My next Britcom Boxset is...
Having watched the series when it first aired I've somehow never been able to shake the mindset of
Keeping Up Appearances being new and shiny. It's quite horrifying to realise that it is almost twenty seven years since I watched that first episode.
Yet at the same time it's strange to think there was a time before Hyacinth. Even when it
was brand new, it somehow never really felt so. It felt instantly comfortable and right.
Watching it as a teenager, I never quite knew if I was supposed to like it or not. It never seemed trendy or cutting edge. It was written by the
Last Of The Summer Wine guy. The cast were all three or four times older than me. Nothing really
happened in it. And even on the first viewing I pretty much knew what the next line was going to be.
Which are, of course, exactly the reasons it works so well. It never stopped being relevant because it hadn't attempted to be particularly relevant in the first place.
As far as it being slow and uneventful: I now understand that to be character driven rather than event driven. It doesn't matter what Daddy's particular inappropriate behaviour is on any particular week. Nor who Rose's beau is. Or even Hyacinth's latest social endeavour. What matters is seeing each of the characters respond to each other.
It's a given that in each episode certain notes will be hit. Elizabeth will be requested to take tea with Hyacinth. Hyacinth will face the window and mourn the loss of another Royal Doulton with the hand-painted periwinkles. Hyacinth will get a phone call on her white slimline telephone be it from Sheridan, Violet or someone wanting to order a number 44. Richard will be warned about perceived dangers whilst chauffeuring his wife round in their blue Rover. A crisis will necessitate a visit to Hyacinth's childhood home on the council estate where she'll have to navigate the cluttered front path and will be frightened by the dog. It's the reason why the series is no less funny several rewatches along.
With this series it's all about the anticipation. Watching the first three episodes yesterday I found myself grinning whenever Hyacinth would arrive at the council house. Maybe the gate will fall off and Richard will be told to leave it. Maybe the dog will bark and cause Hyacinth to fall into the already messy hedge. Maybe one of Rose's lover's wives will arrive. Maybe Onslow will shout from the window. Just knowing that any of these things
could happen is funny enough. The variation is less important but guaranteed to make me laugh harder than it would if I hadn't been on the lookout.
The abundance of location filming is greatly appreciated. Looking at the series on paper it's entirely feasible that a decision could have been taken to film it almost entirely in a studio. And it would still have worked well. But the added trouble and expense of exterior shots bring a reality to these sometimes wacky characters. Would a set-bound Hyacinth have just been too much, I wonder? Either way, the location work adds a touch of class of which I'm sure Hyacinth would approve.
As someone who enjoys seeing these cars that are now vanishing from British roads, I must give some love to Richard's Rover 200 SD3. It seems the perfect choice for them. I can imagine Hyacinth being attracted to the badge with its touch of class and rich British history, while Richard would be attracted to the economy and Honda reliability, playing down those aspects to his wife. Hyacinth would no doubt be horrified to learn that it's a re-badged Japanese car, which adds to the amusement.
It's also worth noting that the SD3 was phased out around the time the series began, replaced by a hatchback model based on a different Honda. Even though it's a car of the Eighties, something about this the clean lines and traditional three box saloon design feels quite timeless. It's dated well, even if it's very difficult to see one without thinking of the Buckets.