Buses on Screen - TV shows Tm-Tz

Der Todesbus AKA Bus 152

Reported by Carlos Wallberg, explained by Stefan Baguette:
"This film was a German television production, first shown on RTL around Easter 1997. Based on true events, this film is about a Munich route 152 bus that fell into a large hole in the road in the early 1990s. The incident occured when the tunnel of an extension to the Munich metro that was under construction gave in. The bus had been stopping at a set of traffic lights when the road opened up beneath the rear and it fell in backwards, claiming a number of lives. From what I recall, only the rear was stuck in the earth, with the front pointing skywards. In the end, the front had to be cut off for the road to be restored; the rear should be in its grave to the present day, along with some bodies that could never be retrieved.
For the film, this has been garnished with a love story; the actual incident is also shown in far more dramatic fashion than the real one - in the film, the road openes up benath the front, the bus then sits dangling on the fringe of the hole for a while before dropping into it.
A variety of buses are shown, with little attention paid to detail consistency. I have only watched this film once when it was first shown and only have vague recollections; however, I will ask some other German enthusiasts if they can supply additional information. From what I recall, there is a scene at the start of the driver's duty, shot in a bus depot of an independent Munich operator, in which a number of second generation standard German buses and/or early low floor buses can be seen.
Further on, there are scenes of the bus being driven down some road. If my memory serves me well, the exterior scenes were shot with a Mercedes-Benz O405 or MAN SL202, but the interior shots were of a first generation standard bus (most likely a Mercedes-Benz O305 or a MAN SL200).
When the bus finally vanishes into the earth, it looks suspiciously like a shoe box painted in Munich colours - and indeed a German film magazine later confirmed that for this shot a small box was painted up to look like a bus and was then filmed while sinking into a large bucket."

Tomorrow's World (BBC science magazine programme)

A Centrewest M-class MCW Metrobus from route 18 was driven into the BBC studio as part of an item on the Countdown passenger information system; date unknown, but circa 1993.

"In the 1993/1994 season 'Tomorrows World' did a feature on the Leeds guided bus way using a Scania saloon fitted with guide wheels and painted in the blue 'Superbus' livery which Yorkshire Rider originally used for busway vehicles at that time it was registered K1YRL. For its TV appearance it carried Tomorrows World as a 'destination' Sadly this bus was burnt out in late 2003 either as a result of a mechanical fault or an arson attack it is now a burnt out hulk at Bramley depot and will not run again" (thanks Chris Hough)

Top Chef (Bravo Channel game show)

Geoff Cooke reports on this Bravo Channel production with a group of chefs competing to become 'Top Chef'. "The programme is filmed in San Francisco, and pictures of the famous trolleys are featured."

Top Gear (BBC motoring show)

A crass (not to mention inaccurate) attempt to discredit Oxford's pioneering and still-expanding Park and Ride network caused such controversy that a second report had to be shot.
The show continued its commitment to serious motoring issues in 2002 with an attempt to jump former Emsworth and District Daimler Fleetline OJD213R (originally London Transport DMS2213) over a line of 14 motorcycles. (from correspondence on the uk-bus-fleetnews Yahoo group by John Hammond, Andrew Woolhouse et al) For the record the bus cleared 3 bikes and totalled the rest.
Graeme Selway notes in 2004 the show "had a item filmed on board what I assume was an Arriva Guildford & West Surrey Dennis Dart in the Guildford area. The front of the bus did also get shown but I wasn't quick enough to read the plate (and I wasn't recording the show either). Hopefully someone else saw it? Think it was a P-FPK but didn't get the numbers I'm afraid. Possibly it was the oddly registered one P380 FPK which is (or was?) with Arriva West Sussex but that could be me second-guessing." Having seen a repeat showing Graeme now believes it to have been P268 FPK, Guildford and West Surrey's DSL68, a Dart SLF/Plaxton. Geoff Cook reports another show depicting a race across London features TA336 - it would be good to have confirmation whether this is SN03EBG (Transbus Trident/Alexander new to London United) or X336NNO (Dennis Trident/Alexander new to London Selkent).

