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My parents watched this show when I was a kid and I distinctly remember thinking how sad it was that adults found this funny. I guess I grew into my own worst nightmare, because this show is a good laugh

Poor Richard Bucket. You know what he thinks of his home life right at the start of the series. Now old enough to retire, the long-suffering husband of the woman who makes such a show of her "Royal Doulton with the hand-painted periwinkles" would get on his knees and clean the carpets in his old workplace if it meant he could spend more time away from Hyacinth.

Hyacinth Bucket ("that's Bouquet . . . B-U-C-K-E-T") is a woman possessed. She'll stop at nothing to propel herself up the social ladder. She'll spend the weekend in a country cottage that isn't big enough to turn around in if it makes her look a bit more upwardly mobile. What with the unseen Sheridan constantly on the phone for more money that his father can't afford to give him or bothering Elizabeth next door to join her for coffee in ten minutes, Hyacinth certainly has her life worked out. And everyone else's, for that matter.

What I particularly like is everything that holds Hyacinth back. Her sister Violet has a swimming pool, sauna and room for a pony (I've seen Keeping Up Appearances so many times I can rattle that one off without thinking) and a cross-dressing husband named Bruce. Her other sister Rose is possibly two steps away from being a prostitute - she's always got at least three men on the go and doesn't know what to do with any of them - and lives in what Hyacinth would consider squalor with the fourth sister, Daisy, and Daisy's carefree slob of a husband Onslow. I always love it when Daisy tries to get a bit romantic with Onslow and he just thinks she's mad.

At least Violet and Bruce, and Daisy and Rose and Onslow have the compensation of living far away from Hyacinth. Poor Elizabeth next door has had her nerves shattered by Hyacinth's glass-shattering voice (which has often led poor Liz to shatter several dozen pieces of Hyacinth's crockery) and her brother Emmet vents his frustration out on his piano. One wonderful scene when Hyacinth volunteers to help at the church hall sees Richard, Onslow, Emmet and Michael the Vicar hiding in the basement in the dark as they try to fix the electrics. Everyone needs a place to hide from Hyacinth.

I've been watching this British comedy for about 10 years now; first on PBS and then recently on BBS. I'm sure I've seen all 44 episodes; most of them more than once; some of them three times or more. And I've never gotten bored with a single one. It's true that some of the plots were pretty much repeated over and over. But, still, watching Hyacinth, Richard, Daisy, Onslow, and all the others always gave me a chuckle. I've seen them so many times now that I feel I know each character personally. I wish I could have attended one of Hyancith's candlelight suppers, or spent an afternoon watching TV with Onslow, or gone for an afternoon drive with Hyancith and Richard. It would have been a scream. Situation comedies, British or American, don't get much better than "Keeping Up Appearances".

I have been watching "KuA" faithfully for a few years now. I have to say that Great Britain has produced the two best actors in recorded history: Ricky Gervais,of "The Office," and this wonderful lady. I apologize ahead of time to all of Lucille Ball's fans,but in my opinion,for what it's worth,there is no comparison between the two women. "Hyacinth" wins hands down.I never tire of her voice,or her physical comedy.Just tonight I was watching an episode,and actually choked on my drink because I was laughing so hard. Thank you BBCA,for airing this show daily. I understand Ms. Routledge is a national treasure in England,as well she should be. I only wish she was appearing in new episodes...it would have been interesting to see how Hyacinth changed,if at all.I simply adore her,and poor Richard,too. All of the regular actors who appear on the show are marvelous.I intend to buy every DVD set or single special episode of the series.

Definitely one of my favourite sitcoms, Keeping up appearances is funny because of it's characters rather than its jokes.

Hyacinth Bucket (Pronounced Bou-kay) is a middle class snob who lives with her long suffering husband Richard. Patricia Routledge is perfectly cast as Hyacinth and really makes the part her own, her facial expressions are hilarious, especially when she blinks her eyes erratically when something catastrophic has happened (Mainly her brother in law Onslow in a dirty vest) and she loves to sing.

The supporting cast are crucial to make Hyacinth appear even worse, she annoys them like mad but they can't tell her how they feel, she never listens. sister Daisy and bro in law Onslow are the opposite of Hyacinth, slobby and lazy and her sister Rose in her hotpants loves all the men in the area.

Elizabeth and her brother Emmet are the terrified next door neighbours, Elizabeth can't be in Hyacinth's company without breaking the bone china and Emmet will do anything to avoid Mrs. Bou-kay.

