On the Buses

Name: On the Buses
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1969-02-28
Rating: 7.3
Cast: Reg Varney, Bob Grant, Stephen Lewis, Doris Hare, Anna Karen

ENDED7 Seasons74 Episodes★ 7.3

On the Buses is a comedy series on ITV1 that ran from 1969 to 1973, ending after 7 seasons and 74 episodes.

Never miss an episode of On the Buses

Get an email the moment a new episode airs — plus alerts if it's renewed or canceled.

NetworkITV1

First AiredFeb 28, 1969

Last AiredMay 20, 1973

GenreComedy

Runtime30 min

LanguageEnglish

CountryUnited Kingdom

ProductionLWT

On the Buses is a British comedy series created by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney, broadcast in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1973. The writers' previous successes with The Rag Trade and Meet the Wife were for the BBC, but the corporation rejected On the Buses, not seeing much comedy potential in a bus depot as a setting. The comedy partnership turned to a friend, Frank Muir, Head of Entertainment at London Weekend Television, who loved the idea; the show was accepted and despite a poor critical reception became a hit with viewers.

WHERE TO WATCH

Amazon VideoBUY

Some links may earn us a commission. Data via JustWatch / TMDB

Cast

Reg Varney

Stan Butler

Bob Grant

Jack Harper

Stephen Lewis

Inspector Cyril 'Blakey' Blake

Doris Hare

Mum

Anna Karen

Olive Rudge

Seasons & Episodes7 seasons · 74 episodes

0% complete

E1Olive's Divorce

Feb 2, 197330m

It's six months since Arthur walked out on her so Olive,armed with a list of grievances prepared by Mum and Stan,goes to court and is granted her divorce.With Mum going to stay with Aunt Maud Olive is very much the gooseberry as she accompanies Stan and his girl-friend Sandra to the pictures - to see a sexy film about a recently divorced woman - where Olive sits next to a groper. Stan gets Blakey to see Olive home whilst he goes to Sandra's for some rumpy-pumpy but Olive turns up to interrupt him as she has forgotten her house key.

E2The Perfect Clippie

Mar 4, 197330m

With money tight as ever in the Butler home Stan asks Blakey to employ Olive on the buses and eventually he relents. Olive's last excursion into being a conductress was a disaster but now she is completely in charge,super-efficient to the point of annoying, particularly as she has learnt the rule book off by heart and takes Stan to task for his rule-bending.It can't last..

E3The Ticket Machine

Mar 11, 197330m

Mum and Olive run up debts of fifty pounds when they buy things to sell on from a catalogue firm only for Olive to break them. When Blakey refuses to give him his bonus Stan warms to Jack's idea of using a stolen ticket machine to charge for fares that will not be recorded so they can pocket the profits. After Blakey has come to the house and almost sat on the machine Stan decides to confess about the machine but Blakey gives him his bonus.However he has found out about the ticket machine and makes Stan donate the money to the bus crews' charity organization.

E4The Poster

Mar 18, 197330m

A poster of a faceless driver appears at the depot. It is a plan to boost falling passenger figures and advertises a competition with a prize of a hundred pounds to be ... The perfect driver.Jack secretly enters Stan though the other finalists are hunky sportsmen and Stan's family take him to the chemist to buy him a rejuvenating face pack to give him a chance. Will he beat off the well-toned opposition to get his face - and - name on the poster? Of course he will.

E5The Football Match

Mar 25, 197330m

The bus crews are encouraged to form their own staff football team,to take on the Basildon Bashers. Jack and Stan are not enthusiastic but there is a five pound bonus on offer. The depot only has one star player,young Bob,and Stan injures him in training,so he asks Blakey if he can field a substitute - Olive. Blakey feels that women and football do not mix - until he sees the Basildon Bashers. They are an all-female team and they contrive by fair means and foul to give Stan's team a good pasting.

E6On The Omnibuses

Apr 1, 197330m

t's a hundred years since the Luxton Bus Company came into being and fifty years since they got their first motor bus. To celebrate the good old days Blakey organizes an exhibition and,after showing Mum and Olive around some of the museum pieces, Stan falls asleep at the wheel of a bus from the turn of the century,imagining his present-day family and colleagues in previous incarnations. Olive is a militant suffragette,Mum a washerwoman and Blakey is still Blakey,except his nickname is the Kaiser.

E7Goodbye Stan

Apr 8, 197330m

Stan decides he can make more money if he heads North and gets work in a car factory but,rather than hand in his resignation, he gets Blakey to sack him so that he can get a week's wages. He celebrates his last night at home and is unable to eat the fry-up his Mum has cooked him so he sticks it in his uniform pocket,a fact that Blakey discovers when he comes around to collect the uniform. However,as he has been evicted from his own lodgings,he takes Stan's room and becomes the Butlers' new lodger

E8Hot Water

Apr 15, 197330m

Jack and the inspector attempt to fix a water heater.

E9The Visit

Apr 22, 197330m

Blakey invites his mum over to the Butler home now that he is living there. Mrs. Butler is none to happy.

E10What The Stars Foretell

Apr 29, 197330m

The Stars make good reading for Mum and Olive. It says romance is in the air. Who will be the unlucky victims?

E11The Allowance

May 6, 197330m

There's a new clippie at the depot, the militant Jessie. Outraged that the female clippies have to pay to use the public conveniences, while the male staff don't, she lobbies the management for an allowance to cover the cost.

E12Friends In High Places

May 13, 197330m

When Mrs. Butler goes for a job at the depot's canteen, she is interviewed by an old boyfriend, Mr. Simpson who is one of the managers. After she gets the job, Jack and Olive try to use Mum's influence with Mr. Simpson to try and get one over on Blakey.

E13Gardening Time

May 20, 197330m

Blakey and Jack have entered into the depot flower and vegtable competition. The rivalry is fierce as they both try to create the best garden.

About On the Buses

On the Buses is a comedy series on ITV1. The show first aired on Feb 28, 1969 and currently has 7 seasons and 74 episodes. On the Buses has ended. It has a rating of 7.3/10 based on 32 votes. The cast includes Reg Varney, Bob Grant, Stephen Lewis, Doris Hare, Anna Karen.