The BEST episodes of On the Buses

Every episode of On the Buses ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of On the Buses!

Running from 1969 to 1973, with three spin-off movies, 'On the Buses' was made by London Weekend Television. Stan Butler lives at home with his overbearing mother, his frumpy sister Olive and his lazy brother in law Arthur. Stan works as a bus driver for the Luxton & District Bus Company, with his conductor Jack. The bane of their lives Inspector 'Blakey' Blake who often checks up on them and threatens them with the sack for lateness and untidiness.

Last Updated: 11/20/2024Network: ITV1Status: Ended
The Inspector's Niece
star
8.13
16 votes

#1 - The Inspector's Niece

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/16/1970

A new clippie hides a terrible secret - she's Blakey's niece!

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Foggy Night
star
8.05
20 votes

#2 - Foggy Night

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 2/27/1970

Freezing fog forces Stan to pull off the road, with Mum, Arthur, Olive and Blakey on board...

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Brew It Yourself
star
8.00
16 votes

#3 - Brew It Yourself

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/23/1970

Jack leads Stan astray when he convinces him to start home brewing beer.

Directors: Stuart Allen
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The Darts Match
star
8.00
20 votes

#4 - The Darts Match

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/11/1969

Stan and Jack are challenged to a darts match by two clippies, Iris and Jenny. Stan feels he's a bit out of practice and so spends all his spare time practicing his darts playing. When he drops one of his darts in Olive's stew, he has to use a new set which he is not used to. His darts playing has the added problem of Iris' flirting during the match!

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The Best Man
star
7.92
12 votes

#5 - The Best Man

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/3/1971

The Inspector's niece is getting married. Much to Blakey's alarm, Stan is to be Best Man...

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Lost Property
star
7.92
12 votes

#6 - Lost Property

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/14/1971

Stan and Jack find some fish and chips on their bus and, to cut a long story short, eat them. Then a woman comes into the depot to report the loss to Blakey...

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The Anniversary
star
7.91
11 votes

#7 - The Anniversary

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/17/1971

Stan and his family are celebrating Olive and Arthur's 10th wedding Anniversary.

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The Allowance
star
7.89
9 votes

#8 - The Allowance

Season 7 - Episode 11 - Aired 5/6/1973

There's a new clippie at the depot, the militant Jessie. Outraged that the female clippies have to pay to use the public conveniences, while the male staff don't, she lobbies the management for an allowance to cover the cost.

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The Used Combination
star
7.88
17 votes

#9 - The Used Combination

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/7/1969

Arthur's motorcycle and side car are in desperate need of repairs. Stan says that he can get the spare parts from the bus depot, if he can sneak them out past anyone in particular who might be watching.

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The New Uniforms
star
7.88
17 votes

#10 - The New Uniforms

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/6/1970

Stan and Jack try the new uniforms out but they have an unforeseen effect on the opposite sex.

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Family Flu
star
7.84
19 votes

#11 - Family Flu

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/31/1969

Mum and Olive are in bed with the flu and it is not long before Arthur joins then. Stan is rushed off his feet looking after them and doing his shifts at the depot. To recover, the family go to stay with Aunt Maud. Stan and Jack plan a party in their absence, if Stan can stay fit!

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The Cistern
star
7.83
18 votes

#12 - The Cistern

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/9/1970

Attempting to fix his noisy WC, Stan manages to put a spanner in the works...

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Self Defence
star
7.82
17 votes

#13 - Self Defence

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/14/1969

After a number of assaults on bus staff, the management introduce judo lessons. Enter Blakey as the judo instructor!

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The Strain
star
7.82
11 votes

#14 - The Strain

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/28/1971

Stan tries to prove his strength by picking up his girlfriend with one hand. In doing so, he strains his back and has to wear a surgical corset...

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Union Trouble
star
7.82
11 votes

#15 - Union Trouble

Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/19/1972

When the management sacks Elsie the canteen lady, Stan stages a one man hunger strike.

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On The Omnibuses
star
7.82
11 votes

#16 - On The Omnibuses

Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/1/1973

t's a hundred years since the Luxton Bus Company came into being and fifty years since they got their first motor bus. To celebrate the good old days Blakey organizes an exhibition and,after showing Mum and Olive around some of the museum pieces, Stan falls asleep at the wheel of a bus from the turn of the century,imagining his present-day family and colleagues in previous incarnations. Olive is a militant suffragette,Mum a washerwoman and Blakey is still Blakey,except his nickname is the Kaiser.

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Gardening Time
star
7.82
11 votes

#17 - Gardening Time

Season 7 - Episode 13 - Aired 5/20/1973

Blakey and Jack have entered into the depot flower and vegtable competition. The rivalry is fierce as they both try to create the best garden.

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Mum's Last Fling
star
7.80
15 votes

#18 - Mum's Last Fling

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/13/1970

When Mum uses kiss-proof lipstick and stays out untill 1.30am, everyone suspects the worst.

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The Injury
star
7.77
13 votes

#19 - The Injury

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/14/1971

When Stan injures his foot, Jack is ready with plenty of good advice.

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The Prize
star
7.77
13 votes

#20 - The Prize

Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/2/1972

When the raffle ticket that Stan buys for Mum wins second prize of a holiday for two in Spain, the family are extra nice to her, in an effort to be the one picked to go on holiday with her.

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The Other Woman
star
7.75
16 votes

#21 - The Other Woman

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/18/1970

Arthur is thrown out of the house by Olive when she discovers he fancies one of the clippies.

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The Football Match
star
7.75
12 votes

#22 - The Football Match

Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/25/1973

The bus crews are encouraged to form their own staff football team,to take on the Basildon Bashers. Jack and Stan are not enthusiastic but there is a five pound bonus on offer. The depot only has one star player,young Bob,and Stan injures him in training,so he asks Blakey if he can field a substitute - Olive. Blakey feels that women and football do not mix - until he sees the Basildon Bashers. They are an all-female team and they contrive by fair means and foul to give Stan's team a good pasting.

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The Perfect Clippie
star
7.75
12 votes

#23 - The Perfect Clippie

Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/4/1973

With money tight as ever in the Butler home Stan asks Blakey to employ Olive on the buses and eventually he relents. Olive's last excursion into being a conductress was a disaster but now she is completely in charge,super-efficient to the point of annoying, particularly as she has learnt the rule book off by heart and takes Stan to task for his rule-bending.It can't last..

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Olive Takes a Trip (aka Olive's First Day)
star
7.74
23 votes

#24 - Olive Takes a Trip (aka Olive's First Day)

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/14/1969

To help with the family income, Olive gets a job as a clippie. She gets put on Stan's bus, against his wishes. The trouble is Olive does not travel well!

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First Aid
star
7.73
15 votes

#25 - First Aid

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/2/1970

Stan fibs his way past the First Aid test but how will he cope with a real emergency?

Directors: Stuart Allen
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