Mr Spooner vs Mr Lucas

[sonosun]

Who do you like better Mr Spooner or Mr Lucas?

[Mr. Harmon]

I can't vote. I liked them both equally.

{Edited to add} My wife said her vote was for Mr. Lucas. :D

[Goldie]

Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness!!!!!

MR. LUCAS MR. LUCAS MR. LUCAS MR. LUCAS!!!

:lucas01: :kiss:

[Miss Brahms]

:D

My vote goes for Mr. Lucas.

[DuranFan]

Although I liked them both -- in the end, I had to vote for Lucas.

:( Sorry Spooner

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

Lucas is the BOMB !!!!!!! Da Man !!!!!

What would AYBS? be without Lucas ??? Well, the eppy's with Spooner I guess which bit compared to the Lucas years !!!!

[Vicar]

:o Wow!
No need to explain my vote....Looks like it is unamious!!!!

[Pamela]

It's got to be Lucas-

it's like Champagne being compared to tap water :lol:

[sonosun]

Will no one vote for poor Mr Spooner? Tune in tomorrow and find out if our Bert gets a vote.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

Will no one vote for poor Mr Spooner? Tune in tomorrow and find out if our Bert gets a vote.

Where Tids ??? I know she's a HUGE Spooner fan !!!! :lol2:

[Jeff Humphries]

It's got to be Lucas-

it's like Champagne being compared to tap water :lol:

Good one Pamela and I agree !

[Assistant 134]

I vote Lucas for PM :lol: He can whip Spooner's arse any day.

LUCAS, LUCAS, LUCAS, LUCAS!!!! YAY, LUCAS! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[wolf_fire186]

A big :dance01: to Mr. Lucas. Bert Spooner just was not funny to me. Every time he tried an insult it came off as smarmy. Lucas had the insults down pat.
And there is ONE BIG THING TO CONSIDER!!!!
Humphries & Spooner did NOT have the dynamics that Humphries & Lucas did. I was sad to see Lucas go and did not enjoy AYBS? as much with Spooner in it.

[dazzlestar14]

I know for sure that I'm in a minority when I say that I loved Mr.Spooner. Nothing against Mr.Lucas, he was a great character. But I thought that Mr.Spooner was excellent. I started watching the show in the later series, so he was the first junior to me as Lucas is the first junior to most of you. I just found him hilarious and cute. So you all know who gave that one vote to Spooner, lol. I kind of like being the only one who liked him, I get him all to myself now. :D Oh, he also had an incredible singing voice as well!

[wolf_fire186]

Chancon d'amour. RAT-TA-TAT-A-TAT! :lol:

Yes, I do admit I liked his voice.

[Vicar]

And there is ONE BIG THING TO CONSIDER!!!!
Humphries & Spooner did NOT have the dynamics that Humphries & Lucas did.

Wolf_Fire,
I didn't think about that, but you're right.

[Miss Brahms]

Yeah, I liked his voice to but my vote still goes to Lucas.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

And there is ONE BIG THING TO CONSIDER!!!!
Humphries & Spooner did NOT have the dynamics that Humphries & Lucas did.

Wolf_Fire,
I didn't think about that, but you're right.


Lucas and Humphries had GREAT chemistry !!!! Spooner and Humphries did not.http://lordgreg.minki.net/thumbup.gif

[lovepink]

I voted for Lucas :dance01:

[Very Young Mr Grace]

I also voted for Lucas, though I like them both. :mrgreen:

I was hoping Spooner's character would've had more development. Croft and Lloyd could have played up the "daft assistant" a bit more. While Spooner did a good job of appearing oblivious to most things around him, maybe it could've been taken to an even sillier level.

Great potential with that role that I feel was never fully explored.....

[Vicar]

I also voted for Lucas, though I like them both. :mrgreen:

I was hoping Spooner's character would've had more development. Croft and Lloyd could have played up the "daft assistant" a bit more. While Spooner did a good job of appearing oblivious to most things around him, maybe it could've been taken to an even sillier level.

