Last of the Summer Wine: Series 3

Season overview

The third series of Last of the Summer Wine aired on BBC1 from 27 October 1976 to 8 December 1976. This season marks a significant transition in the composition of the central trio with the introduction of Brian Wilde as Foggy Dewhurst. Foggy, an ex-military sign painter, joins the group as the new third member, a role Wilde would hold across two separate tenures ending in 1997. Another notable casting development is the return of Blake Butler, who reprises his role as the librarian Mr. Wainwright, a character he previously portrayed during the first series, before his departure at the conclusion of the year. The narrative structure of the season includes the program's first two-part story, consisting of the episodes The Great Boarding House Bathroom Caper and Cheering Up Gordon. These episodes feature guest appearances by Philip Jackson, who portrays Gordon, the nephew of the character Compo. While the original broadcasts did not reach the Top 10 Programmes Of The Week, the series maintained its presence in the cultural landscape, evidenced by a 1977 repeat of the episode Isometrics and After, which drew an audience of 15 million viewers.