Buses on Screen - TV shows C-Cl

Cab Driver (BBC documentary)

The third Arena documentary by Zimena Percival related to transport in London looks at the working life of London cabbies. Unsurprisingly buses feature from time to time, like this DW-class Arriva London VDL DB250/Wright on route 137 being passed by a potential cabbie learning 'The Knowledge'.

.........also an Arriva London DLA-class DAF DB250/Alexander:

Archive footage includes this horsebus free for all:

....and glimpses of RT761 (JXC124), an unidentified RTL, and RTL1218 (LYF159):

A striking colour view of Piccadilly Circus has RTs with and without roofboxes:

RTL554 (KGU4) is seen in traffic:

Lunchtime traffic features xxxxxxxxxxxx and a host of Stagecoach 'deckers crossing the screen:

Sequences taken from the feature film "Three Hats for Lisa" follow, and we see this Burlingham Seagull-bodied coach leaving Heathrow Airport:

...and this appears to be an AEC Reliance:

...but we don't see much of this bus:

The 1961 launch of minicabs is illustrated by footage with BOAC AEC RFs in the background:

A night shot depicts this Leyland RTW on route 6...followed by a Metroline VPL-class Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President on route 68:

......and daylight glimpses of London General WVL63 (LF52ZTH), a Volvo B7TL/Wright, and Arriva London MA98 (BX55FUV), a Mercedes Citaro artic:

Finally there's a clip of a departing cab with what appears to be a Glasgow Corporation AEC Regent V

The Camera and the Song (BBC music series)

Jake Thackray's song 'Country Bus' is available on a BBC compilation LP record from 1975, and was accompanied by a piece of film for the original 1973 show. Thank you to John Hewitt for identifying this; John adds: "My recollection is that the vehicle was a boxy single deck bus from the fleet of Pennine Motors of Gargrave seen on routes in the Yorkshire Dales." can anyone confirm the identity? Chris Hough adds: "At the time of the filming of the Jake Thackray song the Pennine fleet was home to some Leyland bodied Royal Tigers (one coach bodied version is still owned by the company), some Duple bodied coaches, and somewhat unusually some Roe bodied saloons."

Cash in the Attic (BBC game show)

Viewing an episode on BBC America, Geoff Cook notes a pair of buses from Epsom Coaches, one of which is probably SN51UCP, an Alexander-bodied Dennis Dart SLF.

Catweazle (LWT children's comedy drama series)

Episode 5: The Eye of Time
In this episode broadcast in March 1970, Aldershot and District AEC Reliance 551 (MOR 592) pulls up at a London Transport stop. A sharp-eyed Ashley Hoare explains:
"It was only on the screen for about 15 seconds. Edward 'Carrot' (Robin Davies) and Catweazle (Geoffrey Bayldon) cross the road when the bus is coming down the road. There is a woman at the Bus Stop (Betty Woolfe) and they all get on the bus, It can be clearly seen that there are a driver and conductor on the bus in summer uniforms (filmed in the long hot summer of 1969).
The rebodied AEC Reliance 551 (MOR 592) was filmed mainly in the Tilford (Farnham) area, the vehicle being loaned on Private Hire. On the DVD release there are some PDF files of Richard Carpenter's original scripts, and from this it can be seen that this scene with the bus was a bit longer, scene 520 was cut .

"CARROT: That's the whole Idea! Here comes the bus. CATWEAZLE: What is 'the bus'? - The WOMAN looks at CATWEAZLE again and moves a little further away. We see the bus approach. CATWEAZLE sticks his fingers in his ears. The WOMAN looks at him again convinced that he is a madman. The bus stops and the WOMAN gets in ahead of CARROT and CATWEAZLE - CARROT: Get in - CARROT pushes CATWEAZLE who stumbles up the steps of the bus.
520 INT. BUS. DAY.
To stop himself falling, CATWEAZLE grabs at the WOMAN. She screams and runs to a seat. CATWEAZLE regains his balance and stands in the middle of the bus, uncertain as what to do next. The people in the bus stare at him. CARROT gets into the bus in the rear of shot. He looks anxiously towards CATWEAZLE. The CONDUCTOR rings the bell behind CATWEAZLE who, hearing this strange noise, turns round to face it. At this moment the bus pulls away rather suddenly and CATWEAZLE loses his balance and falls to the floor of the bus. CARROT looks at the BUS CONDUCTOR, and shrugs sheepishly." '

Casualty (BBC hospital drama)

Opening credits feature First Bristol 9887 (S667AAE) a Northern Counties Palatine 2 (noted by David Canary on the ukpsv discussion group) Also featured a blue and white Dodge minibus in one episode. (thanks Adam Floyd)
"Coaches have appeared on occasions, I remember an elderly (1970's) white coach (did it crash? being elderly 'n'all!), First Bristol (First Holby?) Merc minis take staff to work." (thanks Ewood Eddie)
"A recent episode featured a motorway pile-up, which included a school party on board an unidentified LDV minibus. A similar episode, involving a minibus crash, was screened some time ago and featured blue and white Sherpa E169 YDT, last owned by Gilbert's of Rhyl." (thanks Adam Floyd)
Howard Berry notes from his time working for Wessex Coaches at Bristol: "All the dot matrix destination fitted coaches had Holby as a destination, as 'Casualty' required coaches on a fairly regular basis. This involved sitting around all day waiting for the coach to be used in shot, but to my knowledge we were never actually seen on screen."
Paul Jones notes an episode featuring a bus crash with ex First Hampshire and Dorset Leyland Atlantean YRV256V displaying 'Wyvern' fleet names. This East Lancs-bodied AN68/1R was new to Southampton City Transport.
In a 2006 episode: "Lady driver driving a Leyland Olympian/Roe, in white with 'Holby Line' as fleetname; anyway she is distracted by rowdy kids whilst trying to use a mobile phone (naughty!) driving through roadworks. To avoid a car, the bus is driven over a pile of earth, obviously with a concealed ramp, as the bus flips onto its side and hits the ground sideways. This shot was filmed from 3 different angles, and the bus involved was registered F396PAY."

This was a reregistration; the bus had originally been A957THW, First Bristol 34557, new to Bristol as 9557. (thanks to Steve Floyd, who also provided these screen captures, and to the discussion on uk-bus-fleetnews)

CBeebies (BBC children's TV channel)

In Summer 2002 a playbus toured the UK to promote the CBeebies channel - Ian Banks noted this on television as TRN482V, identified by Peter Relf as former Ribble 1482, a Leyland Atlantean/Eastern Coachworks now owned by the BBC.

Central News South (Central TV)

I'll break my non-news rule for this one: In the mid 1990s featured a report by long-serving Central News South Abingdon-based reporter and bus enthusiast Wesley Smith, looking at Classic Coaches of High Wycombe. Extended footage of former West Riding AEC Reliance/Roe JHL983 and former South Yorkshire Albion CX13/Burlingham GWT630.

Challenge Anneka (BBC game show of sorts)

Duncan Bingham recalls "a Challenge Anneka episode (circa July 1989?) where she had to convert (I think) 10 double deckers into playbuses for the National Playbus Association. One was Trent Bristol VRTSL2/Eastern Coachworks 763 (RRC 763L), whilst I think another was Busways Leyland Atlantean 592 (RCU 592S)." Chris Wilcock reports another was an ex Greater Manchester Leyland Atlantean from the ONFxxxR batch. can anyone enlarge on this?

Challenge Anneka (ITV game show of sorts)

A 2007 revival makes much of Ms Rice driving in London traffic. We glimpse this Metroline Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President:

Transdev London United Volvo B7TL/East Lancs on route 9:

Travel London Enviro 200 on Route C1:

A Metroline Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 on route 24 is followed by a Mercedes Citaro artic:

The Champions (ITC thriller series)

Episode 2:
Has a brief appearance by London Transport AEC Routemaster RM2145 (CUV145C) on route 8 at Bank Underground Station, also an aerial shot of an LT RTL-class Leyland Titan PD2.

