Stephen Lewis, will be chiefly remembered for the comedy catchphrase: "I 'ate you Butler!" He delivered it week after week in the hit sitcom On The Buses, a saucy slice of life that ran on ITV from 1969 to 1973. Lewis was Cyril "Blakey" Blake, a bus inspector with a Hitler moustache and delusions of grandeur. His nemesis was Stan Butler, a driver played by Reg Varney, who used his route as an opportunity to pick up stray "birds". By today's standards of television, On The Buses has all the subtlety and political correctness of cave drawings. But it was wildly popular, and Lewis's comic timing reflected a considerable acting talent. Lewis entered acting in an era of social mobility that is almost inconceivable today. He was born in Poplar, East London, on December 17 1926. His first job was as a merchant seaman; he reconsidered his vocation after he was persuaded to go to a performance of the experimental Theatre Workshop group run by the brilliant Left-wing director Joan Littlewood. After the performance, the audience was invited on to the stage to meet the cast and discuss the play. Lewis enjoyed the experience and, after turning up to others, got to know the Workshop well. Eventually, Littlewood, perhaps exasperated by Lewis's suggested stage directions, said: "You're so blooming clever, why not do it yourself?" He agreed, auditioned and was offered a part. After a successful run, Littlewood asked Lewis if he would like to stick with the company but he said he wanted to return to the sea. The director persuaded him to stay on the stage and he made his West End debut in Brendan Behan's The Hostage in 1958. In 1960, he wrote Sparrers Can't Sing, a play about life in the East End that relied heavily on actors' improvisations. It was a success and was released as a film (Sparrows Can't Sing) in 1963, with a cast that included Barbara Windsor and Roy Kinnear - although even their talents could not sell the social realist dialogue to a global audience. The New York Time
| Episode |
Comedy Playhouse The Jugg Brothers |
1970 |
| Episode |
On the Buses No Smoke Without Fire |
1972 |
| Episode |
On the Buses Private Hire |
1972 |
| Episode |
On the Buses Stan's Worst Day |
1972 |
| Episode |
On the Buses What The Stars Foretell |
1973 |
| Movie | Sparrows Can't Sing | 1963 |
| Episode |
One Foot in the Grave Love and Death |
1990 |
| Episode |
2 Point 4 Children Dirty Bowling |
1991 |
| Episode |
Armchair Mystery Theatre Flag Fall |
1960 |