As he puts it:

"She'll sing at me"

I also like the local vicar (The one Hyacinth dies to impress) he calls her the bucket woman!

This programme is a simple idea that works, it doesn't give us weeks of wonderful, trivial plot lines, it's pretty much the same; Hyacinth tries to impress someone important but her plans ate thwarted by her Daddy or Daisy or Onslow, but this is why it's funny. People are the same as they were last week and the more we watch the character's eccentricities the more we grow to love them. it's great to see how Hyacinth will react in the situations she's placed in.

Overall it never lost its spark and even though it finished a while back it still brings a smile to my face.

This series is perhaps the funniest I have ever seen. Patricia Routledge (Hyacinth Bucket) is brilliant (to use a British phrase.) She is not only that-but darn hilarious. The supporting cast matches her along way. Geoffry Hughes is great as Onslow, who plays Hyacinth's slob brother-in-law who can care less about every and anything. And then there is Daisy, his desperate wife and Hyacinth's sister, who is desperate to get Onslow to show some interest in her. And then there is the man crazy sister Rose (Mary Millar) who will do anything to get a man and to swear off them of them as well (including donating her undies to Charity.) And, of course, there's Hyacinth's poor suffering husband Richard and her neighbor, Elizabeth, who is so nervous in Hyacinth's presence that she continually breaks Hyacinth's Periwinkle China every time she is asked (forced to)come to tea. This is a hilarious series, every episode is enjoyable.

Certainly one of the best ever sitcoms. No matter how many time one watches this show, there will always be that moment when you fall about in humorous agony. Laughs from the start - never stopping til end of closing credits. Definitely the greatest 90's tv comedy. All American shows pale in comparison. Dad's Army was the 60's top British comedy and KUA rightly holds the 90's crown. The cast is perfect, love or hate them.

For me, hilarious as it was, this show wasn't even a laughing matter ! When I was growing up, this is EXACTLY what my mother was like; a working-class oik desperately trying to 'better' herself, not realizing everyone could see straight through it like an open book ! (Funnily enough she's from suburban Northampton where this was shot; no coincidence in my opinion !) As her son, I know exactly how Richard felt in this show; a persistent mascot of a non-existing social sector, tormented with demands of 'perfection' and 'superiority'! I mean, in the same way Mrs. bucket pronounces brochure 'broshere' and expects people to be convinced she's the aristocracy, my parents bought some second-hand Dorchester Hotel glasses - think the 'D' logo with laurel wreath - and thought people would mistake them for the (non-existent) family Crest ! (My surname is Ducker)

Anyway, enough about myself, that Patricia Routledge was superb as arrogant Mrs. Bucket, while Mary Millar, Judy Cornwell (think Mrs. Claus in Santa Claus Movie !) + Geoffrey Hughes were brilliant as the oik slob relatives ! The banal suburban setting reflected the reality of the socio-cultural orientation perfectly ! The humour at worst mediocre, but at best BLOODY HYSTERICAL ! ! They don't make this sort of comedy anymore, but thankfully I believe it still bets repeats on UK TV !

I loved watching this show back in the early 90s. It's as wonderfully English as you could hope for and the cast are great. Patricia Routledge makes the show what it is but Clive Swift is the perfect complement to her and deserves enormous credit.

My main problem with the show is that it stayed within the same formula from start to finish. After a dozen or so episodes it becomes very predictable and loses it's edge. It's not a massive problem as the formula is clearly a success, plus back in those days we had to wait a week for a new episode so it managed to stay a bit fresher. However, much like Last of the Summer Wine, the lack of differentiation holds the show back a little bit and it doesn't reach the heights of One Foot in the Grave or other classic sitcoms from the era.

Everyone knows a "Hyacinth."

I would like to know who played Stephanie, daughter of Daisy and Onslow. When Hyacinth was dressing for the Baptism, she said " what kind of a name is Kylie for a Christian person? It sounds like a foreign vegetable!" Stephanie had two boyfriends, each of which thought he was the father.

