Revisiting older sitcoms often feels like rolling the dice. Sometimes you get something like Steptoe and Son, which holds up pristinely. Sometimes you get something like Till Death Do Us Part, which is arguably funnier now than it was at the time. And then you'll get something like On the Buses. It's interesting because although it holds up terribly now, it actually wasn't too beloved at the time either, despite being massively popular with audiences. It centres around a bus depot, which in fairness isn't a bad setup. Unfortunately, the characters are fairly poorly drawn and one dimensional. I know sitcoms aren't generally known for detailed characterisations, but at least great sitcom characters are distinct and memorable. The cast here are fairly standard archetypes.
Which would be fine, if the humour was good. And honestly? It's dated, it's archaic, and it never quite hits the mark.I get that older series will contain jokes that don't necessarily age well, but the best ones compensate for that with memorable characters and other gags that are genuinely hilarious. But the majority of the jokes in On the Buses are either awkwardly unfunny or borderline offensive. Especially when you put it beside something like Till Death Do Us Part, which holds up well by putting it's misogyny in the context of the character. The stuff about how unattractive Olive especially did not age well. On the Buses is awkward at best and cringe inducing at worst. Which is a shame, because it's not actually a bad idea for a show, and if it was done right, it'd probably be pretty good. But honestly, I think that this is something best left in the 70s.
Wait, it got HOW many seasons?
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