a nineties standout, The Darling Buds of May is currently streaming in the US on Britbox Apple TV Channel , and in the UK on ITVX Premium with a 8/10 audience score that speaks for itself. 20 episodes — the right length to tell the story it is telling. Television that earns its era label is rarer than the number of shows attempting it suggests — most of what gets called prestige TV is really just expensive TV. The Darling Buds of May is one of the genuine examples: the craft is there in the writing, the performances, and the way it handles its subject matter. David Jason's involvement signals the kind of production that attracts serious talent and uses it properly. Available now on streaming — no excuses left for not watching it.

Originally commissioned by ITV1, The Darling Buds of May quickly became exactly the kind of show that viewers rearrange their evenings for. 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. The series ran for 3 seasons (1991–1993), building a story that gave its audience time to invest properly. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and The Darling Buds of May holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-season curiosities. The consistency across the run is what elevates it — not every episode is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

The kind of show you put on in the background and find yourself actually paying attention to. It earns every laugh across its entire run — no coasting on goodwill. The comedy comes from character rather than situation, which means it holds up on rewatch in a way that pure farce never does. David Jason sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. If Green Acres is already in your rotation, The Darling Buds of May fits naturally alongside it.