On the Buses

Back in the early seventies, when I was a very small child, CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) ran On The Buses on Sundays in the late evening. During holidays (Christmas, the summer) I would be allowed to stay up and watch. I loved the show, even though most of the jokes went right over my head; there was, despite the jibes, a sense of family and community, and a complete lack of airs and graces (this was no Masterpiece Theatre presentation).

There was something warm and fuzzy about the show; it captured the ramshackle coziness of mid-twentieth century English working class life so often depicted on television, in the movies and literature (maybe more a folksy ideal than actual reality). And for Anglophiles, shows like On The Buses provided THE lexicon - Gordon Bennet, a good cuppa, blimey, a bit of how's your father. Many British comedies followed in Buses' footsteps - most notably Are You Being Served and Only Fools and Horses- and were better produced, better acted, and longer lived, but this was one of the first great iconic English working class comedies.

Before the arrival of VCRs I would often wish for another viewing of On The Buses, but it never came - first, there were waves of British TV programs washing up on North American shores, and so there was no looking back, then the flood of VHS, then DVD, releases made an actual TV run unnecessary. However, a specialty channel in Canada began televising the show again, and I was pleased to see that the magic is still there.

Go on, put the kettle on, and let's have a butcher's.

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

British working class sitcoms were in vogue in the late '60's and early '70's, such as 'Steptoe & Son', 'Till Death Us Do Part', and, of course, this. Incredibly, the B.B.C. turned 'On The Buses' down even though the writers had devised the highly popular 'The Rag Trade'. London Weekend Television profited by their mistake.

'On The Buses' boasted a terrific cast and ( for the most part ) very funny scripts. Viewers cheered as driver Stan Butler and conductor Jack Harper frequently got one over the pompous Inspector 'Blakey' Blake. All over the country, his catchphrase "I 'ate you, Butler" could be heard in workplaces and playgrounds. And as for the sexy 'clippies'...sorry, feminists, but they really did exist, I'm afraid.

My favourite characters were the dowdy Olive and her grumpy husband Arthur. Even when the punchlines could be seen coming a mile off, they were usually delivered with panache and immaculate comic timing. Three movies were made, none as funny as the original, and a stage version in Canada in the late '80's. Its impossible to explain the show's appeal to young people, but it struck a chord with millions of viewers, and should not be dismissed lightly.

A truly classic piece of totally un-pc British sit-com. Men approaching 50 'pulling the birds' (Especially Jack!) A genius comedy creation in 'Blakey' and summed up with the much missed Michael Robins' pained smile. Check out the TV series before watching any of the films as they do not do the programme justice.

This British comedy realistically portrays the lower-middle class existence. We have Stan, the bus driver, who is approaching middle-age, but still lives at home and helps support his Mum. Living in the same household is Stan's sister, Olive, and her husband, Arthur. Everybody lives together and pools their resources due to economic conditions. The home is a row house, and nothing fancy. This is much more realistic than many comedies of today, where minimum wage earners live in large Manhattan apartments, which only Bill Gates could afford to rent or own.

This is definitely one of my favourite television series of all time. There is not one person in the cast who doesn't belong. Each character brings a unique talent and comedic style which makes this series one of the greatest. Who can ever forget poor, homely Olive and all the ridicule she must endure from her layabout husband, Arthur, and brother, Stan. And then there's Inspector Blake, who must endure his bus driver, Stan, and conductor, Jack(Stan's best friend), who call Blake everything from Dracula to Hitler. Of course, Blake's contempt for his workers doesn't make their life any easier either. I must say that I love British comedies and truly feel that this one is one of the best. I see that videos of the three "On the Buses" movies are available now, as are many of the episodes and I strongly recommend them if you want an evening of wit and entertainment. A rare treat indeed.