'The Good Life' actress Penelope Keith has died

[Mel O'Drama]

To The Manor Born was essential viewing in our home when I was young (given its ratings, this probably held true for most British households) so Penelope was a significant part of my formative TV world. I was also hugely impressed with The Good Life when I got round to watching it in full perhaps a decade and a half ago. Coincidentally, both series ended up on a very short shortlist of British sitcom suggestions for @Crimson very recently.

TV adaptions of various plays gave a nice taste of her stage work. 1984's Hay Fever springs to mind. And The Norman Conquests is absolutely essential viewing.

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Penelope Keith, star of The Good Life and To the Manor Born, dies aged 86

A familiar face on TV and the stage, Keith was made a dame in 2014 for her services to the arts and charities

www.theguardian.com

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Some lovely images of her life and work here:

Penelope Keith – a life in pictures

The actor, best known for her posh comic roles as Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life and Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To the Manor Born, has died at the age of 86. We celebrate a British great

www.theguardian.com

 

[Angela Channing]

When Dallas moved to Sundays in the early 1990s, it was on next to To The Manor Born so I used to watch them both back to back. I never watched The Good Life so this became the first time I had seen Penelope Keith's work. Such a brilliantly natural comic actor, although her performances extended beyond comedy. She will be sadly missed.

 

[Barbara Fan]

Im sorry to hear that news, For me Jerry and Margo were the stars of the Good life and i enjoyed her in to the Manor Born with Peter Bowles and Angela Thorne

Liked her performance in Morecambe and Wise Xmas special - Dignity at all times lol as she had to climb down a set of steps that went to no where

RIP Penelope Keith

 

[Daniel Avery]

This is very sad news. In addition to Audrey and Margo, I made sure to sample anything I saw her attached to. She's one of those actresses who never went half-way in her performances. I also loved the travelogue-type shows she hosted exploring the English coast, farm villages, etc.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

In addition to Audrey and Margo, I made sure to sample anything I saw her attached to. She's one of those actresses who never went half-way in her performances.

Yes. I know we chatted a little over her later sitcom Executive Stress which was hugely watchable. But then I can't think of anything in which she appeared that hasn't been.

I also loved the travelogue-type shows she hosted exploring the English coast, farm villages, etc.

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Even this year she's been hosting another series about more British scenery (with a kind of, sort of connection to one of her best known characters, and that classic series got a name check from her in the trailer for the new one):

 

[Mel O'Drama]

This just popped up in my feed. The Thames TV channel uploaded it today as a little tribute. Behold Penelope with a Lancashire accent: