The Good Life
TV Show · Comedy · Classics

A milestone birthday convinces Tom Good to make a change. He talks his wife, Barbara, into giving up the so-called rat race and joining him in a life of simplicity and self-sufficiency. They convert their suburban home into a farm, planting crops in the back garden and bringing in pigs and chickens (including a rooster they name Lenin). The new use of their property comes as something of a shock to their very proper neighbours, Margo and Jerry Leadbetter. A social climber of the first order, Margo can't bear having chickens roaming the back garden. She'll have to put up with it, though, since Tom, despite his desire for self-sufficiency, can't bring himself to kill the chickens.

1975 · 27m
Starring Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith
Director John Davies

Season 1

  • EPISODE 1
    Plough Your Own Furrow
    Tom Good's decision to become self-sufficient bewilders his socially ambitious neighbours.
    27 min
  • EPISODE 2
    Say Little Hen
    Margo and Jerry are perturbed when the Goods introduce livestock into their garden.
    26 min
  • EPISODE 3
    The Weaker Sex?
    Things are starting to happen in Tom's garden, but Barbara is not happy.
    29 min
  • EPISODE 4
    Pig's Lib
    Margo is horrified when she hears of Tom and Barbara's decision to keep pigs.
    27 min
  • EPISODE 5
    The Thing in the Cellar
    Determined to make use of available resources, Tom builds a generator fuelled by pig dung.
    28 min
  • EPISODE 6
    The Pagan Rite
    As Tom and Barbara's savings dwindle, Tom sets about earning some extra money.
    29 min

Related

Cast & Crew

  • Richard Briers
    Tom Good
  • Felicity Kendal
    Barbara Good
  • Penelope Keith
    Margo Leadbetter
  • Paul Eddington
    Jerry Leadbetter
  • Reginald Marsh
    Andrew / Sir
  • M‌F
    Moyra Fraser
    Felicity
  • C‌M
    Charmian May
    Mrs Weaver
  • John Davies
    Director
  • J‌E
    John Esmonde
    Writer
  • B‌L
    Bob Larbey
    Writer

About

The Good Life

Comedy

A milestone birthday convinces Tom Good to make a change. He talks his wife, Barbara, into giving up the so-called rat race and joining him in a life of simplicity and self-sufficiency. They convert their suburban home into a farm, planting crops in the back garden and bringing in pigs and chickens (including a rooster they name Lenin). The new use of their property comes as something of a shock to their very proper neighbours, Margo and Jerry Leadbetter. A social climber of the first order, Margo can't bear having chickens roaming the back garden. She'll have to put up with it, though, since Tom, despite his desire for self-sufficiency, can't bring himself to kill the chickens.

Information

Studio
BritBox
Released
1975
Region of Origin
United Kingdom
© 1975 BBC

Languages

Original Audio
English (United Kingdom), English
Audio

English (United Kingdom) (AAC)

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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Россия
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)