaside towns left that haven't really changed such as Swanage and Weymouth and parts of the Isle of Wight such as Ryde, Sandown and Shanklin.
In some cases old boarding houses still exist, yet most have had ensuite bathrooms added.
The 'atmosphere' has been marred by loutish behaviour, mobile phones, scruffiness.
And various attractions have closed and been boarded up and generally left to decay.
Some larger seaside towns have turned into university towns, so the town will cater for student accommodation more than tourism.
Many end-of-pier shows featuring big names have become a thing of the past, making way for yet another amusement arcade.
Blackpool has become something of a dump from what I have heard from many reliable sources, I shan't be going there.
Weston Super Mare is another seaside town that I have been to, which is probably past its prime.
I can't think of many other seaside towns that I have been to other than those listed above. Out of all of them, I think Swanage is the most like the Scarborough of 1976 in terms of looks and atmosphere.
In some cases old boarding houses still exist, yet most have had ensuite bathrooms added.
The 'atmosphere' has been marred by loutish behaviour, mobile phones, scruffiness.
And various attractions have closed and been boarded up and generally left to decay.
Some larger seaside towns have turned into university towns, so the town will cater for student accommodation more than tourism.
Many end-of-pier shows featuring big names have become a thing of the past, making way for yet another amusement arcade.
Blackpool has become something of a dump from what I have heard from many reliable sources, I shan't be going there.
Weston Super Mare is another seaside town that I have been to, which is probably past its prime.
I can't think of many other seaside towns that I have been to other than those listed above. Out of all of them, I think Swanage is the most like the Scarborough of 1976 in terms of looks and atmosphere.
captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
David with Covid and post Covid Staycation became word of the year with boom time for places like Great Yarmouth, Scarborough [where these episodes are based] , Whitby and certainly south coastal towns . I think it has settled down but given the costs and the issues associated with travel still delays/cancellations etc there continues to be a trend of people opting to go to British seaside resorts with probably Cornwall remaining the most popular . I don't think we would ever hit the heights of yesteryear when Foreign travel was purely for the rich but I for one am glad the revival continues because I really loved my holidays in British Resorts and certainly some of the Butlin's Holiday Camps which is reflected in my absolute adoration of the series Hi De Hi as it captures those times perfectly.