Going all giddy on the Wine

Sep 30 2003 By Neil Atkinson, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Comedy filming new series

THEY'RE back - and they are set to be as funny as ever.

And as can be seen from this exclusive peek behind the scenes, filming for hit comedy Last of The Summer Wine has again been a lot of fun.

Stars from the past three decades of the series have again been hard at work in and around Huddersfield.

Yesterday they were in Holmbridge; today, the cast and crew were filming in Holmfirth.

And they are putting the finishing touches not only to another Christmas special of the world's longest-running comedy series but also to a new series, destined to go out in the New Year.

It was not all hard work for the cast and crew. There was time for a party as relative newcomer Brian Murphy - formerly of George and Mildred fame - celebrated his 69th birthday on set.

Murphy joined the cast for the last series and again plays Alvin Smedley, who is hoping to add a little bit of love interest into the life of wrinkled stocking heroine, Norah Batty, again played by Kathy Staff.

Regulars such as Tom Owen, Stephen Lewis, Keith Clifford, Jean Alexander and Frank Thornton are again involved in the filming, most of which has taken place over the past few weeks in and around the Holme Valley.

Former film star Burt Kwouk is also involved in the new series and producer Alan J W Bell is confident the series will again be a big hit.

A poll last week in Radio Times suggested that many TV viewers wanted to see an end to Summer Wine, a series which began life 31 years ago following the crazy antics of three pensioners doing little or nothing in Holmfirth.

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