The Good Life

After Tom Good becomes disillusioned with his life, he packs in his job and he and his wife attempt to live a completely self-sufficient life in suburbia

9th April: Fawlty Towers tops Radio Times greatest British sitcom list

Genre: Sitcom
Broadcast: 1975 - 1978
Channel: BBC One
Episodes: 30 (4 series)
Starring: Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington
Writers: John Esmonde and Bob Larbey
Director: John Howard Davies
Producer: John Howard Davies

Sitcom following two happily married couples living in London's suburbs.

As his 40th birthday approaches, Tom Good decides to throw in the daily grind of the commute, office life and the career rat-race and attempt a self-sufficiency lifestyle with wife Barbara: they'll grow their own fruit and vegetables, keep a few animals, and make their own way in the world.

Their best friends and next-door neighbours, Margot and Jerry Leadbetter, are shocked by the notion of their genteel neighbourhood being overrun by pigs, mud and other such unsophisticated muck. Jerry simply thinks Tom's gone mad, but Margot is outraged by the imposition.

Can Tom and Barbara survive? Perhaps with a little of the neighbours' help...

Production Details

Production company

Laugh track

Live audience