The Darling Buds of May was a British television series which was first broadcast between 1991 and 1993 produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV Network. It is set in an idyllic rural 1950s Kent, among a large, boisterous family. The three series were based on the novels by H. E. Bates. Originally categorised by Yorkshire TV as a drama, some regard it as a comedy. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Sir David Jason, OBE (born February 2, 1940) is a highly regarded English actor, admired equally for his dramatic work as for his comedy roles. ... Pam Ferris (born 1948) is an English actress. ... Catherine Zeta-Jones (born 25 September 1969) is an Academy Award-winning Welsh actress who began her career on stage at an early age. ... Philip Franks (born 1959 in London) is a British actor best known for his roles as tax inspector Cedric Charley Charlton in the British sitcom The Darling Buds of May, and Sgt. ... Yorkshire Television is the ITV contractor for Yorkshire, England, and the surrounding areas. ... It has been suggested that Channel 3 (UK) be merged into this article or section. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... Yorkshire Television is the ITV contractor for Yorkshire, England, and the surrounding areas. ... It has been suggested that Channel 3 (UK) be merged into this article or section. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Herbert Ernest Bates, CBE, who published under the pen name H. E. Bates (May 16, 1905 - January 29, 1974), was an English writer and author. ...

The key characters were Pop Larkin (David Jason), Ma Larkin (Pam Ferris), their eldest daughter Mariette (Catherine Zeta-Jones), and tax-collector Cedric "Charley" Charlton (Philip Franks). Charley arrives at the beginning of the first episode to get Pop Larkin to fill in his tax forms, is seduced by the country life, and never leaves. Sir David Jason, OBE (born February 2, 1940) is a highly regarded English actor, admired equally for his dramatic work as for his comedy roles. ... Pam Ferris (born 1948) is an English actress. ... Catherine Zeta-Jones (born 25 September 1969) is an Academy Award-winning Welsh actress who began her career on stage at an early age. ... Philip Franks (born 1959 in London) is a British actor best known for his roles as tax inspector Cedric Charley Charlton in the British sitcom The Darling Buds of May, and Sgt. ...

The show was very popular, and launched the acting career of Catherine Zeta-Jones. Catherine Zeta-Jones (born 25 September 1969) is an Academy Award-winning Welsh actress who began her career on stage at an early age. ...

"The darling buds of May" is a quotation from Shakespeare's sonnet XVIII: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May | And summer's lease hath much too short a date. Title page from 1609 edition of Shake-Speares Sonnets Dedication page from The Sonnets SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS, or simply The Sonnets comprise a collection of 154 poems in sonnet form written by William Shakespeare that deal with such themes as love, beauty, politics, and mortality. ...

The programme was filmed in the village of Pluckley, Kent and several nearby locations. The actual farm used in the series is a private residence and not normally open to the public but can be visited once a year on the occasion of the Darling Buds Classic Car Show, [1] an annual charitable event held in the farm grounds with the kind permission of the owner. No filming was done inside the farmhouse, the interiors having been shot in a studio, but devotees of the series are free on that day to see all the external locations used around the farm in the programme. Pluckley is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, United Kingdom. ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ...

The complete 3 series, plus special episodes, have been released on DVD and remain widely available.

The Episode guide to Series one is thus:

Episode 1 The Darling Buds of May pt. 1 'Perfick' - The Larkins have arrived. Into their idyllic lives steps Cedric Charlton the mild mannered tax inspector that has come to check on Pop Larkins non-existent accounts. However, he is distracted from that task by the beautiful and flirtatious Mariette Larkin.

Episode 2 The Darling Buds of May pt. 2 After a weekend with the Larkin family Charlie the Tax Inspector has to remind himself of his investigative duties. But such thoughts are far from his mind when Mariette Larkin gets into a fight for his attentions with Pauline Jackson, the local flirt.

Episode 3 When the Green Woods Laugh pt. 1 Mariette prepares for her marriage to Charlie, the reformed Tax Inspector. Meanwhile, Pop turns his hand to property developing when he finds out he might be able to get his hands on Bluff Court, the dilapidated stately home of Lord and Lady Bluff-Gore and sell it for scrap, an idea fiercely opposed by the aristocratic but cash strapped Lord Bluff-Gore. When the well heeled Mr and Mrs Jerebohm come down from London looking for a country residence Pop sees an opportunity too good to pass up.

Episode 4 When the Green Woods Laugh pt. 2 As wedding bells are ringing Pop has planned a ‘perfick’ day for the happy couple but he didn’t reckon on an unplanned appointment with the magistrate.

Episode 5 A Breath of French Air pt. 1 Despite Pop’s reservations about foreign food, the Larkins set off for Brittany having agred that they definitely need a holiday. Unfortunately things aren’t quite how Charlie remembers from his last visit before the War. Terrible food, the absence of port and awful weather greet their every move but as usual the sun finally shines down on the Larkins in more ways than one.

Episode 6 A Breath of French Air pt. 2 After the disastrous start the Larkins are at last beginning to enjoy their French holiday. While Charlie decides to be more of a man to compete with the bronzed, muscular Frenchman who flirt with Mariette, Pop also has to deal with admirers in the shape of Mademoiselle Dupont and the gorgeous Angela Snow. While this is happening Pop has to face up to the fact another of his little girls is growing up when Primrose has her first serious romance.

See also

• List of titles of works based on Shakespearean phrases
• David Giles, director of several episodes in this series

The following is a partially complete list of titles of works based on Shakespearean phrases. ... David Giles is a British television film director. ...

External links

• The Darling Buds of May at the Internet Movie Database
• Episode guide from Memorable Television
• British TV Comedy entry