On the Buses

A huge cult like following way back then. In the days when there was only three TV channels "on the buses" was a gimmie when up against "Songs with praise" and some 1940's movie on BBC 2. Despite it being over 30 years old the last time I saw it a couple of years back I still found it reasonably amusing , although very dated and obviously politically incorrect. If you love political incorrectness this is the stuff for you! Let's just add it all up.

The flirting and groping of mini skirted female staff, (who for what ever reason were labeled as 'clippy's), the endless helpings of cholesterol laden food in the form of chips, eggs, bacon, meat pies and sausages in the canteen. Smoking cigarettes, no female bus drivers, a west Indian employee called 'Chalky' .( I cringe when you think that people were still laughing at the gag "I hope your head get's better" to an Indian employee wearing a turban). Lastly, Butlers tormentor Inspector Blakey who they insulted all the time, whose image was obviously based on Adolf Hitler with his mustache. I tell you it does not get any better than this.

It's hard to imagine today a comedy series being made about bus conductors in general let alone two homely looking middle aged men flirting with young women. In addition the average age of the cast in this series was probably 45 you would never get that nowadays! Yet it has to be said that there have been a number of comedy duffers that have long since come and gone that in no way can stand up to this one.

Memorable episodes, well, Stans new uniform getting ruined, getting radios for the buses that interfered with the airlines, Stan getting drunk on his home brew and Jack and Stan trying to impress the birds with their snazzy new uniforms claiming they were airline pilots. It's a credit to the writers that it is still watchable today!

I can just imagine everyone sitting by the telly watching this first run then. Decades later, its amusing, but not a revelation. The characters are good, Reg Varney was a class comic actor and the supporting characters are fine. A few things do grate on you when you listen to more than 2 episodes at a time, namely Mum's piercing scream "Stan!" and the constant put downs about Olive. If memory serves, they tried to adapt this show for American television, a short lived series called "Lotsa Luck" starring Dom Deluise. I liked the show,but my context is not nostalgic, since they did not run this series in America. For many, this is revisiting an old friend. I especially liked that Bob Grant (Jack) and Stephen Lewis (Inspector Blake) co-wrote a number of the episodes, their episodes were some of the best later ones. So, in a nutshell, if you're watching for the first time, watch two episodes at a time and you'll enjoy it. For those who grew up with the show, add a grade or two from mine and enjoy watching the show again.

The misdemeanors and antics of driver Stan, and conductor Jack, who try to get away with blue murder, all under the watchful gaze of Inspector Blake.

I purposely avoided this show for one reason, its reputation, I don't think I know anyone who has a good word to say about it. It is of course typical 70's British humour, and of course you're expected to believe that Reg Varney and Bob Grant were sex symbols, but my honest opinion, is that this show was a riot.

When it hit its stride, it was comedy gold, brilliant and very, very funny, the highlight I thought was the outstanding Foggy night, such an original episode, it's brilliant, up there with the best.

Slapstick, innuendo, double entendres, it's humour that's as far away from what's deemed funny in this day and age, but there are many laughs throughout this series.

It does dip quite badly towards the end, I'm not sure it was ever the same when Michael Robbins left, it definitely lost some of its shine when Varney left, but the remaining cast did their best.

The movies are definitely worth your time as well.

Gone, but not forgotten.

8/10.

Looking for this show to come back around such fun love british comedy , whole family was a riot.

A real good old fashion bus movie. Much better than that bus movie speed