On the Buses
Seen it?1969 | 7 seasons | 30 min | Comedy
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It's still drawing plenty of interest. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh. If you loved Superstore or The IT Crowd, start here.
- The mood
- Light and funny.
- The pace
- 7 seasons, but most episodes stand on their own, so you can dip in anywhere (about 30 minutes each).
- What might put you off
- Made in 1969: an older pace and style.
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Ran for 7 seasons and reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 127K people sought it out in the past year
Season by season
The show overall is a Sunday Safe Bet. Here's how each season stacks up; Series 2 is the high point.
Series 11969 · 7 episodes · 6.8 out of 10Weeknight
Series 21969 · 6 episodes · 7.7 out of 10Saturday- Series 31970 · 13 episodesNot rated yet
- Series 41970 · 13 episodesNot rated yet
- Series 51971 · 15 episodesNot rated yet
- Series 61972 · 7 episodesNot rated yet
- Series 71973 · 13 episodes · 7.0 out of 10Sunday
Trailer
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Cast & crew
- Reg VarneyStan Butler
- Bob GrantJack Harper
- Stephen LewisInspector Cyril 'Blakey' Blake
- Doris HareMum
- Anna KarenOlive Rudge