Last Of The Summer Wine: The Complete Collection [DVD]

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This latter introduced Holmfirth local Gordon Wharmby in the role of Wesley Pegden: Wharmby had no acting experience whatsoever, but was a natural, and Clarke kept him firmly in mind for the future. The series had, sadly, lost Sid, following the great John Comer succumbing to throat cancer (his last performance was as Sid in the first LOTSW ‘movie’, based on Clarke’s own novel of the early Seventies: unable to speak, Comer had acted his role with Tony Melody’s voice dubbed over the performance). The show began, increasingly, to feature well known actors and actresses in guest roles, further playing up the show as a collection of eccentrics and grotesqueries. But with figures like that, the odds are that a very high majority did enjoy it, and the chances of this being revived as a series are correspondingly increased. It would have made more sense to number the DVD sets with the series number and "Part 1" or "Part 2".

Fortunately, an easy out was available: in series 2, the trio had travelled to Oswestry, where Blamire re-acquainted himself with a former NAAFI Manageress who he’d known whilst in the services.I am convinced I watched a Michael Bates episode in which the trio had an outing to Oswestry where Cyril renewed acquaintance with a former NAAFI canteen manageress of whom he had entertained romantic feelings but who had married otherwise.

It was not edgy, it never would be, but at first it contained a genuine abrasion that it put aside in exchange for surreality and daftness. Clarke, who initially saw Owen as an archetypal cockney who could not play as solid a northern character as Compo was meant to be, recognised Owen's potential only after going to London for a read-through with him. Of course, the spin-off paid no attention to continuity as the young Clegg and Compo clearly knew Seymour at the Coop in 1939 when they were supposed only to have been introduced to him in 1983, nor was there any reference to the young Cyril Blamire.

Both the first two episodes start to develop the physical comedy the series became famous/notorious for, but that’s in its infancy and Roy Clarke doesn’t make hardly anything of the piano bit at all, except for Michael Bates playing some clanging, heavy-handed quasi-tune that showcased his real ability by being so carefully bad. The pilot, "Of Funerals and Fish", received enough positive response that a full series was commissioned to be broadcast before the end of the year. Ballad for Wind Instruments and Canoe’ (warning: no wind instruments involved) is shot mainly on location.

The dvd’s that I have played so far have a title menu with episode selection with a nice picture background of some of the characters. Both Sid and Wally had died offscreen, between series, without fanfare but, given that their widows remained in the series, their loss was, unsentimentally and gently acknowledged, although not directly. Packages sent by this method are currently being received within 7 working days from dispatch, subject to availability. I’ve already pointed out that, despite how long they’ve known each other, they gravitate into a group not out of choice but necessity. Even if each episode was 30 minutes long (some episodes are much longer) it would take you nearly a full week of non- stop viewing to watch them all!

The café has become a tourist destination on the strength of the series, and features a model of Compo outside for photographic purposes. And of course we arrive at Sid’s Cafe, with Sid (the great John Comer) and Ivy (Jane Freeman) bickering at the tops of their voices.