The WORST episodes of Last of the Summer Wine

Every episode of Last of the Summer Wine ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Last of the Summer Wine!

Last of the Summer Wine is an affectionate comedy about people in the autumn of their years. The series is the world's longest-running sitcom, having clocked up 31 series and numerous Christmas specials during its run.

Last Updated: 8/14/2024Network: BBC OneStatus: Ended
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Hail Smiling Morn or Thereabouts
star
6.50
6 votes

#1 - Hail Smiling Morn or Thereabouts

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/17/1973

With a new camera in hands the trio spends the day trying to find interesting things to photograph.

Directors: Jimmy Gilbert
Writer: Roy Clarke
A White Sweater and a Solicitor's Letter
star
6.88
8 votes

#2 - A White Sweater and a Solicitor's Letter

Season 22 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/20/2001

Tom recieves a Solicitor's letter, which says he has recieves a big screen television set, which he ends up giving to Eli, and Barry takes up flying, which is just a model airplane. Also, Howard wants Norman to play Tennis so he can play Tennis with Marina, who gets sick of it and then ends up flying with Barry.

Directors: Alan J.W. Bell
Writer: Roy Clarke
The Love Mobile
star
6.89
9 votes

#3 - The Love Mobile

Season 18 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/20/1997

The trio come across a mobile ""lonely hearts agency"". This time it seem it's the owners of the agency who need a bit of marital advice. Smiler tries to get rid of a tandem Auntie Wainwright sold him. He ends up being the perfect client for the lonely hearts agency.

Directors: Alan J.W. Bell
Writer: Roy Clarke
Forked Lightning
star
6.90
20 votes

#4 - Forked Lightning

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/5/1975

After Clegg suffers a little incident with his bycicle it's up to the trio to find someone to mend it

Directors: Bernard Thompson
Writer: Roy Clarke
The Mother of All Mistakes - Or Is It?
star
7.00
1 votes

#5 - The Mother of All Mistakes - Or Is It?

Season 30 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/26/2009

Adopted as a baby, former milkman and undercover secret agent Hobbo is determined to trace his natural mother.

A Hair of the Blonde That Bit You
star
7.00
6 votes

#6 - A Hair of the Blonde That Bit You

Season 22 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/13/2001

Pearl finds a blonde hair and assumes it's Howard seeing another woman. Pearl wants to go to the coast to be loved but Howard and Marina work it out.

Directors: Alan J.W. Bell
Writer: Roy Clarke
A Quiet Drink
star
7.08
12 votes

#7 - A Quiet Drink

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/2/1975

The trio tries to persuade a tight fisted man to buy a round of drinks. For that they devise a very peculiar plan.

Directors: Bernard Thompson
Writer: Roy Clarke
The Pony Set
star
7.10
10 votes

#8 - The Pony Set

Season 20 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/18/1999

When Compo decides to take up horseriding lessons to impress Nora Batty, it's up to Clegg and Truly to help him. For that they buy Auntie Wainright's wooden horse. The problems start when it's wheels prove to be too much of a ride

Directors: Alan J.W. Bell
Writer: Roy Clarke
Has Anyone Seen Barry's Midlife Crisis?
star
7.13
8 votes

#9 - Has Anyone Seen Barry's Midlife Crisis?

Season 27 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/19/2006

Barry is concerned that he isn't having a mid life crisis, he goes to see the Vicar about it. The wheel comes off Auntie Wainwright's cart and Clegg, Truly, Billy, Alvin and Entwistle and his invisible dog try to help Howard escape from home.

The New Mobile Trio
star
7.13
15 votes

#10 - The New Mobile Trio

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/10/1973

Thinking they need a faster way to travel through the hills Clegg convinces the others to buy a car. They end up with an old piece of metal, that proves to be more trouble than it's worth.

Directors: Jimmy Gilbert
Writer: Roy Clarke
Follow That Bottle
star
7.14
7 votes

#11 - Follow That Bottle

Season 27 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/5/2006

Glenda decides that Barry would suit a hat, Smiler finds a suit of armour in the shop storeroom, Cleggs cousin turns up and Clegg, Truly, Billy, Alvin and Entwistle follow a bottle with a message in it. Marina and Miss Davenport compare notes on their love lives. Nelly joins the ladies for coffee at the cafe.

In Search of Childlike Joy and the Farthest Reaches of the Lotus Position
star
7.14
7 votes

#12 - In Search of Childlike Joy and the Farthest Reaches of the Lotus Position

Season 23 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/10/2002

An unhappy Smiler is cheered by one of Wesley's inventions, a trolley. All that is needed is a hill and some driving skills...

Writer: Roy Clarke
The Great Boarding House Bathroom Caper
star
7.14
14 votes

#13 - The Great Boarding House Bathroom Caper

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/10/1976

The trio takes takes a little holiday in Scarborough, but what's the deal with Compo's cardboard box?

