Get that bus out! - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. 6 September 2011 . Retrieved 1 June 2018.

The theme music for the series, entitled "Happy Harry", was written by Tony Russell. [3] Featured buses [ edit ] The first five series (of the seven) are pretty flawless, where the writers, Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney, effortlessly appeared to write brilliantly conceived situations, which in turn created many wonderfully memorable comedy moments. Incidents involving attempting to date clippies became a consistent theme for Stan, alongside many a domestic drama, involving a motor bike, a toilet, some do it yourself decorating, to name just a few. The humour is always very immediate, and laughs are plentiful. Wolfe and Chesney displayed a wonderfully light touch to their writing, where, whatever the circumstance, the show always maintained that wonderful feelgood factor. It was never really crude, or overtly sexual, unlike today. There was always a warmth, and a homeliness, whatever the situation. If anything, series three to five, shows the show at its absolute peak, which was around the time that Blakey's comedy credentials began to be utilised more fully. In many ways as Blakey actor Stephen Lewis grew into his part, and he became known for his many catchphrases ('i 'ate you Butler' being perhaps the most popular) and pained facial expressions, so he became the catalyst for so much of the show's greatest moments.The show's quirky humor and unforgettable characters have stood the test of time. Reg Varney as Stan Butler, Stephen Lewis as Inspector Blake, and the rest of the cast deliver top-notch performances that will have you in stitches from start to finish. The witty banter and clever writing make "On The Buses" a true gem of British television history. Madeleine Mills and Sandra Miller as the inspector's niece. She was played twice by Mills and twice by Miller. In her first two appearances, she and Stan are in a relationship; in the second they are engaged, but split up after a tea party at Stan's house. In her third appearance she married Bill, a bus driver at the depot. She also appeared in the episode "The New Nurse". Hop on board with comedy legends Reg Varney, Doris Hare, Michael Robbins, Anna Karen, Bob Grant and Stephen Lewis in all three films, presented on Blu-ray for the very first time worldwide. Having the complete series on DVD is a treasure trove of laughter. The box set contains all the episodes and specials, allowing me to binge-watch the entire series at my leisure. It's a wonderful way to unwind and escape into a world of humor and amusement. I always find the domestic scenes in the Butler household to be the funniest, with many of the family disputes taking place around the kitchen table at breakfast or dinner time - no wonder I'm always so damn hungry after each episode! As you would expect from a long running series (seven series, 74 episodes) you do get the odd weak episode now & then. For me, the first series feels essentially like a 'feet-finding' exercise before the series really gets into it's stride. The later departure from the series of Reg Varney & Michael Robbins was a blow, offset to a certain extent by Blakey taking up lodgings at the Butler household. Only the weaker episodes prevent me from awarding 5 stars. 9/10.

The films were set in a different canon to the series – in the films, Arthur and Olive manage to have a child despite their apparently sexless marriage and Arthur's 'operation' – the exact nature of which was never explicitly revealed. Arthur's operation is mentioned in the first film, but later Olive gives birth to their baby son. The three films follow a loose story arc which shows their son (Little Arthur) growing up. Olive is pregnant with a second child at the end of Mutiny, but no mention of this was made in the third film, Holiday, set mainly in a holiday camp. The bus depot becomes that of The Town & District Bus Company instead of The Luxton & District Traction Company. The buses in the films are mostly red ones, with one green one (not including the Windsor Safari Park tour bus in Mutiny On The Buses).

On The Buses

Reg Varney reaches the end of the line David Stubbs, The Guardian 17 November 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2014. This DVD release also includes a number of extras, including a couple of Reg Varney variety shows, and also the opening episode to the follow up series 'Don't Drink The Water' (starring Stephen Lewis' character Blakey), all of which perhaps have fairly limited appeal. It seems a pretty true statement to say that it's widely considered that the BBC has been primarily the broadcaster who has produced the much greater share of sitcom classics. Their interpretation of comedy often seemed that little more sophisticated, and perhaps more eloquently written, than their nearest rivals, ITV, yet there are occasional exceptions. LWTs 'On The Buses' isn't especially sophisticated, true, and it's fair to say the politically correct brigade may find a few things to disapprove of in terms of social attitude on show here, yet when the show was at its peak, it seriously took some beating, such was the effectiveness of its humour. Everything seemed to fit into place most perfectly, not forgetting also the most wonderful casting.

a b The Guinness Book of Classic British TV, by Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping, second edition. Guinness Publishing Ltd., 1996 (p.66). Anna Karen as Olive Rudge, Stan's sister. Olive is always being criticised by her husband Arthur, even though she helps her mum with household jobs and frequently helps Stan with the decorating. Olive has twice been a clippie at the bus depot, both times being unsuccessful. She is always wanting "an early night" with Arthur, much to his displeasure. NEW Audio Commentary by television historian Henry Holland and Aaron Brown of British Comedy Guide (2023)Walker, Craig (2009). On the Buses: The Complete Story. Apex Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-906358-69-3. Of course every time Blakey (Lewis) opens his mouth it is pure gold. Far and away the character that makes this show for me. Additionally the characters of Arthur (Michael Robbins) and Olive (Anna Karen). Olive is funny straight away in the first episode and the interaction between the two gets better the longer the show is on. Arthur's obvious contempt for his wife who clearly adores him is simply well played and always funny. Network Distributing Ltd Film TV Home Entertainment". Archived from the original on 31 July 2019 . Retrieved 31 July 2019. In addition, two five-minute Christmas specials were made by LWT as part of an All Star Comedy Carnival in 1969 and 1972, ITV's answer to the BBC's Christmas Night with the Stars programme. The 1969 edition has been lost, but the 1972 edition – featuring a goose that the cast are chasing for Christmas dinner – exists in the Thames Television archive, which is now owned by FremantleMedia.

Despite the popularity of On the Buses with sections of the public, TV reviewers and historians have generally held the show in lower regard. [7] In its section on situation comedies, The Guinness Book of Classic British TV describes On the Buses as ITV's "longest running and most self-consciously unfunny series". [7] TV reviewer Victor Lewis-Smith later criticised the then head of London Weekend Television, Frank Muir, for green-lighting the programme, which Lewis-Smith called "the wretched On the Buses". [8] The Daily Telegraph journalist Max Davidson, discussing 1970s British comedy, listed On the Buses as one of the "unfunny sitcoms of the time", [9] while The Guardian 's David Stubbs referred to On the Buses as "a byword for 70s sitcom mediocrity". [10] The original series was repeated on Granada Plus in 1996 and until the channel closed in 2004, and was later repeated on UK Gold and then from 2004 onward on ITV3, where it was still seen as of November 2023. [5] Fox Classics on the Australian Fox cable network and New Zealand's Jones channel on Sky regularly show the series. As of August 2018, the series is broadcast by Dutch 'oldies' cable channel ONS. [ needs update] Home media [ edit ] Region 1 [ edit ] A total of 74 episodes of On the Buses were broadcast over seven series. Three spin-off films were also released.

The three spin-off films were produced by Hammer Film Productions. They are On the Buses (1971), Mutiny on the Buses (1972), and Holiday on the Buses (1973), set in a holiday camp. On the Buses became Britain's top box office film of 1971. In the first episode of series 6, former London Transport bus Leyland Titan PD2 RTL1557 (OLD666) is featured and burnt out. Stan's usual buses, AVW399F and AEV811F, are both still extant; one is in Lille, France, the other in Los Angeles, California. [4] Walker, Craig (2012). The On The Buses Quiz Book. Andrews UK Limited. p.267. ISBN 978-1-909143-11-1.