Recent content by Sarkus

There are different versions of some episodes floating around. It's possible they are using the US DVD release versions, which were edited a bit, but I also have two UK versions of that barbershop episode (and other episodes as well) which are different. We have to remember that when the show...

It's also possible that some of these books were written with a lot of help from someone who steered them a certain way to aim them at a particular audience. Really hard to know.

I'd interpret that as a reference to attractiveness. A younger actor who isn't viewed as attractive (by the standards of the day) will have limited opportunities in anything other than bit parts. When they get older, however, their market opens up as there is demand for a wider variety of...

Roy Clarke understood that the fun of the Compo/Nora relationship was that it would never result in marriage. It reflects the idea that Compo was having fun in the chase but wasn't really interested in winning. He would have spent the night with her (as was his goal in Some Enchanted Evening)...

It could be an issue of script/filming continuity vs. edited final version continuity. Maybe the scenes were originally meant to be in a different order.

I think they have a familiarity that we all recognize either in ourselves or in people we know or knew. Roy Clarke was able to bring that into the characters in a way that not all shows manage. I particularly think a lot of people saw a lot of themselves in Clegg and in how he reacted to those...

Bell said in his book that the script wasn't very good, a rarity for Clarke. Wilde and he discussed it and decided to let it be re-done without Foggy, a plan that I think paid off as its one of my favorite holiday specials. I assume that Foggy would have been in the place Howard takes, which...

It's been a couple of years, but for a while I had LOTSW on perpetual loop. That said, I'd often watch 2-4 episodes a night but not really be paying close attention at all times. At that rate I'd go through the whole lot in as little as six months on occasion. That being said, there are a few...

I'll admit to being intrigued by Marina. Sure, she had a reputation, but it seems to have been highly exaggerated. Either version - the original widow or the later perpetually single version, lol.

In fairness, Kathy Staff's health was the issue and there was no way to transition her out. Her absence in Series 30 was, according to Bell's book, a very last-minute development and they had to scramble to throw something together to cover for that. Stella as her sister taking care of Nora's...

Bell is the one who said he never quite fit, again in his book. I don't agree with him, as I liked the character and felt he was a good direction to go right after Bill Owen's death. Trying to fit in another "Compo" wasn't going to work, as we saw with Tom. Alvin brought some of those...

Alan Bell in his book said he left for health reasons, specifically back problems. Never seen any confirmation of that from Keith Clifford, though, and have always wondered since that was after a few years of the four person group that also included Alvin. Just my opinion, but it always seemed...

While I know they change their voices for their characters, I'm always somewhat surprised at how actors sound with their natural voices.

The character never left, the actor did for six years. He was occasionally referenced but never seen between "Barry's Christmas" (1990) and "Extra! Extra!" (1996). Alan Bell in his book says this was by Mike Grady's request, who felt it would help his career.

Bell's book says that he and Clarke didn't initially think the play characters were worth bringing over, but as Adanor said, they liked the chemistry they had when Howard and Pearl were recast for the second year run of the play. By that time, they had also lost John Comer, and I do think...