Last of the Summer Wine: The Inside Story of the WorldaCs Longest-Running Comedy Programme
Quite simply, Last of the Summer Wine is the longest-running comedy programme in the world. It premiered 37 years ago, in 1973, and, after 31 series it finally came to an end last year – even though all its original protagonists – Compo, Foggy, even Nora Batty – are now dead.

Remarkably, for a series of such longevity and international appeal, it is all about elderly people, has little action or plot, and is set and filmed in and around the small Yorkshire town of Holmfirth.

Now, Andrew Vine, the deputy editor of Yorkshire’s daily newspaper, has written the definitive history of this television phenomenon. It covers the show’s inauspicious beginnings, with low ratings, its endless reinvention as participants like Bill Owen, Michael Bates, Brian Wilde and Kathy Staff retired or died, the appearance of a string of guest stars from John Cleese and Norman Wisdom to Thora Hird and Russ Abbott (both of whom soon found themselves fixtures in the cast), and the ingenious plot contrivances as the protagonists became too old and frail to attempt any of the slapstick stunts with runaway prams – indeed any outdoor action.

Holmfirth is now a year-round tourist attraction, and endless repeats and new DVD box sets will ensure a readership for this book for years to come.

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Last of the Summer Wine: The Inside Story of the WorldaCs Longest-Running Comedy Programme
Quite simply, Last of the Summer Wine is the longest-running comedy programme in the world. It premiered 37 years ago, in 1973, and, after 31 series it finally came to an end last year – even though all its original protagonists – Compo, Foggy, even Nora Batty – are now dead.

Remarkably, for a series of such longevity and international appeal, it is all about elderly people, has little action or plot, and is set and filmed in and around the small Yorkshire town of Holmfirth.

Now, Andrew Vine, the deputy editor of Yorkshire’s daily newspaper, has written the definitive history of this television phenomenon. It covers the show’s inauspicious beginnings, with low ratings, its endless reinvention as participants like Bill Owen, Michael Bates, Brian Wilde and Kathy Staff retired or died, the appearance of a string of guest stars from John Cleese and Norman Wisdom to Thora Hird and Russ Abbott (both of whom soon found themselves fixtures in the cast), and the ingenious plot contrivances as the protagonists became too old and frail to attempt any of the slapstick stunts with runaway prams – indeed any outdoor action.

Holmfirth is now a year-round tourist attraction, and endless repeats and new DVD box sets will ensure a readership for this book for years to come.

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Last of the Summer Wine: The Inside Story of the WorldaCs Longest-Running Comedy Programme

Last of the Summer Wine: The Inside Story of the WorldaCs Longest-Running Comedy Programme

by Andrew Vine
Last of the Summer Wine: The Inside Story of the WorldaCs Longest-Running Comedy Programme

Last of the Summer Wine: The Inside Story of the WorldaCs Longest-Running Comedy Programme

by Andrew Vine

Paperback(Reprint)

$14.95 
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Overview

Quite simply, Last of the Summer Wine is the longest-running comedy programme in the world. It premiered 37 years ago, in 1973, and, after 31 series it finally came to an end last year – even though all its original protagonists – Compo, Foggy, even Nora Batty – are now dead.

Remarkably, for a series of such longevity and international appeal, it is all about elderly people, has little action or plot, and is set and filmed in and around the small Yorkshire town of Holmfirth.

Now, Andrew Vine, the deputy editor of Yorkshire’s daily newspaper, has written the definitive history of this television phenomenon. It covers the show’s inauspicious beginnings, with low ratings, its endless reinvention as participants like Bill Owen, Michael Bates, Brian Wilde and Kathy Staff retired or died, the appearance of a string of guest stars from John Cleese and Norman Wisdom to Thora Hird and Russ Abbott (both of whom soon found themselves fixtures in the cast), and the ingenious plot contrivances as the protagonists became too old and frail to attempt any of the slapstick stunts with runaway prams – indeed any outdoor action.

Holmfirth is now a year-round tourist attraction, and endless repeats and new DVD box sets will ensure a readership for this book for years to come.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781845137113
Publisher: Aurum
Publication date: 08/17/2011
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 320
Sales rank: 996,239
Product dimensions: 5.00(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.87(d)

About the Author

Andrew Vine is an award-winning journalist and assistant editor of the Yorkshire Post. He is author of 'Last of the Summer Wine: The Story of the World's Longest Running Comedy Series', and of 'A Very Strange Way to Go To War: The Canberra in the Falklands'. He lives in Leeds.

Table of Contents

Prologue ix

Part 1 A Breath of Fresh air 1

1 The Library Mob 3

2 Left, Right and Centre 21

3 A Talking Show 40

Part 2 The Vintage years 67

4 That Eccentric Look 69

5 Mr Average 92

6 Loyal But Disagreeable 116

7 Extending the Family 134

Part 3 Stunts and stories 153

8 The Lady and the Gentleman 155

9 Summer Wine Land 176

10 Thora's Table 195

11 Late Vintage 216

Part 4 The Long Sunset 235

12 See Ya Compo 237

13 Carrying On 257

14 Goodbye to the Hills 274

Acknowledgements, Sources and Bibliography 297

Index 299

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