the Compo passing away trilogy

maltrab said:
DJWCFC said:
brendalovescompo said:
Yes , thanks for the pictures. Do you think that is the church in the first series where Cyril and Clegg take Compo in to see if he feels anything being in a church? Beautiful Church.
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yes its the same church, they also used that path in "The Three Astaire's"
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Also used in "Going to Gordon's Wedding"
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very true Terry, they also used the church in "Small Tune on a Penny Wassail" for the stick scene
 
When we stay at the Springfield House, we walk out the back door and
up the hill, then left onto Binn's Lane, we come out up the hill
from Compo's Church (St John's, I think) in Upperthong.
 
I've just watched the trilogy so thought I would comment, the first time I watched "Elegy for Fallen Wellies" in 2000 I was emotional and was crying my eyes out as soon as the scene with the doctor shaking his head and just about composed myself by the end and then there was the scene with the overalls that set me off again, "Surprise at Throstlenest" is the one of the three I can laugh at cause its more in the comedy line than the other two but I do think that one is the weakest of the three episodes but I do think there 3 very good episodes but one has to come last and its that one, as for "Just a Small Funeral" when I watched that back in 2000 I was emotional as well and did ok crying wise till the theme tune sang with the views of the countryside then I cried so much, but I was 10 at the time and Bill Owen's and Compo's death was really the first death I had to deal with (only had to deal with a handful in life that meant something to me), nowadays though normally I can get through all 3 episodes without crying but every time I watch them they do bring a lump to my throat but will admit this time I watched them and heard the theme tune sang there was a tear in my eye
 
Thank you so much for those pictures as I'll never make there to see them for myself!!!
I still tear up a bit when I watch the trilogy and I've seen them quite a bit! BTW--where's
George? I see we have a new Global Moderator....congrats! ~Sheree~
 
Thank you for those pictures and comments! I read his death was sudden, he worked almost to the last. One wonders if he could have done more to have lived ( Dr wise) maybe his age was just against him? We are watching this on PBS now, a sad time here in the gloom of a long winter ???
 
According to Alan Bell's book, Owen kept his terminal diagnosis private after they sent him to see the doctor but that he (Bell) was told because someone at the BBC got the doctor to tell them. So much for privacy rights! At any rate, Bell brought Owen in to do some studio scenes even knowing this, hoping to get as much footage as he could to salvage what they had already filmed for the episodes he appears in that series.
 
Wow, Bell had a way about handling pending death ( remembering our thread on Bringing Sam home too) that would seem odd. Of course, maybe Owen wanted it that way. I am thinking I would want to spend all my last hours and days with family.
 
Cyndy said:
Wow, Bell had a way about handling pending death ( remembering our thread on Bringing Sam home too) that would seem odd. Of course, maybe Owen wanted it that way. I am thinking I would want to spend all my last hours and days with family.
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I don't think anyone knew when they were filming Bringing Sam Home how sick Comer was. If Comer knew he had cancer at that point, he apparently didn't tell Bell. Bell says he didn't even know Comer was having any difficulties with his voice until he showed up to film. And while Comer admitted during filming that his voice was going to take awhile to get back to normal and agreed they would have to get someone else to dub his lines, it wasn't until much later that Bell says he found out Comer was terminally ill. Though as with Owen years later they found out through unofficial channels.

As for Owen, Bell indicates in his book that he's not sure if Bill Owen actually knew he had been given a terminal diagnosis. At any rate, a number of key scenes in Last Post and Pigeon were shot with Bell knowing Owen didn't have long to live, including the final scene where he plays the bugle.
 
Well that makes me feel better about Bell then....less greedy. But, of course, he did give us this great series and it must have been hard keeping it going with aging cast and deaths. I know there were extras, but when you know Owens age and still see his spry steps and little jig almost to the end-- it just makes you keep one in your own!
 
Reading Bells book it comes over that all involved were dedicated to the show and enjoyed working making the episodes ,Brian Wildes son became the film editor that's continuity.
 
Although I'm constantly going through the series, I don't always watch this series and the episodes that deal with Compo's death. Mainly because I get too emotional! Seeing Bill Owen in the poor condition he was is depressing, and I tend to get distracted by the obvious changes they made to make the episodes work after his death. At any rate, I did watch the series over the last few days and came away thinking that "Elegy" on its own very probably would have been enough as a goodbye to Compo. Its not that I don't like the other two episodes (and I still cry at the end of "Just a Small Funeral"), just that I don't think they add a whole lot to the catharsis the audience needed. "Elegy" covers all the bases by itself - Compo's death, the immediate reaction of the characters, and a chance to say goodbye. Introducing Reggie in "Surprise" and having the actual funeral in the third episode don't seem necessary, IMHO.

