I must admit I did not always like 'The Good Life'. I did not hate it as such, it's just that whilst I was growing up there were many other comedy shows out there that appealed to me more than a married couple becoming self sufficient. Now that I am older, I have grown to appreciate its charms more.
Tom Good is a city office clerk who on his fortieth birthday decides he wants to give up all the modern hurly burly and become self sufficient. His wife Barbara is initially sceptical about this idea but being the ever supportive wife, she backs her husband's quest to the hilt. Their back garden soon becomes a farm cum allotment and soon livestock are brought in. The two also create their own electricity via a generator.
This new way of living gets right up the noses of their upwardly mobile neighbours Jerry and Margo Leadbetter, the latter who makes Hyacinth Bucket from 'Keeping Up Appearances' look like Florence Nightingale. Despite their obvious displeasure for the Goods' way of living, the Leadbetters are there for the Goods when it is needed. This was most apparent in the episode in which Tom and Barbara's pig went into labour.
The format of the show was not new. Vince Powell and Harry Driver used it six years earlier in the ( superior in my view ) Thames Television sitcom 'Two In Clover'.
Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal had a good chemistry together as the devoted Tom and Barbara. Kendal in particular won a huge army of male admirers, and no wonder as she was drop dead gorgeous! Paul Eddington and Penelope Keith also gelled as Jerry and Margo. John Esmonde and Bob Larbey's scripts were not comedy classics ( that's only my personal view though ) but there were many good moments that made each episode worthwhile.
After the show ended, each of the cast went on to do their own shows. Richard Briers did two other shows written by Esmonde and Larbey - 'The Other One' and 'Ever Decreasing Circles'. Felicity Kendal went on to Carla Lane's 'Solo', Paul Eddington took on the Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn scripted 'Yes, Minister' and its sequel 'Yes, Prime Minister' whilst Penelope Keith won the role of Audrey Fforbes Hamilton in Peter Spence's 'To The Manor Born'.
Tom Good is a city office clerk who on his fortieth birthday decides he wants to give up all the modern hurly burly and become self sufficient. His wife Barbara is initially sceptical about this idea but being the ever supportive wife, she backs her husband's quest to the hilt. Their back garden soon becomes a farm cum allotment and soon livestock are brought in. The two also create their own electricity via a generator.
This new way of living gets right up the noses of their upwardly mobile neighbours Jerry and Margo Leadbetter, the latter who makes Hyacinth Bucket from 'Keeping Up Appearances' look like Florence Nightingale. Despite their obvious displeasure for the Goods' way of living, the Leadbetters are there for the Goods when it is needed. This was most apparent in the episode in which Tom and Barbara's pig went into labour.
The format of the show was not new. Vince Powell and Harry Driver used it six years earlier in the ( superior in my view ) Thames Television sitcom 'Two In Clover'.
Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal had a good chemistry together as the devoted Tom and Barbara. Kendal in particular won a huge army of male admirers, and no wonder as she was drop dead gorgeous! Paul Eddington and Penelope Keith also gelled as Jerry and Margo. John Esmonde and Bob Larbey's scripts were not comedy classics ( that's only my personal view though ) but there were many good moments that made each episode worthwhile.
After the show ended, each of the cast went on to do their own shows. Richard Briers did two other shows written by Esmonde and Larbey - 'The Other One' and 'Ever Decreasing Circles'. Felicity Kendal went on to Carla Lane's 'Solo', Paul Eddington took on the Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn scripted 'Yes, Minister' and its sequel 'Yes, Prime Minister' whilst Penelope Keith won the role of Audrey Fforbes Hamilton in Peter Spence's 'To The Manor Born'.