Specials (E:28)
1978
Unencumbered by wives, jobs or any other responsibilities, three senior citizens who've never really grown up explore their world in the Yorkshire Dales. They spend their days speculating about their fellow townsfolk and thinking up adventures not usually favored by the elderly. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse in 1973. The show ran for 295 episodes until 2010. It is the longest running comedy Britain has produced and the longest running sitcom in the world.
1978
Last of the Summer Wine's first series originally aired on BBC1 between 12 November 1973 and 17 December 1973. All episodes from this series were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by James Gilbert. The pilot episode, alternately known as "The Last of the Summer Wine" and "Of Funerals and Fish," originally premiered on the BBC's Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 at 8:00 p.m. "The Last of the Summer Wine" was the first episode of that show's fourteenth series. The pilot warranted a positive enough that the BBC ordered a full series of episodes which premiered on 12 November 1973. The first series was released on DVD in region 2 as a combined box set with series 2 on 2 September 2002.
1973
Last of the Summer Wine's second series originally aired on BBC1 between 5 March and 16 April 1975. All episodes from this series were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Bernard Thompson. Although ratings from the first series were not good, the BBC ordered a second series of Last of the Summer Wine after the first season aired but were delayed due to strike action. The second series was eventually produced and aired during March and April 1975. For the first time, series 2 saw two episodes make it into the top ten programs of the week, starting with the opening show, "Forked Lightning," which was watched by over 18 million people. Joining the cast this season was Joe Gladwin as Wally Batty, Nora Batty's henpecked husband. Series 2 would also mark the final appearance of Blamire, played by Michael Bates, who left at the end of the series due to health problems. The second series was released on DVD in region 2 as a combined box set with series 1 on 2 September 2002.
1975
Last of the Summer Wine's third series originally aired on BBC1 between 27 October 1976 and 8 December 1976. None of the episodes made it into the Top 10 Programmes Of The Week on their first airing, but a repeat of "Isometrics and After" attracted 15 million viewers during the spring 1977. Also notable was the first ever two-part episode, "The Great Boarding House Bathroom Caper" and "Cheering Up Gordon", both featuring guest appearances by Philip Jackson as Compo's nephew, Gordon. 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. 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.
1976
Last of the Summer Wine's fourth series originally aired on BBC1 between 9 November 1977 and 4 January 1978. All episodes from this series were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Sydney Lotterby. The fourth series was released on DVD in region 2 as a combined box set with series 3 on 26 July 2004. A box set featuring just series 4 was released for region 1 on 9 September 2008.
1977
Last of the Summer Wine's fifth series originally aired on BBC1 between 18 September and 30 October 1979. All episodes from this series were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Sydney Lotterby. The fifth series was something of a departure; it was the first to include two-part episodes and introduced a small number of new characters such as Compo's oft-mentioned but never seen nephew and was also notable for an increase in the more physical comedy for which the programme would become more well-known latterly. The fifth series was released on DVD in region 2 as a combined box set with series 6 on 5 March 2007.
1979
Last of the Summer Wine's sixth series originally aired on BBC1 between 4 January and 15 February 1982. All episodes from this series were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell. The sixth series was released on DVD in region 2 as a combined box set with series 5 on 5 March 2007.
1982
Last of the Summer Wine's seventh series originally aired on BBC1 between 30 January and 6 March 1983. All episodes from this series were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Sydney Lotterby, except for "Getting Sam Home", which is produced and directed by Alan J.W. Bell. The seventh series was released on DVD in region 2 as a combined box set with series 8 on 3 March 2008.
1983
Last of the Summer Wine's eighth series originally aired on BBC1 between 10 March and 14 April 1985. All episodes from this series were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell. The eighth series was released on DVD in region 2 as a combined box set with series 7 on 3 March 2008.
1985
Last of the Summer Wine's ninth series originally aired on BBC1 between 4 January and 22 March 1987. All episodes from this series were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell. The ninth series was released on DVD in region 2 as a box set on 5 May 2008.
1987
The Last of the Summer Wines tenth series aired on BBC1. All of the episodes were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell. [NOTE: Boxed set by 'Playback' omits season 10. In their dual season 9+10 set they only provide season 9. Instead they rename it season 11 in the next boxed set - shifting season numbers along by 1].
