Good Life remake impossible - Keith (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Good Life remake impossible - Keith

1:09am Tuesday 26th February 2013 in Showbiz © Press Association 2013

TV bosses would be unable to remake hit 1970s show The Good Life because society has changed too "radically" for rich and poor people to be neighbours, its star Penelope Keith has said.

Penelope, 72, shot to fame in the sitcom as snobby Margo Leadbetter, opposite Paul Eddington as her henpecked husband and Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal as self-sufficient neighbours Tom and Barbara Good.

The actress, whose co-star Richard died earlier this month, told the Radio Times: "There was a move afoot for Paul Eddington and I to have a series together.

"But I remember realising very strongly that the reason why The Good Life worked was because its four characters were juxtaposed with each other. Plus I think the great secret with television situation comedy is to know when to stop.

"And as time went on, life changed radically, so I don't think you would have believed the idea of the Goods, who had no money, living on the same street as a neighbour who was running a big business.

"The Leadbetter characters would be on over £100,000 easily, so it wouldn't have worked, no."