why did Butler leave the show?

He thought he could find different TV work but found he was typecast. All of the cast struggled to find work after OTB finished hence the reason they were so keen to bring it back during the late 80s

Reg had a close affinity with the show's writer and creators Ronnie Wolfe and Ronnie Chesney and by that time they had left for the States writing episodes of Lotsa Luck. Also Michael Robbins left at the end of Series Six so Reg was smart - he could see things were breaking up and often said he wanted to leave the show whilst it was right at the top. I think I am right in saying he would have left with Michael but he didn't want to leave Bob and Stephen in the lurch when they opted to continue in the series and wrote a lot of the episodes hence he stayed on for half of Series Seven before exiting.

Well really how old can a jack the lad get to be?

Looking back I am ashamed of myself for taking so much pleasure in much of the humour. They were really 'dirty old men' not like that 'dirty old man'for another reason in Steptoe.

The pity is that if any interest is out there a movie from the year before did have 'dirty young men' and who knows if it could have been followed up properly. It was the partially flower power psychedelic late 60s tale of a young man hoping to get close to a young woman. Starring Barry Evans and Judy Geeson. Barry and his mate ended the movie working on the Buses perhaps waiting for University place. It was only for a short period at the end of the tale but Barry and Christopher Timothy [Doctors recent and All creatures from a long time ago] were indeed late teen attractive characters who could have made this a believable series if only for a short time. With a comedic character actor like Michael Bates could inly do well.

The word lecherous does seem to sum it up to a degree and now it makes me think of those other unbelievable comedies with Frankie Howard in Pompeii or Terry Scott and Hugh Lloyd in the Gnomes of Dulwich. All with young ladies on display. I certainly enjoyed my own view of the young women [GNOMES] in mini skirts and the odd clippie at the time. BUt I never EVER saw one Mind you Harold Steptoe also tried to impress much younger ladies. Must have been par for the course then. Mind you there is little to better seeing a beautiful young woman.