Accidental Aesop: An episode where the bus depot officially bans smoking, leading to a bet between Stan, Jack and Arthur, appears to convey the message that it is in fact wrong to give up smoking.
Critical Dissonance: The show was absolutely loathed by critics during its initial run, and even to this day is cited by British TV historians as one of the weakest British sitcoms. This didn't stop it from being a ratings success, inspiring three spinoff films, and retaining a considerable fanbase up to the present day.
Crosses the Line Twice: The show itself, particularly the recurring 'misuse, theft or otherwise exploitation of depot supplies for personal use' plot frequently crosses the line. However, the show manages to top itself in the series two finale, when in order to film a scene of Butler and Harper sunbathing in a cemetery, the production staff actually went out to a real graveyard, with Reg Varney and Bob Grant wearing nothing but shoes and trunks the size of their pants. And had them lie on the ground for as long as it took to execute that scene.
Designated Hero: Perhaps the most accurate description of Stan Butler and Jack Harper. Despite the show being structured to depict them as in the right, the plot of at least three episodes centres around the two of them stealing depot supplies for personal use. Another episode closes with them openly discussing drugging female clippies unusually strong homebrewed beer in order to have sex with them. They even go so far as to sunbathe in a cemetery.
Designated Villain: Blake is probably the most upright, moral and respectable individual in the franchise. The show is structured to depict him as the villain. For the most part all he's trying to do is get Stan and Jack to actually do their jobs. He was the only member of the main trio who didn't go to the Middle Eastern party just to stare at the half naked belly dancer. And he is depicted as the main antagonist of the first film, just because he wants to allow women to have the opportunity to drive buses.
Older Than They Think: Fans of Boardwalk Empire will be surprised to learn that this show originally had a black character named Chalky. It also predates Jim Davidson's infamous comedy character Chalky White.note Anyone in the British armed forces with the surname "White" inevitably got the nickname "Chalky". Men who had been through the British forces in World War II and the conscription years afterwards would know instantly where it came from; those who went on to write comedy would have seen the humour of applying it to a black man called "White"
Doreen from "Late Again" and Wendy from "The Other Woman" are played by Kate Williams, who would later be best known for playing Joan Booth in Love Thy Neighbour.
A busman from "Boxing Day Social" is played by Kenneth Waller, who would later be best known for playing Old Mr. Grace in Are You Being Served? and Grandad in Bread.
Edna from "Christmas Duty" is played by Linda Regan, who would later be best known for playing April Wingate in Hi-de-Hi!.
Ingrid from "The New Uniforms" is played by Yutte Stensgaard, who would later be best known for playing Carmilla Karnstein in Lust for a Vampire.
Sequelitis: Though it was one of the more divisive sitcoms of the 1970s, there's no denying that it has a considerable fanbase to this day, spawning not one but three movies. The same can't be said of its ill-conceived and ill-received spinoff, Don't Drink the Water.
They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character: In The Allowance, we're introduced to a new clippie named Jessie who is a feminist version of Jack. She could have been an interesting foil for him, or Olive who she strikes up a friendship with, but isn't seen again and the series ended two episodes later.
Unintentional Period Piece: The series could only have been made before the early 1980s when all buses in Britain had conductors — "clippies" — as well as drivers.
The series is often seen as an example of the sort of sexism going on at the time, after the sexual revolution of the 1960s but before the rise of feminism. In particular this can be seen in the derision of Olive for being unattractive, and the fact that the two main middle aged male characters are somehow seen as sexually desirable by younger women.
The most prominent recurring non-white character is a black man known only by the nickname "Chalky".
The show was mentioned in a piece in The Daily Telegraph about '70s sitcoms:
Five decades on, the officious Inspector Blakey now looks like the hero of On the Buses — a lone public servant battling a pair of uniformed perverts and their hideous families.[1]
YMMV for the 1971 film:
Hilarious in Hindsight: The casting of Pat Coombs as Vera, one of the new female bus drivers hired by Blakey, becomes a lot funnier once she was cast as Blakey's sister in On the Buses' short-lived Spin-Off, Don't Drink the Water.
Padding: The movie reuses plot points and jokes from the show, like Olive getting a job in the depot canteen and having trouble with the kitchen, or Stan needing to do his laundry on his route and accidentally taking a woman's bag, in order to reach eighty minutes. Neither really adds much to either plot of the movie.
The pretty girl on the bus who Jack leers at during the opening credits is played by Linda Regan, who would later be best known for playing April Wingate in Hi-de-Hi!.
The housewife who accuses Blakey of stealing her knickers is played by Wendy Richard, who would later be best known for playing Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served? and Pauline Fowler in EastEnders.
Katy (the girl whose knickers Stan and Jack leer at while she stands on the bus) is played by Moira Foot, who would later be best known for playing Denise Laroque in 'Allo 'Allo!.
Signature Scene: Stan's skid test, ending with Blakey being thrown off the bus and skidding across the tarmac. It's prominently used in the trailers too, showing that the film makers had confidence in it going over well with audiences.
When Blakey is thrown off Stan's bus during the skid test and slides across the tarmac, the wheels on the trolley Stephen Lewis is rolling on are briefly visible when he comes to a stop.
When Olive's sidecar separates from Arthur's motorbike, the extra wheel that allows it to keep going can be spotted.
They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: Olive and Arthur's baby only appears at home for one scene at the end of the film when it could have been used for more comedy, such as Stan possibly using him to try and pick up clippies or maybe Olive having trouble changing its nappy.
Values Dissonance: The main plot of the film boils down to Stan and Jack being so against the idea of women working the same jobs they do that they scheme to get them fired, while the only other women at the depot who aren't drivers work in menial jobs such as clippies or cooks. The film also claims that women can't be bus drivers as they'll eventually have to leave to have kids and start a family or are too emotional to deal with the pressures of driving a bus.
