History Series / TheGoodLife

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: In ''The Day Peace Broke Out'', when Tom refuses to be bound over he is jailed for 28 days "to reconsider". Tom thinks this is a determinate prison term in lieu of being bound over and considers this an acceptable option. Jerry tells him that, in fact, he will keep getting sent to jail indefinitely until he agrees to be bound over. In real life, in a UK magistrates' court a convicted defendant refusing to be bound over ''does'' receive a determinate prison sentence, not exceeding six months, instead. If such an arrangement as that described by Jerry had existed, then once Tom had served over three months in prison, at his next court appearance his sentence would have been commuted to time already served, and he would have been free without having to be bound over.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: In ''The Day Peace Broke Out'', when Tom refuses to be bound over he is jailed for 28 days "to reconsider". Tom thinks this is a determinate prison term in lieu of being bound over and considers this an acceptable option. Jerry tells him that, in fact, he will keep getting sent to jail indefinitely until he agrees to be bound over. In real life, in a UK magistrates' court a convicted defendant refusing to be bound over ''does'' receive a determinate prison sentence, not exceeding six months, instead. If such an arrangement as that described by Jerry had existed, then once Tom had served over three months in prison, at his next court appearance his sentence would have been commuted to time already served, and he would have been free without having to be bound over. Tom should have asked for the duty solicitor instead of relying on Jerry's word.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: In ''The Day Peace Broke Out'', when Tom refuses to be bound over he is jailed for 28 days "to reconsider". Tom thinks this is a determinate prison term in lieu of being bound over and considers this an acceptable option. Jerry tells him that, in fact, he will keep getting sent to jail indefinitely until he agrees to be bound over. In real life, in a UK magistrates' court a convicted defendant refusing to be bound over ''does'' receive a determinate prison sentence, not exceeding six months, instead. If such an arrangement as that described by Jerry had existed, then once Tom had served over three months in prison, at his next court appearance his sentence would have been commuted to time already served, and he would have been free without having to be bound over.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: In ''The Day Peace Broke Out'', when Tom refuses to be bound over he is jailed for 28 days "to reconsider". Tom thinks this is a determinate prison term in lieu of being bound over and considers this an acceptable option. Jerry tells him that, in fact, he will keep getting sent to jail indefinitely until he agrees to be bound over. In real life, in a UK magistrate's court a convicted defendant refusing to be bound over ''does'' receive a determinate prison sentence, not exceeding six months, instead. If such an arrangement as that described by Jerry had existed, then once Tom had served over three months in prison, at his next court appearance his sentence would have been commuted to time already served, and he would have been free without having to be bound over.

* MaliciousMisnaming: In the final episode, 'Sir' finally calls Barbara by her correct name instead of Fatima. He admits that it's just "...a bit of a habit. Call people by their wrong name - puts them at a disadvantage, old executive ploy."

1975 BritCom about a married couple, Tom and Barbara Good (Creator/RichardBriers and Felicity Kendal), who decide to give up the rat race and become completely self-sufficient. On his 40th birthday, Tom Good gives up his job as a draughtsman in a company that makes plastic toys for boxes of breakfast cereal. Their house is paid for, so he and his wife decide to live a sustainable, simple and self-sufficient lifestyle while staying in their home in Surbiton. They dig up their gardens and convert them into allotments, growing fruit and vegetables. They buy chickens, pigs, a goat and a rooster. The Goods generate their own electricity, attempt to make their own clothes, and barter for essentials which they cannot make themselves.

Known as ''Good Neighbors'' in the US because Creator/{{NBC}} had an unrelated one season series also called ''The Good Life'' a couple years before.

* NoSenseOfHumor: Margo has trouble with this, though as noted above she can at least manage some DeadpanSnarker moments. In "The Windbreak War", she drunkenly admits that it's a problem she's had her whole life.

* BilledAboveTheTitle: "Richard Briers in ''The Good Life''". Briers had been playing sitcom leads for over a decade when he was offered the role of Tom, while Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington were primarily known for their stage work. [[note]]At the time of casting, all four cast members had just appeared in West End runs of new plays by Alan Ayckbourn - Briers and Eddington in ''Absurd Person Singular'' (not at the same time), Kendal and Keith in ''The Norman Conquests''.[[/note]]

--> Although the actual exterior shots are done in Northwood, which is about 14 miles NW of London and similarly bucolic. This area's notoriously heavy and sticky London Clay soil features in many muddy scenes.

* ModestRoyalty: Georgette, Lady Truscott, who calls on Barbara to do some public speaking for a variety of charitable causes. Margo is dazzled by her title and keen to impress, but Lady Truscott gets along much better with Tom and Barbara, even when Tom drafts her into helping him carry lumber inside or she has to catch escaped chickens with Barbara. (She also prefers to go by George, as she finds Georgette to be an EmbarrassingFirstName.)

* NotSoAboveItAll: Margo (occasionally).

--> Although the actual exterior shots are done in Northwood.

* MassOhCrap: Everyone except Margo at the end of "The Windbreak War", when they [[spoiler: accidentally break the eponymous item, along with a garden statue. Mercifully, Margo for once sees the humor in the situation and starts laughing.]]

* ContrivedCoincidence: Margo and Jerry go on holiday, Tom does his back out ''and'' a freak storm hits Surbiton the week the Goods need to get their first harvest in at the end of series one.

** He gets it again when he instantly spends their £10 profits[[note]]a little over £40 today[[/note]] from the fruit crop on a loom he saw in a secondhand shop without even talking to Barbara first. This one he does understand the wrong in by himself.

* WrenchWench: Barbara, who was at least as mechanically capable as Tom.