Clegg and Two Third Men

W

wstol

Dedicated Member
When Bill Owen died mid-way through a series, and the news that the show would continue, I could only see one way the show could continue successfully.

To me, it would have been a perfect time to bring Brian Wilde back permanently.

You were never going to get someone to completely replace Compo.

I could never see the point in bringing in new cast members and characters, when we had an old character being held back.

It would mean having two third men - yet Truly was never a strong leader. He was generally very laid back about most things, and a good drinker.

Even though there wouldn't be a rascally character in the trio, Tom could have provided some of this. It looked like he was intended to be part of the trio - but this never happened in his first full series.

Personally I think a trio of Clegg, Truly and Foggy would have worked. It may have been unbalanced, but I think it would have been three established cast members making the show as near to the good old days as humanly possible.
 
I can see this working only if the trio were to take a back set to the rest of the ensemble cast to the point we only dropped in on them similar to the Truly and Clegg insurance friendly cameos.

Much as you need the authoritarian you need as it's natural balancing counterpoint a scruffy little herbert who can bring down delusions of grandeur with a well-timed 'listen, Elsie...'. Both complement each perfectly as a yin needs a yang.

When Compo went to the bookies in the sky this element was lost to the extent it was shared amongst various cast members - Tom for the 'look we've still got a Simmonite', Billy for the daft inner child and Alvin for mischief and aggravation of Nora. It still wasn't the same as before as even if you added all the factions together you never got the fully invested figure that Bill Owen poured into Compo.

After his passing you could see the odd line that would have been his but then tweaked to give it's new mouthpiece the right outlet.

Two third men would be fun competing in as far as a stretched trilogy perhaps but it's worth looking at an abstract comparison. In Doctor Who some of the fondest regarded episodes, especially that in the classic era, are those of multiple incarnations of the Doctor. Whilst their sparing use makes you want more of them, having say Pertwee and Troughton bicker their way through a whole year on screen of time and space together and it would quickly prove tiresome.
 
Considering Truly's laid-back demeanor, this might have worked. I could imagine interesting dialogue between the three. Two of the three would have illusions of grandeur with Foggy's Warrior persona and "Truly of the Yard." Both would be living in the past with the modest philosopher, Clegg, as the only one accepting the present. These just happen to be my three favorite characters.

Side note - While Tom could not really replace Compo, I wonder if they tried to add too much at once with Tom, Mrs. Avery, and Babs. (Just thinking out loud)
 
codfanglers said:
Considering Truly's laid-back demeanor, this might have worked. I could imagine interesting dialogue between the three. Two of the three would have illusions of grandeur with Foggy's Warrior persona and "Truly of the Yard." Both would be living in the past with the modest philosopher, Clegg, as the only one accepting the present. These just happen to be my three favorite characters.

Side note - While Tom could not really replace Compo, I wonder if they tried to add too much at once with Tom, Mrs. Avery, and Babs. (Just thinking out loud)
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Side Note - Yes I think it was too much to bring in 3 characters to replace one which is why I guess Mrs Avery and Babs didn't last long.
 
And then Tom eventually became a shop assistant along with Smiler under the guidance of Auntie Wainwright. Mostly she wanted them to guide the cart full of furniture to some distant destination.
 
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