Who does Compo's hat change midway through Series 6?

B

Bradders

New Member
Does anyone know why Compo changes hat midway through series 6?

He seems to get a new hat soon after the cafe is redecorated. Did they lose the original hat or something?
 
I think the only people that can answer that are the wardrobe people but he did go through several hats that's for sure.
 
I know the first switch of his hats came when a fan sent some hand knitted hats to him. (But that was earlier in the series.) He found them much more comfortable than what they had been using. If I remember correctly, she sent more than one - so he could have worn one out or just been trying another one.
 
Bearing in mind the exterior scenes would have been shot before the interior scenes (in a studio usually), it's quite remarkable continuity.

The makers of the show have ensured that in each episode, he does wear the same hat throughout at least.

If you're not sure what I mean, just have a look at Clegg's tie in the pilot episode Of Funerals and Fish.

Doesn't Foggy's trousers change colour somewhere around this period?
 
I've been able to find four different style hats Compo wore at one time or another, but there may be more.
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Off topic, but in the second and fourth photos, I can see a strong hint of the very good-looking young man that he was. I hadn't noticed it while watching those episodes — it probably was evident for too few frames to register.

Marianna
 
Didn't Wardrobe completely replace the clothing every year? That is except for some stock items like Clegg's demob suit which came from Peter Sallis' personal closet. So it is possible that Compo's hat was replaced at the start of each series. Or maybe it was replaced when it began to show wear. And it just came to me the fact that while Compo's coat was full of holes, his hat was always pristine with not one sign of wear. And maybe why it was replaced in the middle of the series.
 
I can confidently say that 'wardrobe' did NOT replace the costumes every year.

However, scenery such as the sets for the cafe or Compo's kitchen WERE replaced every year.

I gather the blue neck scarf that Compo wore between 1975 and 1991 came from a scarf given to Bill Owen. He cut it into 4 smaller ties, and wore them till there was no wear left in them.
 
Back to Compo's hat and Series 6.

1981 Christmas Special Whoops was made at the same time as Series 6.

Whoops was shown just before Series 6 began.

But in Whoops, Compo is wearing the hat that he wears in the latter half of Series 6.
 
wstol said:
Back to Compo's hat and Series 6.

1981 Christmas Special Whoops was made at the same time as Series 6.

Whoops was shown just before Series 6 began.

But in Whoops, Compo is wearing the hat that he wears in the latter half of Series 6.
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From what I gathered through what I've read and heard in interviews, the episodes were not filmed in the order they were broadcast. The BBC chose the order to broadcast placing the strongest episodes at the beginning and ending of each season. That's how they ended up with the problem with Milburn being in The Loxley Lozenge when he hadn't been introduced, because the BBC decided to run it as a special in December before the season 8 was broadcast in February and March.

Also each episode was not filmed in its entirety or even front to back. Scenes were shot according to locations and they might be working on several episodes at the same time with location shots all being done together and then all studio shots being done for those episodes. From what I've read, it appears they usually did half the season at a time.

So going back to season 6 - Whoops may have been filmed at the same time as last broadcast episodes of that series, in other words, they may have been the first episodes filmed in that season. Then the others were grouped and filmed at the next round.

That may not explain why the caps were changed, but it could explain why it appeared to change and then change back.
 
me2 said:
From what I gathered through what I've read and heard in interviews, the episodes were not filmed in the order they were broadcast. The BBC chose the order to broadcast placing the strongest episodes at the beginning and ending of each season. That's how they ended up with the problem with Milburn being in The Loxley Lozenge when he hadn't been introduced, because the BBC decided to run it as a special in December before the season 8 was broadcast in February and March.

Also each episode was not filmed in its entirety or even front to back. Scenes were shot according to locations and they might be working on several episodes at the same time with location shots all being done together and then all studio shots being done for those episodes. From what I've read, it appears they usually did half the season at a time.

So going back to season 6 - Whoops may have been filmed at the same time as last broadcast episodes of that series, in other words, they may have been the first episodes filmed in that season. Then the others were grouped and filmed at the next round.

That may not explain why the caps were changed, but it could explain why it appeared to change and then change back.
Click to expand...

Thing is, the issue with the cafe being redecorated mid-way through the series has blown that theory to bits.

The special shows Compo in the new hat and the cafe hasn't been redecorated.
Then there's episodes with Compo in the old hat and the cafe hasn't been redecorated.
Then there's episodes with Compo in the new hat and the cafe has been redecorated.
 
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