1988
The Last of the Summer Wines eleventh series aired on BBC1. All of the episodes were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell. [NOTE: Boxed set by 'Playback' omits season 10. In their dual season 9+10 set they only provide season 9. Instead they rename it season 11 in the next boxed set - shifting season numbers along by 1].
1989
The Last of the Summer Wines twelfth series aired on BBC1. All of the episodes were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell. With the departure of Michael Aldridge who had left to nurse his ill wife, the character of Foggy Dewhirst returned to the fold.
1990
The Last of the Summer Wines thirteenth series aired on BBC1. All of the episodes were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell. Notably, this series of the show was shot entirely on videotape. Prior to this, the show had used videotape for studio scenes and film for location footage. From the following series until 2004, when the it started being shot digitally in High-Definition, the show moved to being shot entirely on film, although the laughter track is still included, respectively.
1991
The Last of the Summer Wines fourteenth series aired on BBC1. All of the episodes were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell. This was the first series to be shot entirely on film, although the complete episode was still assembled on videotape. This and the following series were broadcast in a 16:10 aspect ratio, compared to the standard 4:3 aspect ratio that it was broadcast in for its previous 13 series.
1992
The Last of the Summer Wines fifteenth series aired on BBC1. All of the episodes were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell.
1993
The Last of the Summer Wines sixteenth series aired on BBC1. All of the episodes were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell.
1995
Last of the Summer Wine's seventeenth series aired on BBC1. All of the episodes were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell.
1995
The trio in this series consisted of:
1997
The trio in this series consisted of:
1998
The trio in this series consisted of:
1999
The trio in this series consisted of: ^1 Compo only appeared in the Special and the first three episodes of this series prior to his death ^2 Tom only appeared in four episodes of this series and became a supporting character from series 22 till the shows end
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
The Last of the Summer Wine's twenty-ninth series aired on BBC One from 22 June to 31 August 2008. All of the episodes were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell.
2008
Last of the Summer Wine's thirtieth series originally aired 19 April 2009. All eleven episodes in series thirty were thirty minutes in length. A New Years Special aired on 31 December 2008. All of the episodes were written by Roy Clarke and directed by Alan J. W. Bell. This series is notable for forming a new trio composed of Alvin, Entwistle and Hobbo, who was introduced in the New Years Special. Peter Sallis and Frank Thornton are now demoted to secondary characters, filmed only in studio scenes due to the cost of insurance for the actors at their age on location.
2009
2010
A series of seven individual sitcom pilots from writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
The Galton & Simpson Playhouse
1977
0
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on the Huxtable family, an upper middle-class African-American family living in Brooklyn, New York.
The Cosby Show
1984
6
The coming of age events and everyday life-lessons of Cory Matthews, a Philadelphian who grows up from a young boy to a married man.
Boy Meets World
1993
8
Julie is an American sitcom starring Julie Andrews which aired on ABC during the summer of 1992. Blake Edwards was the director and executive producer of the short-lived series.
Julie
1992
6
Four old friends from high school find themselves at that stage where they realize that their lives didn't turn out exactly the way they'd planned. Over the course of one crazy evening, a series of calamities reunites this hapless brood at Los Angeles Westside Hospital, where they all find themselves under the care of a reluctant Dr. Joanna.
In Case of Emergency
2007
10
The chronicles of the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean Europe, Balki Bartokomous.
Perfect Strangers
1986
6
A collection of eccentric individuals are in group therapy with a respected therapist—who may quite possibly have more problems than his patients.
Help Me Help You
2006
4
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show is an American syndicated science fiction sitcom based on the 1989 film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. It expands upon the original film's concept of a shrinking experiment gone wrong to include a myriad of experiments gone awry. It debuted in first-run syndication on September 1, 1997 and ran for three consecutive seasons, concluding with the 66th episode on May 20, 2000. Peter Scolari took over the role as Wayne Szalinski, the wacky inventor in the original film, played by Rick Moranis. Each episode incorporates new technologies and digital effects to feature the family in various new adventures. The series was filmed in Calgary, Alberta, with its main studios located in Currie Barracks, a decommissioned Canadian Forces dormitory.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show
1997
5
Mrs. Edna Garrett, housemother and dietitian at the Eastland School, teaches a group of girls in her charge how to solve those problems that every teenager has to face.