Great potential with that role that I feel was never fully explored.....



Very good point VYMG!!
I agree.

[Tiddles]

Will no one vote for poor Mr Spooner? Tune in tomorrow and find out if our Bert gets a vote.

Where Tids ??? I know she's a HUGE Spooner fan !!!! :lol2:

:lol: NOT!! Naturally, I voted LUCAS all the way.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

Will no one vote for poor Mr Spooner? Tune in tomorrow and find out if our Bert gets a vote.

Where Tids ??? I know she's a HUGE Spooner fan !!!! :lol2:

:lol: NOT!! Naturally, I voted LUCAS all the way.

I thought you would like that one love !!!!! I know your an Anti-Spooner.:lol2:

[Tiddles]

Well let's just say I don't like the personality that the writers gave to Spooner. Or...perhaps it was Mike Berry's interpretation of what he thought Spooner would be like? I found Lucas to be "little boy naughty"...trying to get a RISE outta the other staff members. At the same time Lucas was rather sweet and bumbling his way through life. He had marked personality flaws, but we could forgive him. Mainly because he was charming. I never found Spooner to be physically attractive (that center part....ewww!) and I didn't like the face that he was just plain MEAN to his co-workers. From Day One he started sassing back to everyone. Not a way to make friends and influence people. :shock:

[Leiko Spade]

I've always prefered Lucas to Spooner.
Spooner just never seemed 'natural' to me. Not sure exactly how to explain that...he just didn't seem to fit.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

Well let's just say I don't like the personality that the writers gave to Spooner. Or...perhaps it was Mike Berry's interpretation of what he thought Spooner would be like? I found Lucas to be "little boy naughty"...trying to get a RISE outta the other staff members. At the same time Lucas was rather sweet and bumbling his way through life. He had marked personality flaws, but we could forgive him. Mainly because he was charming. I never found Spooner to be physically attractive (that center part....ewww!) and I didn't like the face that he was just plain MEAN to his co-workers. From Day One he started sassing back to everyone. Not a way to make friends and influence people. :shock:

You said a mouthful there Bruvver Tids !!!!

[wolf_fire186]

I've always prefered Lucas to Spooner.
Spooner just never seemed 'natural' to me. Not sure exactly how to explain that...he just didn't seem to fit.


I didn't like Spooner either. Maybe it was because Lucas was so well loved that we all had high expectations?
Tids is right about him being mean-spirited. Even though Lucas had loads of fun putting down Mrs. Slocombe, it came off as being said in a "spirit" of fun. When Spooner said it, it was just plain mean. As with the senior assistant, after our Mr. Grainger was gone, Spooner just didn't "click" with the cast. I think that's why they finally gave up on the senior assistant. They couldn't find anyone who "clicked" as well as our dear Ernest. There has to be a certain chemistry. A chemistry is harder to find in a cast with so many as compared to a comedy team. Let's just face it, no one who came after Grainger or Lucas had that chemistry. Tebbs and Goldberg were ok, but after that it was just :P. The same could be said of Spooner.

AND I AM UNANIMOUS IN THAT! :D

[hamot]

I noticed on the last reunion of the cast of AYBS, Mr. Spooner wasn't interviewed and just mentioned very briefly.

[Tiddles]

I noticed on the last reunion of the cast of AYBS, Mr. Spooner wasn't interviewed and just mentioned very briefly.

