Today I watched the episode when Billy celebrated Robin Hoods birthday by wearing that hideous green suit as did Barry but my question is ,when did Smiler and Tom aquire the delaperdated American car that Marina in wedding dress was riding in? I have seen it before in other episodes but when did they get it I cannot remember or was it Aunties but would she splash out on the fuel any ideas please?
Smiler and Tom in the big yank car
- Thread starter chris
- Start date
me2
Dedicated Member
The car was Smiler's but Tom wouldn't let him drive it until he got used to it. It was first seen in season 25 but I don't have those DVDs so can't check which episode. I'm quite sure they had it in "Spores." If I remember correctly, they drove Mavis (the woman whose husband left her) to Pearl's while the men looked for the husband. That's the episode right before "Happy Birthday Robin Hood." There are only 2 episodes before that "Jurassic - No Parking" and "The General's Greatest Battle." I don't remember if it was in either of those or not. But it was not in anything in season 24. Maybe someone who has Season 25 can tell us which of those 3 episodes first had the car.
brendalovescompo
Dedicated Member
Chris,
I think the American vehicles in question were all Chevy's. Going to Outlook North with Compo, I think they were driving a white one. Then in another episode the same model,different color. How would they acquire those vehicles, and compared to your vehicles being run on CC , those were gas guzzlers. Wouldn't mind having one though.
I think the American vehicles in question were all Chevy's. Going to Outlook North with Compo, I think they were driving a white one. Then in another episode the same model,different color. How would they acquire those vehicles, and compared to your vehicles being run on CC , those were gas guzzlers. Wouldn't mind having one though.
All the vehicles were owned by a small company who leased them to the BBC when required,maybe the script called for this type of car and they used it in several episodes,some came and went quickly, like the hearse used in Plenty of room in the back, only seen the once. though I am not sure if was not the same hearse used in other episodes
I chatted to the chap who owned the company last year when they did the Cooper & Walsh Filming, he lent them the police car, he told me that Wesley's Land rover had gone for scrap as it was in very poor condition
I chatted to the chap who owned the company last year when they did the Cooper & Walsh Filming, he lent them the police car, he told me that Wesley's Land rover had gone for scrap as it was in very poor condition
captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
Fascinating always assumed the BBC would lease/borrow all vehicles for the show. Sad about Wesley's iconic Land Rover but I guess things went downhill when Barry finally did lose the knob off the gear stick.
Sarkus
Dedicated Member
The Outlook North episode was "The Last Surviving Maurice Chevalier Impression" which was pretty early, relatively speaking, being Series 12 in 1990. I always thought it was odd that they showed up in that car with no explanation and what seems like a deliberate attempt to make sure you don't get a very good view of the driver. Makes me think it was supposed to be Wesley or somebody from the cast originally but they had to change the scene for some reason.
Smiler having a car is first mentioned (I think) in "Beware of the Hot Dog" in Series 23 in 2002. Howard asks Smiler to help him follow Roz and Pearl and when Smiler shows up he tells Howard his car wouldn't start, so he had brought the tandem bike instead.
codfanglers
Dedicated Member
Hello Folks,
I have a rare free moment so I am popping in. Actually, I am avoiding work. This is a very interestng thread and normally I don't get too much into fine details like this.
By American cars, do you mean that they actually have the steering wheel on the left side? I have seen all these episodes but never paid attention to the cars, except they were big and awkward. I learned to drive in the early 1990's using my mom's car, which was a 1978 Ford Granada. It was big, powerful, and only had AM radio. Those were the days! Was Madge's car in As Time Goes By, trully American (with the steering wheel and everything), or was it just big?
Yes, I always love watching the trio in the car in Maurice Chevalier Impression. I love how Foggy acts like such a big shot entering the studio grounds. However, I never even thought about where the car came from. Whenever a random vehicle pops up on Summer Wine, which they do on occasion, I assume it is from Wesley. He has driven and worked on such a variety of cars over the cars. I remember one episode he had a three wheel vehicle and it was never used after that.
I think the big cars (and outdated by the time Tom and Smiler worked together) added humor. It is so much more interesting than if they would have regular vehicles. Plus, the awkwardness of the big vehicle, compliments the awkward character, Smilier, so well.
On a side note, I may have a lot more free time in a month from now. You may hear from me more then.
Adanor
Dedicated Member
Yes, those big cars were all (steering wheel on the left) American cars. The car owned by Smiler and driven by Tom looked slightly rusty but evidently it still ran.
The Cadillac driven by Madge was also definitely American and interesting as it could have possibly been a Mary Kay car. Mary Kay is a cosmetics company much like Avon except that they reward extreme top sellers with a pink Cad. Could have those long horns been real? Who knows? But they serve to establish the personality of the car and by extension, the personality of Madge.
The Cadillac driven by Madge was also definitely American and interesting as it could have possibly been a Mary Kay car. Mary Kay is a cosmetics company much like Avon except that they reward extreme top sellers with a pink Cad. Could have those long horns been real? Who knows? But they serve to establish the personality of the car and by extension, the personality of Madge.
me2
Dedicated Member
Our PBS station finally broadcast Spores again and that is the first episode with Smiler's big white convertible. Tom and Auntie Wainwright had this conversation:
But he's got to do something to make him not look like just a bloke with a handcart.
He needs a bird-puller.
He needs a nice sporty little vehicle that's going to transform his image.
He can't afford a nice sporty little vehicle.
Can you find him a load of rubbish we can make look like a sporty little vehicle?
I was never one to refuse a challenge.
Then we see Tom and Smiler driving and finding Truly with Mavis. He convinces them to give Mavis a ride to Pearls.
In the episode after this, Happy Birthday Robin Hood, we see Tom and Smiler driving the car around with Marina in the back seat in a wedding dress.
But he's got to do something to make him not look like just a bloke with a handcart.
He needs a bird-puller.
He needs a nice sporty little vehicle that's going to transform his image.
He can't afford a nice sporty little vehicle.
Can you find him a load of rubbish we can make look like a sporty little vehicle?
I was never one to refuse a challenge.
Then we see Tom and Smiler driving and finding Truly with Mavis. He convinces them to give Mavis a ride to Pearls.
In the episode after this, Happy Birthday Robin Hood, we see Tom and Smiler driving the car around with Marina in the back seat in a wedding dress.