Keeping Up Appearances is a British TV classic. Often considered one of the best sitcoms to have ever been released in the United Kingdom, Keeping Up Appearances tells the story of a lower-middle-class social climber, Hyacinth Bucket (“it’s pronounced ‘bouquet,'” she’d emphatically remind you), as she desperately tries to elevate her status and gain approval of whom she thinks are upper-class people. The show was created by Roy Clarke in 1990 and starred Dame Patricia Routledge as Hyacinth Bucket, Clive Swift as Richard Bucket, Josephine Tewson as Liz Warden, Judy Cornwell as Daisy, Geoffrey Hughes as Onslow, Mary Millar as Rose, and David Griffin as Emmet Hawksworth. In 2016, Clarke wrote Young Hyacinth, a prequel to his original series, which portrays the early life of then-Hyacinth Walton. In an interview with Gold UK TV, Patricia Routledge, who was made a dame in 2017, explained how she was able to snag the role of Hyacinth Bucket. “I was sent a pile of scripts by the director. I read them and immediately thought to myself: I can net this woman up. It was very clear to me what she was and that I could really sink my teeth into the part. But I didn?t expect it to take off the way it did.” In the same interview, she was also asked whether there are similarities between Hyacinth and her, which she quickly dismissed. “Apart from two arms, two legs, two eyes, a nose and a mouth, I sincerely hope not! It’s what acting’s all about. Just because I may play a murderer doesn’t mean I have to commit a murder, you just play a part.” It’s been years more than 25 years since the last Keeping Up Appearances aired on TV. If a reboot were to happen of the series, with a new cast but the same, old characters, which actors should play them on screen? Here are a few suggestions for actors who’d fit well in a hypothetical Keeping Up Appearances reboot.
Siobhan McSweeney as Hyacinth Bucket
Irish actress Siobhan McSweeney is the perfect actress to play Hyacinth Bucket in a potential reboot of Keeping Up Appearances. McSweeney currently plays the uncaring, indifferent headmistress of Lady Immaculate College, Sister Michael, in the hit Netflix series Derry Girls. She’s also played roles in Alice Through The Looking Glass, Collateral, Extra Ordinary, and Porters. Playing Hyacinth Bucket on screen in a hypothetical reboot would be a great opportunity for McSweeney, who once said in an interview that there aren’t enough women heroes on TV nowadays, according to The Guardian. “It was, not because I didn’t think it would be a success but because there’s no meritocracy in this industry,” McSweeney said when explaining whether the success of her show Derry Girls was a surprise. “There’s so many reasons why Derry Girls is a success, though, and one of them is because it filled a vacuum – the lack of realistic women on TV. We’re not seeing women being heroes in their own lives or being protagonists enough. Also the north of Ireland isn’t represented enough, and the girls themselves are brilliant.” If she’s given the chance to play Mrs. Bucket in front of the camera, she’s potentially adding another show that prominently features women on TV.
Toby Jones as Richard Bucket
Richard Bucket is Hyacinth Bucket’s long-suffering husband, who is always at Hyacinth’s service whenever she needs him to. Unlike Hyacinth, he doesn’t care much about upgrading his social status, already quite satisfied with his standing in life. He pronounces his surname “bucket,” and not “bouquet,” and is often stressed by many of Hyacinth’s antics. The multi-awarded actor Toby Jones would be the best actor to play Richard Bucket in a potential reboot of Keeping Up Appearances. He has appeared in major blockbuster films in the past, including the Harry Potter series where he played Dobby the Elf. He’s also had roles in The Electric Life of Louis Wain and A Boy Called Christmas. A Marvel mainstay, Toby Jones played Arnim Zola in Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He also regularly appeared in the Hunger Games franchise. Toby Jones is a BAFTA winner, having won for his role in the comedy The Detectorist. Given his repertoire, it’s evident that Toby Jones can play just about anyone, certainly including Richard Bucket if he’s given the chance. In an interview with The Guardian, Bucket said about taking on roles: “Sure, there’s a momentary excitement when someone says: ‘You know what you’re like?’ And then you go, no, but I’m also the other thing. Maybe that’s the same thing with characters, you’re looking for the space to explore as much of someone as you can. They’re never one thing.”
Fiona Shaw as Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Warden
Liz is Hyacinth’s friend and neighbor, often invited over for tea. A friendly and tolerant friend who understands Richard’s frustrations over his wife, Liz is often shown being a nervous wreck around her friend, often manifested by her spilling tea everywhere. Liz was originally portrayed by British actress Josephine Tewson, who, aside from Keeping Up Appearances, also played roles in Last of the Summer Wine, Doctors, and Holby City. In a potential reboot of Keeping Up Appearances, Liz would be best portrayed by Fiona Shaw. Shaw played Aunt Petunia in the Harry Potter franchise. She also appeared in Enola Holmes as Miss Harrison.
Hugh Laurie as Emmet Hawksworth
Emmet Hawksworth is Liz’s brother, a cultured, erudite man who, unlike most people in Hyacinth’s circle, lives a classy life of sherry drinking and horse-riding. He is also a classically trained pianist and directs for the local operatic society. British actor David Griffin portrayed Emmet in the original Keeping Up Appearances series. In a reboot, Emmet would be portrayed perfectly by Hugh Laurie. Laurie is most popularly known as the uncaring but brilliant doctor Gregory House in the medical drama House. He’s also played roles in Veep, Avenue 5, and Roadkill. He’s also famously known for his work in Blackadder, alongside Rowan Atkinson and Stephen Fry.Enola Holmes
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