document_title: Gwen Stacy

question_text: when does gwen find out peter is spider man

text: Gwen Stacy

text: Publication history[edit]

text: This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2013)

text: Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, Gwen Stacy first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 (December 1965).[3]

text: Fictional character biography[edit]

text: Early history[edit]

text: In her initial appearances, Peter Parker meets Gwen while both are studying as undergraduates at Empire State University,[4] but with Aunt May in the hospital, Peter is troubled and ignores her advances. Furious, she dates both Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn. Gradually, however, a romance develops; Gwen, a science major, seems to appreciate Peter's intellectual personality. Their relationship begins almost immediately after Peter stops going out with Mary Jane, whom he starts seeing as shallow and self-absorbed.[volume & issue needed]

text: Later issues introduced Gwen's father, (police) Captain George Stacy. Though her father is both fond of Peter and supportive of his alter-ego Spider-Man, he ultimately only strains his relationship with Gwen after he is killed by falling debris during a battle involving Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus.[5][6] Gwen blames Spider-Man for his death, and leaves for Europe to cope with her loss. She wants Peter to ask her to marry him and convince her to stay, but his guilt stops him from proposing.[volume & issue needed] Gwen's feelings for Peter eventually prompt her to return to New York, and their relationship is rekindled.[7]

text: According to Lee, who scripted all of the stories featuring Gwen Stacy up to this point, the original intent was for Gwen Stacy to be Spider-Man's central love interest, "but no matter how we [i.e. Lee and his artist/co-plotter collaborators] wrote it, Mary Jane always seemed more interesting!"[8][9]

text: Death[edit]

text: Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas succeeded Stan Lee as writer and editor, respectively, of The Amazing Spider-Man. Together with inker John Romita, Sr., they came to the decision to have Gwen Stacy killed off.[10] It was Romita who first suggested the idea, during a plotting session with Conway when Romita was still penciller on The Amazing Spider-Man.[11] Conway later said his contribution to the decision was motivated by a desire to bring Mary Jane Watson to the forefront,[11][12] as he shared Lee's feeling that she was a more interesting character than Gwen Stacy: "[Mary Jane] hadn't lost the edge that made her an interesting character. Gwen didn't have an edge. She was just a nice person."[13]

text: The Green Goblin kidnaps and throws Gwen Stacy off the George Washington Bridge in The Amazing Spider-Man #121 (June 1973). Both the decision to kill Gwen and the method in which Marvel implemented it remain controversial among fans because some believe that Peter himself was the one that caused her death. The death became a pivotal point in both Spider-Man’s history and in American comic books in general. Many point to Gwen's death as the end of the Silver Age of Comics.[14] Before her death, except possibly as part of an origin story, superheroes did not fail so catastrophically; nor did the hero's loved ones die so suddenly and without warning.[15][16][17]

text: In his book The Physics of Superheroes, physicist James Kakalios writes that, consistent with Newton's laws of motion, the sudden stop would have killed Gwen Stacy.[18] The comic book Civil War: Casualties of War: Captain America/Iron Man (2007) concurred that the proximate cause of death was the sudden stop during a high-speed fall. An issue of Peter Parker/Spider-Man revisits the issue, and further confirms Gwen died of a broken neck due to the use of the webbing.[volume & issue needed] On the other hand, in the 1987 edition of The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Gwen’s death is attributed to the fall, not to Spider-Man’s webbing.

text: Within the Marvel Comics, Gwen Stacy's death has enormous repercussions. Mary Jane Watson feels the loss of Gwen deeply and becomes a more mature, compassionate person. Gwen's death also draws Peter and Mary Jane into a closer friendship, and eventually to romance.[volume & issue needed] Miles Warren, one of Gwen's professors, was secretly in love with her. Following her death, Warren goes insane and adopts the persona of the Jackal.[19] In the fourth and final issue of the miniseries Marvels (April 1994), photographer Phil Sheldon befriends Gwen Stacy, who has absolved Spider-Man of any blame for her father's death. Gwen's simple faith in heroes convinces Sheldon of the purpose of the "Marvels" (i.e., superheroes)—to protect innocents such as Gwen. He resolves to write a book to praise the heroes and what they should mean to humanity. When the Green Goblin kidnaps Gwen and holds her hostage to bait Spider-Man, Sheldon frantically follows the resulting chase in a taxi and witnesses her death. While it is reported that she died from the shock of the fall Sheldon thinks it looks like something else. Sheldon's faith in the Marvels is shattered.[20]

text: Clones[edit]

text: Following the publication of The Amazing Spider-Man #121, Stan Lee (who had since become Marvel's publisher) was frequently criticized by fans during his public appearances for killing off Gwen Stacy.[12] Lee, who had also found the character's death objectionable,[10] insisted that Conway write a story bringing her back.[12] Conway strongly objected since he felt any sort of resurrection would break the plausibility of the stories, but ultimately gave in under the condition that after reviving Gwen, he could write her out of the book as soon as he wanted.[13] He decided that cloning would be the best means to bring the character back.

text: In the resulting story, set approximately two years after Gwen Stacy's death,[21] "Gwen" reappears, perfectly healthy but with no memory of the time since her death. This story, published in Amazing Spider-Man #144 (May 1975), initiated the original Clone Saga. At the end of that story, Gwen's clone, a creation of Spider-Man villain the Jackal, leaves to find a new life for herself, coming to accept that she is not really the same person who had a relationship with Peter Parker.[22]

text: In the 1988 crossover "The Evolutionary War", the High Evolutionary, who had once been Miles Warren's teacher, captures Gwen's clone. He is dismayed to learn that Miles Warren has perfected the art of cloning and thus lies to the New Men that it was nothing more than a genetic construct created by a virus that he injected into his apprentice, Joyce Delaney.[volume & issue needed]

text: During the second "Clone Saga", Gwen Stacy's clone, now married to a clone of Professor Warren named Warren Miles, sees a copy of Peter Parker's book of Spider-Man photos, Webs, and remembers (to an extent) her real history. She returns to New York City. During this storyline, she again disappears from Spider-Man's life. It was revealed the Gwen Stacy clone introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #144 was in fact the second Gwen clone Miles Warren created and has been living in London under the name Joyce Delaney. This clone is murdered by the Gwen Stacy clone known as Abby-L.[23]

text: Another Gwen clone appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #399 (March 1995). This clone believes she is the real Gwen.[volume & issue needed] She dies from clone degeneration in Spider-Man #56 (March 1995), the next issue of the story arc.[volume & issue needed]

text: A further Gwen clone appears in the "Sibling Rivalry" crossover storyline between Superior Spider-Man Team-Up and Scarlet Spider. She joins the Jackal (alongside Carrion and a regular Miles Warren clone) in capturing Superior Spider-Man and Kaine.[24] She is sympathetic towards "Peter" and Kaine, but at the same time utterly loyal to the Jackal. When the Spiders break free, Superior Spider-Man disarms and attempts to kill her, but is stopped by Kaine. When the Jackal's lab is engulfed in flames, Kaine offers to save her, but she refuses, and is seemingly consumed by the fire.[25]

text: "Sins Past"[edit]

