W. Bell stated in an interview with The Daily Telegraph that the BBC had not yet commissioned a new series and that bosses at the network told him one would not be produced. The original trio consisted of Bill Owen as the mischievous and impulsive Compo Simmonite, Peter Sallis as easy-going everyman Norman Clegg, and Michael Bates as uptight and arrogant Cyril Blamire. Every single episode of the world's longest-running sitcom: all thirty-one series of the BBC's Last Of The Summer Wine. Each of these recurring characters contributed their own running jokes and subplots to the show, often becoming reluctantly involved in the schemes of the trio, or on occasion having their own, separate storylines. The plot centred on the marriage of Seymour's niece, Glenda ( Sarah Thomas), to Barry ( Mike Grady).

The trio explored the world around them, experiencing a second childhood with no wives, jobs, or responsibilities. Titled "Last Post and Pigeon", the show ran for sixty minutes and dealt with the trio's pilgrimage to visit World War II graves in France. The Comedy Playhouse pilot and all episodes of the first series were produced and directed by James Gilbert. Although many felt that the show's quality had declined over the years, [7] Last of the Summer Wine continued to receive large audiences for the BBC [8] and was praised for its positive portrayal of older people and family-friendly humour. The second film proved a success and all four new characters were carried over to the show beginning with the ninth series in 1986.The 31st series continued to bring in over four million viewers, with the series opener pulling in 4.

After Compo died in 1999, his son, Tom Simmonite, filled the gap for the rest of that series, [42] and Billy Hardcastle joined the cast as the third lead character in 2001. Period music was used instead of Ronnie Hazlehurst's score to create a more World War II era atmosphere. Helped by a supporting band of formidable wives, hen-pecked husbands, sexually-charged mistresses, inventors, pigeon fanciers . The café has become a tourist destination on the strength of the series, and features a model of Compo outside for photographic purposes. Each series has between six and twelve episodes; most were thirty minutes in length, with some specials running longer.

The BBC confirmed on 2 June 2010 that Last of the Summer Wine would no longer be produced and the 31st series would be its last. Subsequently, every episode from the third to the twenty-seventh series has been released on DVD in Vintage collections, many including special features and interviews.