3/5 Alan Bennett's delightful "unseemly" story The Shielding of Mrs. Forbes send-ups up the vanities and hypocrisies of Middle England by taking the Mrs. Bucket motto of 'Keeping Up Appearances' to its extreme conclusion. Bennett writes about unconventional sexual arrangements among the apparently conventional. The snobbish and priggish Mrs. Forbes is appalled that her son Graham has "chucked himself away" by marrying the unprepossessing Betty. What she (apparently) doesn't know is that her son is gay, and by marrying Betty he is not only ensuring his financial future, but also - he thinks - helping himself and his mother keep up appearances. The marriage is actually working better than any party had a right to expect. Graham enjoys the novelty of sex with a woman, while still taking the occasional night out with his gentlemen friends. And Mr. Forbes realises that his daughter-in-law, while not conventionally beautiful, is intelligent, witty and great fun - and a welcome relief from his wife. Much of his spare time is spent doing DIY jobs for her. All would be well were it not for the re-appearance of one of Graham's 'friends'.

Producer Gordon House
Executive Producer: Sara Davies. Show less