The Darling Buds of May (TV series)
| The Darling Buds of May | |
|---|---|
Series titles
|
|
| Starring |
Pam Ferris Philip Franks David Jason Catherine Zeta-Jones |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 20 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 50 minutes approx. |
| Production company(s) | Excelsior Productions Yorkshire Television |
| Distributor | ITV Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Original release | 7 April 1991 – 4 April 1993 |
The Darling Buds of May is a British comedy drama television series, produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV network, first broadcast between 7 April 1991 and 4 April 1993. It is an adaptation of the 1958 novel of the same name, and its sequels, by H. E. Bates.
Set in rural 1950s Kent, it follows the life of the Larkin family. It starred David Jason as "Pop" Larkin alongside Pam Ferris as "Ma" Larkin, with Catherine Zeta-Jones playing their eldest daughter Mariette, who marries tax inspector Philip Franks as "Charley" Charlton. A ratings success, it proved to be Zeta-Jones' breakout role.
Featuring a total of 20 episodes, it was broadcast as three series of six double-episode story lines in the spring of 1991, 1992 and 1993, plus two single episode Christmas specials aired in 1991 and 1992.
The title is from the third line of Shakespeare's sonnet 18.
The Larkin family lives on a farm in rural England, in the county of Kent. Sidney ("Pop") and his partner Florence ("Ma") have six children, eldest daughter Mariette, followed by their only son Montgomery, and other daughters Primrose, twins Zinnia and Petunia, and Victoria. Ma is a housewife while Pop supplements his farm income with various other not entirely legitimate enterprises. Tax collector Cedric ("Charlie") visits to audit Pop, but falls in love with Mariette and quits his job to live the rural life. As Ma and Pop raise their other children, Charlie attempts to provide for his now wife Mariette. Ma and Pop soon have a seventh child, Oscar, followed around a year later by Charlie and Mariette's first baby, John Blenheim.
The first episode is based on the first book, written and set in 1958. However, by the last episode of the 3rd series, when the children are older and the babies have been conceived, born, and grown to toddlerhood, a close-up of a calendar reveals that we are still in 1959. The end of the final episode takes place on 5 November 1959 (Guy Fawkes Night).
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