Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom. It ran longer than any other comedy show in the UK and longer than any other sitcom in the world. It airs on the television channel BBC One. Roy Clarke writes the show and Alan J. W. Bell produces and directs it. It started as an episode of the television show "Comedy Playhouse" and originally aired on 4 January 1973. The first series of episodes started airing on 12 November 1973. The show had broadcast its 30th series in 2009 and the 31st and final series was shown in 2010.