Last Of The Summer Wine...A Short History.

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Last Of The Summer Wine began in the early 1970's.  There were a few spin-off programs leading up the very first series.  These early episodes were just pilot shows.  Last Of The Summer Wine gave its first official series in 1976.  Brian Wilde became Foggy Dewhurst in the 3rd series.  He then left for a short time, and missed out series 9/10/11 and 12.  He would then return back as the classic Foggy Dewhurst.  My classic episode is Dried Dates And Codfanglers.  My other favourite character in Last Of The Summer Wine is Eli.  Eli is played by Danny O Dea.

There were 295 episodes excluding all the xmas specials, and the New Year specials.  The very last episode of Last Of The Summer Wine was called How Not To Cry At Weddings, and The Very Last Of The Summer Wine.  Tom Owen played Compos brother Tom Simmonite.  Jean Alexander played Auntie Wainwright, but is most famous for Hilda Ogden in Coronation Street.  Jean Alexander left Coronation Street in 1987.  Robert Fyfe and Juliette Kaplan played Howard and Pearl.  Peter Sallis is also famous for Wallace And Grommit.  He plays Norman Clegg in Last Of The Summer Wine.

Every single epsisode of Last Of The Summer Wine was written by Roy Clarke.  He also wrote Keeping Up Appearances, and others besides these classics.  Kathy Staff played the fearsome Norra Batty, and those wrinkled stockings.  What the hell did Compo seen in her, I'll never know.  Sundays will never be the same again.  We have lost a Great British tradition.  Comedy has lost its flavour now.