The Facts of Life
1979
7
A crazy comedy about three rather strange parish priests exiled to Craggy Island, a remote island off the Irish west coast.
Father Ted
1995
8
The Good Guys is an American sitcom which aired on CBS from September 25, 1968 to January 23, 1970. 42 color episodes were filmed in all. As with The Governor & J.J. and Get Smart, it was produced by Talent Associates and CBS Productions. CBS Television Studios also owns the rights to this program as well.
The Good Guys
1968
6
Going Straight is a BBC sitcom which was a direct spin-off from Porridge, starring Ronnie Barker as Norman Stanley Fletcher, newly released from the fictional Slade Prison where the earlier series had been set. It sees Fletcher trying to become an honest member of society, having vowed to stay away from crime on his release. The title refers to his attempt, 'straight' being a slang term meaning being honest, in contrast to 'bent', i.e., dishonest. Also re-appearing was Richard Beckinsale as Lennie Godber, who was Fletcher's naïve young cellmate and was now in a relationship with his daughter Ingrid. Her brother Raymond was played by a teenage Nicholas Lyndhurst. Only one series, of six episodes, was made in 1978. It attracted an audience of over 15 million viewers and won a BAFTA award in March 1979, but hopes of a further series had already been dashed by Beckinsale's premature death earlier in the same month.
Going Straight
1978
7
Set in Chicago, the show follows the kid-friendly misadventures of two high-school friends who are always scheming and dreaming. Kenan, who works at a grocery store, constantly devises crazy plans to strike it rich, while orange-soda-loving buddy Kel is always dragged along for the ride despite his track record for messing things up.
Kenan & Kel
1996
8
Lipshitz Saves the World is a comedy television pilot that was produced for NBC. The show was given the green light to shoot a pilot by NBC in July 2006. The show was not picked up for air. It is believed that the tagline and the tone of the series was not suitable. The premise of the show is that teenage outcast Adam Lipshitz discovers that he may be the one person who can save the world. Creator Dan Fogelman describes the show as similar to The Matrix "if Keanu Reeves wasn't good looking." Veteran comedy actor Leslie Nielsen had signed on to play Lipshitz's mentor.
Lipshitz Saves the World
2007
1
Benson
1979
7
Caroline in the City is an American situation comedy that ran on the NBC television network. It stars Lea Thompson as cartoonist Caroline Duffy, who lives in Manhattan in New York City. The series premiered on September 21, 1995 in the "Must See TV" Thursday night block after Seinfeld. The show ran for 97 episodes over four seasons, before it was cancelled; its final episode was broadcast on April 26, 1999.
Caroline in the City
1995
6
Joey and Michael, who fought over the same woman 13 years ago now have, upon her death, been awarded joint custody of her daughter - who might be either of theirs. So how do the men settle their problems? With a paternity test? No way. Instead, they all move in together to raise Nicole as a two-dad nuclear family. Under the watchful eye of the family court judge, dads and daughter adjust to their new situation.
My Two Dads
1987
6
A sitcom set in a small pub in Manchester, “The Grapes”, where daily life is bound up in the issues of love, loneliness, and blocked urinals. Regular drinkers Joe and Duffy pass the time with landlord Ken and his police officer cronies.
Early Doors
2003
7
What's Happening!! is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from August 5, 1976 to April 28, 1979. The show premiered as a summer series. With good ratings and reviews, and after the failure of several other shows on the network, What's Happening!! returned in November 1976 as a weekly series. It remained a regular show until 1979; ratings were modest. What's Happening!! was loosely based on the motion picture Cooley High, also written by Eric Monte.
What's Happening!!
1976
7
Family is always unpredictable, so why write a family comedy when you can live dangerously and improvise instead? Like real families, you never know what will happen when you give characters total freedom. Adult siblings Cameron, Sharon and Jenna have many years of shared history in this small town. Like every other family on the planet, their history includes many mistakes. This is proven by the multiple marriages and many children in their close extended clan.
Sons & Daughters
2006
5