TV series

Last of the Summer Wine

Name: Last of the Summer Wine
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1973-01-04
Cast: Peter Sallis, Frank Thornton, Michael Bates, Jane Freeman, Kathy Staff

197331 seasons269 episodes★ 7.2

Comedy

The BBC's longest running comedy series.

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Overview

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.

Series details

First air date: 1973
Last air date: 2010
Status: Ended
Seasons: 31
Episodes: 269
Episode runtime: 30 min
Genres: Comedy
Original language: EN
Origin country: GB
Networks: BBC One
Created by: Roy Clarke
Production: BBC

Cast

Peter Sallis

Clegg

Frank Thornton

Truly

Michael Bates

Cyril Blamire

Jane Freeman

Ivy

Kathy Staff

Nora Batty

Joe Gladwin

Wally

Seasons

Season information provided by TMDB.

Series 1

1973

7 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.

Series 2

1975

7 episodes

Last of the Summer Wine's second series originally aired on BBC1 between 5 March and 16 April 1975. All episodes from this series were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Bernard Thompson. Although ratings from the first series were not good, the BBC ordered a second series of Last of the Summer Wine after the first season aired but were delayed due to strike action. The second series was eventually produced and aired during March and April 1975. For the first time, series 2 saw two episodes make it into the top ten programs of the week, starting with the opening show, "Forked Lightning," which was watched by over 18 million people. Joining the cast this season was Joe Gladwin as Wally Batty, Nora Batty's henpecked husband. Series 2 would also mark the final appearance of Blamire, played by Michael Bates, who left at the end of the series due to health problems. The second series was released on DVD in region 2 as a combined box set with series 1 on 2 September 2002.