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The Last of The Last of the Summer Wine

Ian McMillan pays tribute to one of television鈥檚 longest running sitcoms. With Bill Owen and Kathy Staff. From August 2010.

Ian McMillan pays tribute to TV鈥檚 longest running sitcom 'Last of the Summer Wine' which drew to a close in August 2010.

In its heyday, the adventures of senior citizens Compo, Foggy and Clegg drew audiences of 19 million.

It would be hard to argue that the series is anything but a British classic, which seemed immortal.

The lyrical adventures of three bungling, elderly oddballs charmed viewers of all generations for over a third of a century - and this programme charts the show's unbelievable success.

The show was pioneering in many ways, one of which was the decision to have and ultimately set the trend for a double length Christmas special.

Featuring exclusive interviews with major cast members and archive of the late Bill Owen and Kathy Staff, who turned the character of battleaxe Nora Batty into a treasured national icon.

And we delve behind the scenes with writer Roy Clarke and producer/director Alan JW Bell who offer fascinating insights into the show's journey from script to screen.

Cast members pay tribute to Ronnie Hazelhurst's theme music and and Ian McMillan calls to mind his own favourite characters in the series.

Why did the series survive so long, surprising critics, audiences and even the 大象传媒 itself which has often been accused of underestimating its importance?

Producer: Stephen Garner

First broadcast on 大象传媒 Radio 4 in August 2010.

30 minutes

Last on

Mon 2 Jan 2023 04:30

Broadcasts

  • Sun 29 Aug 2010 13:30
  • Tue 30 Aug 2011 23:30
  • Tue 13 Sep 2016 18:30
  • Wed 14 Sep 2016 00:30
  • Mon 5 Nov 2018 06:30
  • Mon 5 Nov 2018 13:30
  • Mon 5 Nov 2018 20:30
  • Tue 6 Nov 2018 01:30
  • New Year's Day 2023 10:30
  • New Year's Day 2023 15:30
  • New Year's Day 2023 21:30
  • Mon 2 Jan 2023 04:30