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.
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The peak run. Top 40% of seasons by average rating — consecutive, with an average of 7.67.
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Reg Varney
Stan Butler
Bob Grant
Jack Harper
Stephen Lewis
Inspector Cyril 'Blakey' Blake
Doris Hare
Mum
Anna Karen
Olive Rudge
All 16 episodes plotted by IMDb rating
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7 episodes • 1969Avg: 6.8Valley of Despair
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Early Shift | Feb 28, 1969 | 5.5 |
| 2 | The New Conductor | Mar 7, 1969 | 7.0 |
| 3 | Olive Takes a Trip (aka Olive's First Day) | Mar 14, 1969 | 7.0 |
| 4 | Bus Driver's Stomach | Mar 21, 1969 | 7.0 |
| 5 | The New Inspector | Mar 28, 1969 | 7.0 |
| 6 | The Canteen | Apr 4, 1969 | 7.0 |
| 7 | The Darts Match | Apr 11, 1969 | 7.0 |
6 episodes • 1969Avg: 7.7Golden Era
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Flu | May 31, 1969 | 8.0 |
| 2 | The Used Combination | Jun 7, 1969 | 8.0 |
| 3 | Self Defence | Jun 14, 1969 | 7.0 |
| 4 | Aunt Maud | Jun 21, 1969 | 8.0 |
| 5 | Late Again | Jun 28, 1969 | 7.0 |
| 6 | Bon Voyage | Jul 5, 1969 | 8.0 |
13 episodes • 1970
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Aid | Jan 2, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 2 | The Cistern | Jan 9, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 3 | The Inspector's Niece | Jan 16, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Brew It Yourself | Jan 23, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Busman's Perks | Jan 30, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 6 | The Snake | Feb 6, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 7 | Mum's Last Fling | Feb 13, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Radio Control | Feb 20, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Foggy Night | Feb 27, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 10 | The New Uniforms | Mar 6, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Going Steady | Mar 13, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 12 | The Squeeze | Mar 20, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 13 | On the Make | Mar 27, 1970 | 0.0 |
13 episodes • 1970
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nowhere to Go | Nov 27, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 2 | The Canteen Girl | Dec 4, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 3 | Dangerous Driving | Dec 11, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 4 | The Other Woman | Dec 18, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Christmas Duty | Dec 25, 1970 | 0.0 |
| 6 | The 'L' Bus | Jan 1, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 7 | The Kids' Outing | Jan 10, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 8 | The Anniversary | Jan 17, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 9 | The Cover Up | Jan 24, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Safety First | Jan 31, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 11 | The Lodger | Feb 7, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 12 | The Injury | Feb 14, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Not Tonight | Feb 21, 1971 | 0.0 |
15 episodes • 1971
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Nursery | Sep 19, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 2 | Stan's Room | Sep 26, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 3 | The Best Man | Oct 3, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 4 | The Inspector's Pets | Oct 10, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 5 | The Epidemic | Oct 17, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 6 | The Busmen's Ball | Oct 24, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 7 | Canteen Trouble | Oct 31, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 8 | The New Nurse | Nov 7, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Lost Property | Nov 14, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Stan's Uniform | Nov 21, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 11 | The Strain | Nov 28, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 12 | The New Telly | Dec 5, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Vacancy for Inspector | Dec 12, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 14 | A Thin Time | Dec 19, 1971 | 0.0 |
| 15 | Boxing Day Social | Dec 26, 1971 | 0.0 |
7 episodes • 1972
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No Smoke Without Fire | Feb 20, 1972 | 0.0 |
| 2 | Love Is What You Make It | Feb 27, 1972 | 0.0 |
| 3 | Private Hire | Mar 5, 1972 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Stan's Worst Day | Mar 12, 1972 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Union Trouble | Mar 19, 1972 | 0.0 |
| 6 | Bye Bye Blakey | Mar 26, 1972 | 0.0 |
| 7 | The Prize | Apr 2, 1972 | 0.0 |
13 episodes • 1973Avg: 7.0
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olive's Divorce | Feb 2, 1973 | 0.0 |
| 2 | The Perfect Clippie | Mar 4, 1973 | 0.0 |
| 3 | The Ticket Machine | Mar 11, 1973 | 0.0 |
| 4 | The Poster | Mar 18, 1973 | 0.0 |
| 5 | The Football Match | Mar 25, 1973 | 0.0 |
| 6 | On The Omnibuses | Apr 1, 1973 | 0.0 |
| 7 | Goodbye Stan | Apr 8, 1973 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Hot Water | Apr 15, 1973 | 0.0 |
| 9 | The Visit | Apr 22, 1973 | 0.0 |
| 10 | What The Stars Foretell | Apr 29, 1973 | 0.0 |
| 11 | The Allowance | May 6, 1973 | 7.0 |
| 12 | Friends In High Places | May 13, 1973 | 7.0 |
| 13 | Gardening Time | May 20, 1973 | 7.0 |
