Factory: Manchester from Joy Division to Happy Mondays (BBC documentary)

Music documentary features Salford Corporation 172 (WRJ172) a 1963 Leyland PD2/40/MCW, a pair of Plaxton-bodied coaches, .....and a (Stagecoach Manchester) Magicbus three-axle Leyland Olympian/Alexander, 13628 (K688CBA)

The Fall Guy (ABC action series)

Episode: 5:6: October the Thirty Second
Rooting through some old tapes I discovered the opening credits to this 1985 episode feature a London Transport AEC Regent III RT passing the Houses of Parliament. The episode also guest stars Elvira and Doug McClure, also British actor Tony Steedman, who succeeded Peter Vaughan as Shirley's father in the BBC sitcom 'Citizen Smith'. You couldn't make it up.

Fame Academy (BBC reality TV show)

Possibly the least unintelligent of the UK reality tv marathons culminated in a nationwide singing tour by the winners and losers. The tour bus was Scania/Van Hool Alizee N4BNM of B & M.
Season 2: used for ferrying the students is white Mercedes Sprinter YC51KVB.

Family Affairs (Channel 5 soap opera)

A summer 2004 episode was graced by Sullivan Buses DT4 (G504VYE) (Dennis Dart/Duple Dartline) (thanks Dean Sullivan) Another Sullivan Buses vehicles to have appeared is DN3 (SC02SUL), a Dennis Dart/Caetano.

Family Guy (Fox animation)

Episode 3.4: One if by Clam, Two if by Sea
Popular show that's not quite as funny as it thinks it is, but this episode features an RML-class AEC Routemaster arriving at an 'English' pub. However the staircase shows why Transport For London phased Routemasters out of front line use:

The Famous Five (1978 and 1996 children's series)

There have been two serialisations of Enid Blyton's 'Famous Five' stories, as John Wakefield and I discovered while researching this entry! The 1978/9 version modernised the stories; the 1996/7 remake put them back into the era in which they'd been written.

Five Go Down to the Sea (1978)
A travelling show arrives in Bedford OB/Duple JXT482. This 1948 bus converted to a caravan was new to the Metropolitan Police. It was still extant in 2008, albeit registered ESL175: In the 1996 version the bus is replaced (disappointingly) by a horse and cart.

Five Go Off in a Caravan (1978)
Has footage of a Hants and Dorset Bristol RELL/Eastern Coachworks, unfortunately not clear enough to identify in the footage I've seen.

Five Go Off in a Caravan (1996)
In the 1996 version, the bus is played by 1950 Bedford OB/Duple MHU52, new as Bristol 210, but now with Ron Greet of Broadhempton.

The Fast Show (BBC comedy series)

United Automobile Optare Vecta 1517(K517BHN - thanks to Joe Makepiece for the id and the screen captures below); Northumbria Metrorider J366 BNW, and an East Yorkshire AEC Routemaster - Scorchio! (thanks Mark Harrington and Graeme Selway) Paul Jones advises: "One comedy sketch for The Fast Show sees Paul Whitehouse dressed as on old man on a bus that's gone past the stop, so he just jumps off." The bus in question is East Yorkshire 804 (NVS804)an AEC Routemaster new to London Transport as RM982 (WLT982):

Fat Friends (ITV drama serial)

One of the central characters, a bus driver, has a heart attack at the wheel of a First Leeds Leyland Olympian. (thanks Ewood Eddie)
In a 2002 episode he is seen "wearing what appeared to be First Group uniform but is shown reporting for work at Black Prince's Morley depot with a number of Alexander bodied Scania doubledeckers in the background!" (thanks Chris Hough)

Fatherland (Channel 5 documentary)

"In a fictional account of what might have happened if the Nazis had won the Second World War, journalists are shown travelling on a Mercedes coach." (thanks Alan Sinclair)

Father Ted (Channel Four situation comedy)

Episode 3.8: Going to America
In the 25th and last episode of 'Father Ted', Father Kevin is seen travelling on what appears to be a Plaxton Supreme IV bodied Bedford VAS, although the registration cannot be read:

Fifth Gear (Channel 5 motoring show)

Episode 16.7:
Channel 5's slightly more grown-up copy of the puerile Top Gear features a 'race' between two preserved former West Midland PTE MCW Metrobuses in this edition. The buses concerned are Mark 1 prototype 6832 (SDA832S) and Mark 2 example 2461 (NOA461X), both from Coventry and with Coventry destination blinds.

Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story (BBC drama)

Martyn Pearce recalls driving: "an RT used in a BBC production about the life of Mary Whitehouse two or so years ago driving around Parliament Square in London."

Final Justice with Erin Brockovich (Lifetime TV documentary series)

One show features GMC RTS Riverside Transit 100, a former Janesville Transit bus supplied by Regional Transit Service. Scott Richards commented on the GMFishbowl Yahoo group:
It's 100's first appearance on TV. It's a re-enactment of a shoot out on a San Antonio Via bus. It was filmed here in Riverside and got a lot of local newspaper and cable coverage. They filmed some kids getting on the bus, the bus starts to pull away and some other kids run from across the street to get on. The bus stops and they get on and chase the other kids out of the back door..... of course while shooting at them. The best part should be the arrest scene. The driver of the bus is also used as the policeman. The cop car is really just one of the RTS drivers/supervisors car. They used actual handcuffs but unfortunately... no one had the key for them. Thank goodness the Police Station is on the same property as my yard and shop." It being a low-budget production, the bus appeared in Riverside Transit livery.

Firefly (Fox science fiction series)

Episode: 3: Shindig
In the year 2517 the spaceship Serenity visits the planet Persephone, and in the street scenes appears a white/aquamarine British double decker of 'Persephone Coaches'. It's open top and either a Leyland Atlantean or a Daimler Fleetline, and there is one fleeting view of the street from on board. This bus would therefore be at least 535 years old.... The scene was actually shot in Los Angeles, and is also glimpsed at the very beginning of some of the other episodes.....Here are some screencaptures provided by David Frazer - anyone care to identify?

Fireman Sam (BBC children's series)

Episode 3.05: Trevor's Bus Boot Sale
A particularly taut episode of this animated show for preschool children involves the dumping of toxic waste and Trevor the bus driver being overcome by fumes. The bus is a Ford Transit, registration BWS493T, and remarkably well reproduced under the circumstances. Ewood Eddie notes "It carries a livery similar to that carried by National Welsh minibuses." . Fortunately everything ends well: The fire tender is quite good, too:

First and Last (BBC drama)

Colin Read recalls an appearance by former London Transport RT624 in this play starring Joss Ackland on a Land's End to John O'Groats walk circa 1990. At the time the bus was owned by the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Trust.

First of the Summer Wine (BBC sitcom)

"This spin off from 'Last of the Summer Wine' featured the early years of the cast of that programme as young people in the years before the Second World War. The only established star was Peter Sallis who played what was in effect his own father! One episode featured two trams one was Leeds 180, a Horsfield car that is now at Crich tramway museum running through woods. An urban scene was filmed at Beamish Museum. The tram was an ex Sheffield Roberts car which did not enter service until the nineteen fifties!" (thanks Chris Hough)
Terry Jones reports episodes also featured Bedford OB/Duple PPC275, and one of the preserved JC registration Guy Wolf buses.

The Fix (BBC drama)

Malcolm Rennie recalls: "A BBC play in late 1997/early 1998 dramatising the true story of match fixing by Sheffield Wednesday players in 1963/1964. The main character is seen arriving at the Sheffield Wednesday ground on a cream and brown Bedford OB ATS408 showing a destination FOX HILL 17.
Later in the play the player has been transferred to Everton and moves to Formby. His wife is seen waiting at a London Transport bus stop (in Lancashire) and is then picked up by green front entrance Routemaster NMY655E with fleetnumber 0655. As its registration shows that the bus is not due at the stop for another 3 years the suffix has been blacked out and just shows NMY 655."
This was an AEC Routemaster from the former BEA fleet originally used on a shuttle service between London and Heathrow Airport. At the time of filming it was owned by MTL Merseybus, fleet number 0655, and was in Liverpool Corporation livery for use on heritage services.

FlashForward (ABC/HBO science fiction serial)

Episode 1.1: No More Good Days
As a major disaster hits Los Angeles, several RTS transit buses are caught up in the chaos. The most clearly seen has fleet number DOT2318: Episode 1.4: Black Swan
A man miraculously survives a GMC RTS plunging into deep water:

The Flintstones (Hanna-Barbera cartoon series)

In one episode, "Fred Flintstone is tired of working for the quarry and he applies for a bus driving job. Fred is shown the bus he is to drive and its 'old bus #9'. Barney Rubble accompanies Fred on his first day on the job."

The Flipside of Dominick Hide (BBC sci-fi drama)

Part of the BBC's long-running 'Play For Today' strand. The eponymous hero travels back in time to the 1980s to study London's transport system. He is distracted by the lovely Jane (Caroline Langrishe), and we see much more of her than the buses. There are however odd passing Routemasters: ....and aerial views of RMs and DMS-class Leyland B20 Fleetlines, also an AEC Merlin

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