Frank Thornton became a familiar face on British television from the 1950s onward, specialising in comedy roles across film and television. He achieved his greatest fame playing the pompous floorwalker Captain Peacock in the long-running BBC comedy Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1985, reprising the role in its sequel series Grace & Favour. Beyond his iconic department store character, Thornton appeared in numerous films and television programmes throughout his career, ranging from Carry On comedies to dramatic roles, and later joined Last of the Summer Wine in 1997 as Herbert “Truly” Truelove.