I always considered Mike Berry an "extra" and certainly not a member of the core cast. He wasn't with the show long enough to be directly associated with Mollie, Frank, John or Wendy, etc.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

I think I did a long speil on the last board about this but you gotta take in concideration that (and I think someone has mentioned this on this board also) that Lucas was a HUGE part of AYBS?. His shoes couldn't have been filled by anyone. In a sense I pity Mike Berry having to step into a role that was unfillable. It had no bearing on him as an actor and for me as time rolled on, I accepted his character. BUT... there was only ever one Lucas

[Tiddles]

I think they popped Mike Berry in there to give a "younger" feel to the show. After all,Miss Brahms was the youngest key player after Lucas left. She was left to cavort with the senior members. Some more "senior" than others! Had the show gone on, I wonder if the writers had plans to hook up Spooner and Brahms? :cheeky:

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

Towards the end, they did seem to get along better than Lucas and Brahms.
When the show started, Lucas and Brahms got along... they saw movies together and she stayed over to cook for him. Then as the show progressed, she acted like she hated him.
Spooner on the other hand got the opposite treatment. When he first came on the scene, Brahms mistreated him but then as time passed, we see them walking in together and she practically snogged him in "Pop Star".

[Tiddles]

, we see them walking in together and she practically snogged him in "Pop Star".

I bet he left his fly open on purpose. :lol: :eek: :lol:

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

, we see them walking in together and she practically snogged him in "Pop Star".

I bet he left his fly open on purpose. :lol: :eek: :lol:
ROTFLMAO !!!!! :lol2: :lol2:

[dazzlestar14]

I agree with a previous point made by Greg about how he had such a large placement to fill from Lucas, it would be almost impossible for anybody to make it work. But Mike Berry did his best to do it. I also thought he and Miss.Brahms had a closer relationship towards the end. But that's just my opinion, take it as you wish. :D

[Miss Brahms]

:o

It is a woman's choice to change her mind. But Look at who else was there at the end. Peacock, Humphries, Rumbold or Spooner. If I had to choose it would be Spooner.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

:o

It is a woman's choice to change her mind. But Look at who else was there at the end. Peacock, Humphries, Rumbold or Spooner. If I had to choose it would be Spooner.

You do have a point there..... :lol:

[Miss Brahms]

:eek:
I know, they went out of their way to get mainly beautiful women, Brahms, secretaries and nurses. But there were only two cute guys the entire run.

[Lucas The Tucas]

She was being a "Groupie" and trying to forward her career in the Pop Star...

Lucas :D

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

She was being a "Groupie" and trying to forward her career in the Pop Star...

Lucas :D

I guess snogging figures in on the "fowarding" ???? :shrug:

[Dick]

OK, for the sake of conversation, you have to hand the crown to Lucas for the simple fact that he attracts and repulses Mrs. Slocombe and Miss Brahms in the same breath. Spooner? Well, how can I put this eloquently? Ah yes, he's a dork.

So to sum up:

Mr. Lucas = devilish rogue :twisted:

Spooner = daft boy :?

'Nuff said.

Dick

[dazzlestar14]

I always thought it was such a shame that we didn't learn more about Mr.Spooner's background. We got to learn a little about Mr.Lucas' family, living quarters, etc. But not very much about poor Mr.Spooner.

[sonosun]

I always thought it was such a shame that we didn't learn more about Mr.Spooner's background. We got to learn a little about Mr.Lucas' family, living quarters, etc. But not very much about poor Mr.Spooner.

Quite a bit of what we learn about Mr Lucas is a lie, a lie. The iron lung is a lie. The batteries from the deaf aid is a lie.His mother taking tickets at the roller skating rink is a lie. The poor part of Highgate is a lie.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

OK, for the sake of conversation, you have to hand the crown to Lucas for the simple fact that he attracts and repulses Mrs. Slocombe and Miss Brahms in the same breath. Spooner? Well, how can I put this eloquently? Ah yes, he's a dork.

So to sum up:

Mr. Lucas = devilish rogue :twisted:

Spooner = daft boy :?

'Nuff said.

Dick

Well put Dick !!! :wink:

[Old Mr. Grace]

I'll vote for Spooner!!! :o

Mr. Lucas was oversexed and annoying. He seemed to take pride in being an an underachiever.

Mr. Spooner did have a boyish charm about him. And he had a nice singing voice.

[dazzlestar14]

Old Mr.Grace, it is an honor to have the same opinion as someone like you. Your thoughts and observations were very well said!

Thank You!

