The Darling Buds of May

Synopsis

An idyllic picture of 1950's rural England as seen through the lives of the Larkins, a farm family living in Kent. The show revolves around Pa Larkin, a man of a kind and mischievous nature with a penchant for getting into scrapes and talking his way out of them with equal equanimity; and his daughters, as they deal with growing up and discovering the joys and sorrows of young love.

First Air Date: 1991-04-07

Last Air Date: 1993-04-04

Number of Seasons: 3

Number of Episodes: 20

Networks: ITV1

View Technical Specifications on IMDb

Top Cast

David Jason as Pop Larkin
Pam Ferris as Ma Larkin
Catherine Zeta-Jones as Mariette
Philip Franks as Charley
Stephanie Ralph as Victoria
Rachel Bell as Edith Pilchester
Christina Giles as Petunia
Katherine Giles as Zinnia
Ian Tucker as Montgomery
Ross Marriott as Oscar

Seasons

Season 1 (1991) - (7 Episodes)

Season 2 (1992) - (7 Episodes)

Season 3 (1993) - (6 Episodes)

Season 1 (1991)

No overview available for this season.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: The Darling Buds of May (1) (1991-04-07)

Earnest young tax inspector Cedric Charlton visits the sizeable Larkin family at Home Farm in the countryside. They have not paid tax in an age and he has come to help them fill in their tax forms. However, they get him drunk and, intoxicated as he already is with the charms of the Larkins' eldest daughter Mariette, he decides to stay with them and share their rural idyll.
Ep. 2: The Darling Buds of May (2) (1991-04-14)

Having woken with a hangover but determined to stay at Home Farm, 'Charley' as the family call him ,decides to accompany the Larkins on a strawberry-picking outing where he catches the eye of local vamp Pauline Jackson. She vies with Mariette for his attentions but Mariette wins and the couple decide to get married, with Pop's blessing.
Ep. 3: When the Green Woods Laugh (1) (1991-04-21)

Pop decides to buy the west wing of the country seat of impoverished aristocrats, the Bluff-Gores, initially for scrap, but Lady Bluff-Gore persuades him to go into the property business. Having rebuffed the advances of urbanite Corinne Perigo, Pop is set up when Mrs. Perigo engineers a situation in which he catches hold of nervous Mrs. Jerebohm to stop her from falling over on a boat. Mrs Perigo encourages the other woman to bring a charge of sexual harassment against Pop.
Ep. 4: When the Green Woods Laugh (2) (1991-04-28)

Pop duly appears in court charged with sexual harassment but Mrs. Perigo is discredited when Pop's brother Uncle Perce, a hotel porter in London, testifies that she is well-known in the big city as rather more of a scarlet woman than she paints herself and the case is thrown out. The day of Mariette's wedding to Charley arrives and, as Charley has no family, the Larkins' friend, the Brigadier, acts as best man after he has got rather cosy with another family friend, the sweet but flirtatious Angela Snow.
Ep. 5: A Breath of French Air (1) (1991-05-05)

The whole family go on holiday to France, a holiday which gets off to a bad start. However, when the family car is seen to have a crest on it, it is assumed that they are titled nobility. Mademoiselle Dupont, the pension's owner, calls Pop 'Milord' and gives him and Ma her bedroom. Even the grumpy receptionist is respectful. Primrose, the second eldest daughter, falls for local boy Marc-Antoine but Charley is annoyed to see his wife cavorting with skimpily clad French hunks on the beach.
Ep. 6: A Breath of French Air (2) (1991-05-12)

A jealous Charley gets drunk when Mariette refuses to go on the local miniature railway, preferring to stay on the beach with the admiring local boys. Pop sobers him up and effects a reconciliation. Mariette finally agrees to go on the railway and enjoys it. Angela Snow and her sister Iris, who are also on holiday in the area, organize a first wedding anniversary party for the Charltons.
Ep. 7: Christmas Is Coming (1991-12-22)

The Larkin family plan the quintessential English Christmas, with food, drink and presents galore.