Did you watch Keeping Up Appearances when it was first on from 1990-1995? I just love this show! If you've never seen it, or if you remember it fondly, it is now streaming on Netflix in the US.
I came upon a site that tells what four of the six main characters are doing these days. Sadly, three have died. The first Rose - Shirley Stelfox, and the second Rose - Mary Millar, and dear Onslow played by Geoffrey Hughes, whose death I noted here. But I'm happy to see that Patricia Routledge, Clive Swift, Josephine Tewson, and Judy Cornwell are all still with us. You may read about them, and see recent photographs here.
Oh! those lilacs!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend whose son called her Mrs Bouquet..... because she is exactly like that woman! Patricia Routledge did a wonderful Alan Bennet monologue in the series Talking Heads; and if you can find any of Victoria Wood on TV series or similar, for a while Routledge appeared in them as another kind of talking head which I think was the forerunner to Mrs Bouquet.... she was always ".... the first in our Close to have (insert pond, new car, double glazing etc)". Have you come across Victoria Wood at all? Loved her writing. She was indeed a driven writer, she was not afraid to be "northern", she wrote so much good stuff for other people. Ever seen "Two Soups" with Julie Walters? That sketch is so, so near the pathos that good comedy often has - I can repeat it word for word and Walters was the perfect waitress. Perhaps you will find it on YouTube (and of course you might find the Patricia Routledge sketches on there, too).
I saw that monologue! And last night went looking for it, and the others on you tube and happily found them. Those were exceptionally great. Did Victoria Wood just die? Or was that someone else? I shall look into her. Thank you for the recommendation. I will also look for Two Soups.
DeleteI have never seen this before.
ReplyDeleteWell, now you can on Netflix!! I think you will get a great kick out of the show.
DeleteOh yes, we have watched this show many times. I think I liked the one best where Hyacinth and Richard think that they are going on a yacht and Hyacinth ends up in the drink! But head held high!
ReplyDeleteI loved Oslow and Daisy!
Mary
I love how she was always, always a good sport. Running, falling in the water, falling into the hedge when the dog barks. She just picks herself up and gets back to it! It is fun watching it again right from the beginning. Over the years since it was first on, I've watched a lot of episodes but not in order.
DeleteWanted to add - LOVE your header photo!
ReplyDeleteMary
Oh, thanks so much! It was a lucky shot last evening.
DeleteLoved that show and still do like to watch past episodes.
ReplyDeleteAs I wrote to Mary, it is fun seeing the shows in order again. Not a lot of comedy makes me laugh out loud but KUA sure does!
DeleteWhat a great photo of your barn and especially those lush white lilacs!
ReplyDeleteThank you! That is an amazing lilac. Tom's mother gave it to us ages and ages ago, and it has just thrived. There are a lot of new shoots all around it now.
DeleteYes, big fan of Hyacinth back in the day. Sadly we just don't make comedy shows like that any more. People say the writers aren't writing them. Personally I don't think we're producing really funny comedy actors and actresses any more. Everyone is more interested in looking glamorous than in being funny. You can't look ordinary on TV any more. One of our History doc. makers, Mary Beard, came in for horrible, spiteful comments on Twitter just because she looks like a normal woman in her mid-60s. Very sad.
ReplyDeleteThat is just horrible! Tom and I are always saying how normal and regular British actresses and actors are compared to the US. You would never see a Jane Horrocks or a Lesley Sharp or a Toby Jones or a Caroline Quentin or a Mackenzie Crook over here. Most of what we watch is drama because the comedies seem so silly/crass/dumb. Although I did get a kick out of Boomers. Not great at all but some cute moments. I mostly only watch British stuff these days since we got Tunnelbear. Detectorists is one of the best shows we have ever seen. I bought the DVDS, and I bought Tom a metal detector!!
DeleteYou're right about our actors and actresses, Nan. We do seem prepared for them to look normal... even Benedict Cumberbatch who is hugely popular worldwide is not what you would call traditionally good looking. But there is definitely a problem with comedy acting. Possibly we've had our Golden Age and I should stop missing the likes of Ronnie Barker (and we've just tragically lost Victoria Wood too) and move on, but it is a shame. I did see a couple of episodes of Boomers but wasn't at that keen. I did quite enjoy Upstart Crow, the Shakespeare based comedy, which has just been on though. Comedian, David Mitchell, was very good as Shakespeare.
DeleteI hadn't heard of Victoria Wood until the news of her death. You're right about Cumberbatch. I'm not 'keen' on Boomers either but I still keep watching. I can't explain why. haha.
DeleteCommenting on my own post :<)) but honestly I don't know anyone who is Patricia Routledge's equal in physical comedy. The only one who comes close is Lucille Ball in the I Love Lucy shows. They were both fearless.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, Nan, she's one of a kind... and not a small, dainty, athletic sort of a person either. Lucille Ball was wonderful too. Showing our age. LOL!
DeleteThank you Nan -- I am going to the website you linked. We both absolutely loved this show ; it played over and over for years on our local PBS station; we knew the lines by heart after awhile, but we still watched it every Saturday that we were home ... I'd actually love to watch it again on Netflix, but I'm not sure Bill is that much of a fan. (There are so many other things to watch -- we only recently began to subscribe to Netflix and Amazon services because there is absolutely nothing worth watching on the cable TV we get here in Florida). Small house and the same schedule (unlike you two) make it pretty much a necessity to watch something we both like.
ReplyDeleteA much loved program, that's for sure!
DeleteI've seen a few episodes years ago, and they were so funny! My mother in law was a big fan of Keeping Up With Appearances back in the day. Part of what I like about The Great British Bake-Off and other British shows I see on PBS is how normal the actors and people look. On American tV, even the normal people on reality shows all have to be so perfect looking.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of funny British shows, have you listened to Cabin Pressure, the radio programme with Benedict Cumberbatch? It is 26 episodes long, and can be found on-line somewhere, I'm sure. I was able to follow it on a podcast app. I highly recommend it listening to it. I've listened to the whole programme twice now.
I haven't, but will look for it! Thanks.
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