Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced 'Bouquet') is a snob. She devotes most of her energies to maintaining 'standards' and trying to impress 'influential' people. In the process, she frequently brings chaos into the lives of her friends, relatives and neighbours.
Her long-suffering husband, Richard (Clive Swift), keeps his head down and does his best to live with her domineering ways.
Her next-door neighbour Elizabeth (Josephine Tewson) makes daily visits to the "Bucket residence" for coffee. Elizabeth's brother Emmet (David Griffin) is a less frequent (and much more reluctant) guest.
Hyacinth has three sisters. Daisy (Judy Cornwell) lives in a council house with her slobbish husband Onslow (Geoffrey Hughes). Rose (Shirley Stelfox) lives with Daisy and Onslow. Violet lives with her husband Bruce in a large detached house with "room for a swimming pool and a pony".
After the first series, Mary Millar took over the role of Rose.
Series: 5
Episodes: 44
Transmitted: 1990-1995
Channel: BBC1
BBC Television