We always have a 30 minute comedy on hand to fill in gaps when it's too late, or we don't have time for a longer show. Yes..we watch a lot of TV. After taking over a year to watch every episode of MASH, we turned to Keeping Up. The first three seasons are so great. The casting and acting are perfect. Patricia Routledge can speak volumes with just an eyebrow raise or lip twitch! Especially on the phone. She picked up the torch from Bob Newhart when it comes to hilarious one-sided phone "conversations". The problem with binging is that it is easy to pickup the common repetitiveness of situations and dialogue. This isn't talking about the great "catch phrases", such as how Hyacinth describes Violet. After so many times, that one still makes me chuckle. But basic dialogue is very repetitive. Something we may not pick up on if we weren't watching it almost daily. By season 4, I was ready to give up. Hyacinth's silly perfectionism turns into delusional cruelty. What was fairly smart and cute comedy turned very slapstick and annoying. I would have loved to see Richard, Elizabeth and the Vicar have more of a backbone. That being said, the genius of Patricia Routledge really shows in the last two seasons because she is SO good at being awful that it makes you yell at the TV for Elizabeth to finally freak out, trash Hyacinths kitchen, and storm out in a rage. Overall...It's impossible not to enjoy the show. It truly is perfectly cast. Each actor owns their character and are all lovable in their own right. Patricia Routledge is a force of comedic nature, but ironically her character is my least favorite! The characters become familiar and comforting to see each episode. Great one-liners, even the recurring ones. Onslo's dog in the car never gets old. Speaking of Onslo...he owns the greatest line of the entire series...be sure to catch his last line with Hyacinth as they dance on the QE2! Keeping Up is classic, very British television. Enjoy...but maybe not binge!

This is a series about a social-climbing woman named Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced "bouquet") and her long-suffering husband and neighbors. The show's humor is based on how Hyacinth goes into temper tantrums, or is oblivious to other people's feelings, or puffs herself up about important she is, or soon will be.

Patricia Loughridge is a talented actress, but her role is awful. She is artificial and extremely annoying, and I could imagine anyone around her wanting to avoid her like the plague. One could compare her with Lucille Ball of the "I Love Lucy" show, but Ball wasn't quite so irritating, and her family and neighbors had quirks of their own. Here everyone's character is simply a reaction to how Hyacinth is and what she does.

Some people may find "annoying protagonist" sitcoms funny; this wasn't the case for me.

My wife and I discovered "Keeping up appearances" several years ago on PBS and we've been hooked ever since. As many times as we watch it, we never tire of Hyacinth's relentless efforts to climb the social latter within the backdrop of her less-than-classy family. KUA is certainly funnier than any sitcom produced in America today. The humor is an excellent mixture of traditional brit, old-fashioned slapstick and numerous sight gags and with facial expressions that are often more telling than dialogue. Patricia Routledge is the greatest comedic actress since Lucille Ball and couldn't possibly be more realistic in this hilarious role. She and her supporting cast lend such an element of realism to the show, one is almost tempted to look outside to see if they may be lurking next door! kudos and cheers to the Brits for this classic.

Hyacinth Bucket, or should I say, "Bouqet", is one of TV's greatest ladies. Patricia Routledge plays the part extremely well, allowing us to enter middle-Britain every time we tune in.

Keeping Up Appearances is truly delightfully written. With a talented cast; each episode unfolds into another problem for Hyacinth and her family. Her estranged son Sheriden, who never appears on screen is her true treasure. She is so proud of him and his achievements but is forever missing the signs that he is doing a drama and arts course and living with another man. Hilarious! Hyacinth's ever so hard efforts to climb the social ladder are so funny. Each and every episode she is trying to better herself and her long-loving and long-suffering husband, Richard.

The essence of the programme is how different from Hyacinth her two sisters are. Rose and Daisy, from the nearby council estate give Hyacinth nothing but grief and embarrassment! From their old Ford Cortina parked on the driveway on bricks, with a dog on the back seat to Rose's new man, Hyacinth is forever worried about what the upper classes will think of her.

Excellent script writing makes the on-screen chemistry between Hyacinth and her family truly remarkable. I love the true British style to this comedy drama. There's a Hyacinth in every village and that's what makes it so funny to watch.

An outstanding programme, with good and very good acting throughout. Well done to all those associated with Keeping Up Appearance.

Hyacinth Bucket was a first class snob and a great eccentric. She came from an eccentric family - lazy Daisy and her passion for philosophising layabout husband Onslow; rampant Rose - always seeking Mr Right, or Mr Anybody; Daddy - well past the height of his mental powers; and Violet - married to a cross-dressing turf accountant.

Hyacinth's adored son, Sheridan, was never seen on screen, but it was established that the lad was very much his mother's son! Why did long-suffering husband Richard and neighbours Liz and Emmett put up with Hyacinth? Wherever she went, she caused chaos in her endless pursuit of a refined and elegant existence.

This is the most English of comedies: on the island of Britain, no nation takes class more seriously than England - and this series also demonstrates the wonderful ability of the English to laugh at their own peculiarities.

A wonderful series - and one of the last truly great English sitcoms.