text: The story arc "Sins Past" by J. Michael Straczynski in The Amazing Spider-Man #509–514 (August 2004–January 2005) reveals Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin's alter ego, fathered twins, a boy and a girl, with Gwen Stacy, to whom she gave birth while in France shortly before her death. She vowed she would raise them with Peter (despite the fact that he was not aware of Gwen's infidelity) and refused to allow Norman access to them. Seeing her as a threat to his potential heirs, the Green Goblin killed Gwen. Norman Osborn then raised Gwen's two children, a boy and a girl named Gabriel and Sarah.[volume & issue needed]

text: Straczynski later stated he originally wanted to make Peter Parker the father of Gwen's kids but the editors vetoed the idea. They felt it would age Peter Parker too much if he had two adult children. The whole creative and editorial team then decided Norman Osborn would be the father.[26] In an e-mail to the comic book website Newsarama, Straczynski claimed he regretted the version of "Sins Past" that went to press, and he had hoped to "retcon" it out of continuity during the events of the then-recent "One More Day" storyline: "I wanted to retcon the Gwen twins out of continuity, which was something I always assumed I could do at the end of my run. I wasn't allowed to do this, and yes, it pissed me off."[27] In the original plans for "One More Day", the story would have ended with Gwen Stacy being resurrected by Mephisto's reality-warping spell along with Harry Osborn, but it was eventually decided to let her remain dead. Her son, Gabriel, has reappeared in subsequent stories.

text: Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy[edit]

text: In the Clone Conspiracy storyline, a flashback revealed that Gwen Stacy was conscious during Spider-Man and Green Goblin's battle on the bridge and as she was falling to her death. She overheard Green Goblin and Spider-Man's conversation. This caused her to discover Peter is Spider-Man and was angered by Peter keeping this secret and his involvement in her father's death.[28]

text: In the present, Gwen is supposedly revived by the Jackal with his clones. The Jackal claims that this one is not a clone but the real Gwen who was harvested from her remains and still remembers everything in her life, including her death. The Jackal offers Gwen the opportunity to be his business partner as he tries to change the world with his new technology. Gwen is hesitant about this new life at first but accepts it when the Jackal shows that he has reanimated the clone of her father, who is much better than he was before he died.[28] When Spider-Man arrives at the incorporation and discovers the Jackal's experiments, he is surprised by Gwen's presence and notes that unlike the other people he revived, who are with clones by the Jackal, Gwen does not trigger his spider-sense, making him wonder if she was the real one, but he is attacked by the "reborn" Doctor Octopus before he can question the issue further.[28]

text: After the Jackal breaks up the fight and shows Spider-Man around the New U, George Stacy clone recognizes something off about Gwen's face and points his gun at her. It was revealed that the Gwen clone was actually her Earth-65 counterpart Spider-Woman that assists Spider-Man in escaping. The real Gwen is kidnapped by Kaine and taken to Parker Industries to be studied. Kaine reveals that he and Spider-Woman came to this world to assist Spider-Man was because they saw that apparently Spider-Man allying with the Jackal's offer on other worlds results in a global disaster.[29] Rhino and Electro are sent to retrieve Gwen after attacking the staff, but Gwen tells them to take Kaine with him too because the condition could help with Jackal's experiments. Anna Maria Marconi also volunteers to come with because she has studied both Kaine and the drug.[30]

text: When Spider-Man is taken to Haven, he catches up with Gwen in the household in the facility, where she tries to convince him to support New U Technologies. Peter still has a hard time believing she was the real Gwen given his other experiences with clones. Gwen tries justifying her existence by telling Peter her memories, including how she overheard the Green Goblin talking to Spider-Man confront before her death. Peter thinks she died hating him, but Gwen said that she did not hate him, but rather died feeling betrayed. Peter again still has doubts towards Gwen not being a clone, she tries kissing him with no avail that only pushes him to put the mask back on. Gwen witnesses Jackal order the villains clone to kill Spider-Man and wants to help.[31]

text: When Doctor Octopus pulls a switch which activates the Carrion Virus in all of the revived and causes them to start rapidly decaying, including Gwen and George.[32] After her father deteriorates in Gwen's arms, she assists Spider-Man by helping him get to the lab. When the villains clone get to the lab doors, Gwen locks Spider-Man inside the lab and sacrifices herself towards the villains to give Spider-Man more time. Following the Carrion Virus being thwarted, Spider-Man and Anna check the building and see that Gwen has been reduced to dust.[33]

text: Other versions[edit]

text: "Age of Apocalypse"[edit]

text: In the two-issue mini-series X-Universe, which details what happened to the rest of the Marvel Universe during the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline, the Green Goblin never killed Gwen Stacy. Instead she became the bodyguard of Donald Blake, who, in this reality, had never become the Mighty Thor. Sometime later in the mainstream universe in X-Man #37, the Age of Apocalypse version of Gwen is pulled from her reality to the mainstream Earth's George Washington Bridge, much to Spider-Man's shock.[volume & issue needed]

text: Gwenpool[edit]

text: Due to the popularity of Spider-Gwen, in June 2015 Marvel published variant covers for 20 of their current series, which saw Gwen Stacy re-imagined as other Marvel characters, such as Doctor Strange, Groot and Wolverine.[34] One of those variants, for "Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars #2", featured an amalgam of Gwen Stacy and Deadpool dubbed "Gwenpool", which turned out to be especially popular with the fans.[35] As the result, Marvel produced two stories featuring Gwenpool as a character, a backup story in the series "Howard the Duck", and a one-shot "Gwenpool Holiday Special #1".[36] A retcon in the Howard the Duck #1 backup it was revealed her name is actually "Gwen Poole", not Gwen Stacy, or even an alternate version of Gwen Stacy. Following the publication of the one-shot, an ongoing series titled The Unbelievable Gwenpool by the same creative team was announced, starting in April 2016.[37]

text: "House of M"[edit]

text: In the reality seen in the "House of M" storyline, in which the Scarlet Witch alters reality to make mutants the ruling class over humans, Gwen was never killed. Instead, she married Peter Parker, and the couple had a young son. She had become a scientist, a savvy businesswoman, and a peace activist – and had a decidedly hostile relationship with chemical weapon developer Norman Osborn. Mary Jane Watson, a popular actress in this reality, played Gwen Stacy in the film adaptation of Spider-Man's life story. Gwen and her father read textual accounts of their deaths in the main universe, though they believe this simply to be the morbid imaginings of Peter Parker, who is suffering from mental health issues.[38]

text: Marvel Adventures[edit]

text: Gwen Stacy first appeared in Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #53 as a new student of Midtown High. She had transferred from her previous school after the Torino Gang, a powerful New York mob, began harassing her in an attempt to keep her father, police captain George Stacy, from arresting members of their gang. However, the Torinos continued to harass Gwen at Midtown, prompting Spider-Man to help the police take down the gang.[39] Like her father, Gwen believes Spider-Man is a hero. She subsequently began participating in a "Spider-Man Appreciation Society" designed to foster better public opinion of Spider-Man.[40] Gwen is also attracted to Spider-Man's alter ego Peter Parker; although she openly flirted with him, Peter began dating a different girl, Sophia "Chat" Sanduval, which made Gwen very unhappy.[41] Later, Gwen was brainwashed by Emma Frost into believing she was dating Peter. Gwen's brainwashing wore off (or was undone by Emma), but Gwen now believes her relationship with Peter ended when he chose Chat over her,[42] causing her to treat Chat very coldly. She has since warmed to Chat, however.[43] Recently, Gwen began a close friendship with Carter Torino who is the grandson of the head of the Torino Gang.[40] Their relationship is complicated by the fact Gwen's father is still trying to take down Carter's criminal family.[44]

