"Last of the Summer Wine": The Finest Vintage Book

Sunday nights would not be the same without a snifter of the nation's favourite televisual tipple. Fans of Last of the Summer Wine have been following the ambling antics of three degenerate pensioners for 27 years now. While the show's gentle pace cannot compete with thrillers and the like, its very essence--the slowing of time to peek into simpler lives--has enchanted viewers of all ages.Last of the Summer Wine--The Finest Vintage is a timely companion to the series. Compiled at the end of an era--Bill Owen who played Compo fought through great pain to complete his final poignant scenes before his death--this book certainly marks the show's 'golden days'. Early chapters deal with the struggle to establish the show in the consciousness of the British public, and substantial space is allowed for CVs of the actors and profiles of the major--and minor--cast members. The result is a certainly thorough--perhaps a reader with a memory of 50's and 60's British TV would garner most from references to these times gone by. A particularly rewarding chapter sneaks behind the scenes of production, while a 60-plus page episode guide is exhaustive in its detailed research (but doesn't exactly make for a little light reading). Real buffs of Last of the Summer Wine--the ones who videotape and file each episode--should be ecstatic. For the rest of us, this is ideal material to dip in and out of; a little more of the show's own personality and lyricism might perhaps be required for a cover-to-cover read. --Helen LamontRead More