Last of the Summer Wine Took saw Holmfirth's potential as the backdrop of a television show. Twenty years later, he returned to Holmfirth, where he filmed an episode of the BBC documentary series "Having a Lovely Time", which turned out to be the highest rated episode of the show. When Took heard that James Gilbert and Roy Clarke were looking for a place with a centre surrounded by hills for their new television programme, he suggested the idea to Duncan Wood, who was at that time filming "Comedy Playhouse". Gilbert and Clarke then travelled to Holmfirth and decided to use it as the setting for
Last of the Summer Wine recorded and then mixed into each episode's soundtrack to provide a laugh track and avoid the use of canned laughter. The show used actual businesses and homes in and around Holmfirth, and Nora Batty's house, which is actually a Summer Wine themed holiday cottage where members of the public can stay in a replica of Nora Batty's home. Although this has helped the Holmfirth economy and made it a tourist destination, tensions have occasionally surfaced between Holmfirth residents and the crew. One such incident, regarding compensation to local residents, prompted producer Alan J. W. Bell to consider not filming in