text: Marvel Zombies Return[edit]

text: In the limited series, Marvel Zombies Return, Gwen of 'Earth Z' is still a college student out with her friends Mary Jane and Harry Osborn. The zombified Spider-Man travels to this earth and, despite his best intentions, turns the Sinister Six. They then slay and partly consume Gwen and her friends. To stop the spread of the virus, Spider-Man obliterates the bodies.[45]

text: Powerless[edit]

text: In the Powerless mini-series, Gwen Stacy again appears as the girlfriend of Peter Parker. Norman Osborn again kidnaps and attempts to kill her as a part of a plan to intimidate Peter. In a twist, the powerless Peter (with a limb crippled from a spider bite) manages to save Gwen from falling to her death.[volume & issue needed]

text: Spider-Gwen[edit]

text: In the alternate reality designated Earth-65, Gwen Stacy is the one bitten by the radioactive spider, and becomes a superhero going by the name of Spider-Woman. She is also a member of a band fronted by Mary Jane Watson, simply called the Mary Janes. Shortly after Gwen begins fighting crime, Peter Parker attempts to exact revenge on those who bullied him, becoming this universe's version of the Lizard. Gwen subdues him, but Peter dies towards the end of the battle due to the chemical he used. Spider-Woman is blamed for his death, causing an outcry for her arrest, led by J. Jonah Jameson. Her father, who is also a police chief in this world, begins a hunt for her. This follows Gwen into college, where she is still a member of the Mary Janes. At a gig of theirs, an assassin is sent after Gwen's father, who is in the audience. Gwen defeats the assassin, the audience and band clearing out during the battle. While they are alone, Captain Stacy holds Spider-Woman at gun point, with Gwen taking off her mask to reveal who she is. Shocked upon learning Spider-Woman's identity, he tells her to run before he changes his mind. In the distance, the Captain Britain from Earth-833, called Spider-UK, is watching, saying that Gwen will "do quite nicely."[46]

text: Gwen is recruited by Spider-UK to team up with other Spider-Totems across the multiverse, and next appears on Earth-616 with Old Man Spider-Man of Earth-4 and Spider-Man of Earth-70105 (who in that reality is Bruce Banner) to rescue Kaine, who was under attack by the Inheritors.[47] Marvel-616 Peter is hesitant to put Gwen in action and she is told by the others of how he failed to save her in his world. However he does recruit her for a mission and they both agree to look out for each other.[48] Gwen is sent to recruit an alternate version of Peter Parker who is driven insane after he failed to save the Gwen Stacy in his dimension, killed the Green Goblin, and became the Hobgoblin. She tells him that he can become the man he once was if he joins them, but they are attacked by the Inheritors. Hobgoblin sacrifices himself to save Gwen.[49]

text: After the events of Spider-Verse, Gwen returns to her home of Earth-65 where she continues her career as Spider-Woman in her own solo series, Spider-Gwen. She first saves George Stacy from mercenary Aleksei Sytsevich who was sent by Wilson Fisk and his lawyer Matt Murdock to target him.[50] Then she begins a hunt for the Vulture who has been terrorizing the city in her absence.[51]

text: She appears as one of the main characters in the Secret Wars Spider-Verse event with Spider-Ham, Spider-Girl, Spider-UK, Spider-Man Noir, and Spider-Man India in a Battleworld called Archania ruled by Norman Osborn. They eventually form a team called the Web Warriors where they help other Spider-Men and Women in various dimensions. A child version of her also appears in Giant Size Little Marvel Avengers vs X-Men as a new kid that Tony Stark tries to ask out on a date. She rejects him because he's a kid with a goatee and mustache. Another version of her is a member of Arcadia's's A-Force. On Earth-8, she is married to Miles Morales and they have two children with Spider Powers.[52]

text: Spider-Punk[edit]

text: In an issue of Web Warriors, Spider-Punk mentions that the Gwen Stacy in his dimension was a musical icon.[53]

text: Spider-Man: Fairy Tales[edit]

text: Issue #1 of Spider-Man: Fairy Tales follows the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood, reimagined with Mary Jane Watson as the titular character. Gwen Stacy has been previously killed by the wolf. Issue #4 is an adaption of Cinderella with Gwen as Princess Gwendolyn. She falls in love with the masked "Prince of Arachne," who is revealed to be Peter Parker, servant to Sir Osborn, but is killed during a fight between Osborn and Parker.[volume & issue needed]

text: Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane[edit]

text: Gwen Stacy first appears at the end of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #5. She is the new girl at school and quickly becomes close friends with Peter Parker. In Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #9, Peter and Gwen take their relationship to the next level by sharing a tender kiss, much to the dismay of Mary Jane. They date for a time, though Gwen breaks up with Peter when she learns Mary Jane is the girl he truly loves. MJ, attempting to fix this, breaks up with Peter and reunites with Harry. Peter cannot commit to Gwen. She is unwilling to accept him as a friend and not a boyfriend.[volume & issue needed]

text: Spider-Man Unlimited[edit]

text: In the fourth issue of the comic book based on the Spider-Man Unlimited animated series, Spidey encounters a Counter-Earth version of Gwen Stacy. She helps him escape a hidden paradise known as "The Haven".[54]

text: Ultimate Marvel[edit]

text: In the Ultimate Marvel continuity, Gwen Stacy first appears in Ultimate Spider-Man #14 (December 2001) as a teenage girl at Peter's high school. In this continuity, Gwen, whose rendition by artist Mark Bagley was inspired by an early-career Madonna,[55] has amber eyes, wears punk-style clothing, and harbors a rebellious personality.[56] In her first appearance she gives a rousing speech on 'super powers'; in the next issue she pulls a knife on Kong, a classmate who was bullying Peter. She is suspended from school temporarily. Gwen becomes friends with Peter, which leads Mary Jane Watson to believe Gwen is vying for his affections.[volume & issue needed]

text: Gwen is later taken in by Aunt May after her father, police captain John Stacy, is killed by a burglar wearing a Spider-Man costume. Her estranged mother does not want to take her in. Her living in the Parker house creates more tension between Peter and Mary Jane, and leads to their temporary break-up. Peter's relationship with Gwen is further complicated by her hatred of Spider-Man, whom she blames for her father's death. When Peter finds his friend Eddie Brock, Gwen confides in him about her feelings of isolation. Eddie then tries to kiss her. Gwen is shocked.[volume & issue needed] When she eventually learns Peter is Spider-Man, the angry Gwen pulls her father's gun on him. Fortunately, he manages to convince her he is not to blame for her father's death. Gwen runs off but returns, explaining she is just really mad at everything at the moment. She wouldn't have really shot him, a fact Peter already knew because his spider sense didn't go off despite Gwen's wrath. Gwen then agrees to keep his secret.[volume & issue needed]

