Who says the final few series aren't funny???

Barrychuckle

Barrychuckle

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I'm coming to the conclusion of my second full run through of the entire series and I'm onto the Hobbo years in the penultimate series. I know the episodes are hit and miss but there is the odd nugget here and there.

In the episode Will Howard Cross The Atlantic Single Handed? I think the scene where Howard is covertly recording Pearl & Nelly with a concealed mic is one of the funniest I've ever seen him in. The bit where the microphone is squealing with feedback and Howard is making it look like he's making the sounds had me in stitches :D:D:D

Howard.png
 
Now that scene was indeed hilarious!!!! The Hobbo years had some moments, but for me fail in comparison to series 1-28. (Series 29 didn't work much for me either)

Hobbo had some good moments, but overall I don't like how Alvin and Entwhistle just followed him around. Those two didn't add much to those series. I think it was the writing. I loved Entwhistle during his first few series.

Toby and Morton fell a little short for me as well. Sorry to be a downer!
 
Say what you will about the Hobbo episodes, or final episodes. Everyone must have known that the end was rapidly approaching, especially with Peter Sallis' advancing age. Russ Abbot entered the series under the same cloud of doom that was hanging over everyone's head and, to his credit, acted his heart out for the remaining few episodes, in spite of it. All the actors were true professionals to the very end and didn't allow the cloud to cast a shadow on them.

What attracted me to Summerwine was the beginning. It was the three man comedy model with the authority figure, the clown and the straight man in the middle. I was exposed to this comedy model very early in my childhood, which fostered my attraction to Summerwine. The Three Stooges as well as a lot of American TV sitcoms were based on it. IMHO, Blamire was the perfect authority figure and the best of all of them. Clegg was always there as the straight man with pearls of wisdom and subtle support of the plot. But when Bill Owen left the show, the clown role was gone. I know that the Billy Hardcastle and Alvin characters tried to fill the comedic gap, but Compo's wellies were just too big to fill. I really liked the character Wesley Pegden; I could see a lot of myself in him. When Gordon Wharmby left the show, it more or less unraveled for me. After that, new actors and actresses were added to the show, but other than the Pearl/Howard/Marina antics, I don't laugh as much as I do in the earlier series.

What I would like to know is if Howard had a runner? You would see him bounce up and down a couple of times, then off like a shot.

Oh shut up Seymour and eat your choc ice!
 
Howard & Marina became a lot more central to the series at the end which I loved. Also when the series went out in HD it gave it an enhanced dimension. Terry is bob on, it was the third recycle so inevitably this effected originality of some episodes. But where LOTSW is concerned familiarity certainly doesn't breed contempt.....
 
Put yourself in Roy Clarke's shoes for a minute and think how you could come up with an original idea for each of the 295 episodes to keep the plot of the show interesting to viewers and to introduce many new characters some long term some for maybe one episode , even for one scene and I think that will greatly help you appreciate the sheer quality that this whole body of work exudes.
 
I think the 2 or 3 series proceeding Hobbo seemed a bit listless. When Hobbo arrived the series seemed to get a better sense of direction, it just didn’t get chance to establish itself. I’m sure many may say the same of the Foggy years if he only lasted 2 series. But to any new visitors to this forum I’d still heartily recommend the later series even if we don’t discuss them as often as we could.
 
A few of my thoughts...

The last few series to me really are a last throw of the dice. Peter Sallis and Frank Thornton being reduced to cameos sets up a feeling of them being guests in a similar vein to Eli Casey and James Woods previous usage. There are big losses in the vacancies left by the elder Pegdens, Billy and Smiler. That said there is a real attempt to try and see what detailed characterisation Roy Clarke can give.

The Howard and Pearl dynamic is explored fully with a great fleshing out of their characters and the move effortlessly from being mere plot devices previously. Likewise Barry and Glenda try to give a more nuanced glimpse of marital (dis)harmony under her increasing control.

There's also some wonderful daftness sprinkled in there with dressing as crows and the increased airtime for the not so dynamic duo of Cooper and Walsh. Hobbo was already getting his rough edges smoothed out in his second series and with Entwistle doing a serviceable Clegg-like portrayal now alongside Alvin being much the same.

Not all of the new changes work - the brilliant June Whitfield is not given enough comedic to do and Trevor Bannister and Christopher Beeney are given too much!

There are some things I can definitely cherish - the guest spots for Eric Sykes, John 'Boycie' Challis and Cannon & Ball coupled with the returns of Lance & Ethel whose marriage seems even more precarious than before as well as Norris Fairburn. The stand out moments for me being the novel usage of coffins and an opening scene to 'In which romance isn't dead, just incompetent' which stands proudly alongside 'last Post & Pigeon's' drunken bicycle scene as both wonderfully encapsulate childhood joy in mere seconds.

After so many years entertaining us it's not surprising the cast were showing more laughter lines and the scripts were beginning to get old and creaky but they gave a wonderful feeling still that has still not been captured elsewhere.
 
mashibinbin said:
A few of my thoughts...

The last few series to me really are a last throw of the dice. Peter Sallis and Frank Thornton being reduced to cameos sets up a feeling of them being guests in a similar vein to Eli Casey and James Woods previous usage. There are big losses in the vacancies left by the elder Pegdens, Billy and Smiler. That said there is a real attempt to try and see what detailed characterisation Roy Clarke can give.

The Howard and Pearl dynamic is explored fully with a great fleshing out of their characters and the move effortlessly from being mere plot devices previously. Likewise Barry and Glenda try to give a more nuanced glimpse of marital (dis)harmony under her increasing control.