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

I'll vote for Spooner!!! :o

Mr. Lucas was oversexed and annoying. He seemed to take pride in being an an underachiever.



OMG !!!! :eek: I thought you were describing me there for a mo !!!!!

[sonosun]

I'll vote for Spooner!!! :o

Mr. Lucas was oversexed and annoying. He seemed to take pride in being an an underachiever.



OMG !!!! :eek: I thought you were describing me there for a mo !!!!!

Greg I would never describe you that way.You're not annoying. :lol:

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

Thank you Sonosun.... At least I know you like me !!!! :lol:

[Lucas The Tucas]

I didn't vote on the poll but, I will let you guess which one that I favor...

Lucas The Tucas :D

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

I didn't vote on the poll but, I will let you guess which one that I favor...

Lucas The Tucas :D

Spooner ?????? :shrug:

[Lucas The Tucas]

MMMMMMM________Greg !

You sure are good... :o

Do you have a sign if front of your house advertising Palm and Tarot Card Readings ?

Lucas :mrgreen:

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

MMMMMMM________Greg !

You sure are good... :o

Do you have a sign if front of your house advertising Palm and Tarot Card Readings ?

Lucas :mrgreen:

Yes, I'm a Psychotic...er...I Mean Pside kick.... er I mean... Psychic !!!!:lol2:

[Lucas The Tucas]

:mrgreen: Greg....You had the very first part right...

:lol: :lol:

Mike Berry is a Great Singer and a Very Good Actor... :D

The Mr. Spooner role was a clone of Mr. Lucas...

That was not the right role for the Mr. Spooner character...He should have had his OWN PERSONALTY...And a starring role in a show each season...

Trevor Bannister was the "ORIGINAL"...Mr. Lucas...

Lucas The Tucas :D

Ps...I love to see Mike and Trevor in any roles...
I just wish for many more roles... :mrgreen:

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

:mrgreen: Greg....You had the very first part right...

:lol: :lol:

Mike Berry is a Great Singer and a Very Good Actor... :D

The Mr. Spooner role was a clone of Mr. Lucas...

That was not the right role for the Mr. Spooner character...He should have had his OWN PERSONALTY...And a starring role in a show each season...

Trevor Bannister was the "ORIGINAL"...Mr. Lucas...

Lucas The Tucas :D

Ps...I love to see Mike and Trevor in any roles...
I just wish for many more roles... :mrgreen:

I would definitely have to agree with you Lucas !!!!http://lordgreg.minki.net/thumbup.gif

[frankdicer]

I have thought about this a lot and really my personal preference comes to almost a tie.....

I chose Lucas because he is a more central character to the show whereas
Spooner seems to fall in with all the Grainger replacements.
Except for maybe the last episode, you could erase Spooner from the
show and it would only lose a little.....Its like they wrote him in because they
needed another person on the counter but he never really clicked in that
role....seemed to be the outsider.

That being said I liked Spooners wit....he was like the guy in the office with
the really bad puns (groaners).

[Maurice Moulterd]

The introduction of Spooner (along with Old Mr Grace) nearly ruined AYBS for me. My tapes of the early years of AYBS are nearly worn out, while I seldom watched the later ones. Spooner's singing episode is my least favorite AYBS by far. I, too, wish they had developed his character differently. I was especially put off by how, even from the start, he started making wise cracks at Mrs Slocombe, ala Mr Lucas. I would have thought it would have taken a while for him to have reached this point. Sorry, for me Lucas had big shoes to fill and Spooner never came close.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

The introduction of Spooner (along with Old Mr Grace) nearly ruined AYBS for me. My tapes of the early years of AYBS are nearly worn out, while I seldom watched the later ones. I, too, wish they had developed his character differently. I was especially put off by how, even from the start, he started making wise cracks at Mrs Slocombe, ala Mr Lucas. I would have thought it would have taken a while for him to have reached this point. Sorry, for me Lucas had big shoes to fill and Spooner never came close.

I agree 100% Maurice. http://lordgreg.minki.net/thumbup.gif

[Tiddles]

Bumping this up.

