CTVA
The Classic TV Archive - US Comedy Series
Larry Hagman series
I Dream of Jeannie (Screen Gems/Sidney Sheldon/NBC)(1965-70) starring Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman
The Good Life (Screen Gems/Lee Rich/NBC)(1971-72) starring Larry Hagman, Donna Mills
Here We Go Again (early 1973) starring Larry Hagman, Diane Baker, Dick Gautier, Nita Talbot
Dallas (Lorimar/CBS) (1978-91) starring Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, Victoria Principal 
The Good Life (1971-72)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by: Robert Leszczak
references:
Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive
  Writers Guild of America (wga)
-------------
THE GOOD LIFE
-------------
Lee Rich Production, in association with
Screen Gems, a division of Columbia Pictures
for
NBC (Saturdays 8:30 pm EST)
Produced by Claudio Guzman
Created by Fred Freeman and Lawrence J. Cohen

US Comedy series 1971-72    pilot+15 episodes x 30 min Color
release date 18 Sep71
Starring 
Larry Hagman as Albert Miller
Donna Mills as Jane Miller
David Wayne as Charles Dutton
Hermione Baddeley as Grace Dutton
Danny Goldman as Nick Dutton
 
Premise:
Albert & Jane Miller were an ordinary middle-class couple who became bored
with their lives and decided to pretend to be the butler and cook for the
very wealthy head of Dutton Industries, Charles Dutton, and his family.
Only Dutton's teenage son Nick was aware of Albert & Jane's true identities,
and often helped to get them out of whatever trouble their secret got them
into. Dutton's busybody sister Grace was constantly trying to undermine the
Millers' authority and have them fired.

Tony Orlando sings the show's theme song, "The Good Life"

############### The Good Life ################
################### pilot ####################
##############################################

1.0 [--] THE GOOD LIFE (pilot) [Part of "Three in One"]
22Mar71

############### The Good Life ################
############## season 1971-72 ###############
##############################################
NBC Saturdays 8:30 pm Eastern

 1.1 [--] The Good Life: ONE OF OUR ROLLS IS MISSING  [verified -RL]
18Sep71 NBC Sat
Exec Producer Lee Rich / Producer Claudio Guzman
Written by Lawrence j. Cohen, Fred Freeman
Directed by Hy Averbach
Cast
Larry Hagman ....... Albert Miller
Donna Mills ........ Jane Mller
Kate Reid
Danny Goldman ...... Nick Dutton
David Wayne ........ Charles Dutton
Synopsis:
The stress of city life and his stressful job on Wall Street leads the Millers
(Larry Hagman & Donna Mills) to seek a better life. One fateful day, their car
breaks down and they are given a lift by a butler to a multimillionaire. They
see this as a sign, and put an ad in the local paper to get a job doing the
same kind of work. They then wind up getting a job for The Dutton Family, and
get to live in their mansion.
Their lack of experience shows, however, when a dinner party for 15 goes awry.
They don't cook the dinner, but rather pick it up from a restaurant, only to
have a traffic accident on the way home, spewing food all over the roadway. [RL]

1.2 [--] The Good Life: JANE'S DOUBLE LIFE  [verified -RL]
25Sep71 NBC Sat
Produced by Claudio Guzman
written by Albert Lewin
Directed by Ron Winston
Guest Cast:
Alejandro Rey .......... Rico D'Angelo
Dick Patterson ......... Ron Whittaker
Anthony Eustrel ........ Major Domo
Pat Delaney ............ Linda
Synopsis:
Nick Dutton has nobody to take to the ball, so his dad, Charles Dutton
(who has a crush on Jane Miller), recommends that Jane be Nick's date.
However, it's the handsome multimillionaire Rico D'Angelo who winds up
hitting on Jane at the ball. [RL]

