Opening with the midlife crisis of Tom Good, a 40-year-old plastics designer, it relates the joys and setbacks he and his wife Barbara experience when they attempt to escape a modern "rat race" lifestyle by "becoming totally self-sufficient" in their suburban house in Surbiton.

John Esmonde and Bob Larbey wrote The Good Life for Richard Briers,[3] the only cast member who was well known before the series was broadcast.

[3] Their story has the Goods' decision to pursue self-sufficiency conflicting sharply with the habits of the Leadbetters, who live next door.

Esmonde and Larbey chose Felicity Kendal and Penelope Keith after seeing them on stage together in The Norman Conquests.

The producers searched extensively for a suitable pair of houses, eventually chancing on Kewferry Road, Northwood.

[6] On his 40th birthday, Tom Good is no longer able to take his job seriously and gives up work as a draughtsman for a company that makes plastic toys for breakfast cereal packets.

Margo and Jerry were intended to be minor characters, but their relationship with one another and the Goods became an essential element of the series.

Under the influence of the Goods' homemade wine, called "peapod burgundy" (the strength of which becomes a running joke), their intermingled attractions to one another become apparent.

Jerry is convinced that the Goods' go-it-alone attempt will fail and on several occasions pleads with Tom to come back.

A social climber, staunchly Conservative and unafraid to challenge anyone who gets on her nerves, Margo nevertheless reveals a heart of gold.

She involves herself with organisations such as the pony club and the music society, always wishing to play the lead role, although frequently the Goods' activities frustrate her attempts to impress her social circle.

Andrew calls Tom and Barbara "Tim and Fatima", but in the episode "Anniversary" admits he has always known their names and pretends to forget – "an old executive ploy to put people at a disadvantage."

Mrs Weaver's enthusiasm for Tom's pottery encourages him to take up making ceramics, but he baulks at the idea of doing it professionally.

In series 4 it is revealed she has moved away, leaving the house empty, but with a half-full tank of heating oil in the garden.

The Goods telephone her and she agrees to them taking the oil, but they discover the leaking tank has destroyed their garden.

The final one-off episode, "When I'm Sixty-Five", was a Royal Command Performance in front of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and senior BBC management.

The performance came about after the BBC invited the Queen to attend a recording of a television programme for the first time to mark her Silver Jubilee and to this end, the royal household was asked to confirm her favourite entertainment show.

[3] Immediately after the series ended, Larbey and Esmonde created The Other One for Richard Briers, co-starring Michael Gambon.

It was a seven-part sitcom that aired on BBC1 in the autumn of 1977, running concurrently with The Good Life Christmas Special – Silly, but it's fun.

In the series, they recreated an attempt by two city-dwellers to adjust to country life, in ways such as raising their own barnyard animals, creating their own Christmas decorations and knitting their own clothing.

[14] Some have connected the increasing popularity of hobby farms to the success of TV shows like The Good Life.

A stage adaptation of the sitcom premiered at the Theatre Royal, Bath, before embarking on a UK tour in October 2021.