Lance Longthorne, portrayed by Mark Gatiss, appears once in both the first and recurs throughout the third series of The League of Gentlemen, as well as The League of Gentlemen Are Behind You! Lance is the sadistic owner of the Joke Shop who only has one arm and, although making one appearance over the course of the first two series, is given a central role in a third series episode involving him gaining a donor arm in which he gains redemption, and becomes integral to the road accident story arc. The events of the third series play no part in his on-stage appearance.