Proof that it's still extremely popular...
http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/000001334/last_of_the_summer_wine_1888_repeats/
http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/000001334/last_of_the_summer_wine_1888_repeats/
Why did the BBC axe it again?
- Thread starter Welshy
- Start date
Philosopher Clegg
Dedicated Member
I suspect the LOTSW that people are still watching are the years of Compo, Foggy, Clegg, Blamire, Seymour and Truly. Until the technology is there to recreate all of these as virtual actors, and then LOTSW could be recreated and run forever assuming someone could write for it, the great days can never be brought back. The BBC didn't axe the LOTSW of Compo, Clegg and Foggy, they ended something that was quite different on a quality level.
Philosopher Clegg
Dedicated Member
Worth noting that the BBC own Gold or a substantial share in it. So they know their audience likes classic comedy and the golden years of LOTSW are shown there because it's owned by the Beeb!
codfanglers
Dedicated Member
We discussed this before and I previously made this comment, but I will emphasize this again.
Clearly the representation of American members here show that Summer Wine does well in America. However, unlike the UK, a very very high majority of Americans never even heard of Summer Wine!!!! What if the show was known all throughout the states? That could possibly change everything!
Clearly the representation of American members here show that Summer Wine does well in America. However, unlike the UK, a very very high majority of Americans never even heard of Summer Wine!!!! What if the show was known all throughout the states? That could possibly change everything!
Beth
Dedicated Member
Yes, it is true. My mom and my Uncle Gene got me hooked on Summer Wine. When I talk to friends they have never heard of it which surprises me since they watch PBS but SW is on at 11:00PM here. BBC doesn't show Summer Wine here.
cciaffone
Dedicated Member
Wrong-o!! I live in a large, well-educated area where the local PBS station
does very very well financially, and has a huge viewership. But it has not
shown a summer wine in years! They used to, but few if any watched it.
LOTSW on PBS would die again here in Raleigh/Durham.
We first watched a SW while vacationing in Yorkshire many years ago.
Had to be in the early 90's I think. Watched one episode, and were convinced that
the title meant literally this was the LAST of the Summer Wine. As in,
end of program. Got home and started collecting and trading discs.
Never found a copy of the program here, that's for sure.
brendalovescompo
Dedicated Member
bwingate, I know isn't that crazy that BBC America doesn't show ANY of the sitcoms. I wrote them a few months ago. All I see is Ramsey, Dr Who, Top Gear,and Star Trek ??? ??? ??? ???. Why star trek, I will never understand. They run them for 12 hrs straight. >. Maybe more Americans from this site can e-mail them. Try to bombard them to do something. I would love to see that OAH everyone talking about. Wanting to check out Dads Army also. Will do on netflix, or you tube someday.
. Maybe more Americans from this site can e-mail them. Try to bombard them to do something. I would love to see that OAH everyone talking about. Wanting to check out Dads Army also. Will do on netflix, or you tube someday.I live in Alabama and our local PBS has Summer Wine on one time, on Saturday night at 9:30. I record it on my DVR, and then record it onto some blank VHS tapes. The quality isn't that good, but it's better than nothing for an addict like myself. Our PBS just recently concluded the Seymore eps, and we are now 4 eps into the new Foggy era.
Anytime I ask any friend if they have ever heard of Summer Wine, they always say no. I now have my girlfriend of two years just as firmly addicted as myself. I would love to have all the Compo years on dvds, but times are too hard, I just can't afford full retail prices. I've tried the various ways people have said to download from YouTube, but I cannot get them to work.
Anytime I ask any friend if they have ever heard of Summer Wine, they always say no. I now have my girlfriend of two years just as firmly addicted as myself. I would love to have all the Compo years on dvds, but times are too hard, I just can't afford full retail prices. I've tried the various ways people have said to download from YouTube, but I cannot get them to work.
Beth
Dedicated Member
Maybe we should make this a new thread. I wonder....my cable which is Comcast shows BBC and BBCW. Do you know what the difference is? Are they all owned by the same company? I think that is a great idea.bwingate, I know isn't that crazy that BBC America doesn't show ANY of the sitcoms. I wrote them a few months ago. All I see is Ramsey, Dr Who, Top Gear,and Star Trek ??? ??? ??? ???. Why star trek, I will never understand. They run them for 12 hrs straight. >
I wonder....my cable which is Comcast shows BBC and BBCW. Do you know what the difference is? Are they all owned by the same company? I think that is a great idea.
Could BBCW be an abbreviation for BBC World? I cannot but help think they are essentially part of the BBC.
codfanglers
Dedicated Member
I believe I mixed up my statement. I meant to say Summer Wine could do really well in America; perhaps amazingly well (If everyone is at least familiar with the show). Other than my wife, I don't know a single person that knows much about the show. I tell people about it, but people are generally too busy to devote time to watching afternoon programs.
I only discovered Summer Wine when I was 30, and recently moved to the DC area in 2005! I never saw Summer Wine in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, PA, or Cincinnati PBS stations. Washington DC's PBS station doesn't air it either. I am just fortunate enough that Maryland Public Television has a strong showing of British sitcoms.
Philosopher Clegg
Dedicated Member
But in what way would it change everything? It's clear that classic summer wine is still very popular and I suspect that in the US it is mostly the series from that era which are shown. Here in the UK, Gold TV show a lot of the classic repeats and LOTSW heads the audience viewing figures, but none of this means that those who like the classic era would watch the later LOTSW or even a new series with for the most part, totally different characters, especially the trio. It's like asking people would you watch a new series of Only Fools and Horses without DelBoy and Rodney, or a remake of Fawlty Towers and Porridge with a total new cast. Most people like the great characters that made a series a classic, what comes later, if it is kept going, is often a poor imitation.
In the US you have 295 episodes of LOTSW to look forward to seeing, assuming you can get them. Compo was in 185 of them and that forms the bulk of the classic era, although there are many good post Compo series and episodes as well.
cciaffone
Dedicated Member
Back some years ago, a west-coast friend and I discovered a US gentleman
who was selling home-made LOTSW discs. We each bought different sets, and
made copies and traded them till we had a complete set each.
Then we joined an old (now quiet) Summer-Wine Yahoo group. We would set
up a mailing list, and send out a set of 4 or 5 DVD copies. Each person on
the list would receive them, copy them, and send them on to the next on
the list. At any one time we might have as many as 12 folks on the mailing
list. That meant that 12 people had a set of SW discs provided by one set.
Worked a treat!!!
That would be great, I would love that, but how do you make a copy of them? I tried to download one of my Summer Wine discs that I bought from Barnes & Noble and it wouldn't let me.
Thanks to a very kind forum member who sent me a 4 disc set, I am able to pop in some great Blamire eps and also Getting Sam Home. Thank you so much again,, you know who you are! I had made an offer of $5 for every disc copy of the years I don't have, which are many. This member tried to make copies and wasn't able to either.
cciaffone
Dedicated Member
Well, if it's an actual DVD (from the beeb) I use Nero to do a
DVD Copy to another, blank DVD.
If it's a disc of AVI files, I use Nero to burn a data disc of the files.