Sir Roy Clarke, the creator of the beloved BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, has said the show would not be commissioned in the current television landscape. The 96-year-old writer received his knighthood from the Prince of Wales during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.
Speaking to the Press Association, Sir Roy reflected on the changing times: 'It’s a different world now, and I’m very glad my time was in the world I knew. I don’t know how far I would get now, the show probably wouldn’t be made these days.' He was awarded the Honour of Knighthood in the 2026 New Year Honours list for services to entertainment.
Sir Roy, who wrote 295 episodes of the sitcom, cited the episodes surrounding Compo’s funeral as his favourites, noting the intense time pressure under which they were written. 'I had to do the three episodes in not much more than a weekend and I’ve never worked at that pace before, and in a funny way, I think that gave them more strength.' He also revealed that the character Clegg served as his personal 'mouthpiece', adding: 'He used to get all the best lines and he was my mouthpiece in many ways. He used to say the things I would say and the things that I believed.'
The veteran writer shared his philosophy on work-life balance, stating: 'I think leisure is an important element of anybody’s career. If you work like a dog all the time, especially if you’re writing, the results are going to be dismal.' He noted that the Prince of Wales expressed his enjoyment of the sitcom, leaving Sir Roy feeling 'taller than I did yesterday.'
