I've read today that the show has been put on a year's "hiatus". Almost certainly a sign of cancellation. Interesting choice for the BBC, considering its consistently high viewership.
Last of the Summer Wine - 2008 & 2009 Page 4
Quote: Charley @ June 23 2008, 10:54 PM BSTF**k me.
I hated this programme then & I hate it now. A load of old Daves wandering about. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww!
I know this is a long shot, but do you think you could make a point without resorting to swearing?
Quote: Charley @ June 23 2008, 10:54 PM BSTF**k me.
I hated this programme then & I hate it now. A load of old Daves wandering about. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww!
It's still a hundred times funnier than shows like Two Pints, Grownups and Coming Of Age.
Quote: Aaron @ May 8 2009, 5:41 PM BSTI've read today that the show has been put on a year's "hiatus". Almost certainly a sign of cancellation. Interesting choice for the BBC, considering its consistently high viewership.
It's one of them convenience shows, Sunday dinner when your Gran's round, BBC One, though you'd rather not watch Songs of Praise or this what follows, it is on and to keep your Gran happy, you watch BBC One. I'm sure if they put Summer Wine on on a week-day, it wouldn't achieve many viewers.
Quote: catskillz @ May 8 2009, 6:59 PM BSTIt's still a hundred times funnier than shows like Two Pints, Grownups and Coming Of Age.
I will disagree with that. It's the worst kind of writing. The Russ Abbott character is mind blowingly awful. I can't actually believe it wasn't written by a 12 year old to be honest. I'd be quite happy if the cast got a severe dose of swine flu and buggered off into isolation not just a 'hiatus'.
Quote: roscoff @ May 8 2009, 10:57 PM BSTI'd be quite happy if the cast got a severe dose of swine flu and buggered off into isolation not just a 'hiatus'.
Then you are a complete tool. If you don't like it then don't watch it but is there really any need to wish ill on cast members such as Peter Sallis, Frank Thornton, June Whitfield, Burt Kwouk etc. who are obviously very gifted and have appeared in some classic shows and films over the years? Sorry if that seems touchy but as some of the cast will clearly not be around for too much longer, your comment seemed ridiculously cretinous.
The couple of eps that I have seen of the new series have been ok and I quite like Russ Abbot's character myself. Considering the age of everyone involved, a hiatus must surely mean the end of the show. As it has had some great episodes and characters over the years, I will be sad to see it go.
As I posted earlier, these latest episodes don't work particularly well. There is no interaction between any of the groups of characters anymore. Clegg and Truly are reduced to playing dominos indoors for 30 seconds, Auntie and Tom have a short sketch, the two policemen have a short sketch, Barry and his gang have a short sketch.. These little 'vignettes' rarely meet - maybe the policemen see one of the other 'sketches' pass by.
None of these groups have any interaction with each other and you lose the point of them beig there - the cast seem to be in because of what they did in the past and their current availability, not because they are needed for plot purposes.
Maybe they could have tried more 'themed' episodes - push all the policemen bits together into one half hour, the same with Auntie etc. Currently the title Last Of The Summer Wine is like an umbrella title encompassing a collection of little individual sitcoms.
Quote: Jack Massey @ May 8 2009, 10:28 PM BSTIt's one of them convenience shows, Sunday dinner when your Gran's round, BBC One, though you'd rather not watch Songs of Praise or this what follows, it is on and to keep your Gran happy, you watch BBC One. I'm sure if they put Summer Wine on on a week-day, it wouldn't achieve many viewers.
A lot of truth in this. Although I find myself rather enjoying Songs Of Praise theses days.
Quote: Maurice Minor @ May 9 2009, 9:38 AM BSTAs I posted earlier, these latest episodes don't work particularly well. There is no interaction between any of the groups of characters anymore. Clegg and Truly are reduced to playing dominos indoors for 30 seconds, Auntie and Tom have a short sketch, the two policemen have a short sketch, Barry and his gang have a short sketch.. These little 'vignettes' rarely meet - maybe the policemen see one of the other 'sketches' pass by.
