Beloved BBC sitcom makes epic return – 46 years on from last ever episode but there’s a twist
A POPULAR BBC sitcom is making a surprise return – 46 years after its last episode.
The Good Life was a 1970s hit TV show, which aired from April 1975 to June 1978, written by Bob Larby and John Esmonde.
Now the Good Life is enjoying a ‘new lease of life’ on stage this week in Carlisle under director Verity Ramsden whose production is captivating audiences.
The original show ran for four seasons and starred Richard Briers and Penelope Keith as Tom and Barbara Good.
Comedy moments ensued during the trials and tribulations of Tom and Barbara as they tried to escape the rat race.
There were frequent interactions between them and their neighbours Margot and Jerry Leadbetter, played by Felicity Kendal and Paul Eddington.
Just like in the TV show, it follows the antics of the ‘idealistic’ couple and their run-ins with their ‘capitalist’ next-door neighbours.
On his 40th birthday, Tom Good gives up his job at a toy company to become self-sufficient in the pursuit of happiness.
The stage adaptation follows new ‘twists and turns’.
Not to give things away too much but there is a fabulous scene where an animatronic goat disrupts a ‘cannabis-fuelled dinner party,’ according to a review in The News and Star.
The review says: “As Tom Good, Mitch Ralley channels Richard Briers’ manic energy; as Barbara, Michelle Wright is like a ray of sunlight. Around the central couple, Jason Munn makes a brilliant Jerry Leadbetter, a character as smooth as a cup of Gold Blend.”
Meanwhile, as ‘the towering comic creation that is Margo Leadbetter, Sarah Coyle is just superb. It’s in the pitch of the voice and the precision of the movement.’
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 Black Forest gateau’.
But it was also a time of instability in employment and rapid changes in technology, which are woven throughout the play and its comedy moments,
The first adaptation of the screenplay was directed by Jeremy Sams in 2021.
The stage adaptation of The Good Life, directed by Verity Ramsden, presented in arrangement with Nick Hern Books Ltd, will run at Green Room Theatre on West Walls in Carlisle from October 7 until October 12.
Tickets are available from carlislegreenroom.uk or Carlisle Tourist Information.
Best BBC comedies
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 impact of the series starring John Cleese and Connie Booth spans decades. It follows rude and intolerant Basil Fawlty (Cleese) as he attempts to improve the reputation of his hotel.
Only Fools and Horses (1981-2003) – The show was crowned by some as the best British sitcom of all time by a TV poll in 2004. Seven series were broadcast on BBC until 1991 with additional sporadic Christmas specials airing until 2003. Sir David Jason starred as ambitious market trader Derek “Del Boy” Trotter whilst Nicholas Lyndhurst played his younger half-brother Rodney. Set in working-class Peckham in south-east London, it follows the highs and lows of the lives of the Trotters’, in particular their brazen attempts to get rich.
Blackadder (1983 – 1989) – Four series were made of the iconic show, created by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson. Each series spans a different historical period as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder (Atkinson) tries to better himself in each society. Accompanied by his dogsbody Baldrick (Tony Robinson), trouble always ensues. A TV poll in 2004 found that Blackadder was voted the second-best British sitcom of all time
Absolutely Fabulous (1992 – 2012) – Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley star as failing PR guru Edina ‘Eddie’ Monsoon and alcoholic fashionista Patsy Stone. The pair embark on heavy-drinking sessions and abuse drugs in a desperate attempt to stay ‘hip’. Eddie constantly chases bizarre fads and fails to lose weight whilst her disappointed and neglected daughter Saffy (Julia Sawalha) looks on.
Little Britain (2003 – 2006) – The premise is simple. A sketch show which features different British people from all walks of life that are engaged in all sorts of comical scenarios. Starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams, the pair created iconic pop culture characters. Viewers loved obnoxious council estate teenager Vicky Pollard, morbidly obese scrounger Bubbles Devere, slimming coach Marjorie Dawes, despondent office worker Carol Beer, disgraced politician Sir Norman Fry, of course the iconic Lou and Andy!
The Catherine Tate Show (2004-2015) – A sketch show starring the likes of Catherine Tate. She made iconic characters such as rowdy schoolgirl Lauren Cooper with her line ‘Am I bovvered?’. Other characters featured Bernie the nurse, the aga saga woman, complaining couple Janice and Ray, and of course her infamous ‘Nan’, Joannie Taylor. The last character herself spawned multiple specials and even a movie.
Gavin and Stacey (2007 – Present) The series tells the story of Gavin (Matthew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page). The pair embarked on an online and telephone romance for 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 show, which has been going for over a decade. The 2019 Christmas special was the most-watched comedy in 17 years and the most-viewed non-sporting event in a decade.