Last of the Summer Wine series 26

Last of the Summer Wine's twenty-sixth series aired on BBC One from December 2004 through May 2005. All of the episodes were written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell.

Last of the Summer Wine
Series 26
No. of episodes11
Release
Original networkBBC One
Original release19 December 2004 (2004-12-19) –
29 May 2005 (2005-05-29)
Additional information
Filming dates
  • Christmas Special: 2004
  • Series 26: 2004
Series chronology
← Previous
25
Next →
27
List of episodes

Outline

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The quartet in this series consisted of:

Actor Role
Peter Sallis Clegg
Frank Thornton Truly
Keith Clifford Billy
Brian Murphy Alvin

Returning this series

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Last appearances

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List of episodes

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Christmas Special (2004)

Title Airdate Description Notes
Variations on a Theme of the Widow Winstanley 19 December Clegg is writing his memoirs, but he is having trouble remember people's names, particularly a tallish girl from school with blonde pigtails who liked black licorice. Ivy and Nora identify the girl as Audrey Needham, now the Widow Winstanley. Truly, Alvin, and Billy Hardcastle scheme to match the notoriously woman-shy Clegg up with the widow. When she shows up at his door, he takes refuge at a poetry reading, disguised as Father Christmas. Meanwhile, Auntie Wainwright, Smiler, and Tom attempt to retrieve a mahogany bedroom set that Auntie Wainwright sold to a man who has died, but Entwistle's truck is not up to the job.
  • Sir Norman Wisdom makes his seventh & final guest appearance as Billy Ingleton.
  • Audience of 5.29m – 40th most watched programme of the week.
  • Louis Emerick returns as PC Walsh after an absence of 15 years following the death of Tony Capstick.

Regular series

Title Airdate Description Notes
The Swan Man of Ilkley 13 March After Clegg, Truly, Billy and Alvin encounter a stranger planning to float to Ilkley using an inflatable swan, it's up to Entwistle to ensure the man completes his journey.
  • Guest appearances (for the first time) of Bobby Ball and Tommy Cannon.
  • The trio becomes a quartet from this episode till the next series.
  • Audience of 5.65m – 38th most watched programme of the week.
Watching the Clock 20 March Clegg climbs an old tree to prove that the town clock from a nearby village can be seen from its height, and a delivery to the church hall gets a bit out of control.
  • Audience of 4.55m – 54th most watched programme of the week.
Has Anyone Seen a Peruvian Wart? 27 March Nora Batty finds herself the target of a notorious womaniser after she garners his attention with her baked goods.
  • Guest appearance of Roy Barraclough.
  • Second appearance of Billy's house and second time Billy's wife is heard talking
  • Audience of 4.53m – 52nd most watched programme of the week.
Hermione (The Short Course) 10 April A "Do Not Disturb" sign on Clegg's door rouses curiosity and worry among his friends; Smiler finds himself yearning for a lost love.
  • Audience unknown.
  • Tony Capstick's character, 2nd policeman, is referred to as having been transferred to Huddersfield.
Who's That Mouse in the Poetry Group? 17 April In an attempt to improve his appeal, Smiler transforms himself into an "intellectual" to both Marina's delight and Howard's chagrin.
  • Audience of 5m – 38th most watched programme of the week.
  • Jess Conrad makes an appearance as a walker.
Available for Weddings 24 April After Clegg breaks his leg attempting a steep hill, the Yorkshire countryside becomes a test track for Truly's experimental studded bicycle tyres.
  • Audience of 4.73m – 39th most watched programme of the week.
The McDonaghs of Jamieson Street 1 May When Smiler tells the boys about the "girl who got away", they venture out to track her down and play Cupid.
  • Audience of 3.9m – 59th most watched programme of the week.
  • Dora Bryan is billed in the opening credits but does not appear.
The Afterthoughts of a Co-op Manager 8 May Truly heads a search for a manager Clegg worked under in his youth, finding that even the tyrannous can harbour virtue.
  • Audience of 4.93m – 34th most watched programme of the week.
Lot No. 8 15 May Auntie Wainwright acquires a mystery parcel at an auction and sends Tom and Smiler to pick it up; when the items in question turn out to be coffins, the men try to think of other marketable uses for them.
  • Audience Unknown
Little Orphan Howard 29 May While Alvin endeavours to become the world's greatest kite flyer, Howard falls into a depression after Clegg devilishly convinces him that he's an orphan.
  • Final appearance of Ros Utterthwaite.
  • Audience of 3.67m – 59th most watched programme of the week.

DVD release

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The box set for series twenty-six was released by Universal Playback in October 2015, mislabelled as a box set for series 27 & 28.

The Complete Series 27 & 28
Set Details[1]
  • 21 episodes
  • 4-disc set
  • Language: English
Release Date
Region 2
5 October 2015

References

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  1. ^ "Last of the Summer Wine Series 27 & 28 [DVD]". Amazon. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2016.