Last of the Summer Wine

• Watchlist

• 1973-2010
• 31 Seasons
• BBC Warner
• Comedy
• TV-PG

• Watchlist

• Watchlist

A long-running British sitcom about the daily lives of a group of immature old men in Yorkshire. The group's membership changed over the years, but their attitude did not. The guys experienced a second childhood with no wives, jobs, or responsibilities. They passed the time by speculating about the lives of the other townspeople, and testing out their inventions. The initial group consisted of William "Compo" Simmonite, Norman "Cleggy" Clegg, and Cyril Blamire. Compo was born as the illegitimate son of a single mother during the aftermath of World War I, and he was apparently raised in poverty. He had a failed marriage in the 1940s, when his wife left him for a Polish expatriate. Since the 1950s, Compo had a long-term unrequited love for his neighbor Nora Batty. He continued to court her throughout the years of her marriage and in the early years of her widowhood, though Nora was a stern Northern "battleaxe". Norman was a retired lino salesman, and a widower. He recalled that he was never actually attracted to his wife, and he claimed that the experience of a loveless marriage to a verbally abusive wife put him off women for life. For most of the series, he had a cynical outlook in life, despite being the friendliest character of the group. He was also brutally honest when assessing people and situations. Norman had a fear of driving, and he suffered panic attacks when his friends forced him to drive various vehicles. Cyril was a retired corporal of the British Army and a war veteran (of World War II). He retained his military bearing in civilian life. He was snobbish and politically conservative, considering himself to belong to a higher class than his friends though they were classmates in their youth. Cyril was the first person to leave the group, determined to court his old flame. He left written instructions to the others concerning which person should serve as his replacement.