TV Tuesday: Keeping Up Appearances - Season 1; Episode 1 (1990)

 

Keeping Up Appearances - 1990

For today's TV Tuesday, we bring you the first episode of the classic British TV series, "Keeping Up Appearances".  Entitled "The Name Is Bouquet: B-U-C-K-E-T", it introduces us to socially conscious hostess Hyacinth Bucket and her struggles to be a beacon for genteel society wherever she is.

The episode's cast includes Patricia Routledge, Clive Swift, Josephine Tewson, Judy Cornwell, Geoffrey Hughes, Shirley Stelfox, and Peter Cellier.

Meet Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet), a lady who struggles to keep her humble origins hidden.  She keeps an immaculately clean home and does everything to be seen as socially acceptable.  Her disappointment is evident when the postman has no letters for her one day.  "Nothing for this address?  And yet you have something for next door?  I find that very strange."

She lives with her longsuffering husband Richard, who comes outside and announces that she has an urgent telephone call.  "Please, don't shout in that excitable manner outdoors, Richard.  I don't like you getting excited outdoors," she admonishes him.

Of course, that doesn't stop her from shouting her own "hello" to a passing army major who lives in the area.

Richard tells Hyacinth that her sister Daisy is on the line, and images of the squalor that Daisy and the rest of the family live in immediately conjure up in Hyacinth's mind.  "It's so thoughtless to look as poor as they do," she says.  Daisy tells Hyacinth that their father has had an accident, and now Hyacinth and Richard must drive over and find out exactly what has gone on.

Hyacinth's sister Daisy is a cheerful woman who isn't at all upset at the reduced circumstances she lives in.  She makes the best and the most of it.

Hyacinth's other sister Rose lives with Daisy and she is very over-sexed.  Currently, she's playing two boyfriends against each other: a Mr. Crabtree and someone named Boris.  When Daisy says she doesn't know how she keeps the pace, Rose replies, "It’s not easy.  If you relax for a minute, they’re going back to their wives."

And then there is Daisy's husband Onslow, who is permanently parked in front of the television with a beer in his hand.  He's a really likeable guy, and he and Daisy are just perfect for each other.

Hyacinth unhappily arrives at Daisy's home to find out what happened to Daddy.  "We're practically in Beirut," she says as she advises Richard to lock the car doors.

The inside isn't much better than the outside.  Hyacinth looks around in disgust at the untidiness of Daisy's abode.

And she's less than thrilled when Daisy offers her some tea in a cracked beaker.  We also find out what happened to Daddy.  He went off chasing the milkwoman while riding a bicycle naked and landed in a nearby canal.  Afterwards, he was taken to the hospital.

So, off she and Richard go to the hospital, where Hyacinth demands to be shown the extent of her father's injuries.  She closes her eyes in horror when the doctor shows her.  When Richard asks where the injury was, Hyacinth lowers her voice and says, "Never you mind."

Back home, Hyacinth asks her neighbor and friend Elizabeth over for tea.  Elizabeth is always in somewhat of a daze when she comes over for tea or coffee.

Hyacinth keeps Elizabeth in such a state of nervousness, that Elizabeth's teacup always ends of leaping about the room, much to Hyacinth's chagrin.

When the telephone rings, Hyacinth always answers it with a hearty, "The Bouquet residence, the lady of the house speaking."  On the other end is a mystery caller with whom Hyacinth is extremely annoyed.  "This isn't the Chinese takeaway.  This is a private, slim-line white telephone with no connection whatsoever to any business or trade...especially not one of foreign extraction," she says emphatically.

Hyacinth is busy getting ready for one of her signature candlelight suppers, which always keeps her guests in a constant state of bewilderment.

Once again, the telephone rings.  It's usually always her sister Violet (the one with a Mercedes, sauna, and room for a pony) or her son Sheridan, who constantly needs money.  This time it's the army major from around the corner, who invites Hyacinth over to choose some flowers for her candlelight supper.

Hyacinth arrives at the major's house and is escorted to his greenhouses.

However, the major has more on in his mind than flowers, and Hyacinth has to put up quite a fight in order to leave the greenhouse and escape the overeager major.

Disheveled, Hyacinth arrives back home, where Richard asks her what is wrong.  "As far as anyone is concerned nothing is wrong.  We're going to have a candlelight supper.  It's going to be the usual success," she says.  Richard just rolls his eyes and follows his wife back into the house.

Cast rundown:

   Patricia Routledge...............................Hyacinth Bucket

   Clive Swift.........................................Richard Bucket

   Josephine Tewson...............................Elizabeth Warden

   Judy Cornwell....................................Daisy

   Geoffrey Hughes.................................Onslow

   Shirley Stelfox...................................Rose

   Peter Cellier.......................................The Major

And that's it for this episode of Keeping Up Appearances.  Patricia Routledge accepted the role of Hyacinth after reading just one script.  She's marvelous at it.  The Bucket residence is located at 117 Heather Rd, Binley Woods, Coventry CV3 2DB, UK.

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