I thought Last of the Summer Wine would get to its 40th anniversary so it was a surprise that the BBC ended it in 2010.
Then again the cast were not getting any younger. Peter Sallis was losing his eyesight and had already given up his role as the voice of Wallace in the Aardman Animations cartoons. Trevor Bannister who played Toby died in 2011. Frank Thornton would go in 2013.
More importantly Roy Clarke just ran out of ideas. Sad to say that the final episode was a damp squib.
Pearl takes Howard back in the house. Howard tells her that he always knew he would be looked after by Pearl. This is what Wally Batty said about Nora some years earlier.
Even the coach driver who turns up at the end and who could not see well was just a modernised Eli.
It is the day of the wedding of a character we have never met and never get to see. This wedding has been a running theme in the final series.
The regulars get dressed up for the wedding including Auntie Wainwright, although at first she dressed up like she was going to a funeral. Glenda tries to match up Morton with one of her friends.
Unfortunately it is all rather underwhelming, although Toby and Marina do their best in getting some laughs.
Clegg and Truly have bigger roles here. Prohibitive insurance costs meant that at their age all the scenes featuring Peter Sallis and Frank Thornton had to be filmed indoors or in the studio.
Clegg complains that his memory is going and the last line is left to Clegg. Something about wondering if he had locked the door of his house.
I thought it would be a more profound last line. Roy Clarke could be so whimsical at times but not here sadly.