All Summer Long

Willie has tried to make his father aware of the danger to their house from flood water, but Dad thinks that Willie's fears are excessive. Willie decides to spend all summer long building a wall to keep out the river, but his efforts are in vain. 

The fun of All Summer Long, starring Eddie Byrne (Star Wars), Barry Foster (Van Der Valk) and Ann Lynn (Just Good Friends), comes from a family's approach to the problem of an encroaching river. The water, which used to be a long throw from the porch, is now within "spitting distance" and a serious threat to their house. But only the son, 12-year old Willie (Denis Waterman, The Sweeney, Minder, New Tricks) is concerned enough to do anything practical about it, and labours all summer in his efforts. The only help Willie has comes from his crippled brother Don (Barry Foster). But Don could be more use by taking a job that would help pay for building a strong embankment. "Meanwhile," said Dubliner Eddie Byrne of his part, "Dad is maddeningly ineffectual. Where he too could be helping Willie prevent the house falling into the river, he prefers to paint it." The play, written by Robert Anderson, was adapted from Donald Wetzel's novel "A Wreath and a Curse." It had not been previously seen in the UK, although it was seen on Broadway a few years before. All Summer Long was directed by Peter Wood and Broadcast on ITV at 9:35pm on Tuesday 12th April 1960 as the Play of the Week. 

Published on November 28th, 2018. Adapted from the original TV Times article.