text: Gwen Stacy dies in Ultimate Spider-Man #62. Before her death, she made peace with Mary Jane and assured her she never had romantic feelings for Peter. She considered him just as a friend. She is killed by Carnage, a vampiric monster made by the splicing of genetic material from Peter Parker, his father, and Dr. Curt Connors. Although Peter is not in the area when she dies, he still feels some responsibility for her death, as he allowed Dr. Connors to use his genetic material for experimentation. His guilt makes him decide to retire as Spider-Man for a while. Eventually, he takes up his hero identity when his responsibility for the innocent becomes too great to overlook.[volume & issue needed] At the end of the arc, there was an issue that dealt with Gwen's death. Flash Thompson makes an off-color remark about Gwen's passing. It infuriates MJ to the point where she physically attacks Flash. It is revealed Flash had a crush on Gwen all along.[volume & issue needed]

text: A girl seeming to be Gwen Stacy appears in Ultimate Spider-Man #98. Says Ultimate artist Mark Bagley, "Gwen’s return is integral to the Clone storyline and is basically a way to rock Peter's world...again."[dead link][57] In this issue "Gwen" appears to have no memory of her "death" and believes she was in a hospital, from which she has escaped. In issue #100, after a raft of revelations, the stress of the situation enrages "Gwen". She transforms into what appears to be Carnage before leaping out the window.[volume & issue needed] In the next issue, "Richard Parker" claims "Gwen" should not have met Peter at all, and was merely an experiment in stem cell research. This Gwen/Carnage fights with the Fantastic Four, Nick Fury, and the Spider-Slayer drones, until she is knocked unconscious by a beam of light, and taken into custody. In issue #113, Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin causes a massive prison break from the Triskelion. An inmate appearing to be 'Gwen' walks out amidst the chaos, disappearing in the shadows. It has been revealed the creature posing as Gwen Stacy is still the original Ultimate Carnage Spider-Man faced earlier in its run. After "devouring" Gwen, this incarnation of Carnage has gone on to mimic her "essence" and now believes itself to be Gwen Stacy.[dead link][58]

text: During the "War of the Symbiotes" storyline, Gwen/Carnage's back story in the Triskelion is revealed. It is shown Gwen has been taking some form of therapy with Tony Stark. However, when the Green Goblin broke out of the Triskelion, Gwen escaped and went to Peter Parker's house in a confused and terrified state, with Carnage's face on her body. During an exchange between Peter and Gwen, Eddie Brock attempts to attack Aunt May and retake his symbiote. In a rage, Spider-Man engages Venom on a nearby rooftop. During the fight, Gwen is shown to be able to use her symbiote to fight off Eddie but Eddie reabsorbs his symbiote along with the Carnage symbiote rendering Gwen Stacy an average girl. After SHIELD intervenes, SHIELD Director Danvers states Gwen will remain in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. Peter and May argue for her to come back to live with them, with Tony Stark supporting the Parkers. In Ultimate Spider-Man #129, the Parkers are now helping to rebuild Gwen's life. Her ghastly experience with the Carnage symbiote also causes her to develop a death anxiety she gradually controls. Six months after the "Ultimatum" storyline, in Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1, Gwen is living with the Parkers again and seems to be dating Peter. However, circumstances involving the Chameleon made Gwen realize she made a mistake dating Peter. She breaks up with him, but still lives with the Parkers due to Gwen and Aunt May has become close in a surrogate mother-daughter fashion.

text: After Peter's death, Gwen and May re-located in France, but returned to New York after hearing about the re-emergence of a new Spider-Man.[59][60] Afterwards, they meet the Peter Parker of the Earth-616 continuity after he was accidentally and briefly sent to the Ultimate universe,[61] with Gwen being intrigued to learn about her counterpart (although she is not informed that her other self dead, Gwen also "neglecting" to tell Peter that she had died and revived), as she also attempts to tell Mary Jane about the other Peter's arrival in their world.[62] When Green Goblin escapes custody after S.H.I.E.L.D. was shut down, he arrives at the front yard of Aunt May's house and confronts the new Spider-Man.[63] Gwen and Aunt May are inside watching the television where the battle of the new Spider-Man and Green Goblin was being broadcast. Soon, Spider-Man emerges to aid the new Spider-Man in the fight, to the surprise of Gwen and Aunt May. Green Goblin flees at his arrival and the two Spider-Men depart. Gwen is unsure of the identity of the original Spider-Man, however, Aunt May assures her that his motives show that it him.[64] Later, Gwen and Aunt May walk over to Mary Jane's house and overhear Peter's unknown resurrection. Gwen sprints over and joyfully reunites with him.[65] After the two Spider-Men defeat Green Goblin, Peter tells Gwen that he intends to go on a quest to find out the truth of his mystery resurrection.[66]

text: Early in the series, Ultimate Spider-Man #25 (October 2002) paid homage to Gwen Stacy's death in the Earth-616 continuity, although Gwen herself was not involved. The Green Goblin tossed Mary Jane off the Queensboro Bridge. Spider-Man caught her leg with his webbing, just as with Gwen. The issue ended with a cliffhanger: when Spider-Man pulled Mary Jane up, she appeared to be either unconscious or dead. The cliffhanger was resolved in the next issue when Mary Jane awoke in #26, uninjured.[volume & issue needed]

text: What If[edit]

text:
In "What if Gwen Stacy had lived?", Peter saves Gwen by jumping after her rather than catching her with a web-line. In doing this, he cushions her from the impact as they hit the water and subsequently gives her CPR. After regaining consciousness, Gwen sees him without his mask. After explaining himself to her, Peter proposes to Gwen. She accepts. Meanwhile, the Green Goblin mails to J. Jonah Jameson proof of Spider-Man's real identity. On the day of Peter's wedding to Gwen, Jonah has published the expose and uses it to acquire a warrant for Peter's arrest. Peter escapes from the police moments after his wedding to Gwen, but the issue ends with Peter on the run from the law and pondering his uncertain future. As the issue ends, Gwen departs with Joe 'Robbie' Robertson, who promises Gwen they will do whatever they can to help Peter and quits the Bugle.[67]
In "What If Spider-Man Had Kept His Six Arms?", Spider-Man (whose six-arms mutation was permanent here) is able to prevent Gwen Stacy's death.[68]
At the very end of Peter David's one-shot "What If: The Other," Peter Parker (now calling himself "Poison") uses part of the Venom symbiote attached to him in the resurrection of Gwen Stacy. She takes the appearance of Carnage.[69]

text: In other media[edit]

text: Television[edit]

