Last of the Summer Wine (series 25)

Outline

The trio in this series consisted of:

Actor Role
Keith Clifford Billy Hardcastle
Peter Sallis Clegg
Frank Thornton Truly

Cast changes

Louis Emerick takes over from Tony Capstick as the 2nd Policeman following the latters death a year before. The former previously played the role twice in the late 1980s.

List of Episodes

Title Airdate Description Notes
Jurassic - No Parking 8 February Barry wins a contest and receives more prize than Glenda can handle.
  • From this episode onwards, Norman Clegg is given reduced roles owing to Peter Sallis' health, Although he occasionally has larger roles.
  • Audience of 5.9m - 40th most watched programme of the week.
The General's Greatest Battle 15 February Clegg, Truly, and the others end up destroying a mannequin that is supposed to ride with Nora in the holiday float.
  • Norman Wisdom makes his sixth guest appearance as Billy Ingleton
  • First time Billy's house is seen and first time his wife is heard talking
  • Audience of 5.76m - 39th most watched programme of the week.
Spores 29 February Truly and Billy aid a woman in finding her "Lionel" while Alvin tries to get a photograph of Nora Batty.
  • Guest appearances of Roy Hudd and Anita Carey.
  • Audience of 4.86m - 61st most watched programme of the week.
Happy Birthday Robin Hood 7 March When he sees Marina wearing a wedding dress and being driven through town, Howard becomes distraught, putting a damper on Billy's plans to celebrate Robin Hood's birthday.
  • Audience of 5.27m - 44th most watched programme of the week.
Who's That With Barry and Glenda - It's Not Barry and Glenda 14 March Truly, Clegg and Billy surprise Barry in the wood carrying a suitcase. Truly deduces that he is up to something serious and decides to investigate. Meanwhile, Glenda is also concerned about Barry and his suitcase, and decides to follow him (dressed as a man) to see if another woman is involved.
  • Audience of 5.93m- 44th most watched programme of the week.
  • Jean Alexander is billed in the opening credits but does not appear.
An Apple a Day 21 March Nora Batty informs Alvin that he has volunteered to take some old-timers out for the day. After enlisting some support from Clegg and Truly, they all proceed to the Scrooby's distant farm to pick them up. But taking out Bert and his cranky old wife Sal isn't going to be easy.
  • Billy Hardcastle does not appear in this episode.
  • Audience of 5.86m - 37th most watched programme of the week.
Barry Becomes a Psychopathic Killer - But Only Part Time 28 March Smiler needs to get rid of an unwanted admirer who thinks he has money. Clegg, and then Barry, are recruited to dampen her enthusiasm.
  • Billed as 'Barry Becomes a Psychopathic Killer' in the Radio Times listing for the episode.
  • Audience of 4.62m - 32nd most watched programme of the week.
Things To Do When Your Wife Runs Off With a Turkish Waiter 4 April Barry unwittingly becomes the friend of a lonely man whose wife has deserted him. This minor inconvenience turns into a major embarrassment when it turns out the man's favorite hobby is "charming the birds out of the trees" with "sweet music".
  • Audience of 5.49m - 39th most watched programme of the week.
Beware of Laughing at Nora's Hats 11 April Clegg, Truly, Alvin and Billy unite to help end a long running feud between Nora Batty and Audrey Craig, which began when Audrey laughed at one of Nora's hats.
  • Audience of 4.87m - 51st most watched programme of the week.
Yours Truly - If You're Not Careful 18 April Clegg, Alvin, Billy and Entwistle play a trick on Truly to make him think his ex-wife the "former Mrs Truelove" is keen to get in touch with him and visit.
  • This episode marks the final appearance of Tony Capstick as the policeman due to his death six months before. Louis Emerick would take over his role from the 2004 Christmas special until the shows end.
  • Audience of 5.81m - 34th most watched programme of the week.

2004 Christmas Special

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.

See also