Michael Crawford, the star of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, frequently flirted with danger while portraying Frank Spencer in the beloved BBC sitcom. Now at 83, the actor occasionally performed his own stunts, putting him “seconds away” from disaster, all while the cameras kept rolling.
Derek Ware, the BBC star and stuntman, captured headlines when he and his colleague faced a near-strangulation incident during the window-cleaning segment of The Employment Exchange episode. The tense situation unfolded as they found themselves suspended 300 feet above the ground on a London skyscraper, with their cradle stuck and unable to move. Remarkably, the cameraman kept filming throughout the harrowing experience.
During the shooting of another episode, the actor encountered a second life-threatening situation. He described the scene’s intention, which was to conclude the episode with Frank positioned behind a truck as it released a load of sand, ultimately burying him and leaving only his beret visible on the surface.
The BBC crew opted not to rehearse, as relocating the sand back onto the lorry would have been too time-consuming. Instead, they filmed it in a single take, putting the star “just seconds away from disaster.”
Michael Crawford, shared his experience of battling to catch his breath while on set. He recounted, “I needed to raise my arm as it tilted, allowing me to signal for help through the sand if I found myself unable to escape once the camera stopped filming. The weight of the sand was overwhelming, making it nearly impossible for me to raise my arm. It pressed down on my rib cage, constricting my ability to breathe.”
He further said, “I found myself holding my breath for nearly 30 seconds, overwhelmed with panic. Eventually, I succeeded in pushing my hand through, but I had to wait until the credits finished rolling to avoid the audience noticing my arm. I was waving my arms wildly, desperate for help. They managed to pull me out and clear my mouth, but if it had been another 15 seconds, I might not have made it. I was struggling to breathe, and it was a terrifying experience. I really thought I had pushed my luck too far this time, but back then, there were no safety regulations to protect us.”