[Mr. Rust of Audio-Visuals]

I, too, wish they had developed his character differently

They developed his character? I sure didn't notice.

The one aspect of Mr. Spooner I like is that the staff really never takes much of a shine to him either, almost as a silent acknoledgement that the character wasn't really going well. There's a line in "Friends and Neighbors" which pretty much sums it up.

MR. HUMPHRIES: (on the phone.) Hello Mr Grace, this is Mr. Humphries...I'm calling on behalf of the (whatever)th floor- that includes Miss Brahms, Mrs. Slocombe, and myself."

(a pause, and a withering glare.)

Mr. HUMPHRIES:"...and Mr. Spooner."

And as much of an underachiever as Mr. Lucas was, I think Spooner somehow was even more of one. I think it's hard to care about Spooner because he doesn't really seem to care about anything.

[Tiddles]

I think it's hard to care about Spooner because he doesn't really seem to care about anything.

Perfectly said!

http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/diverse/061.gif

I've been here many a year now...and this topic is the topic that keeps goin'.....and goin'.....and....goin'....blech.. :lol:

So I'll copy this post and save it, so I just copy and paste:

Spooner arrived on the scene and automatically postured himself as the upstart. He insulted his co-workers, and he pushed his way into the already tight circle of "friends" with all the class of a bull in a Dresden China Shop. His obnoxious comments were not "cheeky" or "cute schoolboy" but downright rude. He's majorly disrespectful to people older than he is. You can hear the audience gasp when he refers to Mrs. Slocombe as "that old trout..." And he also berates one of his seniors' age by asking "What could YOU do...(at your age)?" I hate his lines and I hate his character. It's like the writers wanted me to loathe him and they brilliantly succeeded. He'll always be "The POOP-Star" to me. :popstar:

[dazzlestar14]

I can absolutely see where the Spooner Haters are all coming from. When I watch television shows, there are always characters who come on that I just can't stand one bit. (ie: Old Mr.Grace, Mrs.Peacock, sometimes Captain Peacock). But I just love Mr.Spooner, he makes the later shows more exciting for me to watch.

I like how brave and insulting he was to his co-workers, it was a splash of change. I even gasp myself when he says some of those things, but I also admire how bold he is. I find most of lines to be hilarious and I think he fit in right with the team. He was very cute and had an excellent singing voice! I'm glad the writers brought in somebody who wasn't Mr.Lucas. I liked Mr.Lucas, but wouldn't want somebody like him, as they would seem to be a cheap copy off of. I often wonder why I have such a different opinion than you guys on this, but I figure it is because I started out with Spooner as the junior. He was in my first set of episodes so I kind of grew up with him. Lucas came later on, and I had to soon adapt.

Overall, I think they are both achieved actors, but I think Mr.Spooner's talent was excellent!

[msmith897]

I knew I had posted to this, I see it got moved. I thought I was going looney for a bit.
Anyway, every episode without Mr. Lucas is missing something as far as I'm concerned. My favorite is Punch and Judy he steals the show. He is hysterical. :lol:

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

I knew I had posted to this, I see it got moved. I thought I was going looney for a bit.
Anyway, every episode without Mr. Lucas is missing something as far as I'm concerned. My favorite is Punch and Judy he steals the show. He is hysterical. :lol:

Amen Bruther Smith !!! Lucas is my favorite character on the show and it suffered greatly when he left.

[frankdicer]

This is the one subject about AYBS that seems to evoke the most emotional responses... the type of which when offering an olive branch, one can pull back a bloody stump....
So, like an idiot, I cheerfully jump into the melee.

I like both Lucas and Spooner...but Lucas's character left for whatever reason...If you hate Spooner, would you replace Lucas with a Lucas-like
clone? Someone who looks and talked and acted like Lucas? I think that would have been a horrible mistake...

Lucas and Spooner are both Smart-ah-ah-ah-alecs. Why is one revered and one reviled? I am not saying they are equivalent, its just they are similar.