text:
Gwen Stacy was deliberately excluded from the 1990s Spider-Man animated series as the creators felt they could neither allow her to live nor deliberately include a character who was going to die.[citation needed] An alternate version of the character did appear in the series finale, voiced by Mary Kay Bergman. The fiancée of Spider-Man's high-tech armored counterpart in this parallel universe, the primary version of Spider-Man meets Gwen for the first time. Gwen plays a role in help defeating Spider-Carnage.
Gwen Stacy appears as a central character in The Spectacular Spider-Man, voiced by Lacey Chabert. Depicted as a teenager, this version is friends with Peter Parker and Harry Osborn and is the daughter of George Stacy. She has hidden romantic feelings for Peter, being hurt several times when he expressed interest in other girls. Throughout season one, she becomes concerned when Harry become addicted to Gobulin Green. At the end of season one, she kisses Peter, leaving them in an awkward standing in season two. Despite their feeling for each other, Peter begins dating Liz Allan and she dates Harry. In the series finale, "Final Curtain", she and Peter acknowledge how they feel about each other, and agree to break up with Harry and Liz. However, after Norman Osborn's apparent death, Gwen stays in a relationship with Harry because she would be the only one to care for him.
A variation of Spider-Gwen, native to Miles Morales' dimension shows up in the final part of Return to the Spider-verse in Ultimate Spider-Man vs. the Sinister Six, voiced by Dove Cameron. This version doesn't have Spider powers and instead relies on tech stolen from her father's robot program to become Spider-Woman, with the help of her world's Aunt May after Miles was transported to the alternate dimension early in the season. She is a big help in the final battle against Peter Parker's villainous counterpart Wolf-Spider. Gwen also stated she was a friend of her dimension's Peter Parker before his death.
Gwen Stacy as Spider-Gwen appears in the 2017 series Spider-Man,[70] voiced by Laura Bailey.[71] This version is one of Peter's classmates at Horizon High and specializes in DNA formulas. She was inspired to pursue science by her uncle, Raymond Warren, later revealed to be the villainous Jackal.

text: Film[edit]

text: Sam Raimi series[edit]

text:
Gwen Stacy is portrayed by Bryce Dallas Howard in Spider-Man 3. She is a potential new love interest for Peter Parker, serving as an unintended rival to Mary Jane Watson. Gwen is a classmate and lab partner of Peter Parker and Spider-Man rescues her early in the film from a construction crane accident. She kisses an upside-down Spider-Man in similar fashion to how Mary Jane did in Spider-Man which causes Mary Jane to become angry and hurt. As Peter is at the top of Dr. Connors's quantum mechanics class, he tutors her. She considers Peter a genius and is very fond of him. She is also friends with Eddie Brock as he took pictures of her so Gwen could be a model. Brock's relationship is short-lived, as Peter, under the influence of the symbiote, steals her from Eddie. He dances with her at the same jazz club where Mary Jane works, but Gwen realizes Peter is doing this to make Mary Jane jealous. Gwen, upset about this, approaches Mary Jane, apologizes, and storms out of the club, leaving Peter behind. She is later present at Harry Osborn's funeral.
Bryce Dallas Howard said she would love to be a part of any continuation of the film franchise, while acknowledging her character's opportunity may have passed, especially after Spider-Man 3 ended with Peter and Mary Jane once again in each other’s arms. In May 2007, actor James Cromwell, who played Captain Stacy in the film stated he thought the natural progression for the character would be for both to die early in Spider-Man 4, mirroring the comics. Howard said a death would not have bothered her. The film was ultimately unmade, although Stacy was in the draft.

text: Marc Webb series[edit]

text:
Emma Stone portrays Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man as Peter Parker's love interest. She works as an assistant at Dr. Curt Connors's laboratory at Oscorp, where Peter is bitten by a genetically-engineered spider. She subsequently develops a crush on him, and he soon lets her in on his secret identity as Spider-Man. Gwen plays an important role in the Lizard's defeat, by helping Peter develop an antidote for the serum that mutates people into reptilian hybrids through cross-species genetics, using her own scientific background. Unfortunately, her father is killed by the Lizard before Peter can defeat the villain. George begs Peter to keep Gwen out of his dangerous life. Peter honors that vow without telling Gwen immediately; this affronts Gwen until she realizes what her father did, and subsequently forgives Peter. However, when Peter later wonders if he should keep that promise, she just smiles.
Emma Stone reprises her role as Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Gwen continues to work at Oscorp, which is owned by Harry Osborn, Peter's best friend. By now, Peter and Gwen have decided to keep their relationship platonic, but Peter's romantic feelings for her are rekindled when she tells him that she is going to England to study at Oxford University. When Oscorp employee Max Dillon suffers an industrial accident and becomes the villain Electro, Gwen starts asking questions; Donald Menken, a high ranking and mutinous Oscorp board member, decides that she is a threat, fires her and targets her for elimination. When Electro attacks the city's electricity supply, Gwen and Spider-Man work together to stop him. Just then, the Green Goblin kidnaps Gwen and holds her hostage atop of the power plant's clock tower, intent on drawing Spider-Man out. The Green Goblin throws Gwen through the tower's glass rooftop, but Spider-Man saves her by shooting a web for her to grab onto. The web eventually breaks, however, and Gwen falls to the ground far below. Spider-Man catches her with another web an instant too late, as her head hits the concrete floor, killing her instantly. Gwen's death sends Peter into a deep depression, and he decides to give up being Spider-Man. Five months later, he watches a video of Gwen's graduation speech, in which she tells her class that hope is what makes life worth living, even in the darkest of times. Inspired, Peter decides to once again become Spider-Man.
In both films, Kari Coleman, Charlie DePew, Skyler Gisondo and Jacob Rodier portray the Stacy family: Helen Stacy (Gwen's mom), Philip Stacy, Howard Stacy, and Simon Stacy (Gwen's younger brothers) respectively.

text: Video games[edit]

text:
Gwen Stacy is briefly mentioned in Spider-Man: Edge of Time. When a futuristic version of Peter Parker reveals his plans to Spider-Man 2099, he mentions he can save the lives of Uncle Ben, Gwen Stacy, George Stacy and countless others.
Gwen Stacy appears in The Amazing Spider-Man voiced by Kari Wahlgren.
Gwen Stacy makes her debut as a playable character in the Lego game Lego Marvel Super Heroes, voiced again by Kari Wahlgren.
Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen is a playable character in Kabam's Android/iOS mobile game, Marvel: Contest of Champions.


document_title: The Darling Buds of May (TV series)

question_text: who plays vicar in darling buds of may

question_tokens: who plays vicar in darling buds of may

root

text: The Darling Buds of May (TV series)

text: Synopsis[edit]

text: The Larkin family lives on a farm in rural England, in the county of Kent. Sidney ("Pop") and his partner Florence ("Ma") have six children, eldest daughter Mariette, followed by their only son Montgomery, and other daughters Primrose, twins Zinnia and Petunia, and Victoria. Ma is a housewife while Pop supplements his farm income with various other not entirely legitimate enterprises. Tax collector Cedric ("Charlie") visits to audit Pop, but falls in love with Mariette and quits his job to live the rural life. As Ma and Pop raise their other children, Charlie attempts to provide for his now wife Mariette. Ma and Pop soon have a seventh child, Oscar, followed around a year later by Charlie and Mariette's first baby, John Blenheim.

tag: p

text: Pop and Ma's relationship is depicted as loving and affectionate throughout, although Pop is flirtatious and subject to numerous advances, most of which Ma is aware of and evidently unconcerned by. Proud of all his children, Pop's schemes evidently provide well for the family, enough to fund boarding school for the twins, naval boarding school for Monty, a swimming pool, a fairground, and a holiday to France, although he is just as motivated by doing good and helping others as making a profit. Ma occasionally becomes involved in Pop's schemes, or creates a scheme of her own. Possessing some very close friends, their lifestyle, in particular the fact they have never been married, nonetheless raises eyebrows in the stuffy environs of the local village.

