<P> The following is an episode list for the long - running BBC One sitcom Last of the Summer Wine which was broadcast from 4 January 1973 to 29 August 2010 . </P> <P> The pilot episode aired as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first full series of episodes premiered on 12 November the very same year . The 31st (and final) series started broadcasting on 25 July 2010. Every episode was written by Roy Clarke . </P> <P> As of 29 August 2010 (the very last day of transmission), a total of around 295 episodes of Last of the Summer Wine have aired . This includes the Comedy Playhouse pilot, twenty - three Christmas Specials, two New Year Specials, and a Millennium Special a Christmas sketch and a comedy trial (but not the 25 Year and 30 Year Documentaries). Some of these have been regular episodes (often held over from the previous series, or taken from the forthcoming series), others have been dedicated festive stories . Some of these specials have also been feature - length . All episodes are 30 minutes long, unless otherwise stated . </P> <P> The list is by episodes' original air dates . </P>

How many episodes of last of the summer wine are there