# The Good Life (1975)

> A suburban couple in Surbiton abandon the rat race for self-sufficiency and provoke their snobbish neighbours in this gentle British sitcom.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2628

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 28
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: John Esmonde, Bob Larbey
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Paul Eddington, Penelope Keith, Tony Selby, Timothy Bateson, Bruce Bould, Milton Johns
- TMDB rating: 8.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075511/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: witty, irreverent, lighthearted, warm, gentle

## What critics say

Reviewers and viewers warmly regard the show as a witty, humane suburban comedy whose sharp writing and the lead performances make an unlikely premise work.

## Synopsis

The Good Life (1975-1977) is a British sitcom created by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey for BBC One, running four seasons and 28 half-hour episodes. Richard Briers plays Tom Good, an optimistic and naive suburban man who quits his job to pursue a self-sufficient life at home in Surbiton, and Felicity Kendall plays his determined wife Barbara, who scraps, saves and cannibalises to avoid spending money. Their comfortable neighbors Margo Leadbetter (Penelope Keith), snooty and privileged, and her husband Jerry (Paul Eddington) remain firmly in the rat race, and the comedy comes from the constant friction across the garden fence as the Goods grow vegetables, keep animals and barter for their needs. Each episode is a self-contained run of small schemes and social misfires rather than a serialized plot. The tone is witty, irreverent and warm, with the satire of middle class pretension sitting alongside real affection for the characters. Set in mid 1970s suburban England, it has the gentle absurdity of a classic british domestic comedy. Fans of Keeping Up Appearances, The Vicar of Dibley and Yes Minister will find resonance in its class observation and understated humor.

## Shows like The Good Life

- [Mind Your Language (1977)](https://ember.film/tv/2381)
- [My Family (2000)](https://ember.film/tv/608)
- [As Time Goes By (1992)](https://ember.film/tv/76)
- [Yes, Prime Minister (1986)](https://ember.film/tv/11746)
- [Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973)](https://ember.film/tv/5635)
- [Keeping Up Appearances (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/27)
- [Open All Hours (1976)](https://ember.film/tv/2068)
- [One Foot in the Grave (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/4327)
- [Last of the Summer Wine (1973)](https://ember.film/tv/4037)
- [Are You Being Served? (1972)](https://ember.film/tv/153)

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