text: Mariette and Charlie's relationship is more torrid, in part due to his insecurity over her attractiveness, and his varying success in providing financially, with their newly acquired hop garden struggling. Mariette's business skills eventual come to bear as they purchase a local brewery. Primrose is depicted as a frustrated romantic, moving to France to live with a boy her own age and attempting to seduce both Charlie and the village minister upon her return. Monty meanwhile contends with bullying, both at home and at naval boarding school. The increasingly mischievous twins gradually grow apart from their younger sibling Victoria, who delights in teasing and embarrassing all her siblings, especially Primrose.

text: Time period[edit]

text: All the episodes are seemingly set during 1958–59 despite the timespan of events across all three series making this a logical impossibility. The first serial is based on the first book, written and set in 1958, during which Florence finds out she is pregnant. In the second serial ("When the green woods laugh") Sidney is accused of committing indecent assault on 23 August 1958. The trial takes place on 7 July, the same day as Charlie's and Mariette's wedding; this would seem to be a continuity error because it cannot be July of the following year as Florence's baby had not yet been born. By the time of the third serial ("A breath of French air") Florence has already given birth to Oscar and the Larkins have a late August holiday in Brittany, during which Charlie and Mariette celebrate their first wedding anniversary. The fourth serial ("Christmas is coming") is set at Christmas and it is established Mariette is five months pregnant; she gives birth in the fifth serial ("Oh! to be in England!"), which would be some time in the spring of 1960 at the earliest according to the dating of the first series and the chronology of events up to that point. However, in the sixth serial ("Stranger at the gates") the twins celebrate their birthday, which a close-up of a wall calendar reveals to be 15 August 1959.

text: In the eighth serial ("Le Grand Weekend") the Larkins' weekend getaway coincides with Charles de Gaulle's state visit, which would date the events of the episode to April 1960 if it does indeed coincide with the real-life visit. Primrose's birthday was revealed to be in May in "Stranger at the gates" and she celebrates it in the ninth serial "The happiest days of your life", dating the events either to May 1960 (using the retconned second series date) or 1961 (going by the date given in the first series). By the eleventh serial ("Climb the greasy pole"), when the children are older and the babies have grown to toddlerhood, another close-up of a calendar reveals the month to be October 1959. At the end of the final episode, Sidney is elected to the Rural District Council on 5 November 1959 (Guy Fawkes Night).

text: Cast[edit]

text: Main cast members[edit]

text: Of the four main cast members, Jason and Ferris appeared in all twenty episodes, while Zeta-Jones and Franks appeared in eighteen, their only absences being in the third series double episode "Cast Not Your Pearls Before Swine" (3.3 & 3.4).

text:
David Jason, as Sidney Charles "Pop" Larkin, the father of the family
Pam Ferris, as Florence Daisy "Ma" (Parker) Larkin, the mother of the family
Catherine Zeta-Jones, as Mariette Charlton, née Larkin, eldest Larkin daughter
Philip Franks, Cedric "Charley" Charlton, husband of Mariette

tag: ul

text: Recurring cast - Larkin family[edit]

text: The actors playing the other Larkin children and grandchild were as below (listed in descending character age). All the children except those yet to be born appeared in the first episode. After appearing in the first six episodes, the actor playing Primrose was replaced, the second appearing from the seventh episode (the first Christmas special) onwards. The actors playing the roles of Oscar and John Blenheim first appear in episodes 1.5 and 2.1 respectively. Although a male character, John Blenheim was played by Daisy-May Bates, granddaughter of the author of the books.

text:
Julie Stichbury, as Primrose Larkin (1991) (6 episodes)
Abigail Rokison, as Primrose Larkin (1991-1993) (12 episodes)
Ian Tucker, as Montgomery 'Monty' Larkin, their eldest son (13 episodes)
Christina Giles, as Petunia Larkin, twin sister to Zinnia (18 episodes)
Katherine Giles, as Zinnia Larkin, twin sister to Petunia (18 episodes)
Stephanie Ralph, as Victoria Larkin, the youngest Larkin daughter (19 episodes)
Ross Marriott, as Oscar Larkin, their youngest child (16 episodes)
Daisy-May Bates, as John Marlborough Churchill Blenheim Charlton, the only son of Charlie and Mariette (11 episodes)

text: Recurring cast - others[edit]

text: Various other actors appeared in more than one story-line, i.e. in more than one double-episode.

text:
Rachel Bell as Edith Pilchester, a local spinster (16 episodes)
Moray Watson as the Brigadier, a local retired army officer (11 episodes)
Kika Mirylees as Angela Snow, a local woman (7 episodes)
Martyn Read as Sergeant Wilson, a local police officer (6 episodes)
Tyler Butterworth as Reverend John Candy, the local vicar (4 episodes)
Michael Jayston as Ernest Bristow, the brewery owner (4 episodes)
Carol MacReady as Mrs. Daws, a local shopkeeper (4 episodes)
Sheila Burrell as Mrs. Kinthley, owner of the hop-garden bought by Charlie (4 episodes)
Steven Brand as Tom Sargent, love interest of Mariette (4 episodes)
Anna Massey as Mademoiselle Antoinette Dupont, a French hotelier (3 episodes)
Michael Culver as Sir George Bluff-Gore, a local landowner (3 episodes)
Richenda Carey as Lady Bluff-Gore, wife of Sir George (3 episodes)
John Carlin as Reverend Spink (3 episodes)

text: Episodes[edit]

text: Series 1[edit]

text:
No.
Title
Original broadcast

1.1 & 1.2
"The Darling Buds of May"
7 and 14 April 1991

Cedric Charlton, the tax inspector, arrives on Home Farm to help the Larkins fill in their tax form. He is distracted by their beautiful daughter, Mariette. The Larkins distract him further by attempting to teach him crib and getting him drunk. He wakes with a hangover, and is unfit to return home. Eventually, he forgets life in the office. He accompanies the family on their annual strawberry-picking trip, where he attracts Pauline Jackson, the local flirt. Mariette and Pauline fight for him but Mariette wins and the episode ends with Mr Charlton (called Charley by the family), proposing to Mariette, and Pop Larkin giving them his blessing.

1.3 & 1.4
"When the green woods laugh"
21 and 28 April 1991

The day of Charley and Mariette's wedding is looming. Pop sells a country mansion to an aristocratic couple. When Pop rejects the advances of Corrine Perrigo (Celia Imrie), she gets her revenge by persuading the woman to charge him with assault, when all he attempted was stop her from falling. The Brigadier is best man for the wedding. Eventually, Pop is found innocent and the wedding goes ahead.

