A POPULAR BBC sitcom is making a surprise return – 46 years after its last episode.
The Good Life was a hit TV series of the 1970s, which aired from April 1975 to June 1978 and was written by Bob Larby and John Esmonde.
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The original cast of The Good Life, including Richard Briers (Tom), Felicity Kendal (Barbara), Paul Eddington (Gerry) and Penelope Keith (Margot) Credit: BBC
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The hit series returns as a stage productionCredit: BBC
Now Good Life is enjoying a ‘new lease of life’ on stage in Carlisle this week under director Verity Ramsden whose production is winning audiences over.
The original series ran for four seasons and starred Richard Briers and Penelope Keith as Tom and Barbara Good.
Comedic moments ensued during the trials and tribulations of Tom and Barbara as they tried to escape the rat race.
There was frequent interaction between them and their neighbors Margot and Jerry Leadbetter, played by Felicity Kendal and Paul Eddington.
Read more at The Good Life
Just like in the TV show, it follows the antics of an ‘idealistic’ couple and their conflicts with their ‘capitalist’ neighbours.
On his 40th birthday, Tom Good quits his job at a toy company to become self-sufficient in his pursuit of happiness.
The stage adaptation follows new ‘twists’.
Not to give too much away, there’s an amazing scene where an animatronic goat interrupts a ‘cannabis-fuelled evening’, according to a review in The News and Star.
The review says: “As Tom Good, Mitch Ralley channels the manic energy of Richard Briers; as Barbara, Michelle Wright is like a ray of sunshine. Around the central pair, Jason Munn makes a brilliant Jerry Leadbetter, a character as smooth as a cup of Gold Blend.”
Meanwhile, as the ‘superb comic creation Margo Leadbetter, Sarah Coyle is simply excellent. It’s in the pitch of the voice and the precision of the movement.’
I was in one of the biggest bands of the seventies – now I’ve left music to work in the fight against terrorism
Other characters are played by Jo Murray, John Metcalfe, Dale Howcroft and Kate McSevich.
Audiences can expect to be transported back to the 1970s, with cast members wearing flared trousers. There are also many references to ‘Marie Rose sauce and Schwarzwald gateau’.
But it was also a time of instability in employment and rapid changes in technology, which are woven throughout the play and its comedic moments,
The first adaptation of the script was directed by Jeremy Sams in 2021.
The stage adaptation of The Good Life, directed by Verity Ramsden, presented in association with Nick Hern Books Ltd, will be shown at the Green Room Theater at West Walls, Carlisle from October 7-12.
Tickets are available from carlislegreenroom.uk or Carlisle Tourist Information.
The best BBC comedies
The BBC boss has called on the industry to “save our sitcoms”, but the corporation has a history of fantastic shows.
We look back at some of the best to ever grace the screen.
Fawlty Towers (1975-1979) – Only two series were made of the beloved institution. However, the cultural influence of the series starring John Cleese and Connie Booth spans decades. It follows the rude and intolerant Basil Fawlty (Cleese) as he tries to improve his hotel’s reputation.
Only Fools and Horses (1981-2003) – A TV poll in 2004 crowned the series the best British sitcom of all time. Seven series were broadcast on the BBC until 1991 with additional sporadic Christmas specials broadcast until 2003. Sir David Jason played ambitious businessman Derek “Del Boy” Trotter, while Nicholas Lyndhurst played his younger half-brother Rodney. Set in working-class Peckham in south-east London, it follows the ups and downs of the Trotters’ lives, particularly their brazen attempts to get rich.
The Black Viper (1983 – 1989) – Four series were made of the cult series created by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson. Each series spans a different historical period as the anti-hero Edmund Blackadder (Atkinson) tries to better himself in each society. Accompanied by his dog body Baldrick (Tony Robinson), trouble always follows. A 2004 TV poll found Blackadder to be the second best British sitcom of all time
Absolutely Fabulous (1992 – 2012) – Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley play failed PR guru Edin ‘Eddie’ Monsoon and alcoholic fashionista Patsy Stone. The couple engage in heavy drinking and drug abuse sessions in a desperate attempt to stay ‘wet’. Eddie constantly pursues bizarre fads and fails to lose weight, while her disappointed and neglected daughter Saffy (Julia Sawalha) watches.
Little Britain (2003 – 2006) – The premise is simple. A sketch show featuring different Brits from all walks of life involved in various comedic scenarios. Starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams, the pair created iconic pop culture characters. Viewers loved obnoxious estate teenager Vicky Pollard, morbidly obese swagger Bubbles Devere, slimming trainer Marjorie Dawes, despondent office worker Carol Beer, disgraced politician Sir Norman Fry, and of course the legendary Lou and Andy!
The Catherine Tate Show (2004-2015) – A sketch show starring the likes of Catherine Tate. She created iconic characters such as rowdy schoolgirl Lauren Cooper with her ‘Am I bovvered?’ line. Other characters included Nurse Bernie, the woman from the aga saga, the complaining couple Janice and Ray, and of course her infamous ‘grandma’, Joannie Taylor. The latter character spawned multiple specials and even a movie.
Gavin and Stacey (2007 – present) The series is about Gavin (Matthew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page). The couple embarked on an online and phone romance that lasted six months. But when they finally decide to be together properly, their friends and family get in the way. Ruth Jones and James Corden created the beloved series that has been running for more than a decade. The 2019 Christmas special was the most-watched comedy show in 17 years and the most-watched non-sports event in a decade.
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