Emmet Hawksworth
Encyclopedia
Emmet Hawksworth is a fictional character
in the British
comedy
series Keeping Up Appearances
portrayed by actor David Griffin, and introduced into the series at the beginning of series two. Emmet is Elizabeth Warden
’s brother who, after a messy divorce, comes to live with her, and thus becomes a neighbour of social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket
and a regular fixture of the series.
When Emmet first arrives, Hyacinth sees him as a man “draped in a towel" collecting the milk from his sister’s doorstep. Jumping to conclusions and diving into panic, Hyacinth believes the area—via Elizabeth's morals—are in decline ("I warned her against watching Channel 4
!"), and declares that she and Richard
must move (much to Richard's disbelief and aggravation). However Hyacinth soon realises (though not in time to save her husband from being viewed by Emmet as "an idiot") that Emmet is Elizabeth’s brother, and after learning that he plays the piano and directs the local amateur operatic society, she gives broad hints by singing throughout the rest of the series, so that Emmet will notice her talent and include her in his musical productions. As a result, Emmet becomes terrified of Hyacinth, fearing he will be sung at every time he walks out the door. Thus he resorts to many unconventional measures to avoid his neighbour and her voice.
Emmet also fears being invited to one of Hyacinth's gatherings, which usually are her elaborate "candlelight suppers", and develops, like most, a genuine dislike for the woman and enjoys treating her nastily without remorse. Yet Hyacinth is oblivious to Emmet’s hatred for her, too concerned about trying to impress him with her vocals. Hyacinth think is Emmet is attracted to her and hides out of shyness, thus giving him all the more reason to be nasty towards her.
Like most characters, Emmet is sympathetic towards the long-suffering Richard Bucket, and often wonders aloud to his sister, "How does he live with her?" Emmet's fear of Hyacinth, along with his sharp-tongued cruelty, provide some of the programme's humour. Josephine Tewson
has said in an interview part of the BBC Comedy Connections
series, that Roy Clarke
gave a real “lift” to the series when Emmet arrived at series two. Unlike most people she encountered, Hyacinth couldn’t simply scare Emmet into following her will.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
series Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. Centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket , the sitcom portrays a social hierarchy-ruled British society...
portrayed by actor David Griffin, and introduced into the series at the beginning of series two. Emmet is Elizabeth Warden
Elizabeth Warden
Elizabeth Warden is a fictional character in the British situation comedy series Keeping Up Appearances, that first aired from 1990 to 1995. She is played by actress Josephine Tewson, and lives next-door to social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket...
’s brother who, after a messy divorce, comes to live with her, and thus becomes a neighbour of social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket
Hyacinth Bucket
Hyacinth Bucket, who insists her last name is pronounced "Bouquet" , is the main character in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances , played by Patricia Routledge.-Personality:...
and a regular fixture of the series.
When Emmet first arrives, Hyacinth sees him as a man “draped in a towel" collecting the milk from his sister’s doorstep. Jumping to conclusions and diving into panic, Hyacinth believes the area—via Elizabeth's morals—are in decline ("I warned her against watching Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
!"), and declares that she and Richard
Richard Bucket
Richard Bucket is a fictional character played by Clive Swift in the British comedy TV series Keeping Up Appearances, which was aired from 1990 to 1995...
must move (much to Richard's disbelief and aggravation). However Hyacinth soon realises (though not in time to save her husband from being viewed by Emmet as "an idiot") that Emmet is Elizabeth’s brother, and after learning that he plays the piano and directs the local amateur operatic society, she gives broad hints by singing throughout the rest of the series, so that Emmet will notice her talent and include her in his musical productions. As a result, Emmet becomes terrified of Hyacinth, fearing he will be sung at every time he walks out the door. Thus he resorts to many unconventional measures to avoid his neighbour and her voice.
Emmet also fears being invited to one of Hyacinth's gatherings, which usually are her elaborate "candlelight suppers", and develops, like most, a genuine dislike for the woman and enjoys treating her nastily without remorse. Yet Hyacinth is oblivious to Emmet’s hatred for her, too concerned about trying to impress him with her vocals. Hyacinth think is Emmet is attracted to her and hides out of shyness, thus giving him all the more reason to be nasty towards her.
Like most characters, Emmet is sympathetic towards the long-suffering Richard Bucket, and often wonders aloud to his sister, "How does he live with her?" Emmet's fear of Hyacinth, along with his sharp-tongued cruelty, provide some of the programme's humour. Josephine Tewson
Josephine Tewson
Josephine Tewson is an English actress. Tewson is perhaps best known for her roles as Elizabeth in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances and as Miss Davenport in the British television series Last of the Summer Wine.-Early life:Tewson was born in Hampstead, London. Her father was a...
has said in an interview part of the BBC Comedy Connections
Comedy Connections
Comedy Connections was a BBC One documentary series produced by BBC Scotland that aired from 2003 to 2008. The show looked at the stories behind the production of some of Britain's comedy television programmes, showing how they tied in with the production of other comedy shows...
series, that Roy Clarke
Roy Clarke
Roy Clarke OBE is an English comedy writer.-Career:Clarke is best known for creating BBC Sitcoms; Last of the Summer Wine, Open All Hours and Keeping Up Appearances...
gave a real “lift” to the series when Emmet arrived at series two. Unlike most people she encountered, Hyacinth couldn’t simply scare Emmet into following her will.