Simplify the following text for a Grade 8 native English-speaking person.
Original: Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973 .
Simplified: 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 .