Edie Bouquet

Barrychuckle

Barrychuckle

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I'm watching the entire series again from start to finish in order they were broadcast. This time around I'm amazed the similarities between Edie and Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet!) She puts on a posh voice, she's always trying to impress the neighbours and she even offers Compo a beaker as Hyacinth did Elizabeth. She once answered the phone 'The Pegden residence the lady of the house speaking'

I notice that she wasn't like this in the later episodes do you think this stopped as soon as Hyacinth was born in 1989?
 
I felt there were a lot of similarities between Edie and Hyacinth also. It seemed to me that there were times when Roy Clarke was using LOTSW as a testing ground for ideas for his other shows. Although Barry's personality changes a lot from when he first shows up, at times I think Roy was using Glenda and Barry as a younger prototype for Richard and Hyacinth. But then we have no idea what other shows he may have been developing that never made it to film that he may have been experimenting with characters for.
It sometimes disappoints me to see it so plainly because at a certain point you feel like, well if he was bored of LOTSW maybe he should have given it a proper ending and just gone on and put his attention into those new shows instead of playing around with this one. It's a matter of personal taste. Obviously, I wish LOTSW could have gone on forever. And while I do love Keeping up Appearances, I personally don't find Roy Clarke's other shows very re-watchable. Too predictable and too many running gags. The question is, if he had ended LOTSW earlier would the other shows had been better? If he had focused on LOTSW and kept the characters true to that show alone would its later years have been better? Again, it's a matter of personal preference, but it's a thought.
 
Well, there's the car thing. Hyacinth never drove, but she micromanaged Richard's driving. Edie drove, of course, but very badly and she partly blamed her bad driving on Wesley, accusing him of changing stuff around on the car. In LOTSW, the car became a minor character as it was the vehicle for many hijinks.
 
One of the amazing facts I got from Vines book was that in the early 90's Roy Clarke had the 2 most viewed TV Comedies with KUA & LOTSW. It is testament to his genius that he could be writing 2 of the best loved series at the same time!
 
I spotted another Hyacinthism in A Big Day At Dream Acres when Wesley is walking on the newspaper in the kitchen she says 'I need to protect my simulated terracotta tiles'
 
There is a similarity but with a twist around a Post person , Hyacinth terrified the Postman on a daily basis but it was the Post Lady in LOTSW that terrified Foggy and indeed dragged him off to Blackpool.
 
I'm not sure where I read it, but the statement was that Hyacinth was an intentional expansion of the Edie character by Roy Clarke. So, basically, he felt limited by what he could do with Edie in LOTSW and so created a series around a very similar character.

If that is the case, I wonder if there was ever any discussion of having Edie as the center of her own spin off show instead?
 
I recall seeing Roy Clarke interviewed on Comedy Connections and he said he always had Patricia Routledge in mind for the Hyacinth character. That said I also think Thora Hird could have carried of the part had she been chosen. Both are/were actors of the highest calibre, both BAFTA nominees and both giving amazing performances in Talking Heads.
 
That's a very valid point CC, Patricia Routledge is often only remembered as Hyacinth. However she's had an amazing career, she's an accomplished singer, acted and sang on Broadway as well as working with Alan Bennett & Victoria Wood. Her physical comedy on KUA was all the more impressive given her advancing years.
 
On this subject I took this photo when I was at the Harold Pinter Theatre earlier this year, she seems to have been around forever! Her co-star also has a LOTSW link if anyone can spot it!?



IMG_2823 2 Large.jpeg
 
Graham said:
A Morris marina van & a pair of skies comes to mind. I think I'll have a cup of tea.
Click to expand...

Right ! said Fred Graham , don't you have a ceiling to take down that there ceiling is going to have to go you'll be in trouble because half a ton of rubble will land on the top of your napper dome. :)
 
Barrychuckle said:
I'm watching the entire series again from start to finish in order they were broadcast. This time around I'm amazed the similarities between Edie and Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet!) She puts on a posh voice, she's always trying to impress the neighbours and she even offers Compo a beaker as Hyacinth did Elizabeth. She once answered the phone 'The Pegden residence the lady of the house speaking'

I notice that she wasn't like this in the later episodes do you think this stopped as soon as Hyacinth was born in 1989?
Click to expand...
Barry, you mention Edie's posh voice. I guess one difference between the two is that Edie only used her special voice on certain occasions whereas it was 24/7 with Hyacinth.

Speaking of Clarke building characters from one show to another, I guess you could say Onlsow had a few Compo qualities.
 
Some really good points there @codfanglers, you're right Edie only occasionally put on her posh voice, listening to Hyacinths sisters it was clear she wasn't brought up speaking posh. It used to make me laugh when she dropped her accent occasionally, usually when dealing with a crisis!

Another character build is Rose who I think has many parallels with Marina!
 
Barrychuckle said:
Some really good points there @codfanglers, you're right Edie only occasionally put on her posh voice, listening to Hyacinths sisters it was clear she wasn't brought up speaking posh. It used to make me laugh when she dropped her accent occasionally, usually when dealing with a crisis!

Another character build is Rose who I think has many parallels with Marina!
Click to expand...
Yes, Hyacinth during a crisis was always a treat. Good point about Rose and Marina. One big difference there is Marina just stuck with Howard!
 
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