Buses on Screen: On The Buses (London Weekend TV comedy series, 1969-73)

Eastern National Bristol Lodekka FLF6LX/Eastern Coachworks were used. "The regular FLF6LXs were 2917 (AEV811F) and 2930 (AVW399F), with 2885 (WNO973F) and 2911 (WWC741F) also used - I do know that Brentwood depot drivers and Inspectors used to get paid as extras to be in the background, and I recall one inspector (George) saying he'd taken 2743 (EOO585) on more than one occasion."

(They could have washed this one BEFORE applying the fleetname!)

2917 (AEV811F) in action:

...and in the aftermath of another exchange between driver Reg and Inspector Blakey....

Outside the depot......

Studio mock-ups was also used: "YDU265D (fleet no 2552) was a mock-up of the front of a Bristol FLF built by Eastern National using parts supplied by Eastern Coach Works."

(all the above text from Chris Stewart - the screen captures are mine)

Bob Palmer notes "the fleet number plates (2552) made up by Eastern National for the studio mock-up FLF still exist!".

Incidentally, in 1973-4 there was an American spin-off show on NBC, called 'Lotsa Luck', starring Dom deLuise as Stanley, the custodian of the New York City bus company's lost and found department.

Ian Hardie notes several mocked up 'buses' were used, listing:
Fleet number WG2551 (FPJ876C), WG2552 (YDU265D), WG2560 (JOK639E), and for interior scenes WG2652.

Individual episodes:

(The following is compiled from observations by Ian Hardie, Bob Wingrove and myself)

Season 1

Episode 1: The Early Shift
2917 (AEV811F) displaying '11 Bus depot' and 2552 (YDU265D) showing 11

Episode 2: The New Conductor

2917 displaying '11 Cemetery Gates' and 2552

Episode 5: The New Inspector
Opening credits 2917 displaying '11 Cemetery Gates' later on route 9 and route 15

Season 2

Episode 1: Family Flu
2917

Episode 2: The Used Combination
2885 (WNO973F) displaying '11 Cemetery Gates' and 2552

Episode 3: Self Defence
2885 displaying '11 Cemetery Gates' and 2552

Episode 4: Aunt Maud
2902 (WVX329F) displaying route 31

Episode 5: Late Again
2917

Episode 6: Bon Voyage
2552, 2917 displaying '11 Cemetery Gates'. Frames of London Bedford VAS/Plaxton 144 (MRO147D) is used to take Stan and Co. away on holiday.

Season 3

Episode 2: The Cistern
2930 (AVW399F) displaying route 11

Episode 7: Mum's Last Fling
2930 displaying '11 Cemetery Gates'

Episode 8: Radio Control
2930 displaying '11 Cemetery Gates'. On the return journey it displays '11 Service' then it gets stuck under a low bridge, at which time it's showing '11 Cemetery Gates'.

Episode 9: Foggy Night
2930 displaying '14 Gibbet Hill' - the interior scenes are filmed on a mock up with fleet number 2652.

Episode 10: The New Uniforms
2930

Episode 12: The Squeeze
2930

Episode 13: On The Make
2930 displaying route 14

Season 4

Episode 1: Nowhere To Go
2930 displaying route 11 2552 displaying '11 Bus Depot'

Episode 4: The Other Woman
2930 displaying 'Brainsbury'

Episode 5: Christmas Duty
2552 displaying route 11:

This episode was made in black and white, due to a colour technicians' strike. Chris Brown notes "a black and white episode which has Stan and Jack having to work at Christmas. Olive drives the motor bike to collect them and crashes into a vehicle parked in the garage. This may have been filmed at Prittlewell, but whilst Stan and Jack are waiting for their lift, through the open garage door is seen one of the Bristol Lodekka coaches. There is no sign of the regulars, 2917/2930.
I visited Wood Green during 1968/9 (it was when farebox MBS were operating at Wood Green so perhaps I am wrong on dates) and a Luxton and District Bristol FLF was in the Eastern National garage, and it was in use for sound recording, being driven around the area with the bottom of the stairs lifted and a microphone held by the gearbox. So 2917/2930 may have been the stars, but the noises heard were possibly from another one, as neither number appears in the list I made at the time. It is unlikely that fleetnames would have been applied if the vehicle was not to appear in any filming, but it definitely was not 2917 as I remember feeling disappointed at the time at not seeing it."

Episode 6: The 'L' Bus
2930 fitted with driver training boards, and 2552 displaying route 11

Episode 7: The Kids Outing
2930 displaying 'Private'

Episode 8: The Anniversary
2930

Season 5

Episode 6: The Busmens' Ball
2930

Episode 8: The New Nurse
2917 displaying '11 Cemetery Gates' is leaving the depot; Stan brakes hard as a unidentified London Transport AEC Routemaster passes, causing Blakey to fall down the stairs and land on his tub of yogurt. The bus is driven back into the depot so the mess can be cleared up, and at this point it becomes 2930.

Episode 9: Lost Property
2917 displaying '11 Bus Depot' enters the depot past two unidentified Bristol Lodekka FLFs with Eastern National fleetnames.

