Whilst almost as equally as entertaining as standard episodes of The Last of The Summer Wine the 1995 Christmas Special doesn't quite live up to the quality of other specials in the series.
The episode is amusing and entertaining without a doubt, however it struggles with a little incoherence - the narrative is enjoyable but not compelling. Perhaps it's just the fact that the recurring theme of Howard and his struggle to keep his girlfriend a secret from his wife is becoming more than a little worn out by now, or perhaps it's that there isn't enough physical comedy or poetic irony to drive you into fits of laughter. Either way, whilst this episode is certainly far from terrible it just doesn't quite meet the mark of some of the others, and as a Christmas Special it's a slight let down.
Those things aside it's still worth watching, especially if you are a Summer Wine fan - if you are more of a casual viewer, there are better episodes to pick from.
6* - Good (But Could Be Better)
The episode is amusing and entertaining without a doubt, however it struggles with a little incoherence - the narrative is enjoyable but not compelling. Perhaps it's just the fact that the recurring theme of Howard and his struggle to keep his girlfriend a secret from his wife is becoming more than a little worn out by now, or perhaps it's that there isn't enough physical comedy or poetic irony to drive you into fits of laughter. Either way, whilst this episode is certainly far from terrible it just doesn't quite meet the mark of some of the others, and as a Christmas Special it's a slight let down.
Those things aside it's still worth watching, especially if you are a Summer Wine fan - if you are more of a casual viewer, there are better episodes to pick from.
6* - Good (But Could Be Better)
