The Good Life (1975)

This show is a product of the 70s. A suburban couple decide to drop out and go back to the land. They will grow their own food, barter or sell what they produce to make their living, whatever they need to do to drop out of the rat race. Their slightly stodgy friends next door remain in the rat race, providing a foil and a counterpoint for their shenanigans. If you had shown me a summary of the plot, I would have rolled my eyes, but they made it work. I especially like what they did with Margo. She is snooty, privileged and against what their neighbors are attempting. As a result, she is joked about and made fun of, but there is depth and warmth to her that comes out at various times during the show’s run. I am not a big fan of Richard Briar and I don’t know why, but he does a credible job. Penelope Keith owns her roles as Margo. This is not at the top of the list of favorites for me, but it turned out much better than it had any right to do. In the U.S. it was known as Good Neighbors (Good is the couple’s last name.)