Episode 10: Stan's Uniform
2930

Episode 11: The Strain
2917 displaying '11 Bus Depot' enters the depot past two unidentified Bristol Lodekka FLFs with Eastern National fleetnames. Is
this the same footage as episode 9?

Episode 15: Boxing Day Social
2917 displaying '11 Out of Service'

Season 6
Episode 1: No Smoke Without Fire
David Ballantyne reports the burning of ex-London Transport Leyland PD2 RTL1557 (OLD666) - Steve Floyd notes "RTL 1557 (OLD666) was reported as being burnt. The episode closed with Stan taking out '666' because there was no other bus available - after having been trained on fire extinguishers - but a fire started on the bus (whether accidentally or not I can't remember).

Their efforts to put the fire out were unsuccessful and Jack dropped the fire extinguisher out the back of the bus as it travelled along a country lane. Stan drove into a field, as smoke billowed out the back of the bus:

Blakey is rescued from the top deck by being assisted out the emergency window. There were several aerial shots showing the fire taking hold, and the resultant destruction - the last shot showed the upper deck completely gutted. I was surprised that the bus was completely destroyed - presumably it was bought for that purpose. But Stan's job was saved because Luxton and District got more than the bus was worth on the insurance!"

Episode 3: Private Hire
2917 appears out of service with 'On Test' on the radiator and 'Not to be Used' in the windscreen:

No fleetnumber visible on a Bristol Lodekka FLF with fake registration AUL722F.

The radiator in the shot above belongs to Eastern National 9414 (YTW538F), a rare Bristol RESH/Duple Commander IV coach which here carries Luxton and District fleetnames:

Episode 4: Stan's Worst Day
2917

Episode 5: Union Trouble
2917 parked in the garage displaying '11 Cemetery Gates'

Episode 6: Bye Bye Blakey
2922 (AEV816F) displaying route 11

Episode 7: The Prize
2917 and 2816 (HEV994B), destination Woodham Road, 1622 (EOO950) and an unidentified Bristol MW/Eastern Coachworks

Season 7
Episode 1: Olive's Divorce
2916 (WWC746F) in the background of the garage scene; two Plaxton-bodied coaches are seen, possibly from Grey-Green?

End credits: 2917 displaying '14 Kings Croft Drive'

Episode 2: The Perfect Clippie
2917 displaying '11 Cemetery Gates' then '11 Market Place'
Mock ups 2552 (YDU265D) 2551 (FPJ876C) displaying route 10, 2560(JOK639E), also an unidentified Bristol MW/Eastern Coachworks:

Out on the road there are external views of 2917 and extended interior views, possibly of the same bus:

End credits: 2917 displaying '14 Kings Croft Drive'

Episode 3: The Ticket Machine
Mock up 2551 displaying route 10, also an unidentified Bristol MW/Eastern Coachworks.
End credits: 2917 displaying '14 Kings Croft Drive'

Episode 4 : The Poster
Mock up 2551 displaying route 10, and an unidentified Bristol MW/Eastern Coachworks.
London Country AN24 (JPL124K), a Leyland Atlantean AN68/Park Royal, displaying '11 Cemetery Gates via Depot Long Lane Gasworks' crashes into a front garden. It's in London Country green and yellow livery with Luxton and District fleetnames.

Episode 5: The Football Match
Mock ups 2551 (displaying route 10) and 2560

Episode 6: On the Omnibuses
London General AEC S-type double decker S454 (XL8962), built in 1922, with Luxton and District fleetnames displaying '12 New Cemetery Gates' (excellent footage, by the way)

London Country AN24 (JPL124K) in green and yellow livery with Luxton and District fleetnames.

An unidentified Bristol Lodekka FLF with National Bus Company flying N's logos and Luxton and District fleetnames.

A horse bus in green and yellow livery with Luxton and District fleetnames:

End credits have black and white pictures of horse buses, London General omnibuses and trams; identified are London General B-type LN4748 on route 85 and tram 1545.

Episode 7: Goodbye Stan
Mock ups 2552 (YDU265D) 2551 (FPJ876C) displaying route 10.
End credits: 2917 displaying '14 Kings Croft Drive'

Episode 11: The Allowance
One unidentified Bristol Lodekka FLF with National Bus Company logos and Luxton and District fleetnames, 2916 (WWC746F) National Bus Company logos and Luxton and District fleetnames on route 11, mock up 2551 displaying route 10.
End credits: 2917 displaying '14 Kings Croft Drive'

Episode 12: Friends in High Places
End credits: 2917 displaying '14 Kings Croft Drive'

Episode 13: Gardening Time
Mock ups 2551 displaying route 10 and 2560; also two unidentified London Transport RTs and 2917 with National Bus Company logos and Luxton and District fleetnames on route 11 are seen in the street scenes. End credits: 2917 displaying '14 Kings Croft Drive'

Buses on Screen > Television > Television O > On The Buses (London Weekend TV comedy series, 1969-73)