To Play the King (BBC drama serial)

One episode shows a coach travelling from London to Manchester. more detail needed

Top Ten Football Songs (Channel 4 documentary)

Footage of the Scotland team returning from the World Cup included Cotters of Glasgow, MGA 747E, a Plaxton-bodied Leyland Leopard (used in 1974) and a Parks of Hamilton Volvo B58/Plaxton Viewmaster from the TGD-R batch (used in the 1978 competition). A clip of the Rider video 'England Crazy' with First London AEC Routemaster RM120 was also included. (thanks Graeme Selway)

Torchwood (BBC science fiction series)

Episode 1: Everything Changes
Makes much of its Cardiff setting, hence this screenshot:

and this glimpse of a Dennis Dart/Plaxton in traffic:

Episode: 10: Out of Time
Has a character leaving Cardiff for London by coach - but you don't see much of the coach!

Total Cops (BBC compilation show)

This otherwise pointless collection of clips from assorted police dramas presented for your amusement (?) by Nadia Sawalha, an autocue and a lot of canned laughter is redeemed by a brief sighting of the bus crash (RT1784 (KYY622)) in The Chinese Detective already recorded here.

To The World's End (BBC documentary)

Based on a musical piece by composer Carl Davis, which features on the soundtrack, this film documents the places and characters who live there, along London's 31 bus route. It was reshown as part of BBC4's secon 'Bus Night' on 19 July 2008.
At the time the film was made, 31 was operated by standard AEC Routemasters, and a number of them are seen in action. It's interesting to watch, with some nice atmospheric views of the buses themselves.
First seen in the gloom of the garage at the beginning of a new day is RM769 (WLT769), then Leyland Titan T771 (OHV771Y) crosses the screen before RM724 (WLT724) appears.

RM694 (WLT694) picks up a passenger in the early morning, then RM879 (WLT879) passes,

.....then under the opening credits RM769 is seen on the road:

A Plaxton Supreme bodied coach is seen from the upper deck of a Routemaster:

A conductor is seen at the back of RM1044 (44CLT), and RM1645 (645DYE) passes:

RM30 (VLT30) pulls into a bus stop; a BL-class Bristol LH and an M-class Metrobus are seen in the background;

The same conductor as before stands on the platform of RM1103 (103CLT) at speed. RM1819 (819DYE) is followed by a second RM. RM412 (WLT412) makes a right turn; RM580 passes another RM on route 73.

Another M is seen in the distance while an early Bova of Eurobus Holidays passes, also a Grey-Green Duple-Dominant II-bodied Bedford YMT:

RM42 (VLT42) passes the camera; there's a thank you to the crews at Westbourne Park garage in the closing credits:

Tots TV (BBC children's show)

Episode: Missing the Bus
A little girl and her mother are shopping in town, and miss the bus home. The vehicle in question is Luton and District 636 (F636LMJ), a Leyland Olympian/Alexander in Hemel Bus livery. It's seen at the beginning of the programme, then again as the bus they miss, then again (repeating the first clip) as the bus they finally catch home. There's a brief glimpse of a Leyland-National in the same livery, and a red/cream Leyland Olympian/Eastern Coachworks as 636 pulls away from the bus stop.

A Touch of Frost (Yorkshire TV crime series)

Episode 2: Not With Kindness
United Automobile Leyland-National 2 3117 (APT117W) appears (thanks Mark Harrington and Mike Lloyd)
Ex-London Transport AEC Routemaster RM1414 (414CLT) in a scene set in Reading; vehicle supplied by the Museum of Transport, Manchester (thanks Bob Wingrove)
"A Touch of Frost is filmed in the Yorkshire TV area which is why there are only rarely sightings of buses on it since it is set in the Thames Valley area. In a very early episode Frost was seen entering a house as a Yorkshire Rider Metrobus passed by going to Leeds Central Bus Station!" (thanks Chris Hough)

Episode 15: Fun Times For Swingers
"A West Riding Lynx 2 ( in Caldaire Green livery) is seen through the rear windscreen of Jack Frost's car as he passes it as it pulls up at a bus stop." (thanks Paul Bennett)

Trans World Sport

Manchester Corporation all-Crossley DD42/8S 2150 (JND791), supplied by the Museum of Transport, Manchester, appeared in a feature on Manchester's bid to host the Olympic Games (thanks Bob Wingrove)

Treasure Hunt (Channel 4/Chatsworth game show)

Jon Price recalls a show in which Anneka Rice hitches a ride on the back of a Norwich City Council Highways wagon and they are passed by a National Bus Company liveried Eastern Counties Bristol VRTSL/Eastern Coachworks. (probably the 'Norfolk' show in 1985)

A special edition in which usual 'Skyrunner' Anneka Rice stayed in the studio and celebrities acted as 'skyrunners' in London had a sequence in which actress Gemma Craven boarded an opentop DMS-type Daimler Fleetline on the official London Sightseeing tour - I had this as possibly KUC216P, but it's a shaky hand-held camera! David Farrier suggests KUC218P (ie DM1218), which was based in South East London then passed to Ebndon's of Sidcup as an opentopper. As she got off she was passed by a London Transport RML-class AEC Routemaster/Park Royal.