1.3 [--] The Good Life: THE CHESS GAME 
02Oct71 NBC Sat

1.4 [--] The Good Life: WRECKED BUTLER 
09Oct71 NBC Sat

1.5 [--] The Good Life: THE VACATION 
16Oct71 NBC Sat

1.6 [--] The Good Life: THE COMMODORE COMETH 
23Oct71 NBC Sat

1.7 [--] The Good Life: THE BURGLAR ALARM  [verified -RL]
30Oct71 NBC Sat
Written by Ron Friedman
Directed by Jay Sandrich
Guest Cast:
Mark Lenard .......... Sawyer
David Doyle .......... Mr. Sommers
Ivor Barry ........... Pritchard
Dick Balduzzi ........ the dog handler
Edward Faulkner ...... the milkman
Synopsis:
Lots of robberies have been occurring in the neighborhood. A decision must
be made as to whether guard dogs or a burglar alarm would be a better choice.
Both are sampled. However, it turns out that the man installing the alarm system
is the same con artist who robbed the neighbors. That's when it's discovered
that the guard dogs are the better choice as they save the day. [RL]

1.8 [--] The Good Life: DUTTON'S RETIREMENT 
06Nov71 NBC Sat

1.9 [--] The Good Life: SPEEDOMETER STRAIN  [verified -RL]
13Nov71 NBC Sat
written by Lloyd Turner and Gordon "Whitey" Mitchell
Directed by Claudio Guzman
Guest Cast:
Will J White ......... policeman
Ray Stewart .......... clerk
Ray Young ............ court recorder
Bill Quinn ........... judge
David Renard ......... priest
Synopsis:
Mr. Dutton plans to take the Millers on his yacht to Hawaii - but first,
Mr. Miller has to teach Mrs. Dutton (Hermione Baddeley) how to drive. [RL]

[--] 20Nov71 (PRE-EMPTED)

1.10 [--] The Good Life: MANSION FOR SALE 
27Nov-71 NBC Sat

1.11 [--] The Good Life: A TREMENDOUS SENSE OF LOYALTY
04Dec71 NBC Sat

1.12 [--] The Good Life: BUTTERFIELD ATE [verified -RL]
11Dec71 NBC Sat
Written by Lloyd Turner and Gordon"Whitey" Mitchell
directed by Claudio Guzman
Guest stars -
Scatman Crothers ....... Rodney
Jim Begg ............... photographer
Lola Mason ............. Sheila
Synopsis:
Albert is tired of pampering the Dutton's dog, Chubber.
That is, until he has to babysit for the neighbor's cat - a full grown
lion named Butterfield. [RL]

1.13 [--] The Good Life: ALBERT GETS RICH
18Dec71 NBC Sat

1.14 [--] The Good Life: THE GARDENERS
25Dec71 NBC Sat

[--] 1Jan72 (PRE-EMPTED: ROSE BOWL)

1.15 [--] The Good Life: DIAL M FOR MERGER  [verified -RL]
8Jan72 NBC Sat
written by Lloyd Turner and Gordon "Whitey" Mitchell
Directed by Larry Hagman
Guest stars..
Kevin McCarley ........ Lamar
Gary Dubin ............ Leonard
Synopsis:
Charles Dutton's 8-year-old genius nephew is visiting, and he wants the
child treated like royalty by the help (the Millers). However, Mr. Miller
takes matters into his own hands and tames the brat with discipline and
reprimands - two things he's never received before. [RL]

############### The Good Life ################
################## the end #################
##############################################

Have you any comments, corrections, episode titles, air dates, production numbers, directors, writers, story/synopsis, guest stars, cast lists, etc?
Have you any old videos, or tv guides? Dust them off and let us know if you have any information on this series or any other tv series from the
Golden Age of TV, which is missing from any episode guides on the web. Perhaps a certain episode of a particular series coincided with a key
moment in your life, or in world events - and or has left a vivid memory of when it was shown. Let us know. Would you like to see any other
tv series guides on this site? If so please e-mail The Classic TV Archive - see Feedback below.
This guide may be distributed and copied freely, in its entirety, for personal use. All original author and copyright information must
remain intact. Any sales or other uses of this document are expressly forbidden, without the specific consent of the author(s).
Copyright © The Classic TV Archive. All rights reserved.

Return to The Classic TV Archive Home Page
Feedback  -  Comedy Forum