1.5 & 1.6
"A breath of French air"
5 and 12 May 1991

The Larkins go on holiday to Brittany. The weather is appalling, the food revolting, the receptionist unfriendly. The weather improves, and a mechanic sees the crest on the doors of Mr Larkin's car and thinks him a lord. As a result, he is treated better, even by the receptionist, Molet. The hotel patronne, Mademoiselle Dupont, gives Pop and Ma her room. Primrose falls in love with a local boy named Marc - Antoine Gammelin and wants to stay in France. Tension springs up between Charley and Mariette when she attracts local young men and wants to spend time with them on the beach. She refuses to go on a miniature railway with Charlie. Incensed, Charlie says he will go on his own. The train is late and he wanders into a bar, where he meets a tomboy and her pals. They get him drunk; he misses his train and has to be escorted home by Pop. But he sobers up at the sight of Mariette playing in the sea with her new friends. Charley drags her away, and tells her she will come on the train with him next day whether she likes it or not. Mariette surrenders and enjoys it. The Larkins get together with the tomboy, Max (short for Maxime), and Angela Snow (who, by a coincidence, is also visiting Brittany) and her sister Iris, who with the hotel staff organise a wedding anniversary celebration for Charley and Mariette.

1.7
"Christmas is coming!"
22 December 1991

As Christmas approaches, Charley and Mariette go to view a house to rent, unaware that Tommy Mason, an escaped convict is hiding there. Pop later discovers him in the Larkins' hen-house where Victoria is taking food to him. He explains that, since his imprisonment, his wife has severed all ties with him but he is anxious to see his children. Pop usually dresses as Father Christmas to give local children toys but Charley suggests Tommy play the part so he can see his children, which he does, as well as making up with his wife and then returning to prison. Mrs Mason and her children join the throng already invited to spend Christmas Day with the Larkins.

tag: table

text: Series 2[edit]

text:
No.
Title
Original broadcast

2.1 & 2.2
"Oh! to be in England!"
26 January and 2 February 1992

Mam'selle Dupont comes to stay with the Larkins, and discovers the truth – Mr. Larkin is not a lord. She is disappointed but comes to terms with it, and enjoys her stay. Pop saves an old woman from being cheated, and buys a fair from his friend, Fruity Pears, who is unable to run it after being attacked by thugs. Primrose's relationship with the French boy has fizzled out; back in the UK she falls for Mr Candy, the young vicar in charge of christening the young Larkins ... and a newly arrived Charlton.

2.3 & 2.4
"Stranger at the gates"
9 and 16 February 1992

A young man named Pieter who says he is Danish arrives on the farm, and starts doing odd jobs for the people in the village. Everyone, including Mariette, thinks he's the bee's knees, much to the resentment of Charley. Meanwhile, Montgomery is being bullied by local boys, and Primrose is attempting to win Mr. Candy's heart. She mistakes his sister for a girlfriend, and angrily leaves him. Charley discovers that Pieter is German and has been hiding his identity because of the anti-German sentiment in post-World War II Britain. The villagers turn against him on this discovery, but Pieter is restored to favour again after he rescues John Watson, one of the bullies from a quarry ledge. The Larkins arrange for Pieter to marry his girlfriend, an English lady named Eileen.

2.5 & 2.6
"A season of heavenly gifts"
23 February and 1 March 1992

Pop Larkin unwittingly becomes involved in smuggling when he receives gifts from a grateful pilot he helped after a crash-landing. Meanwhile, an evil Polish man named Mr. Cope attempts to prevent Charley and Mariette from buying Mrs Kinthley's hopgarden. The pilot invites the family to a party at his club, which they greatly enjoy. Montgomery Larkin is unhappy at Naval College, where he is training to be a sailor in the merchant navy. The family go to his Open Day; the Brigadier goes along and helps them solve the problem by showing Pop how to humiliate the bullying instructor, Strickland.

2.7
"Le Grand Weekend"
26 December 1992

Pop and Ma's proposed week-end in Paris is disrupted by a storm, and they spend the time in a country house.

text: Series 3[edit]

text:
No.
Title
Original broadcast

3.1 & 3.2
"The happiest days of your life"
28 February and 7 March 1993

The twins go to boarding school, while Charley starts doing the books as a part-time job for the brewery to which he wishes to sell his hops. Charley and Mariette decide to buy the brewery. The whole family repairs the twins' boarding school, which was otherwise going to be forced to close by the bank for not keeping up with the repairs.

3.3 & 3.4
"Cast not your pearls before swine"
14 and 21 March 1993

Pop builds a swimming-pool, and buys two hundred pigs from George Harran, a confidence trickster who is also cheating Edith, who has fallen in love with him. Meanwhile, Primrose has a new love interest – a member of the swimming pool building crew, from Liverpool. Pop prepares a trick against George to put all to rights without hurting Edith. Primrose runs away to Liverpool in pursuit of her love after Victoria teases her, causing Pop to realise the scam, but returns home when she realises he is not the man for her.

3.5 & 3.6
"Climb the greasy pole"
28 March and 4 April 1993

Pop runs for rural councillor while Charley and Mariette struggle at the brewery and have problems in their relationship. Gypsies get involved in Pop's campaign for rural councillor. Charley and Mariette have to work on their marriage as Mariette is attracted to Tom Sargent, after which they at last finalise the deal to buy Bristow's brewery.

text: Production[edit]

text: Conception and development[edit]

text: Having been sold to MGM films in 1959, it wasn't until 1989 that Richard Bates, son of the author of the original books H.E Bates, was able to purchase the rights to the novels. At the same time, Yorkshire Television were looking for a new project for David Jason, having starred for them in A Bit of a Do.[1] Richard Bates went on to Executive Produce the show, alongside Vernon Lawrence of Yorkshire Television.[2]

text: Casting[edit]

text: Bates had originally considered Bob Hoskins as ideal for the role of Pop, but Lawrence was of the view his increasing fame as a film actor would create problems.[2] Jason was cast first, followed by Ferris and Franks. Finding an actor to fit with the novel's description of Mariette as a black-haired and olive skinned beauty proved difficult, with over 300 rejected until Zeta-Jones was cast. With filming due to start, she had been spotted appearing in 42nd Street at the Drury Lane Theatre.[1]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Each one-hour episode took two weeks to film, followed by two months in post production.[1]

text: Filming locations[edit]

text: Much of the series was filmed in and around the village of Pluckley in Kent; Executive Producer Richard Bates lived just a few miles away.[3]

text: The location for "Home Farm", the Larkin residence, was Buss Farm a few miles south of Pluckley, owned by the Holmes family. All four main buildings of the Grade II listed farm were utilised, the farmhouse itself, a square oast house (depicted in the title sequence), a Tudor barn and cart lodge. After being put up for sale by the family in 2012, it was purchased in 2013 by a businessman. Renaming it "Darling Buds Farm", several buildings were converted into guest accommodation themed around the show.[4][5]

text: Other locations in Pluckley village itself were used extensively; the Black Horse pub in The Street was renamed the Hare and Hounds and used as the Larkins' local. Church Gate Cottage and Fig Tree Cottage in The Street served as Edith Pilchester's and The Brigadier's homes respectively. Pluckley primary school, also in The Street, served as the village hall. The butcher's shop also featured, and the Post Office (dressed as the grocer's). Church scenes were filmed at St Nicholas Church in the village.[6]

text: The cricket scenes were filmed at Little Chart Cricket Club, a village north east of Pluckley.[6]

text: Further afield, in and around Tenterden, Kent, Halden Place in Halden Lane, Cranbrook, served as Mrs Kinthley's hop garden, Wentwood Cottage in Swain Road served as Charley and Mariette's cottage, and the Kent & East Sussex Railway was the location of Charley's arrival in Kent, and the station used by Ma, Charley and Mariette shopping for her wedding dress. Other scenes shot in Kent included the exteriors of "Bristow's Brewery", filmed at Shepherd Neame Brewery in Faversham, and scenes of the Larkin's beach holiday, filmed in Folkestone, including a backdrop of the Leas Lift. Mlle. Dupont is met by the Larkin's at Folkestone Harbour after her channel crossing.[6]

text: Little filming was done inside the farmhouse, the interiors having been shot in a studio at Yorkshire Television. Scenes shot in the former Wennington School near Wetherby in Yorkshire which stood in for Bluff Hall were included. Other filming locations in Yorkshire include the Hotel Metropole in Leeds which stood in for the 'Marble Arch Hotel'.

