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<blockquote data-quote="Mel O&amp;#039;Drama" data-source="post: 117519" data-attributes="member: 23">The introduction of a new Summer Wine &quot;third man&quot; is beginning to feel like a Doctor Who regeneration (not that I really watched the latter show). I find myself looking for shared traits and similarities to the previous incarnation. At the same time I&#039;m looking for things that set this version apart. With Michael Aldridge, both aspects were quite clear from the first scene. He has the pomp and control of Foggy and Blamire while having a unique eccentric scattiness - a mad professor quality. By now it seems the trick is that the lines and situations for each third man may be more or less interchangeable. It&#039;s the interpretation and delivery that sets them apart.As Seymour, Aldridge is very likeable. Even behind his irritation, one feels that he genuinely enjoys spending time with his companions. He&#039;s more avuncular than either of his predecessors, I think. Looking at him kept making me think of the elderly Professor Kirke from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Even so, I&#039;ve only just realised that he actually played that role in the 1988 series. And here was me thinking I hadn&#039;t seen him in anything before. There&#039;s also a touch of Alec Guinness in there somewhere. With a hint of a latter day Ian McKellen.As an aside, I was interested to see that Aldridge has first billing. I&#039;d naturally assumed he was going to slip quietly in at third billing. I wonder how these things are decided?The feature length episodes have been very enjoyable indeed. It&#039;s interesting to see how well they work at this length and with no laughter track. The music - particularly the choral versions of the opening credits - have been a treat too. A soundtrack would me most welcome.Wally Batty is on the home stretch now, sadly. He never fails to raise a laugh. The hangdog face and his delivery are a winning combination and the perfect contrast to wife Nora. I&#039;ve known Nora and Wallys - bullying, overbearing matriarchs and the men that tolerate them. Which is odd, because on screen they seem so unlikely. Truth is stranger than fiction, I suppose. Joe Gladwin has to do very little because he does henpecked so well.&nbsp; I&#039;ve only properly discovered him as an actor in the last year - first as myopic Stan in Nearest and Dearest and now as Wally. When I realised he was in Summer Wine, I thought I&#039;d never manage to see him as anything other than Stan, because that role was so memorable. But he&#039;s proved me wrong and Wally is one of the most endearing and enduring characters on the series. I shall miss him.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mel O'Drama, post: 117519, member: 23"] The introduction of a new [I]Summer Wine [/I]"third man" is beginning to feel like a [I]Doctor Who [/I]regeneration (not that I really watched the latter show). I find myself looking for shared traits and similarities to the previous incarnation. At the same time I'm looking for things that set this version apart. With Michael Aldridge, both aspects were quite clear from the first scene. He has the pomp and control of Foggy and Blamire while having a unique eccentric scattiness - a mad professor quality. By now it seems the trick is that the lines and situations for each third man may be more or less interchangeable. It's the interpretation and delivery that sets them apart. As Seymour, Aldridge is very likeable. Even behind his irritation, one feels that he genuinely enjoys spending time with his companions. He's more avuncular than either of his predecessors, I think. Looking at him kept making me think of the elderly Professor Kirke from [I]The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe[/I]. Even so, I've only just realised that he actually played that role in the 1988 series. And here was me thinking I hadn't seen him in anything before. There's also a touch of Alec Guinness in there somewhere. With a hint of a latter day Ian McKellen. As an aside, I was interested to see that Aldridge has first billing. I'd naturally assumed he was going to slip quietly in at third billing. I wonder how these things are decided? The feature length episodes have been very enjoyable indeed. It's interesting to see how well they work at this length and with no laughter track. The music - particularly the choral versions of the opening credits - have been a treat too. A soundtrack would me most welcome. Wally Batty is on the home stretch now, sadly. He never fails to raise a laugh. The hangdog face and his delivery are a winning combination and the perfect contrast to wife Nora. I've known Nora and Wallys - bullying, overbearing matriarchs and the men that tolerate them. Which is odd, because on screen they seem so unlikely. Truth is stranger than fiction, I suppose. Joe Gladwin has to do very little because he does henpecked so well. I've only properly discovered him as an actor in the last year - first as myopic Stan in [I]Nearest and Dearest [/I]and now as Wally. When I realised he was in [I]Summer Wine[/I], I thought I'd never manage to see him as anything other than Stan, because that role was so memorable. But he's proved me wrong and Wally is one of the most endearing and enduring characters on the series. I shall miss him. [/QUOTE]

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