Mr. Spooner joined the staff as the odd man out from the beginning.
What would you want him to be?...I want someone different than
Mr. Lucas so I can remember him(Lucas) distinctly from the new character. I think that was done. I think that honors Trevor Bannister's work.

For almost every snide comment that Spooner makes, Lucas made a similar comment("old trout" comes to mind). Is it style then?

Miss Brahms, took an instant dislike to Mr. Spooner...but I never saw her come out of the lift on Mr. Lucas's arm, which she does with Mr. Spooner. Mr. Spooner does make an attempt to
be nice to Mrs. Slocombe when she is being made redundant. He fails, but he tries.

(And now, putting on my freudian hat): It is possible that hating Mr. Spooner is a way to blame him for Mr. Lucas's departure....
In doing that one may miss out ... (Please don't infer that I am talking about you here! I am just making an observation. )

I think Jessica Rabbit said it well, "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way".
The Spooner corrollary is, "He's not bad, he's just written that way".
The same writers that gave us Mr. Lucas, gave us Mr. Spooner...

By all means, love Mr. Lucas,a great character, who maybe didn't even get
all the accolades he deserved.

But don't hate Spooner just because he's the next guy.....(again, I am not talking about any person(s) here, just commenting)

When Lucas left, the show went on... same for Grainger, Mr. Mash and YMG.

Well, that's it, I survived...although.....
I've made a appointment with my doctor...part of my arm seems to be missing.

[dazzlestar14]

Excellent comments Frank!
Very well said!

[msmith897]

Yes very well said Frank..........but like Ms. Slocombe in the little girl outfit I want to stick out my tongue and stomp my feet and say "I won't like Mr. Spooner I won't I won't I won't"
He never did anything wrong. He did his job "very well". I just like Mr. Lucas. I miss him. I missed Mr. Grainer too. I guess I have a problem moving on?? Maybe I should bring this up at my next appointment (oops - did I say that) :)

[frankdicer]

Yes very well said Frank..........but like Ms. Slocombe in the little girl outfit I want to stick out my tongue and stomp my feet and say "I won't like Mr. Spooner I won't I won't I won't"
He never did anything wrong. He did his job "very well". I just like Mr. Lucas. I miss him. I missed Mr. Grainer too. I guess I have a problem moving on?? Maybe I should bring this up at my next appointment (oops - did I say that) :)

I'd like to see that!!! :wink: the stomping that is.

I hope you understand I was NOT trying to be critical of you (or anyone else) but only trying to make a point....

[Tiddles]

Good points, Frank. I don't dislike Spooner because he's not Lucas. I just find him unlikeable. I wouldn't want to sit with him in the canteen much less work with him. :)

"He's not bad, he's just written that way".

I think the writers tried to make Spooner "grittier" than Lucas to kind of thoroughly erase Lucas from our minds. But it never worked for me. The comparison was always there when I watched. Lucas was "naughty little boy" cute with his remarks...caustic but with innocent overtones. Spooner bursts onto the scene and doesn't seem to care he's a newbie. You'd think he'd be there for at least a few eps before he starts sassing his superiors. :mrgreen: Both Spooner and Lucas are rather immature men. But somehow, I forgive Lucas and can't forgive Spooner. Also...Lucas was handsome and I find Spooner's looks repugnant. What can I say? The center-part just never did anything for me. LOL

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

Very good Frank !!! And Tiddles too !!!
I don't dislike the Spooner character, just don't like him near as much as Lucas. I was always the one who pitied Mike Berry for being thrown in the position he was. Trevor played an absolutely FANTASTIC part with Lucas that no one and I repeat, NO ONE would even come close to re-capturing the magic. Here lies my pity for Mike Berry. He had big shoes to fill with the Spooner character. Replacing a beloved character like Lucas, it's an impossible job.
I agree that he wasn't meant to be a Lucas Clone but the writer probably did need to fill the void that Trevors leaving gave them. Whether it was Mike Berry or whoever, no one could do it.
As it goes, I'm not a huge fan of the Seasons that Spooner appears anyways so I guess he bothers me very little as compared to some of the other members here.

