Compo was head, shoulders and wellies above the other characters as a comic creation. The show, quite rightly and reasonably, should have been put to bed when Bill Owen died.
Not many people realise how versatile a man he was, having been in various fields of entertainment and written several pop songs nor, indeed, that he was far from being the archetypal Yorkshireman generally taken as a given:
I didn't ever watch this, but I'm aware of its legendary status, and particularly the references to the bath-down-hill scene. Is there a specific episode in which this happened, or is it a 'play it again Sam' type misremembering?
It did happen, and has stuck in consciousness because it was the most often-played clip when Bill Owen died.
So was it the bit when he alone went through the town in the tub?
Started getting the early Brian Wilde series on DVD, then started to get the DVDs in series order. I then decied to investigate the first two series that featured Michael Bates as Blamire, like watching a different show, but just as good IMO. The show was definitely more dialogue-driven in its earliest yeats
Quote: Jack Massey @ February 26 2007, 10:51 PM BSTThere have been 4 Summer Wine third men. Here they are:
Cyril Blamire (Michael Bates) 1973-1975
Foggy Dewhurst (Brian Wilde) 1976-1985, 1990-1996
Seymour Utterthwaite (Michael Aldridge) 1986-1990
Herbert Truelove (Frank Thornton) 1997-dateWho do you think is the best third man. I can't decide between Cyril and Foggy, but I think I will have to say Foggy.
Does anyone know if Summer Wine has finished now, or is another series planned.
While currently watching first two series, I realised Foggy is just a more military-obsessed version of Blamire. Indeed, Foggy was introduced via a letter from Blamire in the opening episode of series 3. Like the running joke that the third man always disapproves of Compo. I'd put Foggy top, closely followed by Seymour then Blamire, haven't sen any Truly episodes yet. Always thought it was a shame Seymour and Foggy didn't meet during their crossover episode.
Quote: peter gazzard @ July 6 2010, 9:31 PM BSTStarted getting the early Brian Wilde series on DVD, then started to get the DVDs in series order. I then decied to investigate the first two series that featured Michael Bates as Blamire, like watching a different show, but just as good IMO. The show was definitely more dialogue-driven in its earliest yeats
While currently watching first two series, I realised Foggy is just a more military-obsessed version of Blamire. Indeed, Foggy was introduced via a letter from Blamire in the opening episode of series 3. Like the running joke that the third man always disapproves of Compo. I'd put Foggy top, closely followed by Seymour then Blamire, haven't sen any Truly episodes yet. Always thought it was a shame Seymour and Foggy didn't meet during their crossover episode.
Dialogue driven yes and in my opinion all the better for it. When it first started, they didn't have to rely on poor stunts, stupid saga storylines (yes Howard and Marina. They should just have done with it in the last episode, make them abandon there bikes and have them dogging in a car park) and too many characters, how great the early episodes were, with just the three heroes, Sid, Ivy and Nora and Wally Batty.
Nothing like a nice bump ! 
Tonight on Gold I watched the episode where Compo died.
Little tear in my eye, party the episode itself, partly remembering Bill Owen.
I think Foggy was the best. Brian Wilde was just fabulous as Foggy. But there was also Truly, played by Frank Thornton from Are You Being Served?. I can't decide!
Quote: Jack Massey @ July 10 2010, 1:40 PM GMTDialogue driven yes and in my opinion all the better for it. When it first started, they didn't have to rely on poor stunts, stupid saga storylines (yes Howard and Marina. They should just have done with it in the last episode, make them abandon there bikes and have them dogging in a car park) and too many characters, how great the early episodes were, with just the three heroes, Sid, Ivy and Nora and Wally Batty.
Let me just say, this is not a thread for insulting actors. I happen to know that the actor who plays Howard (Bob Fyfe) is a very nice person and I have exchanged many letters with him over the past year. I even got a Christmas card from him this year!
Quote: lummycorks @ February 3 2011, 5:30 PM GMTLet me just say, this is not a thread for insulting actors. I happen to know that the actor who plays Howard (Bob Fyfe) is a very nice person and I have exchanged many letters with him over the past year. I even got a Christmas card from him this year!
Yep, I take it all back. He's fantastic. I just didn't know that when writing this over six months ago some fella called Lummycorks was goona join the forum who was on first name terms with him and got Christmas cards from him. Brilliant brilliant man who played a fantastic character in Howard.
Knight him I say.
Quote: Jack Massey @ February 26 2007, 11:28 PM GMTThanks for the info. It would be great to see the wonderful Eric Sykes appear in an episode.
You must have been psychic; he appeared a few months after this was posted as the titular character in the first episode of the 2007 series, entitled The Second Stag Night Of Doggy Wilkinson.
Quote: peter gazzard @ February 3 2011, 7:16 PM GMTYou must have been psychic,he appeared a few months after this was posted as the titular character in the first episode of the 2007 series entitled The Second Stag Night Of Doggy Wilkinson
Read the second post in this thread Pete. 
And I remember watching that episode with him in it and it was downright terrible.
Quote: Jack Massey @ February 3 2011, 7:24 PM GMTRead the second post in this thread Pete.
And I remember watching that episode with him in it and it was downright terrible.
Ah that will teach me to skim-read threads! It can't be that bad, not with ES in it.
Quote: peter gazzard @ February 3 2011, 8:25 PM GMTAh that will teach me to skim-read threads!
It was, Pete.
Quote: lummycorks @ February 3 2011, 5:30 PM GMTLet me just say, this is not a thread for insulting actors. I happen to know that the actor who plays Howard (Bob Fyfe) is a very nice person and I have exchanged many letters with him over the past year. I even got a Christmas card from him this year!
lummycorks, you are taking some of the things people post on this board far too personally - and in this case, I don't know what exactly you read, but it wasn't what Jack posted. He expressed his dislike for two characters and you have a go at him for "insulting actors"?
Anyone remember First of the Summer Wine? I used to prefer that as a kid.
