The trio in Pubs.

amos hames

Dedicated Member
Have you ever noticed how many time that the guys leave half drunk drinks in pub scenes. What a waste of money. Take for example Beware the elbow where the fat inflatable lady floats past the window. The three boys leave full pints. This has happened many times over the years also for fun can you name any more episodes that this has happened in . Hope everyone is ok..... From my ward in hospital
 
Yes Amos I have noticed that especially Compo but Wally was he one who could really get drunk remember the episode with the giant carrot he really was out of it much to Noras disgust .Hope everything is going well for you and that you will be home soon .Chris
 
Wishing you well, Amos and hoping that you are improving. I wish to point out that they were only in a state of inebriation as a part of the storyline. Other times they emerged from the pub in good form.
 
I've noticed the half full drinks several times. It's a bit odd when you consider the number of times the show makes a point of showing how expensive they view the drinks, etc. Compo will down his beer in one long chug. Foggy will complain about the price. And so on. And then you have an episode like "The Experiment," where they force Compo to give up his betting money to buy three drinks and chips, but a moment later they are thrown out because the publican misinterprets why Clegg and Seymour are looking into Compos eyes and there is not a peep from them about the value of what they just lost.
 
The trio in Pubs

I imagine that like other TV shows the "beer" is not what it seems but is some non-alcoholic concoction made to look like beer that tastes vile, so hats off the the boys for downing any of it .
 
I imagine that like other TV shows the "beer" is not what it seems but is some non-alcoholic concoction made to look like beer that tastes vile, so hats off the the boys for downing any of it .


I recall once being told that it was burnt sugar dissolved in water. Yuk and double yuk!!

When I was an amateur thespian we used real liquor - much more fun as you went through pages of dialogue backwards and had everyone in the wings guessing what was going to happen next! That particular episode was 1978 in Blackburn Hall in Rothwell, can not remember what it was called but I played a cad named Eustace! :39::39::39::39::39:
 
Hello Amos,

Interesting post. For the sake of making a legendary sitcom I don't think it would have been too costly to just use real beer. They could drink it while being filmed and later the actors could have gone back and finished their drinks off camera. I don't think that would have been terribly difficult. It seems like an easier solution than making up crazy concoction made to look like beer, unless there was some sort of law about filming the consumption of alcohol.
 
The trio in pubs

I don't think there is a law but if they are filming the cast actually drinking and someone fluffs their line resulting in a re-take I imagine whilst it might be nice to get sozzled on set its not really practical for Actors or crew . I am sure its pretty standard to not use alcohol on set and replace with a look a like concoction.
 
I don't think there is a law but if they are filming the cast actually drinking and someone fluffs their line resulting in a re-take I imagine whilst it might be nice to get sozzled on set its not really practical for Actors or crew . I am sure its pretty standard to not use alcohol on set and replace with a look a like concoction.

Wow...I can't believe I am writing about such a tiny detail! However, it is an enjoyable debate. If they are just drinking casually and the shot is only for a couple of minutes, I don't think it would affect them.

Then again, you make a good point when it comes to Compo downing drinks.
 
I remember reading that, when they filmed the final bar scene for 'Ice Cold In Alex' they used real lager, and after a few necessary retakes poor old John Mills was sloshed.
 
I read somewhere that on Call the Midwife that Helen George who plays Trixie Franklin commented that one time she assumed the drink (provided by props) would be water until she drank it and found that subsequent scenes were difficult to get through.
 
The trio in Pubs

In another thread it was highlighted that someone witnessed them shoot a scene for 4 hours for about 30 seconds of footage in the show , apply that to a scene in the pub where they were supping ale and with the best will in the world ,even if you were the best drinker in the world, you would surely be elephants .
 
This seems to have veered away from my original post about the series. : ). Hope everyone is ok

Well Amos, from your original thread, you commented on the shameful waste of money in leaving all those beers unfinished. If it was indeed and concoction of sugar, water, etc. then it wasn't so expensive. :)

Regarding my previous thoughts of why the cast didn't use real beer. I guess I assumed they were such perfect actors that they didn't need any retakes!

Hopefully you are doing better Amos.
 
Have you ever noticed how many time that the guys leave half drunk drinks in pub scenes. What a waste of money. Take for example Beware the elbow where the fat inflatable lady floats past the window. The three boys leave full pints. This has happened many times over the years also for fun can you name any more episodes that this has happened in . Hope everyone is ok..... From my ward in hospital

I think I read your question a little differently than others did. I read it as a waste of the trio's money when they (especially Compo) had a hard time coming up with money for a drink. But whichever, you did ask if we can name any more episodes where they left drinks on the table.
I just watched "Return of the Warrior" and they had barely started on their drinks when a man stumbled over Foggy's luggage and threw them all out.
 
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I don't think there is a law but if they are filming the cast actually drinking and someone fluffs their line resulting in a re-take I imagine whilst it might be nice to get sozzled on set its not really practical for Actors or crew . I am sure its pretty standard to not use alcohol on set and replace with a look a like concoction.
Yes, same rule applies even in live performances normally, I suspect that it is all about avoiding intoxication. But The burnt sugar stuff is foul, I would hope that there is something a lot better now.
 
Just spotted another episode where Compo and Clegg left their drinks on the table to get away from Foggy bashing Yorkshire in Earnshaw Strikes Again.
 
I did some filming in a pub garden with the cast in a later episode,I don't really drink,maybe the odd half pint and I was concerned about this and made it last for ages even though they kept offering more,at the end of filming I discovered it was alcohol free beer

Doubt that was available in the earlier series
 
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