From the Vault: Frank Thornton supplies the wine in ‘The Wild Affair’
Thornton had been acting in radio, stage, film and telly for about a decade by the time he took this minor role.
Read more
Home » Keeping Up Appearances
From the Vault: When Clive Swift was ‘Having a Wild Weekend’ with The Dave Clark Five
The film was the first movie role for Swift — aka Keeping Up Appearances’ Richard Bucket.
Read more
The Queen channels a little bit of Hyacinth Bucket at annual Palace of Holyroodhouse garden party
Over the course of 5 series, 40+ episodes and even a trip around the dance floor with Onslow on the QE2, Hyacinth Bucket endlessly strived to one day reach the top of the upper classes. Hyacinth lived to impress. She had no patience for people who pretend to be superior because, after all, that made it […]
Read more
‘Detectorists’ digs up a BAFTA for Toby Jones!
There’s something about British comedy over the course of time that makes you wonder how two people could ever hook-up much less cross paths. You know, those like Basil and Sybil Fawlty who are constantly at each others throats. But, you also get the sense that neither of them would survive without the other. The […]
Read more
Arkwright’s to remain open as BBC confirms 5th series
Some 45 years after Sir David Jason first set foot into Arkwright’s convenience store, Still Open All Hours has been commissioned for a 5th series which will air later this year on BBC One. Jason will return in the role of Granville who inherited the shop from the miserly Arkwright, played by Ronnie Barker. Granville was […]
Read more
PBS’s ‘Young Hyacinth’ special tells the backstory of Hyacinth, pre-Bucket
Almost three decades ago, American public television audiences were introduced to Richard and Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced “Bouquet”). With her white slimline telephone with automatic redial, of course, and her prized collection of Royal Doulton china with hand-painted periwinkles, of course, Hyacinth longed to spend her days visiting stately homes on the oft chance she would […]
Read more
‘Blackadder’, ‘Only Fools and Horses’ top list of shows deserving of another go
A recent poll created by the folks over at moneysavingexperts.com revealed that the greatness that is Blackadder is the #1 TV show that British viewers would most want to see return. The series, which celebrated its 34th anniversary of its first broadcast on TV last Thursday, continues to tease Planet Earth unmercifully with endless rumors of […]
Read more
Dame Hyacinth honored at Buckingham Palace
Patricia Routledge experienced a day Hyacinth Bucket could only dream about this past week at Buckingham Palace where she received her award recognizing her life-long service to the theater and charity. One can only imagine a 21st century Hyacinth answering the slimline telephone with automatic redial…”The Bucket residence, the Dame of the house speaking!” hoping upon […]
Read more
From the Vault: The 1973 ‘Open All Hours’ pilot
I may be in the minority here, but one of my most favorite British situation comedies of all-time is Open All Hours. Written by Roy Clarke (Last of the Summer Wine, Keeping Up Appearances) and starring comedy legends Ronnie Barker and David Jason, Open All Hours ‘premiered’ in 1973 as a last-minute addition to Barker’s comedy anthology series, Seven […]
Read more
The Bucket residence, the Dame of the House speaking….
For numerous reasons, I’m quite ready to let go of 2016, no questions asked. 2017 has started off brilliantly, however, with the news that Chichester’s own Patricia Routledge would be among the Queen’s New Year Honors being awarded DBE for her services to theatre and charity. A long-time passionate supporter of the arts who has enjoyed a lengthy relationship […]
Read more