TV Tuesday: Keeping Up Appearances - A Very Merry Hyacinth (1991)

 

Keeping Up Appearances - 1991

Coming up next on this edition of TV Tuesday is 1991's Christmas episode of "Keeping Up Appearances".  Entitled "A Very Merry Hyacinth", this episode sees Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet) as she tries to create the perfect Christmas.  Things don't go according to plan.

The episodes cast includes Patricia Routledge, Clive Swift, Josephine Tewson, Judy Cornwell, Geoffrey Hughes, Mary Millar, David Griffin, and Jeremy Gittins.

It's Christmastime at the Bucket residence, and Hyacinth is overjoyed that she's received a record-breaking 112 Christmas cards.  Her husband Richard asks, "Are they genuine or are they more of those you've written to yourself?"  Calmly, Hyacinth explains, "I regard it as a service to those people who may have misplaced my address.  I'm sure they'd like to think they'd sent me a card."

Later, Richard is less than cooperative when Hyacinth dresses him up as Father Christmas.  He is due at the church hall to distribute gifts of the old folks.  He doesn't want to do it at all, but Hyacinth impresses upon him the importance of the job.  He feels ridiculous all dressed up.  Hyacinth gets annoyed that he's not more in the spirit of the holiday.

She forces him outside so that he can go next door and get the opinion of their neighbor Elizabeth and her brother Emmet.

Emmet can't help but poke a little bit of fun.  "I thought you were supposed to use the chimney," he says with a smile and a barely concealed laugh.

Elsewhere, Hyacinth's youngest sister Rose is excited about her new boyfriend, a Mr. Sudbury, who loves to dance.  (The way they greet each other and fly into each other's arms is hilarious.)

Sister Daisy and brother-in-law Onslow have very different reactions to the unfolding scene.  Daisy thinks it's very romantic, while Onslow can't quite believe what he's watching.

Richard ends up spending a lot of time over at Elizabeth and Emmet's house.  He and Emmet have a grand time drinking and singing Christmas songs.  When Hyacinth is ready for Richard to drive her to the church hall, Elizabeth finds them both drunk.  Richard is in no condition to drive.

So, Elizabeth takes the Father Christmas outfit from Richard and discreetly pretends to be him so that Hyacinth doesn't suspect anything is the matter.

Naturally, you can imagine Hyacinth's shock when later she sees "Richard" and her brother-in-law Onslow kissing under some mistletoe.  Onslow, Daisy, and Rose are at the church hall because Daddy has gone missing.

Hyacinth doesn't have time for explanations.  Her main concern is that everyone gets out of there without being spotted.  She's horribly embarrassed by everything that's happened.  She gets Daddy out (dressed in a cat costume because he's mislaid his clothes).  She disguises herself as Father Christmas so that no one will recognize her.

She's in for a big surprise when Onslow assumes it's still Elizabeth in the outfit and rushes up to kiss her under some of his own mistletoe.  Richard and Elizabeth have a chuckle from a distance.

Hyacinth is mortified!  She struggles to regain her composure.  "I suppose that's what Christmas is all about," she says by way of comforting herself.

Meanwhile, Rose has found Emmet, and in the Christmas spirit, she is feverishly kissing the poor, shocked man.

While shielding Daddy from the sins of his youngest daughter, Hyacinth orders Rose to release Emmet.  The vicar comes out of the church hall and Hyacinth yells, "Rose, there's the vicar!"

"Thank you, Hyacinth," says Rose.  She turns to the bewildered vicar and plants a big kiss on his lips.  "Happy Christmas, Vicar," she says.

Hyacinth manages to separate Rose and the vicar.  After things calm down, she suggests they all return to her house to partake of mulled wine and hot mince pies.  Everyone excitedly piles into the cars.

Cast rundown:

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

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

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

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

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

   Mary Millar..........................................Rose

   David Griffin........................................Emmet Hawksworth

   Jeremy Gittins.....................................The Vicar

And that's it for this episode of "Keeping Up Appearances".  It's such a great Christmas special.  My favorite line from the show comes when Hyacinth is discussing her family, whose habits and manners she is at pains to be at ease with.  She tells her husband, "They are my family and I love them dearly.  Especially at this time of year when it gets dark early."

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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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