History Series / KeepingUpAppearances

The show revolves around Hyacinth Bucket ([[BlatantLies apparently pronounced]] '[[PretentiousPronunciation Bouquet]]', as she's [[InsistentTerminology often heard correcting people]]), social climber extraordinaire. Snobby, shallow, and blissfully unaware of how annoying she is, Hyacinth is desperately worried that she isn't upper-class enough. Which, considering her family ([[GoodBadGirl Rose]], [[FatSlob Onslow, and Daisy]]), she definitely isn't.

Obsessed with improving and showing off her social status, Hyacinth routinely rides roughshod over everyone unlucky enough to know her, assuming they are an admiring chorus who will do whatever she wants. Her HenpeckedHusband, Richard, is long-suffering verging on sainthood. Also frequently roped into her schemes are her patient but timid neighbour Elizabeth, who is prone to dropping Hyacinth's expensive crockery, Elizabeth's composer brother Emmett, who cannot stand Hyacinth, [[HollywoodToneDeaf especially when she sings at him]], as well as the local vicar and his wife. No matter how firmly they tell her "No," she only hears "Yes, my lady." She's also blind to the abundant evidence that her son is anything other than her idea of perfect. Her numerous schemes are often scuttled by her own lack of intelligent thought and planning as well her increasingly panicked desperation whenever she loses control.

Hyacinth's sisters, Daisy and Rose, are both much lower class, living in a council house with a junked car (and resident dog) permanently parked in their front garden. Their [[TheAllegedCar car stutters and belches out black smoke]]. Daisy is a down-to-earth type rather in awe of Hyacinth's pretensions; Rose is the local HardDrinkingPartyGirl whose sex-life provides much of the incidental comedy -- especially her crush on Hyacinth's (very married) [[TheVicar parish vicar]]. Daisy's husband, Onslow, is a stereotypical FatSlob who is perennially unemployed and completely ignores his wife's amorous advances, though there are hints that he is in fact [[BrilliantButLazy very intelligent]], in comic contrast to Hyacinth. He has a sort of survivor's bond with Richard, whom he occasionally tries to "rescue." The sisters' senile and lecherous elderly father ("Daddy"), who is still fighting the Second World War, also lives with Daisy and Rose, and regularly causes havoc with his antics.

Hyacinth has another sister Violet who, in contrast to Daisy and Rose, is very wealthy. Hyacinth even boasts about her to guests when she is on the telephone with her ("[[CatchPhrase It's my sister Violet! She's the one with the Mercedes, sauna, and room for a pony!]]") Despite this, Hyacinth tries to keep at bay the cross-dressing, prostitute-hiring antics of Violet's turf accountant (i.e., bookmaker) husband Bruce. At first [[TheGhost an unseen character]] for most of the show, Violet physically appears a number of times in the last series.

* UpperClassEquestrian: Played with when Hyacinth and Richard wear riding gear to meet Elizabeth and Emmet, who are also in riding gear, having followed Hyacinth's instructions to "wear something tweedy". Hilarity ensues when Emmet insists they actually do ride horses, about which Hyacinth has no idea.

---> '''Emmet:''' (To himself) Greater love hath no man for his sister, than to be Hyacinth. (To Elizabeth, imitating Hyacinth) ''Corffee'' at eleven, Elizabeth?
---> '''Elizabeth:''' Thank you, Hyacinth. (Emmet glares at her) I'm sorry, but you were so lifelike.

* DeadpanSnarker: Onslow and Richard. Even Hyacinth herself occasionally, usually when referring to the delapidated state of Daisy and Onslow's front garden.

--> (Richard opens car door)

--> (Richard begins to close the door)

--> (Richard opens the door, Hyacinth gets out)

--> (Hyacinth gets in)
--> '''Hyacinth''': (sharply, just as Richard closes the door) No, no!! (Richard opens the door) I think the best thing would be for you to ring the bell, and when she opens it, she'll find me admiring her garden. A subtle compliment, without going too far.

---> '''Vicar's wife''': This needs quite a bit of work on it. Can I have a volunteer to clean the church hall (Hyacinth puts her hand up) toilet... Mrs Bucket, thank you.

* HiddenDepths: Look very carefully at the covers of the books Onslow is seen reading in bed in some of the later episodes. They are mostly graduate physics textbooks, implying he is more intelligent than he lets on ([[BrilliantButLazy not that this makes him interested in pursuing steady employment]]).

'''Postman''': (equally loudly) The [=QE2=]!\\

-->'''Richard''': They're here ''offically''.\\

* NeatFreak: Needless to say, The Bucket residence is always immaculate, and the Lady of the House presumably does the housekeeping herself (Richard doing "manly" tasks such as gardening, under his wife's gaze "My Goodness! Is that a dead leaf?", and polishing the car). When drinks are spilled by Elizabeth, Hyacinth is far more concerned for her new suite than anybody's comfort. Occasionally, Hyacinth tries to put other people's houses in order: she polishes the postman's badge, and in a cafe, she starts polishing the cutlery.

