The Darling Buds of May 

The life of the Larkin family, farmers in Kent.

Stars:

David Jason, Pam Ferris, Stephanie Ralph

1 win.

Cast

Series cast summary:
David Jason	...	Pop Larkin 20 episodes, 1991-1993
Pam Ferris	...	Ma Larkin 20 episodes, 1991-1993
Stephanie Ralph	...	Victoria 19 episodes, 1991-1993
Philip Franks	...	Charley 18 episodes, 1991-1993
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Mariette 18 episodes, 1991-1993
Christina Giles	...	Petunia 18 episodes, 1991-1993
Katherine Giles	...	Zinnia 18 episodes, 1991-1993
Rachel Bell	...	Edith Pilchester 16 episodes, 1991-1993
Ross Marriott	...	Oscar 16 episodes, 1991-1993
Ian Tucker	...	Montgomery 13 episodes, 1991-1992
Abigail Rokison	...	Primrose 12 episodes, 1991-1993
Moray Watson	...	Brigadier 11 episodes, 1991-1993
Daisy-May Bates	...	John Blenheim 11 episodes, 1992-1993

Storyline

The life of the Larkin family, farmers in Kent.

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Plot Keywords:

farmer | husband wife relationship | rural setting | five word title | family relationships | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 April 1991 (UK)

Also Known As:

Buds of May

Filming Locations:

Yorkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Excelsior, Yorkshire Television (YTV)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

51 min (20 episodes) 100 min (9 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Jason put on weight as Pop Larkin because of all the food in the show; bread and ham, cheese, pickled onions, roast dinners, chocolate, etc. It was meant to show the Larkin family's generous spirit and carefree love of life. There were also fried breakfasts cooked fresh on the set on a little stove. The set constantly hummed with the smell of frying bacon, which made the crew drool with anticipation. One day on the set, the shooting schedule meant Jason sat down to breakfast five times, which meant it was piled with bacon and eggs. Jason asked if he could skip the fry-ups, so they switched to kippers, which was just as bad. The extra weight he put on meant he couldn't wear a dinner jacket to that year's BAFTA's that fit the year before. He claimed he looked like Hardy wearing something belonging to Laurel. He had to go on a few months of dieting to regain his former, "sylph-like" weight.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Sidney Charles 'Pop' Larkin: Sounds perfick.

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Connections

Featured in Drama Trails: 'Secret Diary of a Call Girl' to 'London's Burning' (2008)

User Reviews

Perrrrfec!

If there was ever a television family that I would want to be a member of, the Larkin Clan would be it. Led by Pop Larkin (David Jason), a man of unquenchable good nature who does not believe in paying taxes but is more than generous with his money (which he seems to fall backward into), they make Kent seem like the modern day garden of eden. Half of the scenes in any particular episode involve either eating or food preparation. The family liquor cabinet resembles a shrine and plays "What do you do with a drunken sailor?" each time it is opened (a frequent event).

The luckiest character of all is the tax man who is sent to find out why Pop has never paid taxes and ends up never leaving. If you knew why, you'd probably be as jealous as I am. In the frequent words of Pop Larkin...Perrrrfec!