Episode 4:t
Features stock footage of Heathrow Airport, including this Bedford SB. The sequence also appears in another ITC show, 'Department S', in season 2 episode 19, 'Ticket to Nowhere'

Episode 8:
A night shot of a London Transport RTL-class Leyland Titan PD2 on route 38A.

Episode 10:
Stock footage of BEA AEC Routemasters at Heathrow Airport, some with trailers. A Bedford SB/Duple Super Vega is seen parked at Heathrow Airport in the background of an in-car scene.

As the action switches to Munich, this tram is seen:

Episode 12:
Brief views of a grey AEC Reliance/Harrington Cavalier, a rare Saunders-bodied AEC RT, and a cream/blue Bedford SB/Duple Bella Vega.

Episode 15:
The coach seen in Episode 4 appears again here (the screenshot above is from this episode, in fact!) and also included is this view of a 1966 BOAC Leyland Atlantean/MCW coach.

Also a brief view of one of London Transport's six 1966-built Strachan-bodied AEC Merlins in traffic.

Episode 17:
Brief views of a French Chausson APU53 singledecker and an Italian Fiat.

Episode 18:n
A singledeck Guy Arab in Hong Kong. Episodes 23 and 27:
Glimpses of London RT family buses.

(Compiled from my own observations and those recorded at the Internet Movie Cars Database)

Charlie's Bus (TV-AM)

This insert to the TV-AM breakfast TV show featured various open-toppers including a Cardiff Bus Bristol VRTSL in Tramways livery. A limited edition Corgi Routemaster with 'Charlies Bus' side adverts was given to children participating. (thanks Glyn Bowen) In one segment legendary Manchester band The Smiths and a group of children visited Kew Gardens and met 1960s singing star Sandie Shaw. Their transport was provided by The Vintage Bus Company's modified open staircase AEC RT.

Can anyone identify this bus?

Children in Need (BBC charity telethon)

A spoof by the cast of 'Eastenders' of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' music video has a glimpse of an AEC Routemaster in the background.

The Chinese Detective (BBC police series)

Episode 1.1: Release
In this East London-set series, a scene walking down a London street has two Park Royal-bodied DMS-class Daimler Fleetlines passing, both based at Poplar garage. The first is 1976-built DMS2116 (KJD116P) on route 54; the second is one of the first batch, 1970-built DMS13 (EGP13J), on route 277.

A third Fleetline can't be identified:

Episode 1.4: Income Tax
Leon Daniels recalls working on a bus crash scene using an AEC Regent III RT. Chris Hough adds: "The main character, John Ho, a detective in the Metropolitan Police played by David Yip crashes into the RT. Later he is carpeted by his boss (later to become Charlie Slater in Eastenders) for hitting a Routemaster bus. At this point Ho corrects his boss by telling him it was in fact an RT. The series aired some years after the last RT ran!" The bus driver is played by another former Eastenders stalwart, Arthur Treacher. Mike Lloyd confirms the RT as RT1784 (KYY622).

In the aftermath there's a scene at a London Transport bus garage, with a number of DMS Daimler Fleetlines and BL-class Bristol LH6Ls. From the buses identifiable, I believe this is Turnham Green garage, as all were in store there at the time of filming: BL52 (OJD52R) and DMS1637 (THM637M), plus an unidentified DMS:

BL67 (OJD67R), and an unidentified BL from the KJD___P batch:

DMS2449 (OJD449R), BL54 (OJD54R) and an unidentified BL:

Episode 1.5: Washing
A glimpse of a passing AEC Routemaster

Episode 1.6: Ice and Dust
An aerial view of a DMS Daimler Fleetline

Episode 2.4: Tapdancer
A glimpse of a London Transport standard AEC Routemaster:

Episode 2.5: Bounty Hunter
'Doc Halliday', played by Maurice Ro�ves, arrives in London by coach, which allows for some views of Victoria Coach Station. The coach is Western Scottish V129 (GGE129X), a Duple Dominant III bodied Volvo B10M:

Also seen are an East Kent Road Car AEC Reliance/Duple Dominant and a similarly bodied Maidstone and District Leyland Leopard PSU3C from the 4120-4125 batch (OKE_P). The latter is parked alongside Southdown 1307 (ANJ307T), a Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland Leopard PSU3E, and what appears to be a Maidstone and District bus-bodied Leopard arrives behind:

An Alder Valley Leopard/Plaxton is seen in Londonlink livery, apparently 502 (WJM816T), and an older Midland Red Leopard/Plaxton crosses in the foreground as V129 arrives:

Another Southdown Leopard is glimpsed behind a taxi; this one is dual purpose liveried 1286 (RYJ886R), a PSU3E/Duple.

Later a German Mercedes of Jasper Reisen is seen in traffic:

Episode 2.6: Chorale
Seen as a character leaves a telephone box is the rear of a London Transport Bristol LH:

Episode 2.8: Secret State
In the background of a scene in a multistorey car park is what appears to be an East Kent Road Car AEC Regent V:

Later two Routemasters pass:

Christmas Night With The Stars (BBC variety show)

The 1964 edition features London street scenes with RTs and RMs (thanks Bob Wingrove).

Christmas Uncovered (Sky One)

"Several shots of Kingsley's former Travel West Midlands MCW Metrobus (A742 WVP) going around Newcastle" (thanks Tony Hunter)

The Chronicle (Sci Fi science fiction series)

Episode: 101: The pilot concerns an alien creature discovered in a Brooklyn bus scrapyard. Actually, the yard used for filming was in Surrey, British Columbia, where 250 Brill trolleybuses from Vancouver were stored after withdrawal in 1984. Two of the vehicles seen are fleet numbers 2125 and 2320.

Episode: 106: A man attempts to flee New York to avoid his Atlantean fiancee. (Note: not a Leyland Atlantean, but a woman from Atlantis) He heads for the bus station, and there's a glimpse of a motorcoach of Antelope Lines before the scene inside the bus station. Episode: 116: Man and Superman
A school bus is inexplicably saved from disaster.

Chuckle Brothers (BBC childrens comedy series)

"During the mid/late 1990s an episode of the Chuckle Brothers was filmed in the city of Worcester which featured the two main characters trying to choose their lottery numbers. At one point they decide to stand at a bus stop and use the service number of the next bus to come along. Unfortunately the next bus has 'Sorry - Not in Service' on the blind so they're forced to look elsewhere.
The scene was filmed in the St Johns area of Worcester (Comer Road I think) which was served by Midland Red West's (now First Midland Red) fleet of ageing Mercedes 608D minibuses. At the time these vehicles were very tatty and near the end of their service life and Midland Red West obviously didn't want them shown on television, so a new Dennis Lance/Plaxton Verde was used instead. For filming the Lance was driven by Mr Robert Thorn who was, and still is, head of MRW's driving school at Worcester depot. It was one of the batch with registration numbers M2xxMRW that were new to Worcester depot in mid-1995, but I do not remember which one. Also, the bus stop used had the normal Midland Red West plate removed and replaced with a simple black & white item which was clearly designed to be easy for children to understand." (thanks Adam Harber)

Citizen Smith (BBC sitcom)

In one episode Tooting anarchist Wolfie Smith is ejected from a London Transport AEC Routemaster for not paying his fare. (thanks Alan Sinclair)

Classic Trains (Channel 4 documentary series)

Malcolm Rennie recalls a programme in this series that looked at trams. "Shows modern footage of Manchester Metrolink, the various Isle of Man lines and Blackpool. There is historic footage of Manchester trams including the last one 'being driven by Councillor Barrett'. There is a little London tram action with the programme ending with filming out of the front of a tram as it enters the Kingsway Subway.
Some scenes from the previous Classic Trucks series programme about Blackpool Trams are also reshown."

