The BEST Episodes of On the Buses
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Jul 13, 2020
Network: ITV
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.
#1 - The Used Combination
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired Jun 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.
8.75 
#2 - The Darts Match
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired Apr 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!
8.67 
#3 - Lost Property
Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired Nov 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...
8.50 
#4 - Cover Up
Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired Jan 24, 1971
Stan offers to re-cover Mum's upholstery but he can only get hold of the material used for bus seats.
8.44 
#5 - Christmas Duty
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired Dec 25, 1970
Stan and Jack are lumbered with Christmas Day duty in the Depot.
8.43 
#6 - The Allowance
Season 7 - Episode 11 - Aired May 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.
8.43 
#7 - The Strain
Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired Nov 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...
8.38 
#8 - The Prize
Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired Apr 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.
8.38 
#9 - The Best Man
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired Oct 3, 1971
The Inspector's niece is getting married. Much to Blakey's alarm, Stan is to be Best Man...
8.33 
#10 - Friends In High Places
Season 7 - Episode 12 - Aired May 13, 1973
When Mrs. Butler goes for a job at the depot's canteen, she is interviewed by an old boyfriend, Mr. Simpson who is one of the managers. After she gets the job, Jack and Olive try to use Mum's influence with Mr. Simpson to try and get one over on Blakey.
8.33 
#11 - Family Flu
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired May 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!
8.30 
#12 - First Aid
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired Jan 2, 1970
Stan fibs his way past the First Aid test but how will he cope with a real emergency?
8.27 
#13 - Foggy Night
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired Feb 27, 1970
Freezing fog forces Stan to pull off the road, with Mum, Arthur, Olive and Blakey on board...
8.27 
#14 - The Inspector's Niece
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired Jan 16, 1970
A new clippie hides a terrible secret - she's Blakey's niece!
8.25 
#15 - The Injury
Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired Feb 14, 1971
When Stan injures his foot, Jack is ready with plenty of good advice.
8.25 
#16 - On The Omnibuses
Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired Apr 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.
8.25 
#17 - The Cistern
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired Jan 9, 1970
Attempting to fix his noisy WC, Stan manages to put a spanner in the works...
8.23 
#18 - Union Trouble
Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired Mar 19, 1972
When the management sacks Elsie the canteen lady, Stan stages a one man hunger strike.
8.22 
#19 - Brew It Yourself
Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired Jan 23, 1970
Jack leads Stan astray when he convinces him to start home brewing beer.
8.18 
#20 - Busmen's Perks
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired Jan 30, 1970
Olive wants to redecorate her bedroom but the only paint to hand is Bus Green...
8.18 
#21 - The Ticket Machine
Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired Mar 11, 1973
Mum and Olive run up debts of fifty pounds when they buy things to sell on from a catalogue firm only for Olive to break them. When Blakey refuses to give him his bonus Stan warms to Jack's idea of using a stolen ticket machine to charge for fares that will not be recorded so they can pocket the profits. After Blakey has come to the house and almost sat on the machine Stan decides to confess about the machine but Blakey gives him his bonus.However he has found out about the ticket machine and makes Stan donate the money to the bus crews' charity organization.
8.17 
#22 - The Visit
Season 7 - Episode 9 - Aired Apr 22, 1973
Blakey invites his mum over to the Butler home now that he is living there. Mrs. Butler is none to happy.
8.17 
#23 - The 'L' Bus
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired Jan 1, 1971
Stan and Jack are placed in charge of the L.., or 'Learner' bus...
8.14 
#24 - The Lodger
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired Feb 7, 1971
Stan has a plan to help his family cope with inflation - he decides to take in a lodger.
8.14 
#25 - The Kids' Outing
Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired Jan 10, 1971
Much to his disgust, this year it is Stan's turn to drive the bus for the children's annual outing.
8.13