A show set in Nottinghamshire sees Anneka Rice hitching a lift on a blue Ford Transit/Carlyle (?) B837CJM used by Boots the Chemist as a staff bus. Also seen parked at the Boots HQ near Beeston is its twin, B836CJM.

The final series features former tennis player Annabel Croft. One show visits the now-closed Windsor Safari Park and showed two Leyland Olympian/ECW coaches in green National Bus Company 'stripy' livery. Another centring on Telford features a ride on a Bedford OB/Duple, WWJ223 or 233 (can anyone confirm?)
Yet another from the Annabel Croft season shows her helicopter passing over a Greater Manchester PTE bus garage close to Wigan Pier.

Trigger Happy TV (Channel 4 comedy series)

A Thorpes, Wembley Dennis Dart/Plaxton (from the W-TRP batch) is featured in one sequence. Star Dom Joly dressed as a traffic warden stops it, and issues a parking ticket. (thanks Ewood Eddie)
Another sketch has Dom Joly, as the Devil, boarding AEC Routemaster/Park Royal RM1641 (641DYE) with Hell as the destination on route 666 (thanks Paul Jones). Tony Martin suggests this is a trolleybus replacement service!

The Troubleshooters (drama serial)

Opening credits feature a London Transport AEC Routemaster/Park Royal. (thanks Bob Wingrove)

Trouble at the Top (BBC documentary series)

Episode: A Hard Day's Fight
Documentary about attempts to open a Beatles themed hotel in Liverpool. Features shots of the Bedford VALs used on the 'Magical Mystery Tour' - DJH731F and SCK56K. (thanks Graeme Selway)

TV's Naughtiest Blunders (ITV comedy clip show)

Graeme Selway notes Chester's Dennis Dart/Plaxton 55 (J155EDM) in the third compilation in the series. "Presumably, therefore, the bus has featured in another TV show, from which the TNB3 clip was taken from. Unfortunately, I haven't the foggiest as to what it might be!" nor have I - help!!!?

The Tweenies (BBC children's series)

Episode: Walk in the Town
Max takes a trip into town on what appears to be a Leyland Lynx of Sovereign Bus
Episode: Horses
Judy takes a trip on Metrobus Dennis 339 (W339VGX), a Dennis Dart SLF /Plaxton Pointer, showing service 246 to Bromley North - good interior and exterior views.
Another episode features Arriva the Shires Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2235 (V235 HBH) on service 3 to Whittlesford town centre, including a demonstration of the low floor. (thanks Barnaby Crowley and Dave Henderson)

One of a supplementary series on playing safely deals with crossing the road; a Sovereign Bus single decker is seen approaching a zebra crossing.

An episode which sees Max visiting London features a trip around town on M500 (GYE500W), a part open top MCW Metrobus/MCW of the Original London Sightseeing Tour.

The Twilight Zone (1959 CBS science fiction series)

Episode 1.21: Mirror Image
A young woman is waiting for a bus at a bus station near New York - when the bus arrives her doppelganger is already aboard:

Episode 2.28: Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up
A UFO is reported to have landed, and a busload of passengers shelters in a roadside diner. The bus is reportedly a Reo Comet:

Episode 3.36: Cavender is Coming
Made in 1962, starring a young Carol Burnett, this episode features Culver City (California) Municipal Bus Lines 4502, a GM New Look 4517. Incidentally this was the only Twilight Zone episode to feature a laughter track.

Burnett's guardian angel appears next to her on the bus - and briefly turns the bus into a carriage!

This understandably upsets the driver who announces his resignation from the bus line and dives out of the window.

Episode 5.2: Steel
Made in 1963, set in Kansas and starring Lee Marvin, this episode again features Culver City (California) Municipal Bus Lines 4502, a GM New Look 4517:

The Twilight Zone (2002 CBS science fiction series)

Episode 6: Night Route
A woman is haunted by a GM New Look:

......although at one point the bus she sees is actually this one:

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (BBC comedy series)

Neil Davis notes "Featured in the opening title sequence to the first series is Halton Transport 15 (W471 VMA), Dennis Super Dart/Marshall."

Looking for a specific bus or show? Try the search box