Stephen Lewis, credited early in his career as Stephen Cato, was an English actor, comedian, director, screenwriter, playwright. He was best known for his work with Joan Littlewood, including writing the play Sparrers Can't Sing, which was subsequently turned into the movie Sparrows Can't Sing, and his regular roles in the sitcoms On the Buses and Last of the Summer Wine, both of which utilised his morose features to comedic effect.
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Biography from TMDB.
- December 17, 1926
- August 12, 2015 (aged 88)
- Poplar, London, England, UK
- Actor, also writer
- 12 on MovieCove · 35 credits in all
What are Stephen Lewis' films like?
Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 5
Light 4 · Serious 1 · Dark 1
Grounded 3 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0
Gentle 1 · Charged 5 · Intense 0
A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 2
Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 4
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 1
Casual 4 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 5 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 0
Resolved 5 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
Usually the Shadow: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.
- Threshold guardianas Blakey in On the Buses (1971)
- Shadowas The Inspector (Blakey) in Mutiny on the Buses (1972)
- Shadowas Inspector Cyril 'Blakey' Blake in Holiday on the Buses (1973)
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Ambiguous2
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Stephen Lewis' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
- BritBox
Subscription and free streaming for Stephen Lewis' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
35 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Hitler: The Comedy Years(2007)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Oh, Doctor Beeching! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
The Great Kandinsky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
The All New Alexei Sayle Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
2Point4 Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
The Krays(1990)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
One Foot in the Grave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
The Paradise Club (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Bodger and Badger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Personal Services(1987)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
The McGuffin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
ITV Christmas Comedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
The Best of the Adventures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Adventures of a Plumber's Mate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
This Is Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Adventures of a Taxi Driver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
The Fosters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Don't Drink the Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Holiday on the Buses(1973)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Last of the Summer Wine(1973)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows
Mutiny on the Buses(1972)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
On the Buses(1971)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Some Will, Some Won't (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Manhunt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Staircase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
On the Buses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Negatives(1968)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Sparrows Can't Sing(1963)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
A Prize of Arms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
The Frightened City(1961)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all filmsArmchair Mystery Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Armchair Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Career shape
Star power in the 90th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 35 titles from 1956 to 2007; peak year 1972.
Biggest box office
Personal Services (1987)
Highest rated
Personal Services (1987)
Most popular right now
Sparrows Can't Sing (1963)
Film career
Peak 1972 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1963Screen debut· Sparrows Can't Sing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Stephen Lewis' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.
- 50th to 74th6
- 25th to 49th5
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
7 of their 12 titles are Mixed.
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser3
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed7
Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 34. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Stephen Lewis work with?
People who share at least 2 of Stephen Lewis' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ronald Chesney shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Harry BoothShared titles: Mutiny on the Buses (1972), On the Buses (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Harry Booth
Writers
- Ronald ChesneyShared titles: Holiday on the Buses (1973), Mutiny on the Buses (1972), On the Buses (1971)See all 3 shared titles with Ronald Chesney
- Ronald WolfeShared titles: Holiday on the Buses (1973), Mutiny on the Buses (1972), On the Buses (1971)See all 3 shared titles with Ronald Wolfe
Actors
- Anna KarenShared titles: Holiday on the Buses (1973), Mutiny on the Buses (1972), On the Buses (1971)See all 3 shared titles with Anna Karen
- Doris HareShared titles: Holiday on the Buses (1973), Mutiny on the Buses (1972), On the Buses (1971)See all 3 shared titles with Doris Hare
- Michael RobbinsShared titles: Holiday on the Buses (1973), Mutiny on the Buses (1972), On the Buses (1971)See all 3 shared titles with Michael Robbins
- Reg VarneyShared titles: Holiday on the Buses (1973), Mutiny on the Buses (1972), On the Buses (1971)See all 3 shared titles with Reg Varney
Cinematographers and editors
- Archie LudskiShared titles: Mutiny on the Buses (1972), On the Buses (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Archie Ludski
- Mark McDonaldShared titles: Mutiny on the Buses (1972), On the Buses (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Mark McDonald