Last of the Summer Wine (series 3)

infobox tvseason
season_name = Last of the Summer Wine" Series 3
headercolour = DEDDE2
show_name = Last of the Summer Wine


caption = "Last of the Summer Wine" Series 3 & 4 DVD
dvd_release_date = 26 July 2004
dvd_format = Boxset
country = UK
network = BBC One
first_aired = 27 October, 1976
last_aired =
8 December 1976
num_episodes = 7
prev_season = 2
next_season = 4|

"Last of the Summer Wine's" third series originally aired on BBC One between 27 October 1976 and 8 December 1976. [Bright and Ross (2000), pp. 170–172] All episodes from this series were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Sydney Lotterby. [Bright and Ross (2000), p. 164]

Although none of the episodes from series 3 made it into the top ten programmes of the week on their initial screening, a repeat showing of the final episode, "Isometrics and After," attracted 15 million viewers during a repeat screening in spring 1977. [Bright and Ross (2000), p. 19] . Also notable was the inclusion for the first time of a two part episode consisting of "The Great Boarding House Bathroom Caper" and "Cheering Up Gordon," [Bright and Ross (2000), pp. 19–20] both featuring guest appearances by Philip Jackson as Compo's nephew, Gordon. [Bright and Ross (2000), p. 104]

Blake Butler reprises his role from the first series as the librarian, Mr. Wainwright, before departing the show again at the end of the year. [Bright and Ross (2000), p. 102] The most notable change this season, however, was the addition of Brian Wilde as the new third-man of the trio, Foggy Dewhurst, an ex-military sign painter. Wilde would play this role twice: between 1976 and 1985 and then again from 1990 until 1997, when he was forced to leave due to health problems. [Bright and Ross (2000), pp. 62–65]

The third series was released on DVD in region 2 as a combined box set with series 4 on 26 July 2004. A box set featuring just series 3 was released for region 1 on 11 March 2008.

List of episodes

Episode list
EpisodeNumber=16 - 303
Title= The Great Boarding House Bathroom Caper
OriginalAirDate=10 November 1976
ProdCode=LLCG493P
ShortSummary= In the first part of a two part episode, the trio, along with Sid and Ivy, crowd in Compo's nephew, Gordon's, van for a trip to Scarborough for the weekend. At their boarding house, Compo seems to be obsessively washing his feet. However, he has discovered Nora is staying in the same house and Compo is attempting to catch sight of her undressed. At bedtime, Foggy investigates a strange noise to discover Compo has brought his ferrets with him.
LineColor=DEDDE2Episode list
EpisodeNumber=17 - 304
Title=Cheering Up Gordon
OriginalAirDate=17 November 1976
ProdCode=LLCG494J
ShortSummary= In the conclusion to the two-parter, the trio get kicked out of a church after Compo's ferrets get loose. On the beach, Foggy decides Gordon needs to be cheered up. After a ride on a donkey doesn't work, Compo agrees to teach Gordon how to pick up women if Gordon teaches him how to fish. Disaster ensues when the fishing line wraps around a beach buggy and Compo picks up some women which frighten the trio.
LineColor=DEDDE2Episode list
EpisodeNumber=18 - 305
Title=The Kink in Foggy's Niblick
OriginalAirDate=24 November 1976
ProdCode=LLCG497R
ShortSummary=After a game of football, Foggy experiences a great pain and says his real forte is playing golf, although he admits he has not played since 1939. Compo and Clegg goad him and he challenges Sid to a game. Foggy's clubs, however, have warped and he cannot actually hit the ball. Foggy's game goes on so long they have to finish by gaslight. Meanwhile, Compo discovers the club pays for found balls and undercutts their prices.
LineColor=DEDDE2Episode list
EpisodeNumber=19 - 306
Title=Going to Gordon's Wedding
OriginalAirDate=1 December 1976
ProdCode=LLCG495D
ShortSummary=The trio go to Gordon's wedding and Compo buys him an alarm clock as a wedding present. At the church, Foggy tries to photograph the occasion while Compo has problems with his buttonhole. After throwing his flower on the floor, the best man slips on it, breaking his leg and sending him to hospital. Compo is appointed the new best man but soon discovers the ring has gone to hospital with his predecessor. The trio recover it in time for Compo's alarm clock to go off during the ceremony. [Bright and Ross (2000), pp. 169–170]
LineColor=DEDDE2Episode list
EpisodeNumber=20 - 307
Title=Isometrics and After
OriginalAirDate=8 December 1976
ProdCode=LLC1391W
ShortSummary=Deciding that the three of them are unfit, Foggy devises a method of exercise called "isometrics." Their first lesson is to lift a table off the floor by one leg. The trio try the exercise on the tables in the library, only to discover the tables are bolted to the floor. After they actually manage to lift one, they are thrown out and jog towards the café, until Foggy decides they should try horseback riding. Once on, however, they discover they are unable to stop the horses. [Bright and Ross (2000), p. 172]
LineColor=DEDDE2

DVD release

The box set for series 3 and 4 was released by Universal Playback in March 2004.

In addition, "Last of the Summer Wine: Vintage 1976" was released on 11 March 2008 for region 1. The set includes all episodes from the third series of the show as well as bonus interviews with Peter Sallis, Brian Wilde, and Frank Thornton. [cite news | first=David | last=Lambert | coauthors= | title=Ah, That 1976 Vintage of the BBC Program Comes to DVD Next Month! | date=2008-02-10 | publisher= | url =http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Summer-Wine-Vintage-1976/8962 | work =TVShowsOnDVD.com | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-22 | language = ]

Notes

Reference

cite book
last = Bright
first = Morris
authorlink =
coauthors = Robert Ross
title = Last of the Summer Wine: The Finest Vintage
publisher = BBC Worldwide Ltd
date = 2000
location = London
pages =
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 0563551518

ee also

List of Last of the Summer Wine episodes

External links

* [http://www.tv.com/last-of-the-summer-wine/show/7397/episode.html?season=3 Series 3] at TV.com
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069602/episodes#season-3 Series 3] at the Internet Movie Database