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Registered: 04-2005
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"Plot"
Hyacinth Bucket is a social-climbing snob who insists her last name is pronounced "bouquet". She spends most of her time trying to impress her neighbours and friends by boasting about her wealthy sister Violet, and pretending to be of a more “aristocratic” class. Simultaneously, Hyacinth tries desperately to avoid her lower-class relatives who frequently turn up, either on the woman's doorstep (a suburban bungalow situated on Blossom Avenue), or in public places, embarrassing Hyacinth and thus sabotaging her hopes of climbing the social ladder. Hyacinth is a middle-aged housewife who is very house-proud. She will answer the phone with "The Bouquet residence, the lady of the house speaking", and from her well-polished brass to the shining wood-block, her home is a paragon of perfection and polish. She is constantly warning her visitors not to brush up against the walls and telling them to remove their shoes on arrival. Hyacinth's long-suffering and hen-pecked husband is Richard, who works for the local council. Later in the series he reluctantly takes early retirement. Richard often tries in vain to stop Hyacinth in her snobbish endeavours, but she never listens to anyone, including her husband. Richard regularly gets dragged into assisting Hyacinth in her numerous attempts at climbing the social ladder, despite a reluctance to do so. The couple have an unseen son Sheridan, who makes frequent phone calls from his polytechnic (one which Hyacinth claims is "of university standard") asking for money. Although Hyacinth seems unaware, there are strong suggestions that Sheridan is homosexual.
Saving face, Hyacinth and Richard hiding from their lower-class relatives on the grounds of an expensive stately homeHyacinth has three sisters: Daisy, Rose and Violet. The lust-crackling Daisy is married to the unromantic slob, Onslow, and the pair have a daughter called Stephanie. Neither Daisy or Onslow work, and they spend their time lounging about in the sitting room, with Onslow drinking beer, eating crisps and watching television, and Daisy reading romantic novels, these being her last hope of romance. The pair live with the promiscuous Rose and their senile father (who's referred to as "Daddy"). Rose has a brief job in series four, selling custom made jewellery door-to-door. She spends most of her time chasing married men and Hyacinth’s neighbour, Emmett, along with the local Vicar; not favoured by his envious wife. Meanwhile “Daddy” chases elderly women and frequently believes he is back in World War II. Daisy, Rose, Onslow and their father together live in squalor; their home is a three-bedroom house on a rundown council estate. An abandoned car occupies the front garden, lived in by Onslow’s dog. Inevitably, the four fail to fall in line with Hyacinth’s standards, so she goes to great effort to keep them hidden from her friends and neighbours, in order to save face. However, despite the leading lady’s desire for a more "upper-crust" family, she loves her relatives (especially Daddy), and never fails to rush to their assistance when they are in need of her help. Often, it is Daddy that has gotten into an embarrassing endeavour, a problem Hyacinth has to always solve. Hyacinth’s other sister is the wealthy Violet, who, although rarely seen, is always boasted about by Hyacinth to the neighbours, referred to as "the one with the Mercedes, swimming pool and room for a pony". Violet is unhappily married to the cross-dressing bookmaker Bruce. Hyacinth's next door neighbour is Elizabeth Warden, a twenty-four-hour witness to her snobbery. Frequently invited round to the Bucket residence for coffee, Liz’s nerves always cause her to spill it. Her husband is away working in Saudi Arabia. Elizabeth’s brother Emmett arrives at series two to live with his sister after a messy divorce. Emmett runs a local amateur operatic society, Hyacinth therefore frequently drops hints by singing, that he should include her in his performances. Emmett quickly develops a fear of Hyacinth as a result of her excessive vocal exercises to such an extent, that he barely leaves the house. Hyacinth however, is under the delusion that this is because Emmett is attracted to her. The only character who is attracted to Hyacinth however, is the excitable Major, who features in the first two series.
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