Touch of sadness in comedy

Mar 20 2000

ANOTHER series of the hit comedy Last Of The Summer Wine is about to hit our screens.

ANOTHER series of the hit comedy Last Of The Summer Wine is about to hit our screens.

And it will be a poignant series, as it will feature the final performances of actor Bill Owen, who made the woolly-hatted scruffy character Compo famous across the world.

Bill died last year, but the Owen family links with the show will live on. Bill's son Tom joins the cast as Compo's son, Tom Simmonite.

Tom Owen is pictured here with two of the show's other stars - Peter Sallis, who plays Clegg, and Frank Thornton as Truly.

Actor Tom Owen thought about the proposition to join the show for "about two seconds", then decided that it would be impossible to turn it down.

"Through the tragic circumstances of my father's death there was only one thing to do - just go for it," he said.

"I'm very honoured to pick up this wonderful legacy that my dad has left me.

"It's a hard act to follow but a wonderful challenge."

The new series, the 22nd in the world's longest-running comedy series, starts on April 2.