Classic Trucks (Channel 4 documentary series)

Episode: Ticket to Ride
One in a series of half-hour programmes, in this case looking at buses; a lot of the filming was done at the Ipswich Transport Museum. "There were shots showing a Bristol Lodekka LD over our pits, from below, some of the Museum vehicles running through the local country side, and John Bedford's AEC Regent III, Ipswich 16, which is normally kept at Cobham, returned to Ipswich to recreate an old route, and interviews with some old passengers. There was other stuff in the program, although I can't now remember the full details." (thanks Nick Abbott at Ipswich Transport Museum)
Duncan Bingham adds that the show "was broadcast on 24 January 1995. There were a number of historic film views of Lincoln, Ipswich, a couple of early Atlanteans (Wallasey 1 (FHF451) and one from James, Ammanford, both Metro-Cammell bodied) and views of Barton vehicles. Preserved vehicles shown were Bedford OB/Duple PPC275, Lincolnshire Bristol Lodekka LD6B/Easten Coachworks 2318 (LFW326), Ipswich AEC Regent III/Park Royal 16 (CDX516), Eastern Counties Bristol LSX4G/ECW MAH744 and Keighley West Yorkshire Bristol K/Roe CWX671."
Terry Jones also recalls an appearance by PPC275, a 1951 Bedford OB/Duple. Malcolm Rennie recalls "a lot of footage of Ipswich trollybuses. Also there are excerpts from Barton Transport publicity films in colour. One shows half cab single deckers off to the coast and another shows a Leyland Royal Tiger with Burlingham Seagull body on a European Tour including it being crane loaded onto a ferry." Allan Haynes worked on the show: "Part of the premise of the programme was to show how bus design had evolved, from front engine and "normal" transmission, to the offset rear axle and low floor (Lodekka), to the underfloor engine (LS), and rear engine (Atlantean).
The exterior shots of the LD were of the Lincolnshire LD6B LFW326 but for the shots of the underneath done over the pits (beautiful white tiles) at the Ipswich Transport Museum they used ex-Eastern Counties LD5G OVF229 belonging to the Eastern Transport Collection Society based near Norwich. As the honorary Filming Officer for the Society it fell to me to drive the LD from Norwich to Ipswich (normally we carry a second man with a shotgun when crossing the border into Suffolk), and to bring it back in one piece again a couple of days later. It was filthy underneath but we were able to cajole the engineers at First Eastern Counties Ipswich garage to steam clean it off for us.
This was the first time I had driven a Lodekka any distance and I was surprised how good the constant mesh gearbox was compared with the unpleasant sliding mesh box on the K and L. How did the old drivers ever manage with these things? They must have been a sterner breed than us war babies. Sorry, I'm digressing. The underfloor engine brigade was represented by the prototype LSX4G, Eastern Counties MAH744, leaving large puddles of oil as it went. (There were two prototypes, the other is Bristol NHU2.) Then and now MAH is still the property of First Eastern Counties but receiving free bed and board from the ever helpful and cooperative Ipswich Transport Museum staff."

Cliff Richard in Scandinavia (BBC music show)

Made in 1970, this show opens with scenes at Heathrow Airport, and includes a rear view of a pair of BEA Routemasters with British Airways trailers:

Clocking Off (BBC drama serial)

One episode includes two Stagecoach Manchester MAN/Alexander ALX300, including S117 TRJ (thanks Richard Sharman)
A 2003 episode had a scene with actress Nicola Stephenson running down a street in a bridal gown in Manchester pursued by a tram. Any more information?

Close Up on the Manic Street Preachers (BBC music documentary)

In 1998 this BBC2 documentary featured Islwyn Borough Transport 34 (DNY534V), a Marshall-bodied Leyland Leopard. (thanks Mark Barnett, who now owns the bus)

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