To really like Hyacinth Bucket :)

Have you seen her playing "Kitty" in Victoria Wood's As Seen On TV?

Patricia Routledge is a genius who doesn't get the credit she's due. Her comedic abilities are up there among the best. I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole about her not so long ago and her singing needs to be seen, a very funny very talented lady.

Margo was what Hyacinth was aiming for, and probably thought she'd got it too.

However, Margo was the complete ensemble - refined, opinionated, had self-awareness by the shovel-load, knew exactly what she was doing & saying, knew & observed the true rules of society (as opposed to making her own), recongnised her weaknesses (the "Windbreak War" episode shows us the other side of Margo), and was more than happy to NOT try and save people from themselves - she liked people in the pigeon holes she'd put them in, and would have a fit at the idea of bringing them up to her level. She was happy with her own "type" on that front.

I adore Richard.

Oh I loved Margo!

My late mum's favourite show - she giggled nonstop! Really seemed to 'get' Mrs Bucket and her exhausted husband

Well I think that was rather the point, don't you? The comedy of its time was always merged with a good helping of pathos.

I thought she was better in Hettie Wainthropp

I have a Polish friend who assures me in Poland they go mad for Mrs Bucket. They love it.

I think the redeeming factor for Hyacinth is that she isn’t self-aware enough to realise she’s being rude when she insults other people. She largely seems to think it’s for their own good, or she’s just being honest. She doesn’t set out to hurt people.

And other people respond in kind, so she becomes a pitiable character. That’s quite relatable - we all make mistakes socially. Hyacinth just makes more of them, and at her own spectacular level.

They are only rumours anyway, but it wasn't Pam St Clement (she is rumoured to have been living with a news reader for many, many years), it was said that Patrica Routledge was linked with Betty Boothroyd.

Even the Swedes?

I read somewhere that the series sold to umpteen countries, over 100 IIRC, because apparently Hyacinth is universal, every nation/culture recognises a Hyacinth!

Hyacinth does some terrible things, the way she forces herself onto society, the way she treats her husband and poor Liz, and the way she has absolutely no self-awareness.

Yep, I'm surprised so many people are saying how lovely she is, lol.

I mean, yes, she's not entirely horrendous but she's so rude to people too.

That's definitely one perspective. And yes, now you mention it, it could be like that.

On the other hand...

Hyacinth does some terrible things, the way she forces herself onto society, the way she treats her husband and poor Liz, and the way she has absolutely no self-awareness.

I always think she was aiming to be what Margo Leadbetter was in The Good Life. I think also it was really so clever of the writers to show that while she would frequently speak of her every-day best china with the hand-painted periwinkles, or want the furniture van to display the Royal Crest to all her neighbours, she was frequently seen wearing the same housecoat, her posh outfits were often worn at least twice, and things such as her kettles (I counted three different ones over the years) & of course her white slimline telephone with last number redial, were actually really at the bottom-end of the market, with nothing posh about them at all.

As always, Sheridan brought with him much speculation. Contrary to what a lot of people think, I had him down a huge, rugged gay-bear type, while "Tarquin" was much more like the comedian Tom Allen. I longed for the day they would visit, hoping that Tarquin might have a crush on poor Emmett, who was already fighting off the romantic advances of Rose.

I know this sounds like I've thought about it all too much, but this was one of many sitcoms from my teenage years, and I still watch it now.

Loved KUA! Hyacinth was awesome. Patricia Routledge was an outstanding actress and a bloody funny comedienne.

"Would you like a beaker dear?" 🤣

Agree about the episode where she had to put up with the commodore in the back of the car...depressingly real.

AIBU to ask where can one buy replacements for missing pieces of china? This is for my Royal Doulton with the hand-painted periwinkles. My next door neighbour has smashed 4 pieces now.

To be fair, the royals did their recent balcony thingy is weird sailor outfits.

Do they think the balcony is a boat?

Must be an upper class thing we’re unaware of.

I like The Lady Ursula’s Homemade Gooseberry Wine episode.

She was SHITFACED!

I aspire to be Hyacinth but live like Daisy and Onslow 😆😆

I used to love this show too. Some scenes often randomly pop into my mind....like the one when Hyacinth wanted a part in a musical and everything she saw Emmet she burst into song 😂. Also, when they were going 'boating' and she got poor Richard and herself decked out in navy and white ' nautical' attire!! She really approached everything with such gusto 😍.

She’d be hilarious on MN. 😂

I love her. Loved her when it first came out and I was only in my 20’s then.

I also want one of these

Was that the “homemade geesberry woon”🤣

The 'home-made shroosberry gine' - one of my favourite episodes!