It is a safe bet that at some point during an episode of Last of the Summer Wine, an old man will roll down a hill in hilarious circumstances.
The series has gone a bit mad now of course, with every actor and comedian in the country using it as a retirement plan. The best character was Compo, played by Bill Owen. Owen was the master of slapstick during his time on this show, and if there was a device on wheels that needed rolling down a hill in a comedy style, Owen was your man! Some of the scenes in this gentle Sunday evening sitcom are as well choreographed as any work by Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin.
This evening I was watching Last of the Summer Wine thanks to the Watch channel. Compo was stuck the springs of a bed, that just happened to be on wheels. His two friends had to wheel him to Wesley, the mechanic, so that he could cut him free. The pushing of the bed was getting too hard, so one of them obviously had the idea to make Compo wear roller skates and make the job easier. Once at the top of the hill, inevitably Compo rolled down.
That was not even the best bit. He broke through some roadwork barriers and came to a stop. The friends caught up with him and set about cutting him free. As he came free, the REAL punch line happened. Compo was standing over an open manhole cover and fell straight down.
I laughed as if I had just discovered laughter; it was the funniest thing I had seen in ages. I heartily recommend you make a date with Watch channel, and watch Last of the Summer Wine in its dream line up of Compo, Clegg and Foggy.
