The second 'Keeping Up Appearances' edition starts with Hyacinth making preparations for the arrival of the new local vicar and his wife for afternoon tea. Elizabeth from next door is also invited, much to her consternation.
Meanwhile, Hyacinth's plans are threatened when her sister Rose phones in floods of tears, bemoaning that her latest gentleman friend has left her for another woman. She announces she plans to commit suicide and requests she be allowed to wear their late mother's wedding dress to be buried in. Hyacinth instantly refuses.
The day of afternoon tea arrives and all goes well until Onslow and Daisy turn up at the house to inform Hyacinth that their father has ran off with a gypsy woman ( who turned up at Onslow and Daisy's door trying to sell lucky charms ). Matters are made further worse when Rose turns up at the house to collect the wedding dress and ends up taking a shine to the new vicar!
Very funny second episode, with the cast looking more settled and defined in their roles. Jeremy Gittins and Marion Baron make their debut as the vicar and his wife. Their attempts to avoid Hyacinth's hectoring presence would become one of many recurring jokes in the show.
Notice that the set layout of Hyacinth's house looks different to that of the one seen in the pilot episode, giving the impression that this episode may been filmed some months after the first. Testament to Roy Clarke's wonderful writing ability that even in an era when comedies resorted to swearing and jokes of a sexual nature, that a gentle, good natured show could come along and within a short matter of weeks after its debut grow to become of Britain's most popular and funniest shows of all time. The reason for its huge success was really very simple. Hyacinth was such a credible, real life figure. No matter where you go in the world, you will always find a Hyacinth Bucket ( sorry, Bouquet! ), rather like 'Rab C. Nesbitt', who Onslow interestingly is not unlike in both appearance and personality ( although not as wild as Rab ). 'Keeping Up Appearances' would go on to run for five series ( attracting impressive audience figures of over 13 million ) and would have continued had Routledge not decided she wanted to lay the character to rest. The show may have its detractors but I will not hear a bad word said against it. It is a timeless classic, beautifully written and acted throughout.
Funniest bit - Onslow refusing to buy lucky charms from the gypsy when she calls at the house. ''It's bad luck not to buy something from a gypsy!'' says Daisy to her husband reprimandingly. Indicating to the squalor around them, Onslow rhetorically asks his wife ''when we live like this, how can you be scared of bad luck?''. Excellent line, wonderfully delivered by Geoffrey Hughes.