Of course then I watched the last four episodes that introduce Tom and continue to think they are largely a mistake. I still wonder how the show survived that since by all accounts it went over very badly with the audience. Neither of the books I have on the show really explain how and why the BBC decided to keep the show going after Bill Owen's death, even though both suggest it was up in the air for a time.
 
Sarkus said:
Although I'm constantly going through the series, I don't always watch this series and the episodes that deal with Compo's death. Mainly because I get too emotional! Seeing Bill Owen in the poor condition he was is depressing, and I tend to get distracted by the obvious changes they made to make the episodes work after his death. At any rate, I did watch the series over the last few days and came away thinking that "Elegy" on its own very probably would have been enough as a goodbye to Compo. Its not that I don't like the other two episodes (and I still cry at the end of "Just a Small Funeral"), just that I don't think they add a whole lot to the catharsis the audience needed. "Elegy" covers all the bases by itself - Compo's death, the immediate reaction of the characters, and a chance to say goodbye. Introducing Reggie in "Surprise" and having the actual funeral in the third episode don't seem necessary, IMHO.

Of course then I watched the last four episodes that introduce Tom and continue to think they are largely a mistake. I still wonder how the show survived that since by all accounts it went over very badly with the audience. Neither of the books I have on the show really explain how and why the BBC decided to keep the show going after Bill Owen's death, even though both suggest it was up in the air for a time.
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I would agree with much of that. Bill Owen does look ill in that final series and has a very drawn look and is a shadow of his former self. I think the funeral episode is ok, but also think that the introduction of Reggie, other than to see the look on Nora's face, was largely unnecessary. I suppose the intention was to show that Compo was still a bit of a Jack the Lad right up to the end, but his relationship with Reggie, whatever it was, didn't really fit in with his supposed devotion to Nora. I also couldn't see why someone like Reggie would take a shine to Compo either.

I've never been that big a fan of Tom, especially with that silly dog puppet he had early on. Might have worked had the intention been to create a younger trio around him early on, but at times it does seem as if they were looking for a role for him. I recently thought that perhaps they could have had his character take over the scrapyard from Auntie Wainwright, perhaps going into business with Smiler as an alternative to them becoming part of her shop.

I have read that had Bill Owen died between series it probably would have ended there and then, but because his final series had that send off and then some continuity the decision was made to carry on. It would probably have been difficult to start a new series without him and someone new coming in. It was still reasonably popular even without Compo for the remainder of that series. Series 21 audience figures were more or less around the 7-8 million mark throughout. So, in terms of audience figures there was a reason after series 21 to make more. They did start to decline from series 22 onwards, although according to Wiki, the first in that series Getting Barry's Goat did get an 8.52 million audience, which was more than any of the passing away trilogy.
 
As far as I know, Bill Owen was more determined to carry on and film those shows more than anyone else.

It's quite a coincidence that Bill was so ill during such an important SW special, the Millenium one at that. This special really was special, and one of the best.

It was similar to John Comer, his last was Getting Sam Home, which at the time was another groundbreaking special.

In many ways, it would have been better if Last Post and Pigeon was transmitted as Compo's last appearance. Compo's last episode, the Morris Minor one, wasn't perhaps the best of episodes - though the two before that were excellent.
 
It just so happens that they ran these three episodes on PBS/MPT over the last three days. And I felt all of the sentiments stated in the above posts. Yes, the photo of Sid, the wellies on the casket, the quiet moments of humor amid the grief and the showing of all of Compos favorite places. A great tribute to Bill Owen.
 
I have nothing but praise for the trilogy. Also, like others, I sometimes do not watch it because when I turn on Summer Wine my heart is set its typical style of comedy. However, the trilogy adds to the greatness of the show.

I agree with Philosopher Clegg that Reggie added a bit of confusion. With so much of the emphasis of Compo's devotion to Nora it was odd how the storyline of Reggie came out of nowhere. She was never even mentioned before.

Still, it is a wonderful collection of episodes.

I have been on Summer Wine forums for years now. I asked this question a few times to the experts, but now we seem to have new, highly knowledgable members, so I will ask this again. I always thought it was a buit unusual how Surprise at Throstlesness ended with the close up of Reggie. I could never find any signifigance behind that. It always struck me at different.
 
codfanglers said:
With so much of the emphasis of Compo's devotion to Nora it was odd how the storyline of Reggie came out of nowhere.
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It was as much a surprise to the viewers as it was to the other characters, and it was probably meant to have exactly that impact. It fit for me because it confirmed what I had always believed - that Compo's pursuit of Nora was just a game he played for his own amusement. Not even Wally took it seriously, and I never thought that it was because he was too phlegmatic or indifferent to react. Compo's pursuit just seemed too over the top to be real, even for a comedy show.

Marianna
 
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