Children In Need (found "Keeping Up Appearances" TV special; 1995)

A still from the special.

Status: Found

Date found: 18 Apr 2024

Found by: thetasigmagallifreyan

Children In Need is a 1995 BBC special broadcast featuring the cast of TV series Keeping Up Appearances. The special was considered lost, not appearing anywhere online or on DVD until 2024.

Background

The telethon Children In Need' was a charity where celebrities would unite to raise money for poor children, improving the lives of unfortunate kids around the UK. The organization featured Pugsy the Bear, a mascot, who would interact with celebrities as comedy sketches and music was performed.

On November 24th, 1995, an 8-minute (but in reality, 6-minute, but that may be without credits) sketch comedy aired featuring the cast of British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances.

The special saw Hyacinth get a late-night call from Daisy, her sister, saying that Daddy (her father) had died. Hyacinth is upset, but more so about her planned Candlelight Supper. Relatives come over carrying the coffin in order for Daddy to have a proper send-off, but the suit is not good and Hyacinth, always keeping up appearances, disguises the coffin as a new desktop when her neighbor Liz and Emmett come over. Her guests are also kept outside. Turns out, it was all a dream.

Availability

For the longest time, nearly 29 years, the special was unavailable. BBC seemed to have forgotten it, only listing a vague plot outline on their website for the broadcast. Users opened a forum online to search for it; seemingly, the special went unreleased due to copyright.

On April 18th, 2024, YouTube user thetasigmagallifreyan uploaded the full special on YouTube, though it is unknown how he got a hold of it. It was also posted on Facebook and the Internet Archive.

The Special

The full special.