News

Actor best known as the haughty department store supervisor Captain Peacock in the TV comedy Are You Being Served?

The actor Frank Thornton, who has died aged 92, had a flair for comedy derived from the subtle craftsmanship of classical stage work. However, he will be best remembered for his longstanding characters in two popular BBC television comedy series – the sniffily priggish Captain Peacock in Are You Being Served? and the pompous retired policeman Herbert "Truly" Truelove, in Roy Clarke's Last of the Summer Wine.

Robertson Hare, the great Whitehall farceur, told him: "You'll never do any good until you're 40." And, said Thornton, "he was quite right." In the event, he was 51 when David Croft, producer of another long-running British staple, Dad's Army, remembered the tall, long-faced actor from another engagement and decided to cast him as the dapper floor-walker in charge of shop assistants played by Mollie Sugden, Wendy Richard,...

Veteran British actor Trevor Bannister has died, aged 76.

The comedy star, best known for his role in hit 1970s sitcom Are You Being Served?, suffered a heart attack on Thursday.

Bannister studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, before appearing in a number of U.K. TV shows, including The Dustbinmen, The Avengers and Last of the Summer Wine.

He was also a regular in the theatre, performing in Shakespeare plays and traditional pantomime shows.

But Bannister's most notable role was playing ladies' man Mr. Lucas from 1972 to 1979 in Are You Being Served?, a sitcom set in a fictional London department store.

Are You Being Served? actor Frank Thornton has paid tribute to his co-star, insisting he will treasure "many, many happy memories" of Bannister.

Thornton says, "He was a very good friend over a long time. We often met with him and his wife - he was recently at my 90th birthday celebrations in January and that was the last time we saw him. We shall miss him sorely."

Bannister is survived by his second wife, Pamela, and brother, John.

The comedy star, best known for his role in hit 1970s sitcom Are You Being Served?, suffered a heart attack on Thursday (14Apr11).

Trevor Bannister studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, before appearing in a number of U.K. TV shows, including The Dustbinmen, The Avengers and Last of the Summer Wine.

He was also a regular in the theatre, performing in Shakespeare plays and traditional pantomime shows.

But Trevor Bannister's most notable role was playing ladies' man Mr. Lucas from 1972 to 1979 in Are You Being Served?, a sitcom set in a fictional London department store.

Are You Being Served? actor Frank Thornton has paid tribute to his co-star, insisting he will treasure "many, many happy memories" of Trevor Bannister.

Thornton says, "He was a very good friend over a long time. We often met with him and his wife - he was recently at...

Are You Being Served? actor Trevor Bannister has passed away, aged 76. His brother confirmed that the TV star died following a heart attack earlier in the week at his allotment in Thames Ditton. Bannister was best known for his role as Mr Lucas in the popular BBC department store sitcom. His co-star Frank Thornton, who played Captain Peacock, told the BBC: "He was a very good friend over a long time. We often met with him and his wife - he was recently at my 90th birthday celebrations in January and that was the last time we saw him. We shall miss him sorely." Bannisters's (more)...

Here’s a list of some of the new DVD and Blu-ray releases this week we’re particularly interested in. Plus, some old favorites (and not so favorites) coming out this week for the first time on Blu-ray.

Movies

About Last Night… ~ Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, James Belushi (Blu-ray)

Alien Trespass ~ Eric McCormack, Dan Lauria, Robert Patrick, and Jenni Baird (DVD and Blu-ray)

Blue Thunder ~ Roy Scheider, Warren Oates, Candy Clark, and Daniel Stern (Blu-ray)

Chaos ~ Jason Statham (Blu-ray)

The Class (Entre Les Murs) ~ François Bégaudeau, Agame Malembo-Emene, and Angélica Sancio (DVD)

Cutthroat Island ~ Geena Davis, Frank Langella, Matthew Modine (Blu-ray)

Eagles Over London ~ Van Johnson, Frederick Stafford, Francisco Rabal, and Luigi Pistilli (Blu-ray)

Gigantic ~ Zooey Deschanel, Paul Dano, John Goodman, and Ed Asner (DVD)

I Love You, Man ~ Paul Rudd, Jason Segal (DVD and Blu-ray)

Katyn ~ Artur Amijewski, Maja Ostaszewska, and Andrzej Chyra (DVD)

Michael Jackson: Moonwalking – The...