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    Last of the Summer Wine: The Story of the World's Longest-Running Comedy Series
    Last of the Summer Wine: The Story of the World's Longest-Running Comedy Series
    Last of the Summer Wine: The Story of the World's Longest-Running Comedy Series
    Ebook433 pages5 hours

    Last of the Summer Wine: The Story of the World's Longest-Running Comedy Series

    By Andrew Vine

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    An insider’s look at story behind the longest running situation comedy in British television history.

    Quite simply, Last of the Summer Wine is the longest-running comedy programme in the world. It premiered thirty-seven years ago, in 1973, and, after thirty-one series it finally came to an end—even though all its original protagonists—Compo, Foggy, even Nora Batty—are now dead.

    Remarkably, for a series of such longevity and international appeal, it is all about elderly people, has little action or plot, and is set and filmed in and around the small Yorkshire town of Holmfirth.

    Now, Andrew Vine, the deputy editor of Yorkshire’s daily newspaper, has written the definitive history of this television phenomenon. It covers the show’s inauspicious beginnings, with low ratings, its endless reinvention as participants like Bill Owen, Michael Bates, Brian Wilde and Kathy Staff retired or died, the appearance of a string of guest stars from John Cleese and Norman Wisdom to Thora Hird and Russ Abbott (both of whom soon found themselves fixtures in the cast), and the ingenious plot contrivances as the protagonists became too old and frail to attempt any of the slapstick stunts with runaway prams—indeed any outdoor action.

    The town of Holmfirth is now a year-round tourist attraction, and the endless availability of the show via streaming, ensures that Last of the Summer Wine, and the book it inspired, will live on for generations of fans.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateSep 25, 2010
    ISBN9781845136536
    Last of the Summer Wine: The Story of the World's Longest-Running Comedy Series

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    Reviews for Last of the Summer Wine

    4.5/5

    6 ratings2 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A great history full of wonderful details about one of my favorite tv shows.
    • 5/5
      This behind the scene look at a British comedy that lasted almost forty years does not reveal any astonishing surprises. For the most part, the cast and crew got along. Areas used in filming the series became tourist destination and saved them from financial depression. There is gentleness in the writing and handling of actors, producers, and writer that is reflective of the gentleness of the series itself. Some readers with find repetition and pace a bit too boring, but regular viewers will find it complements the show perfectly.

    Book preview

    Last of the Summer Wine - Andrew Vine

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