Is The Larkins a remake?

16 October 2022, 15:51

Is The Larkins a remake? And who starred in the original series?

Bradley Walsh is back on our TV screens with series two of ITV comedy series The Larkins.

The series follows the Larkin family, consisting of Pops, Ma and their six children, who live on a farm in Kent.

But is The Larkins a remake and when did the original air? Here’s what we know…

• See The Larkins full cast list including Bradley Walsh and Sabrina Bartlett
• Find out where The Larkins is filmed and set

Is The Larkins a remake?

Yes, The Larkins is a reboot of The Darling Buds of May.

The story is set back in the 1950s, where wheeler dealer Pop Larkin and his wife, Ma, are raising their six children.

Originally airing in the 1990s, The Darling Buds of May cast starred the likes of Philip Franks and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

It was based on a novel of the same name by writer H. E. Bates which was published in 1958 and the first of five iconic series of stories.

In the series, Sidney 'Pop' Larkin (David Jason) managed to avoid paying tax or national insurance throughout his working life.

Tax inspector Charley then arrives to make Pop pay his taxes, but is soon won over by country life and Pop’s eldest daughter Mariette (Catherine Zeta Jones).

Elsewhere in The Darling Buds of May cast, Pam Ferris played Florence Daisy "Ma" (Parker) Larkin, while Philip Franks played Charlie.

The series was originally shot at Buss Farm, known as Home Farm in the show, which consisted of a courtyard of buildings including a Grade II listed farmhouse, a typical Kentish Oasthouse and a Tudor Oak framed barn.

As for the new series, ITV has released a synopsis of the six part comedy, explaining: “The Larkins are always happy to share what they have with others, despite the fact that what they have is sometimes obtained by unusual means.

“Sadly their good heartedness is not always shared by certain members of the local community and village gossip (particularly from the Normans) about Pop and his family is often rife.”