The Good Life (1971 TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Good Life is an American situation comedy
which was aired on NBC
as part of its 1971-72 lineup
. The series stars Larry Hagman
and Donna Mills
, and was produced by Lorimar, in association with Screen Gems
.
American couple, the Millers (Hagman and Mills), who had tired of their mundane existence. However, instead of following the time-honored premise of "hitting the road" to seek adventure or engaging in a stereotypical period activity such as joining a communal farm, they decided to seek new employment as the live-in butler and cook of millionaire industrialist, Charles Dutton. He noticed that they were not particularly talented at their jobs but found them to be agreeable enough. Their limited skills most definitely were not enough for his stuffy sister Grace, however, and she constantly worked to get them fired. Dutton's teenaged son Nick was aware of what the Millers were doing in their new roles but found great humor in helping them to get away with it.
This program did not garner much of an audience and it was cancelled at midseason. It was replaced by the action drama, Emergency!
.
Two decades later, Larry Hagman would make guest appearances on Donna Mills
' later show, Knots Landing
, playing his character from Dallas
(also produced by Lorimar), J.R Ewing
.
The British television series released as Good Neighbors in American syndication was originally titled "The Good Life" when it ran in the U.K., but changed its name for American release to avoid confusion with this 1970's TV series.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
which was aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
as part of its 1971-72 lineup
1971-72 United States network television schedule
This was the television schedule on all three United States television networks for the fall season beginning in September 1971. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with a few exceptions, such as Monday Night Football. This season would be the first time the prime time schedule would be shortened to...
. The series stars Larry Hagman
Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman is an American film and television actor, producer and director known for playing J.R. Ewing in the 1980s primetime television soap opera Dallas and Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early life and career:Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas...
and Donna Mills
Donna Mills
Donna Mills is an American actress, most well known for her role as Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing.-Early years:...
, and was produced by Lorimar, in association with Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
.
Synopsis
The Good Life is the story of a middle classMiddle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
American couple, the Millers (Hagman and Mills), who had tired of their mundane existence. However, instead of following the time-honored premise of "hitting the road" to seek adventure or engaging in a stereotypical period activity such as joining a communal farm, they decided to seek new employment as the live-in butler and cook of millionaire industrialist, Charles Dutton. He noticed that they were not particularly talented at their jobs but found them to be agreeable enough. Their limited skills most definitely were not enough for his stuffy sister Grace, however, and she constantly worked to get them fired. Dutton's teenaged son Nick was aware of what the Millers were doing in their new roles but found great humor in helping them to get away with it.
This program did not garner much of an audience and it was cancelled at midseason. It was replaced by the action drama, Emergency!
Emergency!
Emergency! is an American television series that combines the medical drama and action-adventure genres. It was produced by Mark VII Limited and distributed by Universal Studios...
.
Two decades later, Larry Hagman would make guest appearances on Donna Mills
Donna Mills
Donna Mills is an American actress, most well known for her role as Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing.-Early years:...
' later show, Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
, playing his character from Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
(also produced by Lorimar), J.R Ewing
J.R. Ewing
John Ross Ewing, Jr., more commonly known as J. R. Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, was a central, nefarious figure on the hit CBS television series Dallas . J. R...
.
The British television series released as Good Neighbors in American syndication was originally titled "The Good Life" when it ran in the U.K., but changed its name for American release to avoid confusion with this 1970's TV series.
Cast
- Larry HagmanLarry HagmanLarry Martin Hagman is an American film and television actor, producer and director known for playing J.R. Ewing in the 1980s primetime television soap opera Dallas and Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early life and career:Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas...
as Albert Miller - Donna MillsDonna MillsDonna Mills is an American actress, most well known for her role as Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing.-Early years:...
as Jane Miller - David WayneDavid WayneDavid Wayne was an American actor with a career spanning nearly 50 years.-Early life and career:...
as Charles Dutton - Hermione BaddeleyHermione BaddeleyHermione Baddeley was an English character actress of theatre, film and television. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Room at the Top and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here...
as Grace Dutton - Danny GoldmanDanny GoldmanDanny Goldman is an American actor, voice artist, and, more recently, casting director. Among his many notable credits include a small role in Young Frankenstein, the voice of Brainy Smurf, Ozzie the Answer in the 1980s detective drama Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and as Dr. Denton on Get Smart,...
as Nick Dutton