comic relief

Back in the 1970s, there was a British sitcom called Good Neighbours, starring Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal as Tom and Barbara Good, names which mean exactly nothing to American audiences. Anyway – the premise of the series was that one day the Goods have had enough with their fast-paced, rat race, pollution-creating, junk food-eating, and costly life and decide to go the hippy-dippy sustainable route. They decide to dig up their lawn and put in a garden, raise animals, and use natural, home-made products, all to the horror of their social climbing neighbors, the Leadbetters. It’s light and silly a la a Three’s Company episode. The goals of the Goods probably sound a bit like some of the lefty-ish people in your life today, as sustainability and eco-friendly living has become quite a bit more trendy than it was in the ’70s. The original sitcom is certainly worth checking out, but so is a modern spin-off of the show, a short reality series from the UK called Giles and Sue Live The Good Life, which informs about environmentally friendly, urban homesteading life – and pokes a bit of fun at it too.  Read More