Customer Reviews

Keeping Up Appearances: Mistaken for Aristocracy [VHS]

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Sex never strays far from the thoughts of those American sitcom-writers. But, there are TONS of Britcoms that have absolutely nothing to do with that subject and turn out HILARIOUS (e.g., "Keeping Up Appearances")! Patricia Routledge is brilliant as Hyacinth Bucket, and the show gets you in stitches! Buy it, buy it now!

I bought this for a 93 year old woman who loves the British comedies, she really enjoyed this!

Along with "Chef" and "Waiting for God",this is indeed one of Britain's better sitcoms. A tour de force for Patricia Routledge, who's Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet)is one of TV's better fleshed out characters.Check Routledge out in a non-comedic role in Hetty Wainthrope to really appreciate her comic turn in "Appearances." One of the best episodes (to my knowledge) has never aired on American TV, but is shown aboard the QE2 and chronicles Hyacinth and Richard's much ballyhooed cruise aboard the legendary ocean liner. One catch, Daisy and Onslow have won a free cruise and are along for the ride much to Hyacinth's chagrin. And Onslow wears a tuxedo! Plenty of misadventures for Hyacinth and company. A must see for any serious Anglophile. As much as I enjoy Britcoms and British dramas, I must point out that the Brits have plenty of inane TV as the Americans do,if not more. On this side of the pond we see only the best of British TV - and their best rivals ours. No offense to the other reviewers, but having spent much time in the UK, I hesitate to denigrate American TV. Let's not forget such ingenious American gems as Barney Miller, Night Court, Taxi and Seinfeld to name a few.

If you haven't watched "Appearances" on PBS, then by all means buy the videos as you will watch them over and over.

I don't understand why US television can't get things right. For every show like The Simpsons we've got ten Full Houses, Home Improvements, or the like. This is one show that gets it right. Americans may not get it right away as we are not so hung up on social pretenses(or are not as aware of it). No precocious kids, no one-liners. Patricia Routledge is so brilliant as Hyacinth that you truly want to throttle her. The plot always consists of a comedy of errors concerning a middle class wannabe socialite trying to climb up the ranks while avoiding her common kinfolk. Every thing that happens is so impossible and ridiculous but so much more plausible than the plots that US sitcoms give us. There are things I will never understand though. Everyone is so afraid of Hyacinth and never stands up to her. Must be a British thing. Some of the jokes get worn out fairly quickly as well. The characters repeat themselves so much as if you didn't hear them the first time. Especially Rose and her ramblings on her latest male acquisitions. Despite these flaws Keeping Up Appearances is a breath of fresh air. Praise PBS for sending us lowly colonists our weekly episodes. Why doesn't Elizabeth's husband ever show up? I don't get to see ALL the episodes.

All I have to say about "Keeping Up Appearances" is that it's definitely one of the best sitcoms the world has ever seen! Ever since they started showing it here, I've been in stitches every time it's on! True, sometimes they repeat a lot of the jokes, but at times, you fall on the floor laughing! It IS that funny, and how they come up with these ideas is beyond me. Patricia Routledge as Hyacinth Bucket is just SO brilliant and believable! No offense to any Americans, but British comedy is just so much better....and cleverer! Never has there been such a hysterical show...