Last of the Summer Wine (TV Series) Elegy for Fallen Wellies (2000) User Reviews

Elegy for Fallen Wellies

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 20 January 2017]

With Compo missing from a portion of the previous episode, writer Roy Clarke had to address the death of Bill Owen and kill off the character from the show. No easy task when in previous years, if any of the regular actors died the show carried on without mentioning what happened to Sid or Wally for example, until some time later their widows would make some wistful remark.

The ladies are rehearsing for a show dressed as old time showgirls. Howard remarks that it is a peculiar thing when your wife looks sexier than your girlfriend (Howard clearly needs to go to Specsavers!)

Ivy persuades Nora Batty to give Compo a thrill which she does off screen and the shock sends him to hospital. Compo does not recover. Clegg takes the news worse, he did not get the chance to say goodbye to him and remarks that Compo may had known his time was up, hence why he did not want to go to the pub with them. Truly takes him to the Dales where they both shout their farewells at the top of their lungs.

Obviously this is a melancholic episode, although Clarke adds a few laughs. We only get a glimpse of a double of Compo as he is carried on a stretcher to hospital. It really is a case of the regulars coming together for Clegg.

Nora makes sure Compo's clothes are cleaned and ironed for his final journey and Barry takes care of his ferrets. There is a final goodbye from the people of Holmfirth from the hills.

Elegy for Fallen Wellies

[studioAT · 7/10 · 21 July 2017]

Although characters tended to come and go constantly during the life of this show (often due to the actors playing them either becoming too frail to perform or dying) the loss of Bill Owen as Compo was a huge one for both the show and its audience to take, as for many he was the show.

There are some poignant moments here, especially the reaction from Peter Sallis and Kathy Staff, but equally there's some daft messing about, which we would get a lot more of as the show went on and inevitably declined.

The final scene is the best of the episode, and shows Roy Clarke writing at the top of his game.

Should the show have stopped with the death of Compo though? For me, yes.

End of an era

[peteratskegness · 5/10 · 23 September 2020]

My late parents had been ardent fans of this show from the very beginning, when it was centred around 3 characters; Compo (Bill Owen), Clegg (Peter Sallis), Blamire (Michael Bates). I also watched and enjoyed it, and saw how the show developed over the years.

I've always enjoyed the light-hearted escapism the show offered; and for 30 minutes, be transported to another dimension, far removed from the troubles in the Real World.

The great Bill Owen was central to the show, so this episode was uncomfortable viewing for me. I couldn't watch it when it was first broadcast, and only 20 years on, tonight I decided I would, as it was broadcast on the Drama Channel in the UK.

The passing of Bill was incorporated into the script in a rather daft manner, befitting the irreverent nature of the series; seeing Nora Batty in tights prove too much for Compo, leading to his demise.

The performance of Peter Sallis throughout the episode deserves a ten star rating, closely followed by that of Kathy Staff. At times, it was clear to see beyond the script and acting, their genuine sadness at the loss of their friend and colleague.

Sadly, despite their solid and moving performances, the episode was blighted by the need to keep in the audience laughter which, I feel, would have been better left out on this occasion. The music (except at the very end) was similarly inappropriate and should have been more subdued, particularly the harmonica soloist. Likewise, I think it was one episode that would have been better without the Howard and Marina dalliance, and Aunty Wainwright section seemed superfluous. It is with these reasons, I could only, with heavy heart, only award five stars. There was some really beautiful moments, paricularly as the episode closed but, these aside, it could have been handled a lot better.

I will say that, without Compo, the following episodes were never the same. Unfortunately, great writer he is, Roy Clarke simply does not know when to call it a day on a series, as aptly proved by him resurrecting Open All Hours as Still Open All Hours, following the same formula as Last of the Summer Wine.

Really, this episode should have been the Last of Last of the Summer Wine.