british television show-cant remember name (1 Viewer)

[luke_ha]

ok i cant seem to find the name of this show i used to watch when I was living in england. It was a mix of gardening, taking care of pigs and chickens and various other things. the guy on there moved from london out to the country and started to homestead and it is basically about all the different escapades he went through.

 

[Tom Rhea]

It sounds like Good Neighbors.

 

[Randy A Salas]

Although he didn't actually move to the country--he just plowed up his suburban yard--I'm pretty sure I know what you're looking for. If I'm right...

It was called "The Good Life" in England. For syndication here in the States, the show was renamed "Good Neighbors." The husband and wife were named Tom and Barbara Good. Their snooty neighbors were Jerry and Margo Leadbetter.

The final season is available on a two-disc set from Acorn Media, but that's all that has been released in R1.

 

[Daryl L]

Ahhhh I loved Good Neighbors. That Felicity Kendall was a cuttie. Watched it on PBS hear in the States.

 

[Neil White]

Fine show indeed. Shows it's age though but very good, harmless fun.

Richard Briers, who played Tom Good, still pops up all over the place. Recently he played Smee in the 2003 live action Peter Pan.

N

 

[andrew markworthy]

Luke, I notice you're in Blighty at the moment. If you have access to satellite, you'll find that The Good Life is generally on several times a week.

Tiny bit of background information. During the 70s there was a big trend called 'Self Sufficiency' which caught the (largely middle class) Brit imagination (I don't know if it caught on to the same extent in the USA). Because of galloping inflation and life in the UK being generally pretty miserable because of constant strikes, etc, the idea of becoming self-sufficient for food became a big thing in the UK. Those who took it seriously sold their houses, moved out of dull city jobs and bought small farmsteads (still something that was affordable at the time). The big initial joke re: the Good Life is that Tom and Barbara, instead of moving out to the country, did it all from their suburban home in Surrey (which is about as stuffy respectable middle class English as you can get). Margot and Jerry represent fairly typical inhabitants of that part of the world.

 

[LanieParker]

Great show! My mother actually got me watching this one. Favorite episode was when the snooty wife neighbor gave a fancy dress to the homesteading wife because she thought she should dress better and the homely wife put it on the scarecrow! Classic!

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Andrew - Surprised that you didn't mention that she got - is it - 'best bum of the year' once?

I have the 3rd season, and want the other 2 so bad. I tried emailing Acorn but they didn't reply. Sucks!

Over here, we got together in groups and called them 'communes'. Something the hippies started up. I have no idea if any are left.

Glenn

 

[Randy A Salas]

I asked Acorn once about this and was told that it owned only the rights to the final season.

BBC Video once told me that it owned the earlier seasons and that it would release them eventually. That was two years ago.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Thanks! (even if it is bad news)

Glenn

 

[andrew markworthy]

Communes never really caught on over here. In any case, self-sufficiency was a rather more mainstream movement rather than being tied up with any sort of ideological belief system.

 

[Mark Oates]

If you can handle R2/PAL discs, all four seasons are available here

 

[Jonathan_Clarke]

If you ever watch the Young Ones, they had a real thing for Felicity Kendall. In one episode, Vyvian tears the show apart for being "so bloody nice" and then they seque into a full parody of the show!

 

[LizH]

It reminds me more of "Green Acres" (City-bred lawyer and his socialite wife pack up and move to a farm in the country. Hilarity ensues as they tackle such tasks as raising pigs, milking cows, and ploughing the fields.)

 

[Roni F]

Apologies if this is a bit off-topic, but is Acorn bad about replying to emails? I emailed them two weeks ago about another show and have yet to receive a reply.

 

[luke_ha]

forgot i did this post.
no, I love that show but this is actually a reality show.
Present day not from the 70s.
It was on this last winter cant remember which channel other that it was on a basic channel. Can't remember if it was on BBC or channel 1 or whatever.
Oh and i have to change my profile got back from England a month ago.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Do you mean the 'River Cottage' programmes with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall? Try the following website:

http://rivercottage.net/index.jsp

 

[Jonathan Kaye]

BBC site's page on The Good Life (with pictures and clips) (if it helps jog the memory!).

 

[luke_ha]

yes river cottage is it. Now I have to findout if i can get DVDs of the show. Truly a great show. I loved it.

 

[luke_ha]

ok now i cant find an american site that sells this dvd. The conversion is about 50.00 american and i really dont want to pay that. any suggestions?