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Last of the Summer Wine

  • TV-14
  • 1973–2010
  • 31 seasons
  • Comedy
  • 7.2

The BBC's longest running comedy series.

Unencumbered by wives, jobs or any other responsibilities, three senior citizens who've never really grown up explore their world in the Yorkshire Dales. They spend their days speculating about their fellow townsfolk and thinking up adventures not usually favored by the elderly. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse in 1973. The show ran for 295 episodes until 2010. It is the longest running comedy Britain has produced and the longest running sitcom in the world.

Episodes

Last of the Summer Wine's first series originally aired on BBC1 between 12 November 1973 and 17 December 1973. All episodes from this series were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by James Gilbert. The pilot episode, alternately known as "The Last of the Summer Wine" and "Of Funerals and Fish," originally premiered on the BBC's Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 at 8:00 p.m. "The Last of the Summer Wine" was the first episode of that show's fourteenth series. The pilot warranted a positive enough that the BBC ordered a full series of episodes which premiered on 12 November 1973. The first series was released on DVD in region 2 as a combined box set with series 2 on 2 September 2002.

7 episodes
  1. 1Of Funerals and Fish (pilot)

    30 minJan 4, 1973

    Norman Clegg visits his late wife's grave on the anniversary of her death, then he reunites with his friends Compo Simmonite and Cyril Blamire and the trio wonders through town talking about, life, death and fish.

  2. 2Short Back And Palais Glide

    30 minNov 12, 1973

    The trio pays a visit to the barbers where they talk about the war, marriage, local women, and the frequent rows that exist between couples. Then they go to the cafe, where the first (of many) arguments between Ivy and Sid takes place. Compo realizes he forgot his house key in the library and the trio wonders through town, in search for the librarian (Mr. Wainwright).

  3. 3Inventor Of The 40-Foot Ferret

    30 minNov 19, 1973

    Clegg and Blamire try to convince Compo to step inside a church. Then they talk about the existence of God, miracles and the possibility of an afterlife.

  4. 4Pâté And Chips

    30 minNov 26, 1973

    The trio visits a stately home, but naturally have some problems with Compo's messy ways.

  5. 5Spring Fever

    30 minDec 3, 1973

    Spring's coming and Compo is once again suffering from spring fever, so he sets off to find the perfect companionship for him. He ends up hiring a female housekeeper, in search of new-found love.

  6. 6The New Mobile Trio

    30 minDec 10, 1973

    Thinking they need a faster way to travel through the hills, Clegg convinces the others to buy a car. They end up with an old piece of metal that proves to be more trouble than it's worth.

  7. 7Hail Smiling Morn Or Thereabouts

    30 minDec 17, 1973

    With a new camera in hands, the trio spends the day trying to find interesting things to photograph.

Where to watch Last of the Summer Wine

Availability from JustWatch, via TMDB. Full listing for United States

Series cast

Peter SallisClegg269 episodes
Jane FreemanIvy269 episodes
Kathy StaffNora Batty233 episodes
Jean FergussonMarina220 episodes
Robert FyfeHoward220 episodes
Juliette KaplanPearl220 episodes
Sarah ThomasGlenda214 episodes
Mike GradyBarry214 episodes
Jean AlexanderAuntie Wainwright186 episodes
Bill OwenCompo (archive footage)174 episodes
Gordon WharmbyWesley157 episodes
Stephen LewisSmiler152 episodes
Thora HirdEdie138 episodes
Frank ThorntonTruly126 episodes
Brian WildeFoggy114 episodes
Tom OwenTom106 episodes
Danny O'DeaEli85 episodes
Ken KitsonPC Cooper81 episodes

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