text: To mark the series' 20th anniversary, Kent County Council established a tourist trail featuring the various film locations and other local attractions and Kent food.[6][7]

text: Music[edit]

text: The series' music producer Pip Burley wrote the title theme, "Perfick!". He had submitted the piece anonymously, having deemed the submissions received from a shortlist of composers missed the point of the essential romanticism of the show. Although it also featured lyrics, drawn from the words used in the novels, the theme music for the series did not feature them. The song with lyrics was later sung by David Jason for the radio adaptation of the last book in the Larkin series, A Little of What You Fancy.[8][9]

text: Future[edit]

text: After the series ended, Ferris wished to film more episodes. Having performed it for radio in 1996, she theorised in 2008 that the reason the fifth book was never adapted for television was because the storyline featured Pop recovering from a heart attack, something the producers likely thought the audience would not want to see.[10]

text: In 2016, having filmed a cinema adaptation of another classic TV series, Dad's Army, Zeta-Jones responded positively to suggestions that The Darling Buds of May might also be similarly remade, stating "I’d be playing Ma Larkin, but I’m up for it".[11]

text: Themes[edit]

text: Locally produced food and drink intentionally played a core role in the series.[1] Due to not being ripe at the right time, the strawberries used in the series were imported from Holland.[3] One of the most iconic scenes features Pop and Ma eating a meal together whilst having a bath.[3] With several scenes featuring eating, the fact Ferris was a vegetarian had to be worked around by the production staff.[3] Both Ferris and Jason gained weight due to the amount of food they had to consume, often doing multiple takes for several scenes at one time, to make the scenes look realistic.[2]

text: Another theme of the series was the Larkin family's habit of giving their children unusual or themed first and middle names. Mariette was created by combining 'Marie' and 'Antoinette'. Montgomery was named after wartime officer Field Marshall Montgomery. Victoria was named for being born during the plum season (Victoria plum). While Monty and Victoria have no middle names, the other children have several: Primrose Violet Anemone Iris Magnolia Narcissa, twins Petunia June Florence Nightingale and Zinnia June Florence Nightingale, and Oscar Columbus Septimus Dupont, the last one being in tribute to the French hotellier Madamoiselle Dupont, who features in the series. Mariette's wedding ceremony in series one reveals her middle name to be Jane. Mariette and Charlie continue the family penchant for elaborate naming by christening their son John Marlborough Churchill Blenheim.

text: Release[edit]

text: Broadcast[edit]

text: The first episode was transmitted on the ITV channel at 8pm on a Sunday night.[1]

text: Home media[edit]

text: When the series was first released on video, it sold £1m worth of copies in the first four days.[2]

text: DVD releases:

text:
Country
Publisher
Title
Rating
Release date
Notes

United Kingdom
Cinema Club
The Best of The Darling Buds of May
PG
15 July 2002

Cinema Club
The Darling Buds of May: The Perfect Collection
PG
10 November 2003
all 20 episodes

ITV Studios
The Darling Buds of May: The Complete Series - Special Edition
PG
7 February 2005
all 20 episodes & exclusive interviews

ITV Studios
The Darling Buds of May: The Complete Series
PG
1 September 2008
contains all 20 episodes & exclusive commentary

ITV Studios
The Darling Buds of May: The Complete 20th Anniversary Collection
PG
8 August 2011
all 20 episodes

Australia
Shock Records
The Darling Buds of May: Series One
PG
3 March 2007[12]
Special 2-Disc Edition - contains all 6 episodes & bonus episode "Christmas is Coming"

Shock Records
The Darling Buds of May: Series Two
G
5 May 2007[13]
Special 2-Disc Edition - contains all 6 episodes & bonus episode "La Grande Weekend"

Shock Records
The Darling Buds of May: The Complete Collection
PG
29 March 2008[14]
all 20 episodes

Reel DVD
The Darling Buds of May: The Complete Collection
PG
6 February 2013[15]
all 20 episodes (contains same packaging as UK 2011 release)

text: Note: The 2008 and 2011 DVD sets from ITV Studios list that there are 11 episodes; this is due to the fact that all episodes in series 1-3 (not including the specials) contain two parts making them count as a whole.

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: A 16 track soundtrack of the series was released by EMI on CD in 1991.[16]

text: Reception[edit]

text: The series was a ratings success,[17] its "feel-good" factor during economic recession often noted as the reason[citation needed]. Whilst Yorkshire TV classified it as a drama, audiences and critics have generally considered it to be a comedy/drama.

text: The first episode broke a British broadcasting record, becoming the first instance of a new series topping the national ratings, beating the soap opera Coronation Street (also an ITV production) on the night. This came as a shock to producers, although they had been hopeful of good ratings due to dull weather and the belief that people would be looking for something to lift their spirits following the end of the Gulf War.[1]

text: Jason attributed the series' popularity to the public wanting a more wholesome, inclusive and inoffensive viewing option at a time when violence on television was increasing. This was one of the main reasons he decided to take the role.[2]

text: The series generated an upsurge in sales of H.E. Bates' novels.[2]

text: Awards[edit]

text: 1992 Ivor Novello Award - Best Theme from a TV/Radio Production[18]

text: Source novels and other adaptations[edit]

text: The series is based on the works of H. E. Bates, who died in 1974. Having moved from the industrialised English Midlands to a granary in Little Chart in Kent in 1930 in search of new inspirations for his work, he was initially frustrated in his efforts to create a novel based on the Kent way of life. His inspiration for the Larkin stories eventually came in 1955 while on a trip to Sittingbourne. Pausing at Faversham, he observed the joyful camaraderie of a large boisterous family as they emerged from a shop and departed in a large blue truck. Combining this with observations of another family on a nearby small-holding, he set about writing about how these families might live. Originally a short story, he expanded it into a novel, followed by a further four books, the titles of the first four of which were used as episode titles for the TV series:[1]

text:
The Darling Buds of May (1958)
A Breath of French Air (1959)
When the Green Woods Laugh (1960)
Oh! To be in England! (1963)
A Little of What You Fancy? (1970)

text: The first novel in the series was originally adapted to the screen in 1959 as The Mating Game, starring Debbie Reynolds and Tony Randall as Mariette and Charley.

text: The fifth novel, A Little of What You Fancy?, was never adapted for television, but it was adapted into a six-part series by Eric Pringle for BBC Radio, with Jason and Ferris reprising their roles, first airing in February 1996.[19][20]

text: In May 2011 a stage production of the series was put on at Buss Farm.[7]