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On The Buses

On the Buses – 1969-1973
Creators
Ronald Chesney, Ronald Wolfe
Stars
Anna Karen
Bob Grant
Stephen Lewis
Reg Varney
Cicely Courtneidge
Doris Hare
Michael Robbins

Review Graham Watson

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!

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70’s Televison

What an amazing piece of kit our telly was. Can you imagine having to change channel by turning a knob to tune in BBC2 and forever getting up to realign the aerial and contrast, and the only way to stop the picture from rolling was to give the set a good thump? Do you remember that we only have three channels to watch? Thinking about it, the conversation was better at school next day as everyone seemed to be watching the same thing unlike nowadays where we have too much choice. Aye, the quality of programmes seem to have dwindled when you think back to what we had in our days.

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