The Good Life is available on BritBox.
Television www.rts.org.uk February 2021
Ear candy 10/10 (Would Recommend)
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f you have spent more hours scrolling through the endless options on Netflix than you have actually watching the platform’s shows, 10/10 (Would Recommend) is here to help. The Receipts Podcast presenter Tolani Shoneye joins co-host and friend Gena-mour Barrett – who works for Netflix – on the streaming service’s rebranded podcast, previously called What to Watch on Netflix. The duo trawl through 32,600 hours of content on Netflix (though they may have fast-forwarded parts of the catalogue…) to the must-see shows for ultimate escapism, from big hitters to the hidden gems. On each episode they are joined by guests to talk about their new shows and their TV obsessions. These include: Death to 2020 creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, discussing their satirical take on last year; Netflix
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perhaps even envious of Tom’s new life, and Margo is actually quite sweet. The BBC One sitcom ran for just four series from 1975 to 1978 and, at its peak, attracted audiences of 15 million-plus. It took Esmonde and Larbey into the pantheon of double-act comedy writers, joining Croft and Perry (Dad’s Army), Clement and La Frenais (The Likely Lads and Porridge) and Galton and Simpson (Steptoe and Son). For its quartet of stars, The Good Life brought TV stardom. Briers – the only actor who was well known at the time – went on to star in another Esmonde and Larbey sitcom, the much darker Ever Decreasing Circles. Years later, this was a big influence on Ricky Gervais when he (and Stephen Merchant) created The Office. Briers achieved national-treasure status long before his death in 2013. He appeared in countless TV shows and performed Shakespeare on stage and film, for Kenneth Branagh, as well as voicing many ads and kids’ shows. Kendal became a sex symbol for middle-class blokes (which speaks volumes about repressed English male sexuality) and has now clocked up more than 50 years on TV. She is also a multi-award-winning stage actor. Keith was given her own comedy vehicle, To the Manor Born, and still presents TV docs when not working in the theatre. Fame arrived late for Eddington. Already in his late forties when The Good Life came along, he went on to play the title role of Jim Hacker in the much-loved satirical sitcoms Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister. To the Young Turks of the alternative comedy scene, The Good Life stood for everything that was wrong with British sitcom. Vyvyan, the punk in The Young Ones, raged: “It’s so bloody nice! Felicity ‘Treacle’ Kendal and Richard ‘Sugar- Flavoured Snot’ Briers!.… They’re nothing but a couple of reactionary stereotypes, confirming the myth that everyone in Britain is a lovable middle-class eccentric. And I hate them!” This, I think, is unfair. Four decades on, The Good Life seems far less of a period piece than the supposedly anarchic The Young Ones. A sharp script and consummate acting count for a lot in TV comedy. And, of course, what could be more modern than working at home in splendid isolation, pickling veg and baking bread? n
favourite T’Nia Miller, on the experience of filming a horror series; The Social Dilemma creator Jeff Orlowski, who turns the spotlight on some of the negative impacts of social media; and Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan, who describes meeting Shonda Rhimes and talks about her favourite reality shows for binge viewing. Shoneye and Barrett’s mission is to encourage listeners to venture beyond the trending tab and explore the aisles of Netflix’s virtual warehouse, namechecking such eclectic fare as Three Identical Strangers and No Good Nick as they go. The pair display considerable comedic chemistry, and there’s a good chance that they can point you to a show that you would be happy to recommend at your own virtual watercooler (aka Zoom in your makeshift workspace by the kitchen sink). n Kate Holman
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