Should the programme have ended sooner?

Couldn't disagree more.

I was always a Foggy man, through and through. But with a series link set up I have managed to watch all of the Truly era series and they are great fun. The Truly era is on "Gold" and the Foggy series are on "Drama" and the current series is every bit as funny.

I think what saved the program was that it became an ensemble show. Rather like League of Gentlemen for an older audience.

The coppers, Howard and Marina, Barry and Glenda, The Trio, Entwhistle, The ladies who lunch, Auntie / Smiler / Tom and so on. Each had a part to play in every episode in the way that Eli would pop up in the middle episodes.

It was clever in the way it metamorphosed from a program ABOUT three old men into a program WITH three old men. I think the multiple storylines and characters saved the show rather than ruined it.

'tler

I think Truly was, if anytime no, even funnier than Foggy ever was. They even did a good job of making up the loss of Compo. Only the final two years sagged a bit....when Clegg and Truly were no longer a part of the main group due to age.