Hyacinth Bucket—pronounced Bouquet, as she'll tirelessly remind you—is a force of nature. By the time Keeping Up Appearances season 2 rolled around in 1991, the BBC knew they had a monster hit on their hands. It wasn't just about a woman obsessed with social climbing. It was about the sheer, agonizing tension of watching a middle-class housewife try to squeeze a chaotic world into a very small, very expensive tea set.
Honestly? Season 2 is where the show finds its perfect rhythm.
The first season was busy introducing us to the players: the long-suffering Richard, the perpetually terrified neighbor Elizabeth, and the "undesirable" family members hidden away in a council house. But in the second outing, writer Roy Clarke stopped explaining the joke and started perfecting the timing. You’ve got ten episodes here, plus a Christmas special, that define the "Bucket" ethos.
The Social Combat of Keeping Up Appearances Season 2
What makes this specific batch of episodes so good? It's the stakes. Hyacinth isn't just trying to impress her neighbors anymore; she’s actively hunting for prestige.
Take the episode "Driving Mrs. Fortescue." It’s a masterclass in physical comedy and social desperation. Hyacinth manages to strong-arm a wealthy, cranky widow into her car, thinking it’s her ticket to the local aristocracy. Instead, she ends up in a pub. A common pub. With her sister Daisy and the beer-swilling Onslow. The contrast is sharp. It hurts to watch, but you can't look away.
Patricia Routledge is a genius. Seriously.
She doesn't just play Hyacinth; she inhabits the rigid posture and the terrifyingly sharp vocal shifts. When she says "It’s my sister Daisy—she’s the one with the husband who has no job and no shoes," you feel the genuine, bone-deep shame she’s projecting. That’s the secret sauce. If Hyacinth were just mean, we’d hate her. But because she’s so clearly terrified of being "ordinary," we almost—almost—root for her to pull off the lie.
Why Richard is the Secret Hero This Year
Poor Richard Bucket.
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Clive Swift plays Richard with a level of quiet resignation that should be taught in acting schools. In Keeping Up Appearances season 2, his "early retirement" becomes a recurring nightmare. He’s now trapped. He’s the chauffeur, the handyman, and the primary witness to Hyacinth’s delusions 24/7.
There’s a specific energy to their chemistry in this season. Richard starts to push back, just a little. He’ll offer a dry remark or a weary sigh that speaks volumes. It provides the necessary grounding for the show’s more absurd moments, like when Hyacinth decides they need to go on a "luxury" cruise or when she tries to impress the "Baroness."
The Art of the Candlelight Supper
You can't talk about this season without mentioning the candlelight suppers. They became a cultural shorthand in the UK.
In season 2, these events become increasingly elaborate and increasingly doomed. Whether it's the "Executive" style or a simple gathering for the Vicar, something always goes wrong. Usually, it involves a phone call from Rose or a sighting of Onslow’s dog.
The repetition is the point.
- Hyacinth prepares the Royal Doulton (with the hand-painted periwinkles).
- Elizabeth trembles so hard she breaks a cup.
- Emmet hides behind the curtains to avoid singing.
- The "lower-class" relatives arrive at the worst possible moment.
It’s a formula, sure, but in 1991, it was a formula firing on all cylinders.
The Cultural Impact and the "Cringe" Factor
Long before The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm made "cringe comedy" a staple of TV, Hyacinth Bucket was leading the charge.
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Watching Keeping Up Appearances season 2 today feels different than it did thirty years ago. Back then, it was a satire of the British class system. Today, it feels like a prophetic look at social media culture. Hyacinth is essentially a 1990s influencer. She’s obsessed with her brand. She curates her surroundings. She only shows the world a "filtered" version of her life, even if the reality involves a broken-down car and a father who thinks he’s in the French Foreign Legion.
The show was massive. At its peak, it was exported to dozens of countries. People in the US, Australia, and Scandinavia all recognized a Hyacinth in their own lives. That’s because the desire to be "better" than we are is a universal human flaw.
Real Production Facts You Might Not Know
The show wasn't actually filmed in a single town.
Most of the exterior shots for the Bucket household were filmed in Binley Woods, Warwickshire. If you go there today, fans still track down the house. Interestingly, the "posh" house was just a normal suburban home. The magic was all in the performance and the framing.
During the filming of season 2, Patricia Routledge was already a massive star of the stage. She brought a theatricality to the role that most sitcom actors lack. She treated every movement—the way she picked up the phone ("The Bouquet residence, the lady of the house speaking!"), the way she adjusted her hat—as a choreographed piece of art.
What Most People Get Wrong About Season 2
A lot of critics at the time thought the show was "one-note."
They were wrong.
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If you look closely at season 2, there are moments of real pathos. When Hyacinth visits her father (who is never actually seen clearly but is always causing trouble), you see a flash of genuine daughterly duty. She’s frustrated, yes, but she looks after him. She carries the burden of her family's eccentricities while trying to maintain her dignity. It’s a heavy lift.
Also, the relationship between Daisy and Onslow is surprisingly solid. Despite Hyacinth’s disdain, they are arguably the happiest people in the show. They have no pretenses. They like each other. They’re comfortable. Season 2 leans into this contrast heavily, making Hyacinth’s frantic striving look even more exhausting by comparison.
The Legacy of the 1991 Episodes
By the end of the second season, the show had cemented its place in the BBC pantheon. It wasn't just a sitcom anymore; it was a phenomenon.
The episodes "The Toy Exhibition" and "The Picnic" (the season finale) showed that the writers weren't afraid to take the characters out of the house. Putting Hyacinth in a field or a public hall just amplified her "fish out of water" energy. She doesn't fit in the real world. She only fits in the world she’s created in her head.
Key Episodes to Re-watch
- A Strange Man: The introduction of the rumors about Hyacinth’s private life.
- Driving Mrs. Fortescue: Possibly the funniest 30 minutes of the entire series.
- The Toy Exhibition: Hyacinth trying to be "artistic" is terrifying.
- The Christening: A chaotic mess that perfectly summarizes the family dynamic.
If you’re looking to revisit the series, don't just jump around. Start at the beginning of the second season and watch the escalation. Notice how Elizabeth’s hand shakes a little more each episode. Notice how Richard’s silences get longer.
Next Steps for the Ultimate Fan:
- Check the aspect ratio: If you’re watching on a modern streaming service like BritBox, ensure you aren't watching a "stretched" version. The show was filmed in 4:3, and seeing Hyacinth’s expressions in the original framing is essential for the timing.
- Look at the background: Pay attention to the set dressing in Hyacinth’s house. The amount of floral print is actually overwhelming if you stop to look at it. It’s a visual representation of her trying to "beautify" her surroundings into submission.
- Listen to the score: The music by Nick Ingman is purposefully jaunty and slightly "too much," echoing Hyacinth’s own personality.
- Observe the fashion: Season 2 features some of the most iconic "middle-aged lady" outfits of the 90s. The hats alone deserve a spin-off.
The show eventually ran for five seasons, but the second year remains the gold standard for British farce. It’s tight, it’s mean, it’s hilarious, and it’s deeply, uncomfortably human. Whether you call her "Bucket" or "Bouquet," there’s no denying that Hyacinth reigned supreme in 1991.