Ever the Social Climber, Hyacinth Bucket enjoys showing off, impressing the neighbours, and entertaining at her renowned Candle light suppers.

Well to start with, it's worth noting that Hyacinth was something of a national institution, in the same way that Victor Meldrew was. Hugely memorable, and still loved today, years after the show ended, many of us know a Hyacinth.

It's a hilarious series, every episode offers something different, the show never ran out of steam, for my money it got better and better, peaking in its fifth and final series.

My favourite episodes, Sea Fever, What to wear whilst yachting, and my all time favourite, The Country House Sale. Not one single bad episode, the standard was always so high.

Routledge shone throughout, she was truly wonderful, creating the ultimate snob, I loved the few occasions where the act slipped, and we saw the real Hyacinth.

Wonderful characters throughout, so many memorable ones, personally I always loved Daisy, the way she used to try to get a reaction out of Onslow, magical, her striptease surely one of the best scenes.

It's one of those shows that I wish had gone on for a bit longer, or at least returned for the odd special, there was definitely more milage here.

My favourite Bucket, 9/10.

One of the funniest comedies I've ever seen - I watched it for many years on PBS. I have to say many times I laughed so hard tears fell.

The casting is perfect! The idea behind the show is original and the comedy is brilliant! Outstanding series!

Hyacinth is from a working class family, married to an average man, Richard. Hayacinth's antics are what the show is all about "Keeping Up Appearances" that she and her husband are well-to-do. She loves her family but always embarrassed by their casual, sometimes rude and abrasive ways. Her poor neighbor Elizabeth is a nervous wreck around her. All this leads to one of the most the funniest zanniest comedies I've ever seen. A perfect 10!

10/10.

The first year was funny. The second year was funny. By the middle of the third year I was ready to put this woman out of everyone's misery! The show is no "Are You Being Served!" Basically, some poor writing/scripting.

The "Bucket" name/joke is done to death. The biggest problem with that is ... no Priest is going to continue calling the woman "Mrs. Bucket" when she's corrected him a thousand times already! No business is going to put up with a man constantly getting calls from his wife during meetings! Actually, the show should have been called "The Onslow Show", because the happening around this guy, brother-in-law to Hyacinth, were actually funny! Which, I assume, is why they had Onslow (Geoffrey Hughes) do the final segments of the series! I do have the DVD set and I am glad I bought the set, and watched it. But I doubt it will be watched a second time. However, never say never!

I've watched this tv series during my childhood on PBS, it was very amusing and very funny. The stereotypes can make you laugh, and some very funny moments - usually when Hyacinth is up to something (and it goes wrong or there's a faux pas) or when she visits her siblings. It is always funny to watch.

This BBC sitcom is about a pretentious middle-class suburban woman who is from an underclass background. She pretends to be cultured and sophisticated - and desperately tries to impress various people.

She is frequently embarrassed by her family, including her senile father, lazy slob brother-in-law Onslow, slutty sister Rose, cross-dressing brother-in- law Bruce and polyamorous niece Stephanie.

Keeping Up Appearances is quite simply my most favourite television program of all time. Bar none. Writer Roy Clarke has taken his enormous talent, which he exhibited throughout 'The Last of The Summer Wine' and amplified it 10-fold.

It's the only show I've ever watched in it's entirety well over 20 times, and still I find it absolutely hilarious. I make a point of re-watching it at least once per year, and it has been a staple in my TV diet since I was an adolescent. (I'm 33 Now).

Some people, particularly those not fond of British Class-based humour may find it dull and boring, but for those of us that love this style of comedy this is the epitome of entertainment.

To say I love the show would be a severe understatement, and I don't make this claim lightly - if a show is bad, I say so - this isn't - it's brilliantly written and performed with perfect comic timing.

The only downside is there just isn't enough episodes - because for me, even if there was 1000 I don't think I could ever grow tired of "The Bucket Woman's" antics.

Patricia Routledge and Clive Swift are amazing actors and the supporting cast do more than provide justice for this ranking as absolute all-time number one.

Now if you don't mind, I must go and answer my phone...it'll be my Sheridan of course...I can tell by the psychic pain between my shoulder blades :p

Patricia Routlidge makes this comedy 100% however Rose's romantic with a string of Mr so and so and Onslow's character is a little weak. But binge watching this after all these years alerted me to the fact that each episode is a carbon copy of the last: Hyacinth plans a social occasion that ultimately crashes and burns when the brash part of her family turns up at the nick of time to spoil her delusional doo.