Keeping Up Appearances

1990 | Classics | Comedy

Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke. It aired on BBC One from 1990 to 1995. The central character is eccentric and snobbish middle class social climber Hyacinth Bucket (Patricia Routledge), who insists that her surname is pronounced "Bouquet".[2]
The sitcom follows Hyacinth in her attempts to prove her social superiority, and to gain standing with those she considers upper class. Her attempts are constantly hampered by her lower class extended family, whom she is desperate to hide. Much of the humour comes from the conflict between Hyacinth's vision of herself, and the reality of her underclass background. In each episode, she lands in a farcical situation as she battles to protect her social credibility.
The show comprised five series and 44 episodes, four of which are Christmas specials.