There's also some wonderful daftness sprinkled in there with dressing as crows and the increased airtime for the not so dynamic duo of Cooper and Walsh. Hobbo was already getting his rough edges smoothed out in his second series and with Entwistle doing a serviceable Clegg-like portrayal now alongside Alvin being much the same.

Not all of the new changes work - the brilliant June Whitfield is not given enough comedic to do and Trevor Bannister and Christopher Beeney are given too much!

There are some things I can definitely cherish - the guest spots for Eric Sykes, John 'Boycie' Challis and Cannon & Ball coupled with the returns of Lance & Ethel whose marriage seems even more precarious than before as well as Norris Fairburn. The stand out moments for me being the novel usage of coffins and an opening scene to 'In which romance isn't dead, just incompetent' which stands proudly alongside 'last Post & Pigeon's' drunken bicycle scene as both wonderfully encapsulate childhood joy in mere seconds.

After so many years entertaining us it's not surprising the cast were showing more laughter lines and the scripts were beginning to get old and creaky but they gave a wonderful feeling still that has still not been captured elsewhere.
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It's a real treat being able to read your brilliant views which are as ever bang on the money.

So to paraphrase your synopsis in my much less skilled manner, the latter series are like shopping in TK Maxx, you have to have a good rummage through the tat but you can occasionally uncover the odd gem!? :p
 
mashibinbin said:
Not all of the new changes work - the brilliant June Whitfield is not given enough comedic to do and Trevor Bannister and Christopher Beeney are given too much!
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I agree.

I have to say that June Whitfield did a great job in 'Potts of the South Pole', I loved it and laughed when she called Marina a tart, both on their first encounter and at Aunty Wainwrights. The way she barked commands to the trio, to go search for Luther Potts was hilarious. Later, when she was brought back with an invisible spineless husband, to be Pearl's sidekick and Hobbo's pseudo Mother, I felt that a lot of her talent was not put to use as it could have been.
 
Yes I'm guessing that perhaps June Whitfield didn't want a bigger role, she was arguably the most experienced and distinguished actor of the entire series, perhaps after Thora Hird. To think her career spanned near 60 years, she was in the famous Blood Donor sketch with Tony Hancock (along with Frank Thornton) and her work includes Carry On Films, Ab Fab and many others.....
 
mashibinbin said:
A few of my thoughts...

The last few series to me really are a last throw of the dice. Peter Sallis and Frank Thornton being reduced to cameos sets up a feeling of them being guests in a similar vein to Eli Casey and James Woods previous usage. There are big losses in the vacancies left by the elder Pegdens, Billy and Smiler. That said there is a real attempt to try and see what detailed characterisation Roy Clarke can give.

The Howard and Pearl dynamic is explored fully with a great fleshing out of their characters and the move effortlessly from being mere plot devices previously. Likewise Barry and Glenda try to give a more nuanced glimpse of marital (dis)harmony under her increasing control.

There's also some wonderful daftness sprinkled in there with dressing as crows and the increased airtime for the not so dynamic duo of Cooper and Walsh. Hobbo was already getting his rough edges smoothed out in his second series and with Entwistle doing a serviceable Clegg-like portrayal now alongside Alvin being much the same.

Not all of the new changes work - the brilliant June Whitfield is not given enough comedic to do and Trevor Bannister and Christopher Beeney are given too much!

There are some things I can definitely cherish - the guest spots for Eric Sykes, John 'Boycie' Challis and Cannon & Ball coupled with the returns of Lance & Ethel whose marriage seems even more precarious than before as well as Norris Fairburn. The stand out moments for me being the novel usage of coffins and an opening scene to 'In which romance isn't dead, just incompetent' which stands proudly alongside 'last Post & Pigeon's' drunken bicycle scene as both wonderfully encapsulate childhood joy in mere seconds.

After so many years entertaining us it's not surprising the cast were showing more laughter lines and the scripts were beginning to get old and creaky but they gave a wonderful feeling still that has still not been captured elsewhere.
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Agree with all of this, I'm just mystified as to why Miss Davenport does not more mentions than she does; I thought she was a brilliant addition.
 
Barrychuckle said:
I think the 2 or 3 series proceeding Hobbo seemed a bit listless. When Hobbo arrived the series seemed to get a better sense of direction, it just didn’t get chance to establish itself. I’m sure many may say the same of the Foggy years if he only lasted 2 series. But to any new visitors to this forum I’d still heartily recommend the later series even if we don’t discuss them as often as we could.
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It seems like Roy Clarke was experimenting with single-episode characters getting larger roles in season 29. Outside of Cooper's Rules, it didn't do much for me. I guess Clarke was experimenting with what would work with diminished roles for Clegg and Truly.

"404 Not Found" mentioned Miss Davenport. Perhaps they could have expanded her role. She was quite funny, by herself and alongside Marina.
 
I've just realised it's interesting that no one has mentioned Stella who was a new character in the last 2 series as a replacement for Nora. I personally didn't think her craving for cigarette gags hit the mark but felt she could have had potential. Is the fact she's not mentioned much mean she wasn't liked or was just very forgettable?
 
Barrychuckle said:
I've just realised it's interesting that no one has mentioned Stella who was a new character in the last 2 series as a replacement for Nora. I personally didn't think her craving for cigarette gags hit the mark but felt she could have had potential. Is the fact she's not mentioned much mean she wasn't liked or was just very forgettable?
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I briefly met her on her first day as Stella, she was very nice though seemed a little nervous
 
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