"The Good Life" (1975) TV series 1975-1978

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | unknown

Release Date:

4 April 1975 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

The perils of "escaping the rat race" and dropping out of society - to start a farm in Surbiton (and to drive Margo nuts).

Plot Keywords:

Farm | Neighbor | Conservative | Housewife | Innuendo

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Richard Briers	...	Tom Good (30 episodes, 1975-1978)
Felicity Kendal	...	Barbara Good (30 episodes, 1975-1978)
Penelope Keith	...	Margo Leadbetter (30 episodes, 1975-1978)
Paul Eddington	...	Jerry Leadbetter (30 episodes, 1975-1978)

Also Known As:

Good Neighbors (USA)

Runtime:

28 min (30 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG (some episodes) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Kewferry Road, Northwood, Middlesex, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

In the US, this series was broadcast under the title "The Good Neighbors" to avoid confusion with the short-lived series "The Good Life" (1971), even though that show was off the air almost three years before this one began. The opening titles were reworked by the BBC art department so that the title even includes the same flower, bird, and bee as the original. To make things even more confusing, when the series was released on US home video, the outer box had the "Good Neighbors" title, but the shows on the tape had the "Good Life" titles (they were from the BBC masters, simply re-encoded to NTSC video).

Goofs:

Continuity: In "The Early Birds" (episode #3.01), after the couple's sleepless night, Tom spoons sugar into his tea and ceases in the reverse shot, his attention focused on Barbara.

Quotes:

Tom: [tiredly] Barbara, I can't get my wellies off.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Young Ones: Sick (#2.5)" (1984)

Soundtrack:

Life Begins at Forty

where the Goods escaped from the rat-race in Surbiton

The joy of this clever 1970s comedy is the perfect teaming of its quartet of stars - Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal as Tom and Barbara Good, who have a smallholding with pigs, goats and chickens in their garden and a power supply run by manure; and Paul Eddington and Penelope Keith as Jerry and Margo Leadbetter, the snobs next door.

Sharply written by John Esmonde, this series follows the two couples as they struggle with such common problems of suburban living as where to place a canopy, entertaining the local music group committee, harvesting the potatoes, and placating the local gentry. Tom and Barbara are irritating but likable, with their stove, tractor, and wellingtons. Margo is an absolute hoot, a sexy woman who doesn't like to admit it and a dreadful nosey neighbour, while Jerry is the typical executive doormat.

Not surprisingly the series often re-runs, so that successive generations can enjoy the funny situations, lines and characters we find in 'The Good Life'. It can't do Felicity Kendal's image any harm either!