"Keeping up Appearances" Classic QE2 on TV

[loubetti]

Richard and Hyacinth Bucket travel on QE2 in this classic British TV comedy from the 90s.

 

You'll see the former Columbia restaurant with the silver Britannia cup. Their cabin appears to be Princess Grill. The officers and crew are the real deal. This is from the pre-'94 refit, and the Magrodome was still in place over the Lido.

 

The sister and brother in law, are in a Queens Grill balcony cabin.

 

There's even a cameo by John Duffy (never liked him!).

 

Well worth a watch.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL2TSfMa1h0

 

Oh, how I miss that ship!

Edited June 16, 2014 by loubetti

[bkecky]

I didn't know this was available online! Thanks for posting!

Edited June 17, 2014 by bkecky

[Austcruiser84]

I watched this the other day to get me in the mood for this weekend's voyage on the QM2.

 

My favourite episode from this show :)

 

Now where is my matching luggage set with the leather embroidered embellishments?!

 

(I actually do need to start packing as I fly out on Friday)

[Scrapnana]

I loved the whole series but the QE2 one is my favorite.

[safarigal]

I love that episode. I always watch it while I am packing, it puts me in the mood for the trip!

 

Mind you there was one trip when the traffic was more horrendous than usual near Southampton, so we took a "short cut". I thought we were going to have the same outcome as dear Hyacinth..................

[loubetti]

I loved the whole series but the QE2 one is my favorite.

 

Indeed, I loved the series too, and obviously I agree with your favorite episode!

 

There's a saying: "You can't go back", and with QE2 that is all too obvious.

My gosh, how that ship changed over the years!

[Aquaphobic]

I confess I'd LOVE to have Onslow as a table mate.:D He's my favorite character and a thoroughly decent chap, despite his slovenly ways.

 

I was saddened when Geoffrey Hughes passed away two years ago.

[pmb1]

I confess I'd LOVE to have Onslow as a table mate.:D He's my favorite character and a thoroughly decent chap, despite his slovenly ways.

 

I was saddened when Geoffrey Hughes passed away two years ago.

Agreed. But, alas, Onslow, was a bit of a snob about "dining with the crew".

[Aquaphobic]

Agreed. But, alas, Onslow, was a bit of a snob about "dining with the crew".

 

True.:) One would expect that from Hyacinth; not Onslow.

[david,Mississauga]

Their cabin appears to be Princess Grill.

 

Over 30 years ago we had a cabin almost identical to that one. At that time it was classified as a mid-range First Class stateroom with dining in the Columbia (later Caronia) Restaurant. In more recent years those staterooms were re-classified as Princess Grill.

 

In his delightful book "It's Bouquet Not Bucket" the show's producer, Harold Snoad , mentioned that the cabin was meticulously recreated in a studio because of the difficulties getting cameras and lights into the real thing. It fooled me. I was amused that Hyacinth and Richard were told by the head waiter of the Caronia Restaurant that their assigned restaurant was Mauretania although their stateroom was definitely of the "first class."

[Pennbank]

Over 30 years ago we had a cabin almost identical to that one. At that time it was classified as a mid-range First Class stateroom with dining in the Columbia (later Caronia) Restaurant. In more recent years those staterooms were re-classified as Princess Grill.

 

In his delightful book "It's Bouquet Not Bucket" the show's producer, Harold Snoad , mentioned that the cabin was meticulously recreated in a studio because of the difficulties getting cameras and lights into the real thing. It fooled me. I was amused that Hyacinth and Richard were told by the head waiter of the Caronia Restaurant that their assigned restaurant was Mauretania although their stateroom was definitely of the "first class."

 

They had to do that to make sure she saw Onslow and Co Dining with the Captain.

[Austcruiser84]

Over 30 years ago we had a cabin almost identical to that one. At that time it was classified as a mid-range First Class stateroom with dining in the Columbia (later Caronia) Restaurant. In more recent years those staterooms were re-classified as Princess Grill.

 

In his delightful book "It's Bouquet Not Bucket" the show's producer, Harold Snoad , mentioned that the cabin was meticulously recreated in a studio because of the difficulties getting cameras and lights into the real thing. It fooled me. I was amused that Hyacinth and Richard were told by the head waiter of the Caronia Restaurant that their assigned restaurant was Mauretania although their stateroom was definitely of the "first class."

 

I have to say that I really feel the QE2 looks tired in the episode. The public rooms looked elegant, but I would have been disappointed with regular cabins. From internet photos I see the QG rooms were (mostly) nicely appointed, but others (especially insides) looked like backpacker cubicles or cells than staterooms.

 

The new breed of Cunarders are much nicer in my view :-)

 

In the meantime...has everyone sailing soon asked their local post office to redirect their mail to their respective ship? ("you will remember the name of the ship...!")

[bananavan]

We had our own version of Hyachinth and Richard on the Grand Norwegian Voyage traveling with us in PG. It was hilarious to watch. If you have not seen a guest take the maître d' aside and tell him how to properly make caramel for crème caramel as they obviously did not have thermometers in the kitchen, you have not lived. :D

[Post Captain]

The officers and crew are the real deal.

 

The captain, uncredited, is John Burton-Hall. The cruise director is Lindsay Frost.

 

However, the officer who speaks to Hyacinth by phone from the bridge as the ship is leaving Southampton, and who later escorts Daisy and Onslow on a brief tour around the ship, is in fact an actor, Michael Cochrane.

 

While jogging through the Queen's Room, Hyacinth and Richard bump into the photographer Patrick Lichfield (aka Lord Lichfield), first cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth.

 

I might be wrong, but I strongly suspect that the two cabins occupied by Daisy and Onslow and by Hyacinth and Richard, respectively, are studio sets. The bridge, the public rooms, and the outer decks are of course the real thing.

[Underwatr]

One thing I noticed is that all of the on-deck shots were filmed with the ship in port, even when they were supposedly at sea.

[3rdGenCunarder]

At some point in the story, Hyacinth and Richard walk out one of the Boat Deck doors and in the next shot, they're exiting the door to Sun Deck. (The door at the top of the little interior stairway)

 

We had a Hyacinth at our table in Princess Grill on QE2 one time. Thank goodness it was a short cruise!

[Blueacre]

Did your Hyacinth mention anything about Royal Doulton with hand painted periwinkles?

[3rdGenCunarder]

Did your Hyacinth mention anything about Royal Doulton with hand painted periwinkles?

 

No, because we were eating from Cunard china. But she had Hyacinth's superior attitude--she certainly looked down on a couple of Americans as barely worthy to sit at "her" table.

 

She went on and on about meeting the captain after the Sunday worship service, as if she was the ONLY person on the entire ship to whom he had spoken. I knew that the service had been led by the Staff Captain, not "the" captain (as in Master of the ship), and I explained the difference (impertinent American that I am). And she kept saying, "Oh, no, it was the captain." Someone else at the table described Captain Perkins, and she said, "Oh no, that isn't the captain." (Staff captain at the time was Chris Wells, who did not look much like Captain Perkins!)

 

She was incredibly annoying and the source of some of the funniest lines I've ever written in my travel journals.

[seaman11]

this is great, thank you for posting

Edited June 22, 2014 by seaman11

[waltd]

Have to say I love the show and watch it when ever it is on TV. Would love to have Hyacinth as a neighbor. LOL