[dazzlestar14]

Who would ever think that one excellent actor could make such a riot. I thought he was very attractive, no wonder they wanted him to be a pop star. Anyways, in my heart, Mr.Spooner ended up becoming famous and rich and got all the girls he wanted. Living the life of luxury. 8)

[Mr. Rust of Audio-Visuals]

Is there a draft in here, or am I just getting sucked into this debate?

Spooner wasn't a clone of Lucas by a longshot. He was a place-filler for Lucas. The writers knew that Mr. Humphries couldn't stand over at the men's counter and talk to himself about what he did last night. They knew that making fun of Mrs. Slocombe was a cornerstone of the show (how could you have a character like her on the show and not make fun of her?), but none of the characters other than Mr. Lucas sounded right doing it (Maybe Harman, but you can't have him hanging around the shopfloor all the time). And they knew they needed a disruptive and antiestablishment character on the show to balance and question all the others.

And when you watch the Spooner episodes it seems like the writers thought it over and said "Well, if he has to be there, let's just write a character who does those things but shows no other signs of personality whatsoever." It makes sense in a way, because Humphries and Slocombe were so popular and dominant at that point that it wouldn't make sense to have them suddenly take the backseat to a new attention-starving scene-stealer...that would be like when they added Poochie to Itchy and Scratchy (how nerdy am I?).

Maybe Spooner would've worked better if he had actually been more consistantly surly and disagreeable. Seems like they couldn't decide on whether to make him a nice-guy or not.

[Tiddles]

Amazing how wrapped up we all get discussing these things! If Croft and Lloyd were to read this board, they would be astounded we actually CARE about these characters as deeply as we do! :shrug: :D

[Goldie]

Frank..

man, you are deep.. I'm just amazed at how your mind works.. you really make me think.. :mrgreen:

[frankdicer]

Frank..

man, you are deep.. I'm just amazed at how your mind works.. you really make me think.. :mrgreen:

Yep, I'm in deep alright, DEEP KIMCHI !!!


But thanks for the comment...my arm feels better already!

[Pamela]

I hate to admit it....but I'm warming to Spooner, this time round I was actually happy to see him...I never, ever thought that would happen!

:shrug: :lol:

[sonosun]

I hate to admit it....but I'm warming to Spooner, this time round I was actually happy to see him...I never, ever thought that would happen!


:eek: :shock: :o

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

I think what we forget is that the show was basically Lucas's to start out with. As the years rolled on, the Slocombe and Humphries characters took over everything (it went from AYBS? to "The Wilberforce and Betty Show") so the "Junior" character pretty much was pushed to the background. (as evident in Season 7) By the time Spooners character came around, (and I think someone here already said this... probably FD) it was just for "filler". Spooner did his part, he was OK.

[frankdicer]

I think what we forget is that the show was basically Lucas's to start out with. As the years rolled on, the Slocombe and Humphries characters took over everything (it went from AYBS? to "The Wilberforce and Betty Show") so the "Junior" character pretty much was pushed to the background. (as evident in Season 7) By the time Spooners character came around, (and I think someone here already said this... probably FD) it was just for "filler". Spooner did his part, he was OK.

Thanks, Greg, but it was Mr. Rust of AV

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

Rorry Rorge !!!!
Heads up to Mr. Rust for that comment !!!
Apologizes to Mr. Rust and FD !!!!

[slats7]

Lucas, by a mile. You can't beat the original. And the fact that Spooner mimiced Lucas by picking on Mrs Slocome was very lame.

[dazzlestar14]

He didn't mimic Lucas, he made fun of her in his own unique way. Besides, would you rather him just sit there and say boring things?

[frankdicer]

He didn't mimic Lucas, he made fun of her in his own unique way. Besides, would you rather him just sit there and say boring things?