None of these groups have any interaction with each other and you lose the point of them beig there - the cast seem to be in because of what they did in the past and their current availability, not because they are needed for plot purposes.
Maybe they could have tried more 'themed' episodes - push all the policemen bits together into one half hour, the same with Auntie etc. Currently the title Last Of The Summer Wine is like an umbrella title encompassing a collection of little individual sitcoms.
I agree. It cuts between each little group so often that it's difficult to keep track of what's going on. Such a shocking use of a stellar cast. But ultimately, I fear that after 36 years familiarity really has well and truly bred contempt between Roy Clarke and the show.
One thing that never gets mentioned is how Roy Clarke still manages to write new storylines. I mean, he's nearly 80 now so it's a wonder he hasn't died off before the rest of them.
One more show. One farewell Christmas special that gets everyone tuned in just to see if we get an Emmerdale moment.
Quote: Nick @ May 9 2009, 2:30 AM BSTThen you are a complete tool. If you don't like it then don't watch it but is there really any need to wish ill on cast members such as Peter Sallis, Frank Thornton, June Whitfield, Burt Kwouk etc. who are obviously very gifted and have appeared in some classic shows and films over the years? Sorry if that seems touchy but as some of the cast will clearly not be around for too much longer, your comment seemed ridiculously cretinous.
Yes. It seems touchy. Just because they're old doesn't give them the excuse to appear in crud. See 'Waiting for God', 'One Foot in the Grave'.
Quote: roscoff @ May 9 2009, 10:26 PM BSTYes. It seems touchy. Just because they're old doesn't give them the excuse to appear in crud. See 'Waiting for God', 'One Foot in the Grave'.
I didn't say it did. But wishing a serious illness on people because you don't like the TV show that they're in is pathetically childish.
Wouldn't it be more mature to wish that they would find success with other projects so that they wouldn't want to return to the show?
Quote: Tuumble @ May 9 2009, 8:44 PM BSTOne thing that never gets mentioned is how Roy Clarke still manages to write new storylines. I mean, he's nearly 80 now so it's a wonder he hasn't died off before the rest of them.
One more show. One farewell Christmas special that gets everyone tuned in just to see if we get an Emmerdale moment.
It doesn't get mentioned because the scripts seem to just be re-cycled material and not even good material at that.
Russ Abbot's character is that of someone who used to be in a position of power in being a spy but is deluded and thinks he is more important than he thinks he is which is the exact same thing the guy out of Porridge and Are You Being served? played. An ex-policeman, an ex-soldier and now an ex-spy.
As someone said just because they are old and have been in successful comedies 30 or 40 years ago doesn't mean they don't have to justify being in such a poor show as it is nowadays.
Quote: Nick @ May 10 2009, 1:04 AM BSTI didn't say it did. But wishing a serious illness on people because you don't like the TV show that they're in is pathetically childish.
Wouldn't it be more mature to wish that they would find success with other projects so that they wouldn't want to return to the show?
Quite frankly I don't think this cast have time for other projects. 'Two feet in the Grave' perhaps?
Quote: roscoff @ May 10 2009, 12:09 PM BSTQuite frankly I don't think this cast have time for other projects.'Two feet in the Grave' perhaps?
Retirement would surely be preferable to seriously illness though.
You are right that some of the actors won't have time for other projects which, and I hope you can understand this, made your comments all the more aggravating. Personally it saddens me to think that actors such as Peter Sallis and Frank Thornton are probably not long for this world. I found it insensitive for somebody (even if they were not being entirely serious) to wish an illness on them that would kill them off sooner rather than later and not in a painless way.
Anyway, you are wrong when you say that I don't like you because you may be the nicest guy in the world for all I know. I just didn't like one thing that you said.
That is all.
Nick, Roscoff's choice of words was a little extreme, but I don't think it was meant with anything like the sincerity you seem to have taken it. His point was that he wished the show never return, not - I don't think - literally that he wished ill-health on the cast.
Now let's drop the matter and return to Last Of The Summer Wine itself please.