One star of classic sitcom Are You Being Served? hated the show’s “old, reused jokes” towards the end of its run – and refused to take part in a stage adaptation.
Trevor Bannister was best known for his role as Mr. Lucas in the series, which ran from 1972 until 1985, as well as the 1977 film which saw the crew take a trip to Costa Plonka.
According to TVTropes, Bannister “hated” performing in front of a studio audience and reportedly became tired of the same old jokes being aired in the sitcom. Eventually he quit the programme in 1979 after being offered other work – refusing to return for series eight.
Instead, the star was offered a role in the stage play Middle-Age Spread. The play, however, clashed with the recording dates of Are You Being Served?, and producer David Croft refused to alter them.
His co-star Nicholas Smith, who played Mr. Rumbold in the comedy, explained at a PBS event in Arkansas: “During a break from the series, Trevor was offered a job doing something else. The , thinking that there would be no more series of AYBS, told him he could pursue the offer to appear in a play.
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One star of Are You Being Served quit in the eighth series (Image: BBC)
“Shortly after, at the request of many people expressing interest in AYBS, the decided to continue to show. Trevor could not return since he was committed to the play.”
Trevor even went as far as convincing the theatre company to change the touring dates so he could be in rehearsals and filming, but the production schedule changed so much that he eventually told them “no”after “having enough”.
He was paid more than 10 times more in his theatre salary than his salary, and given 20 weeks of work versus just six weeks of filming the sitcom.
Are You Being Served? ran for more than a decade (Image: Getty)
Bannister’s character was eventually axed for the 2016 remake of the comedy, over claims he was “too lecherous”. One insider told The Sun: “Mr Lucas was one of the main characters in the original.
“He was a bit pervy and after what has gone on at the Beeb, they are obviously reluctant to bring back his character. These sitcoms were made before political correctness but have to be modernised for today’s audience.”