Personally, and I've said this before, I liked them both, Lucas was
a franchise player though while Spooner was used to plug holes.

That's the way I see it...And if you view Spooner as being in a different role
than Lucas it makes it easier to allow Spooner to be himself w/o always
comparing him to Lucas.

[mamabear197]

Although I am a great Lucas fan I really believe they did not use Mr Spooner to his advantage, until the Pop Star Episode. He did his job well, and you can only do as well as the line's you are given! He was constantly in the background, and I think by this point they were running out of things to write about!
mamabear197

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

Spooner was in a sense like the Brahms character to a point. The writers never did use them to their full abilities. But they were needed charatcers. Even Humphries needed a type of "straight" man... :lol2:

[slats7]

My heart always sinks when I recognize that it's a "Spooner" episode. Once they lost Grainger and Lucas, it stopped being magic.

[dazzlestar14]

Very well put Mamabear and Frank!

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

My heart always sinks when I recognize that it's a "Spooner" episode. Once they lost Grainger and Lucas, it stopped being magic.

I agree.... some funny moments but the magic was lost....

[mamabear197]

I will agree somewhat that I was not happy when in one episode alone they brought in 3 new characters. If I am not mistaking it was "Is It Catching" They brought in Old Mr Grace/Young Mr. Spooner/ and Mr Grossman, or was it Klien? . Was a wee bit to handle. they sure went through a few after Mr Grainger left. Mr Tebbs/Mr Goldberg/ Mr Klien/Mr. Grossman. I still watched though. Nothing going to keep me from that!

mamabear197

[luv_ya_humphries]

Mr Lucas by a long mile.

I love him. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the friendship with Mr Lucas and Mr Humphries was magic and I hated to see it go.

This brings a question to mind because I can't remember it.

Did Mr Lucas absence ever get explained?

[sonosun]

No it didn't get explained

[Tiddles]

Odd that they even bothered seeing Mr. Temporary Tebbs off with a canteen party, and not give Lucas a mention! Suddenly I feel that there MAY have been some hard feelings there at the end between Bannister and the writers, even though they said it was amicable.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

Odd that they even bothered seeing Mr. Temporary Tebbs off with a canteen party, and not give Lucas a mention! Suddenly I feel that there MAY have been some hard feelings there at the end between Bannister and the writers, even though they said it was amicable.

I've always thought that myself. Lucas was with the show for 7 Seasons and not so much as a "goodbye" and Tebbs was there for 1 Season and WOW !!! , a party !!!!

[frankdicer]

Odd that they even bothered seeing Mr. Temporary Tebbs off with a canteen party, and not give Lucas a mention! Suddenly I feel that there MAY have been some hard feelings there at the end between Bannister and the writers, even though they said it was amicable.

I've always thought that myself. Lucas was with the show for 7 Seasons and not so much as a "goodbye" and Tebbs was there for 1 Season and WOW !!! , a party !!!!

Yes, but according to Miss Brahms, Tebbs never said anything unforgettable!

[Mr. Rust of Audio-Visuals]

Well in defense of all that, it was a plot point; Mr. Tebbs' retirement led to the promotion of Humphries and Lucas and the search for a new junior.

[Ronald]

What's that for a question?

A) Young Mr. Grace or B) Old Mr. Grace
A) Mr. Grainger or B) one of the other senior salesmen
A) Mr. Lucas or B) Mr. Spooner
A) Mr. Harman or B) Mr. Mash

These are the correct answers:
A (four of a kind)

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

There's only one head salesman at the Men's counter: Mr. Ernest Grainger!

Amen Brothah Ronald !!!

[Mrs Featherstone]

Agree with Ronald completely.

For me the comparison between Mr Lucas and Mr Spooner is unfair as Trevor Bannister got top billing along with Mollie Sugden and John Inman in the first 7 seasons, where Mr Spooner really got second billing to Mollie and John in his 3 seasons.

I also liked the way Mr Lucas played off Mr Humphries, and hit the right note when being sarcastic with Mrs Slocombe.