 Clarke chose the original title , The Last of the Summer Wine , to convey the idea that the characters are not in the autumn of their lives but the summer , even though it may be " the last of the summer " . BBC producers hated this at first and insisted that it remain a temporary working title , while the cast worried that viewers would forget the name of the show . The working title was changed later to The Library Mob , a reference to one of the trio 's regular haunts early in the show . Clarke switched back to his original preference shortly before production began , a title that was shortened to Last of the Summer Wine after the pilot show . 
