Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Mr. Lucas, Are You Free?


Trevor Bannister played the part of Mr. Lucas in Are You Being Served? for seven years. In 1979, he disappeared, replaced by Mike Berry, who played Mr. Spooner.



So why did Trevor leave the show? For years, production of the series was erratic. For some reason, the BBC would often renew the show at the last minute, scheduling production with little notice. Trevor didn't mind too much, since they always worked around his schedule of live performances.

However, after the seventh season, the BBC was certain that it might cancel the show. The cast was notified not to expect to return. Trevor made plans to perform in a live production, only to discover that the series was returning after all. Unlike in previous years, the BBC was not willing to work around Trevor's schedule. They dug in their heels and forced him to choose. He chose the live production and Are You Being Served? went back into production- without Mr. Lucas.