Directors: Sydney Lotterby
Writer: Roy Clarke
Short Back and Palais Glide
star
7.17
48 votes

#14 - Short Back and Palais Glide

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/12/1973

The trio pays a visit to the barbers where they talk about the war, marriage, local women, and the frequent rows that exist between couples. then they go to the café, where the first (of many) arguments between Ivy and Sid takes place. Compo realises he forgot his house key in the library and the trio wonders through town, in search for the librarian (Mr. Wainright)

Directors: Jimmy Gilbert
Writer: Roy Clarke
Of Funerals and Fish (pilot)
star
7.17
35 votes

#15 - Of Funerals and Fish (pilot)

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/4/1973

Norman Clegg visits his late wife's grave on the anniversary of her death, then he reunites with his friends Compo Simmonite and Cyril Blamire and the trio wonders through town talking about, life, death and fish.

Northern Flying Circus
star
7.20
10 votes

#16 - Northern Flying Circus

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/16/1975

Compo takes up motorcycling much to the surprise of Blamire and Clegg.

Directors: Bernard Thompson
Writer: Roy Clarke
The Bandit from Stoke-on-Trent
star
7.21
14 votes

#17 - The Bandit from Stoke-on-Trent

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/4/1978

When "Laugh a Minute" Amos Hames, who toured Europe during the 1940's returns to town after many years missing, the finger of suspicion arises about the reason of his return.

Directors: Sydney Lotterby
Writer: Roy Clarke
Under the Rug
star
7.22
9 votes

#18 - Under the Rug

Season 21 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/9/2000

Howard has a wig delivered to Clegg's, but when Pearl is suspicious Clegg has to not only pretend ownership of it, but be seen wearing it, much to Truly's amusement. Howard is only persuaded to reclaim the wig after the trio arrange for Smiler to wear it and Marina to kiss him. Meanwhile Barry tries and fails to be master of his own home, and Compo offers himself to Nora Batty as a "limited sale".

Directors: Alan J.W. Bell
Writer: Roy Clarke
The Man from Oswestry
star
7.24
17 votes

#19 - The Man from Oswestry

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/27/1976

Compo is bored. Since Cyril Blamire left for Oswestry, to live with a woman, things have been a bit too calm for him in town. but soon, Clegg brings the solution to all their boredom. a letter from Blamire asking them to welcome home an old fried of his, called Foggy Dewhurst, and help him cope with the sudden changes in his life, after he was more or less forced to retire. Compo and Clegg meet with the new ""third man"", the war hero Foggy Dewhurst, who because of his peculiar life, and his endless wartime stories soon makes his presence noted around town. his military posture, and his ""murderous"" impulses only get him in a fight with Big Malcolm, and his military precison doesn't seem to be a great help, when the trio tries to carry Foggy's heavy war time luggage up a hill.

Directors: Sydney Lotterby
Writer: Roy Clarke
Oh Look! Mitzi's Found Her Mummy
star
7.25
8 votes

#20 - Oh Look! Mitzi's Found Her Mummy

Season 27 - Episode 8 - Aired 4/23/2006

Howard gets to look after a friend's dog for the day. Glenda and Barry get dressed up as Cleopatra and an Egyptian Mummy to go to a fancy dress party. Auntie Wainwright upgrades Tom and Smilers transport..to a tandem!

The Mystical Squeak of Howard's Bicycle
star
7.25
8 votes

#21 - The Mystical Squeak of Howard's Bicycle

Season 23 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/13/2002

When Howard's bicycle starts squeaking around Pearl, he worries that it is some kind of curse. He decides to get the bicycle exorcised by a local expert - Norman Clegg...

Writer: Roy Clarke
A Sidecar Named Desire
star
7.25
8 votes

#22 - A Sidecar Named Desire

Season 18 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/22/1997

Remembering Nora used to enjoy a ride on a motorbike and sidecar when her husband was alive, Compo hires a motorbike from Auntie Wainright, and envites Nora for a ride. Wesley tries to fix Barry's car (again), with disastrous results

Writer: Roy Clarke
When You Take a Good Bite, Yorkshire Tastes Terrible
star
7.25
12 votes

#23 - When You Take a Good Bite, Yorkshire Tastes Terrible

Season 9 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/22/1987

Old chum Bill Henry dies in America, which prompts Clegg to take Compo and Seymour on a sentimental journey.

Writer: Roy Clarke
Magic and the Morris Minor
star
7.29
7 votes

#24 - Magic and the Morris Minor

Season 21 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/16/2000

Our trio help a middle-aged couple get their old car out of a field, but the wife insists she's receiving ancient telepathic messages through its hubcap. Or is she making it up as an excuse to chase after a certain younger gentleman? Meanwhile, Auntie Wainwright is trying to vanquish her demons by splurging on Ivy's most expensive cream cake.

Directors: Alan J.W. Bell
Writer: Roy Clarke
The Woollen Mills of Your Mind
star
7.29
17 votes

#25 - The Woollen Mills of Your Mind

Season 8 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/7/1985

Compo enters the local marathon in order to impress Nora.

Directors: Alan J.W. Bell
Writer: Roy Clarke