-->'''Hyacinth:''' ''(on the phone to Violet)'' That sounded like he wants you to dress up as Robin Hood and Maid Marian!... Oh, he does want you both to dress up as Robin Hood and Main Marian... What do you mean, I haven't heard the worst part?... ''(groans)'' He wants to be Maid Marian.

* NoNameGiven: The Vicar's wife, despite the fact she is a recurring character during the entire run of the show. Also, to a lesser extent, the Major.
** Interestingly, his name actually appears in ''every single episode'', as the RSVP card Hyacinth prepares in the title sequence is made out to "Major & Mrs. Wilton Smythe".

--->'''Richard:''' Excuse me, but are you married by any chance? Well, have you ever forgotten your wedding anniversary? Then you'll understand my urgency.

--->'''Hyacinth:''' Why are you calling from a payphone? Oh, Onslow's been cut off again; surprise, surprise.

--->'''Hyacinth:''' That's my call you're making!\\

* TheVicar: Michael the vicar, who is terrified of both Hyacinth (for being loud and blustery) and Rose (for having a huge sexual appetite).
-->"It's the Bucket woman!"

* RichLanguagePoorLanguage: Hyacinth works hard at her [[IAmVeryBritish RP]] to cover her naturally Wirral accent, [[AccentRelapse which nevertheless can slip through when she's flustered]].

-->"It's the Bucket woman!"* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Onslow and Daisy love Bacon Butties. Onslow is also partial to Beer and Crisps (potato chips).

* CoitusEnsues: Once, between Daisy and Onslow, [[MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces in a wrong place]]. Also Rose and Mister Finchley, who's helping Rose find her father while driving a van with loudspeakers.

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Onslow and Daisy love Bacon Butties. Onslow is also partial to Beer and Crisps (potato chips).

* TheVicar: Michael the vicar, who is terrified of both Hyacinth (for being loud and blustery) and Rose (for having a huge sexual appetite).
-->"It's the Bucket woman!"
* TiedUpOnThePhone: Hyacinth sometimes gets tangled in the cable of her prized white Slimline telephone with recall facility, complete with absurdly long cord.

** And then there's Rose who... well, she has at least tried to become something other than an airheaded, middled-aged slut on a few occasions. She has tried to start a door-to-door jewelry selling business and more than once tried to swear off her debaucherous lifestyle and dedicate it purely to Christianity (even trying to become a nun at one point).

* DropInCharacter: Elizabeth, against her will.

* TruthInTelevision: During the time period when the show was originally filmed, it was not uncommon for women Hyacinth's age to turn as fretful as she does as they aged, so it's quite probable that she was far less insecure and desperate when Richard first married her. As the possibilities for older women continue to expand, this may become an AluminumChristmasTrees fact.

* LargeHam: Most of the women, especially Hyacinth.
* LazyBum: Onslow and Daisy.

* ShesGotLegs: Emmett's description of Rose: "The one with the friendly legs." Also:
-->'''Onslow:''' We've left your father in good hands.\\
'''Daisy:''' Do you think our Hyacinth will think our Rose qualifies as "good hands"?\\
'''Onslow:''' All right, we've left your father in good legs.

* PretentiousPronunciation:
** It's not 'Bucket', it's 'Bouquet', as Hyacinth will insistently claim. However, Richard claims "It was always Bucket until I met you," and Hyacinth herself, upset at the time, once pronounces it "Bucket" and fails to correct herself, suggesting this is a bit of SelectiveObliviousness on her part.
** In an episode where Hyacinth is telling everybody she is going on holiday (when she isn't), she says "brochures" frequently, pronouncing the O as in "odd". In the same episode, she accidentally answers the phone with "The Brochure residence..."

As well as running gags, the series employs a more subtle sliding scale to wealth, social status, and marital happiness - the poorest and unmarried sister, Rose, seems to be the happiest and also has the most active sex life. Daisy and Onslow seem to have a happy enough marriage despite their lack of social standing. Hyacinth and Richard are middle-class, with a testy but caring relationship. And Violet and Bruce are the most wealthy, but have a terrible marriage. Similarly, the three husbands have a sliding scale of laziness, with Onslow the worst, then Richard, who blithely accepts his wife's decisions without protest, while Bruce works very hard, if only to buy nice dresses for ''himself.''

* RichLanguagePoorLanguage: Hyacinth [[UpToEleven works hard]] at her [[IAmVeryBritish RP]] to cover her naturally Wirral accent, [[AccentRelapse which nevertheless can slip through when she's flustered]].

* NiceHat: Hyacinth usually wears a grand hat when out and about. When she orders Richard to choose a hat for her, he is indecisive, and she accuses him of "being unfaithful to her hats". In an episode where her car passes Elizabeth's car going in the opposite direction:
-->'''Elizabeth:''' I didn't like Hyacinth's hat.\\
'''Hyacinth:''' I didn't like Elizabeth's hat.