Series 30 & 31

Ch74 said:
Sorry to sound dumb but who is KUA?
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KUA is Keeping Up Appearances, which aired from 1990-95 so it's 'about 22 years old'. Josephine Tewson played the next-door neighbor, Elizabeth, and was 59 years old at the beginning of the show, although she looked nearly 20 years younger than that.
 
Ch74 said:
I've just looked and was surprised Josephine Tewsome is 84. She never looked that old. I thought late 60s at most
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I see someone has changed the date for Josephine Tewson's birthday in Wikipedia. It used to give her birth date as February 26, 1939 not 1931. Other sources show the date 1939 including her official Facebook page. That would make her 64 when she started the series, 71 when it ended and 76 now.
 
me2 said:
I see someone has changed the date for Josephine Tewson's birthday in Wikipedia. It used to give her birth date as February 26, 1939 not 1931. Other sources show the date 1939 including her official Facebook page. That would make her 64 when she started the series, 71 when it ended and 76 now.
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That's much more in line with her appearance.
 
This is the unique magic of our favourite obsession......one big family,from all corners of the globe still discussing "what if's" on a website dedicated to a show that ran from november,1973 to august,2010 !!.
It is just unbelievable !!!!
The original....and best !!!......accept no imitations !!!
I just feel such pity for people who just "don't get it !!!
Keith.
 
I agree too it's certainly more likely Josephine Tewson was born in 1939.

I think Jane Freeman's age is probably exaggerated too.

Moodyblue, you are so right about the impact the show has made.

Though I never thought the show should have continued after Bill Owen's death, it did.

And from that point onwards it was clear that the show could continue forever and forever.

Like Coronation Street - they just write more characters in, and ocassionally write something in to link up with the old days.

Easy in a way to carry on the show with THIS attitude. You mention Morton would be on his own - team him up with another character, or write one in. I'm making it sound easy. I'm talking with soap opera mentality now. I'm possibly sacrificing quality. And I'm even taking the show even further away from it's original roots than it already was. But that's would have to happen had the show continued and continued.

So in a way it was surprising they axed the show WHEN THEY DID, because they had this still popular show that could have continued.

However, it's nice that it ended at least with Peter Sallis having appeared in every show.

I certainly wouldn't want to see a show without Clegg.
 
I have not seen enough of the 30/31 episodes to feel like I can really make a final judgement on the new trio, but what I have seen inclines me to think Hobbo didn't work and that the others were too old to try and reset the series around. Having read Alan Bells book, which has a lot in it about his faith in the new trio, I've begun to wonder if what the series really needed was new leadership to make a successful transition. This is meant as no offense to Bell, I just wonder if after all those years and with a cast almost completely of his creation if he was capable of making the kind of big changes the show needed to find a new younger audience. I mean if he was going to bring in the much younger Russ Abbot, why not give him partners of a similar age? Barry and Tom were about the same age, and an easy scenario for Barry would be to have him suddenly laid off and Glenda having to work to support the household. Right there you have a throwback to the shows origins, where Clegg and Blamire were both redundant with too much free time before they were ready to end their working lives.

Basically, I think Summerwine needed a bigger reinvention to carry on then Bell was willing to make. By clinging to the older trio members and keeping the show mostly an ensemble approach he played into the arguments by the execs running the BBC at the time that this was a show only older people watched. The older cast still could have had a role in a show more focused on a younger trio.
 
Ch74 said:
Good post, thanks. ...Why did Keith Clifford leave? I found it strange he quit such an iconic and popular show cant have been much better out there?
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In thread about Billy/Keith someone pointed out he had issues with his back and could not take part some of the stunts/japes so essential to the series
 
Pearl said:
I agree with Cod except when it comes to Barry, Hobbo, Entwistle and Tom............. Well ok maybe I don't agree with Cod :D



Entwistle was great I liked him until he was turned into a wingman for Hobbo, it was a shame they changed so many of the characters but I think that was down to age, which comes to us all.
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Just for the record Pearl, we do agree regarding Enwhistle.

Most don't agree with me on Tom.

I am "in between" when it comes to Hobbo.

We definitely differ on Barry. I am particularly fond of the earyly Barry, when he was quite aloof.

Therefor Pearl, I still don't think we disagree THAT much. :)
 
Sarkus said:
I have not seen enough of the 30/31 episodes to feel like I can really make a final judgement on the new trio, but what I have seen inclines me to think Hobbo didn't work and that the others were too old to try and reset the series around. Having read Alan Bells book, which has a lot in it about his faith in the new trio, I've begun to wonder if what the series really needed was new leadership to make a successful transition. This is meant as no offense to Bell, I just wonder if after all those years and with a cast almost completely of his creation if he was capable of making the kind of big changes the show needed to find a new younger audience. I mean if he was going to bring in the much younger Russ Abbot, why not give him partners of a similar age? Barry and Tom were about the same age, and an easy scenario for Barry would be to have him suddenly laid off and Glenda having to work to support the household. Right there you have a throwback to the shows origins, where Clegg and Blamire were both redundant with too much free time before they were ready to end their working lives.

Basically, I think Summerwine needed a bigger reinvention to carry on then Bell was willing to make. By clinging to the older trio members and keeping the show mostly an ensemble approach he played into the arguments by the execs running the BBC at the time that this was a show only older people watched. The older cast still could have had a role in a show more focused on a younger trio.
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That is some really interesting insight Sarkus. Afterall, I think the absolute best of Summer Wine was Series 8-12, when Bell first started. And that isn't to take anything away from Lotterby because Series 1-7 was great too and I loved his other program, As Time Goes By. So another director could have been the answer. With age differences considered, Entwhistle and Alvin were probably better off with minor roles, and returning a trio to a time of redundancy would have been a great way to reinvent the show. I love your idea on how to handle the character, Barry.
 
