Smiler's Chiildlike Joy

P

Paulinehill29

Dedicated Member
Just watching this episode now and at the beginning Tom says "at one time you'd have been thrilled to try something like this" or some such line. Now, I know kids normally do, butt hat line the way it was said sounded like he knew Smiler from their childhood. Now here's the thing.......if he was Compo's son and a) Compo and Smiler were around the same age and knew each other before Tom came on the scene and b) Tom didn't even know about Compo...........how could this be possible?
 
it isn't possible, its just artistic licence as they say, so long as we accept it on the surface and enjoy then it is no matter... :)
 
still sounds a bit odd though, when you think that the likes of Truly Clegg and Compo/Clegg, Compo and Fogy would say "you used to........at school" it just sounde in the same vein
 
I suppose so Pauline. I get your drift and guess technically you're right....its just that it flowed over me when just enjoying the show....but it is fun when re-viewing to pick up lots of bits and pieces you hadn't thought about before... :)
 
The same can be said of Seymour, in Uncle Of The Bride Compo and Clegg had never met him but a few episodes in and they had been to school together also if you look at the ages of the actors Compo was about 15 years older then Foggy.
I always put it down to artistic licence and just accept it for what it is other wise we'd all be sitter there picking fault with every episode. ;)
 
That's always been my worry, if we analyse things too much, will they lose the magic? ??? ::)
 
I always thought that Seymour went to Grammar school and off the radar of the others ,mind you his mother was on the school board. :santahat:
 
dick said:
That's always been my worry, if we analyse things too much, will they lose the magic? ??? ::)
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Could not agree more - I doubt whether Roy Clarke ever dreamt that his words would so analysed; so it's time for fun

:merrychristmas: :merrychristmas: :merrychristmas: :candle: :candle: :candle:

[size=14pt]there I feel better already
[/size]
bring on the :presents: :presents: :presents:


[size=14pt]that's better[/size]

:santawink: :santawink: :santawink:
 
barmpot said:
Could not agree more - I doubt whether Roy Clarke ever dreamt that his words would so analysed; so it's time for fun
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When you think about it, Roy Clarke's words are analysed here as deeply as those of Shakespeare's over the years. He is probably quite chuffed at all the attention.

And let us not forget that Shakespeare managed quite a few errors of fact and of continuity. (In case of doubt, 'The Scottish Play' was totally inaccurate historically). :cc: :cc: :cc:
 
It's a comedy, so one could say that there will be some artistic licence as time goes by. Realistic yes, but not totally. The most obvious one is Compo's war record. In the early series he is presented as having a war record of avoidance that was in keeping with the character, in one episode he even talks about when he deserted. Later on as Bill Owen's health is failing, they produce an episode where we discover he was at Dunkirk, which presents him in a totally different light, more heroic. It's probably fair to say that had we known this about the character from the start, it's highly unlikely that Blamire and Foggy would have been so dismissive towards Compo. So, it is a major change, but it doesn't really matter as during those first few years Clarke could hardly have imagined that he would still be writing the character 20 years later and Compo deserved a bit of a heroic send off anyway.
 
Philosopher Clegg said:
It's a comedy, so one could say that there will be some artistic licence as time goes by. Realistic yes, but not totally. The most obvious one is Compo's war record. In the early series he is presented as having a war record of avoidance that was in keeping with the character, in one episode he even talks about when he deserted. Later on as Bill Owen's health is failing, they produce an episode where we discover he was at Dunkirk, which presents him in a totally different light, more heroic. It's probably fair to say that had we known this about the character from the start, it's highly unlikely that Blamire and Foggy would have been so dismissive towards Compo. So, it is a major change, but it doesn't really matter as during those first few years Clarke could hardly have imagined that he would still be writing the character 20 years later and Compo deserved a bit of a heroic send off anyway.
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I guess thats one way to interpret that episode, but everything I've read says they had no idea Bill Owen was in bad shape until he showed up to start filming it. So if it was written as a "send-off" episode it was done more in a general "he's probably only got a few years left" kind of thing rather than a specific response to his then-current health.

Instead, we have to remember that it was going to be the millenium special episode that was going to air around Jan. 1, 2000, so a military service themed episode makes sense given the main characters are of the WW2 generation. I think Clarke choose to make it about Compo because he was the most popular and beloved character on the show, not because of any sense that it might be one of his last episodes.
 
Sarkus said:
Philosopher Clegg said:
It's a comedy, so one could say that there will be some artistic licence as time goes by. Realistic yes, but not totally. The most obvious one is Compo's war record. In the early series he is presented as having a war record of avoidance that was in keeping with the character, in one episode he even talks about when he deserted. Later on as Bill Owen's health is failing, they produce an episode where we discover he was at Dunkirk, which presents him in a totally different light, more heroic. It's probably fair to say that had we known this about the character from the start, it's highly unlikely that Blamire and Foggy would have been so dismissive towards Compo. So, it is a major change, but it doesn't really matter as during those first few years Clarke could hardly have imagined that he would still be writing the character 20 years later and Compo deserved a bit of a heroic send off anyway.
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I guess thats one way to interpret that episode, but everything I've read says they had no idea Bill Owen was in bad shape until he showed up to start filming it. So if it was written as a "send-off" episode it was done more in a general "he's probably only got a few years left" kind of thing rather than a specific response to his then-current health.

Instead, we have to remember that it was going to be the millenium special episode that was going to air around Jan. 1, 2000, so a military service themed episode makes sense given the main characters are of the WW2 generation. I think Clarke choose to make it about Compo because he was the most popular and beloved character on the show, not because of any sense that it might be one of his last episodes.
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I'm not suggesting it was written specifically because he was unwell, clearly he was and that may well have been coincidence, but the episode does put the character of Compo in a different light from what anyone had known from the early years. There's nothing wrong in making that episode, whether it was a celebration of military service, or as it turned out, also a celebration of the Compo character, but for anyone who might be an eagle eyed follower of the series it would have come as a surprise as his Dunkirk experience had never been mentioned before. We know that the military part of life was important to Blamire and especially Foggy. I think neither would have treated Compo with the level of contempt that they did about his military service had they known he was at Dunkirk and clearly they would have known that having grown up together. It's an inconsistency but it doesn't matter as it is being picky about things occasionally said in scripts 20 years before.
 
One of my favorite Smiler moments was when he was looking forward to eating a cream cake for his tea break, only to be disappointed that Compo swiped it.
 
I think we can over-analyse; in this case very early episodes imply Compo hardly left the Home Counties so yes inconsistent.

Big Unc has pointed out that Roy Clarke is not unique in this respect. Never intended to be a chronological record of their lives - just something to entertain us with wonderful dialogue, scenery and stunts!
 
Pearl-Susan. said:
The same can be said of Seymour, in Uncle Of The Bride Compo and Clegg had never met him but a few episodes in and they had been to school together also if you look at the ages of the actors Compo was about 15 years older then Foggy.
I always put it down to artistic licence and just accept it for what it is other wise we'd all be sitter there picking fault with every episode. ;)
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Bill may have been older than Michael [Bates and Aldridge], Peter and even Frank in real life but Compo was always portrayed as the same age [or maybe a year or two difference. I can imagine Compo being held back in school a time or two] as the other trio members.
 
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