According to a headstone seen in the final edition, the series ends in 1931.
The pilot episode for this show was filmed in 1969 and then left on the shelf. Ten years later, Yorkshire Television decided to revisit the concept after their hit sitcom 'Rising Damp' had finished production and they were looking for fresh ideas. The pilot was re-watched and a decision was taken to commission a series with some cast changes (as Edward Chapman had died on 1977) . Christopher Beeny was the only actor retained from the original pilot made a decade previously.
Despite an incredibly long gestation period (ten years) the show was relatively successful and spawned 5 series in 7 years. It was also a surprise hit outside the UK and sold to several countries. By the time the final series aired, Thora Hird was well into her 70s and was a very much in demand actress, in both television and theatre, making her availability to film another series impractical. Due to her popularity with viewers it was decided it was simpler to finish production rather than write her out of the show.
Thorax Hird and Christopher Beeny both starred in Last of the Summer Wine.
Christopher Beeny was the only actor to appear in all 37 episodes. However producer Ronnie Baxter also directed all 37 episodes as well.