Foggy v. Seymour

Hello to one and all.
Now....everything is objective in "summerwineland",and everyone has an opinion,which EACH one of us thinks is the correct one,.....but.....when it is stated that the halcyon days of summerwine were series 8-12...i beg to differ !!.
Seymour made his appearance during the aformentioned series.
I do not wish to cause any undue controversy,but in my humble opinion....seymour was not fit to lace foggy's highly polished boots !!!!
Although michael aldridge was a wonderful actor,he just didn't "do it" for me.
I was overjoyed when i saw "the return of the warrior" !!!!
Foggy is an intrinsic part of the legend that is "the trio".
Frank thorton did a sterling job,but foggy,for me,is involved in all that was special about our show [both in his first number of shows,and on his return]
anyway....rant over......i will leave it to my fellow members for them to judge ?????.
Best wishes,
keith.
 
Foggy never cut it for me. For one thing, I found the combat lies offensive. Most World War II veterans repressed the memories of their combat experiences in order to prevent the associated emotions from tearing them to bits. The few who couldn't 'suck it up' after the war just as they'd been trained to do during combat succumbed to alcoholism and some became verbally or physically abusive to their wives and children. A few of the combat veterans of that era have been able to talk about their experiences now that PTSD is recognized as a legitimate disorder, but most of the talk has been limited to interviews by historians or to therapy groups consisting of veterans of the same war, and it's devoid of braggadocio. Foggy is appropriating experiences that he never shared, which is unethical in any context. If this had been real life the other two, who were also WWII combat vets, would probably have shunned him for it.

In addition, the character was inherently not very funny. The only comedy around the character was in seeing him get his comeuppance. That's far short of enough comedy to counterbalance the character's negatives.
 
MOODYBLUE said:
Hello to one and all.
Now....everything is objective in "summerwineland",and everyone has an opinion,which EACH one of us thinks is the correct one,.....but.....when it is stated that the halcyon days of summerwine were series 8-12...i beg to differ !!.
Seymour made his appearance during the aformentioned series.
I do not wish to cause any undue controversy,but in my humble opinion....seymour was not fit to lace foggy's highly polished boots !!!!
Although michael aldridge was a wonderful actor,he just didn't "do it" for me.
I was overjoyed when i saw "the return of the warrior" !!!!
Foggy is an intrinsic part of the legend that is "the trio".
Frank thorton did a sterling job,but foggy,for me,is involved in all that was special about our show [both in his first number of shows,and on his return]
anyway....rant over......i will leave it to my fellow members for them to judge ?????.
Best wishes,
keith.
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I equally love Foggy, Seymour, and Truly. I do recognize that most of the classic episodes were with Foggy, then again he was in the most series. And I do realize that my thoughts of series 8-12 being the best is highly debateable. I know a lot of members here will lean towards the beginning years. For me, Series 8-12 combined elements of the old and new Summer Wine, making it the best. For me, other factors contributed in episodes being great other than who was the third man. Anyway Keith, it is always great debate.
 
codfanglers said:
That is some really interesting insight Sarkus. Afterall, I think the absolute best of Summer Wine was Series 8-12, when Bell first started. And that isn't to take anything away from Lotterby because Series 1-7 was great too and I loved his other program, As Time Goes By. So another director could have been the answer. With age differences considered, Entwhistle and Alvin were probably better off with minor roles, and returning a trio to a time of redundancy would have been a great way to reinvent the show. I love your idea on how to handle the character, Barry.
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Not to be too picky, but Lotterby only did Series 3-5, and then 7. But not Getting Sam Home. Bell did Series Six, Getting Sam Home, and then Series 8 - 31.

I only point that out because I personally think Series 6 was the best single series and want to make sure Bell gets credit for it.
 
I think one major factor we have to consider in the later episodes was the financial constraints placed upon Alan Bell by the BBC with them eroding his budget,I noticed in the last 4-5 series many of the background artist were crew,which was a lot less expensive than hiring in artist

I believe this was early tactics by the BBC to bring the show to an end,but somehow Alan Bell managed to carry on with less and less money each year
 
maltrab said:
I think one major factor we have to consider in the later episodes was the financial constraints placed upon Alan Bell by the BBC with them eroding his budget,I noticed in the last 4-5 series many of the background artist were crew,which was a lot less expensive than hiring in artist

I believe this was early tactics by the BBC to bring the show to an end,but somehow Alan Bell managed to carry on with less and less money each year
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Which just goes to show they were determined to end it.
 
Time to take stock......

With all due respect,to each and everyone of my fellow members,and more specifically,the members who regularly post,i think certain people are going a trifle "over the top" regarding foggy's wartime stories ???
At the end of the day,it is a gentle [i repeat gentle] situation comedy.
It was not so perfectly written by mr. Clarke for us to analyse specific characters [ i mean are we to judge "fletch" in "porridge",because he glamourises prison life ?????]
there is nothing that foggy has said that should offend anyone !!!!!
Sometimes ifeel that,unfortunately the world has gone a little bit too "p.c"
it is a unique show that has entertained generations,throughout the world for over 3 decades.
Treat it as such !!!!!!!!!!
Keith.
 
I suppose WW2 as awful as it was, I imagine there were various people and groups who, for whatever reason, simply didn't see any action and as a result of that didn't do anything brave or get a chance to do anything effective.

Bound to be a few people who missed the action or even some of the terror.

Presumably Foggy was one of these, hence his strange attitude to the war and all things military.

Usually those who have seen action are the ones who never, ever talk about it.
 
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