Latest news with #Margo
Spectator
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Spectator
The Good Life simply wasn't very good
A new documentary is to be screened later this year celebrating 50 years of everybody's favourite 1970s sitcom The Good Life. I will not be joining in with the festivities. During the two-hour show, 85-year-old Penelope Keith, who played the irascible Margo Leadbetter, will revisit some of the original locations, including Kewferry Road in Northwood, which stood in for fictional Acacia Avenue in Surbiton – I can feel your excitement growing. The producers have also promised to recreate some of the creaky old sets – OK, calm down at the back. While I'm all for a bit of nostalgia, do we really need to keep reminding ourselves how innocent TV sitcoms were before alternative comedy took a rubber sledgehammer to anything produced before 1979? 'I'm not watching the bloody Good Life,' screamed an incensed Vivian in an episode of The Young Ones. 'It's so bloody nice… confirming the myth that everyone in Britain is a loveable middle-class eccentric.' I'm afraid I'm with Viv on this one. For me, it wasn't just The Good Life's cardboard sets that wobbled but the entire flimsy concept. Margo and Jerry Leadbetter and their new age neighbours, Tom and Barbara Good (surely one of the weakest title puns ever), were certainly loveable, but they felt more like upper-middle-class Hampstead types than drab suburbanites stuck in dead-end jobs. Margo was supposed to be a middle-class snob with delusions of grandeur, but she looked and sounded like a proper aristocrat with her brusque demeanour and cut-glass accent. Unlike Alison Steadman's brilliant turn as Bev in Abigail's Party, Mike Leigh's tragic take on sweaty middle-class angst, Margo never had the contorted vowels and carefully concealed coarseness that made Bev so excruciatingly authentic. Margo just felt like a dotty dowager who'd accidentally wandered into a house full of naff Dralon furniture. No wonder she looked so fed up. And was anyone surprised when Ms Keith went on to play Lady Fforbes-Hamilton in To the Manor Born, a part far more in keeping with her style? Felicity Kendal's Barbara also felt hopelessly out of place with her scrummy head-girl cutesiness and Sloaney-haired confidence – again, hardly your typical Surbiton type. We all fancied Babs, but did anyone believe she had sacrificed everything for the sake of the planet? As for the urbane Jerry, I didn't buy for one moment that he worked for a two-bit company designing plastic toys for cereal packets – it wasn't even an amusing conceit. The late Paul Eddington, a fine actor, imbued Jerry with the easy wit and debonair charm of a country squire or possibly a gentleman sleuth; he'd have made an interesting Bond for sure – but a humble draughtsman from the arse end of south-west London? Gimme a break. And if Felicity Kendal's treacly Barbara and Richard Briers's winsome Tom had been so keen on self-sufficiency, why didn't they just sell up and move to a smallholding in Suffolk? Neither couple appeared to have any children, so what were they even doing festering in the drab 'burbs? Looking back, nothing about the series rang true. The idea that installing a mangy goat and a couple of pigs in a suburban garden meant you never had to go shopping again was for the birds. Speaking of which, Margo would surely have had the Goods evicted on discovering they had named their recently acquired cockerel Lenin. The noise! The politics! No wonder Margo and Jerry became so concerned about their potty neighbours. Imprisoning farmyard animals in unsanitary conditions was surely a matter for the RSPCA. And if I'd been Barbara, I'd have told my penny-pinching hubby where to shove his second-hand loom. In 1975, you could pick up an old jumper from Oxfam for 20p, so why put your wife through the hell of having to weave a new one, which would have cost a lot more anyway? Unless, of course, they were virtue signalling their green credentials to those horribly rapacious neighbours: 'Jerry, I've scoured Bond Street,' as Margo famously lamented. A well-executed stereotype can distil the essence of a character, making them a perfect comedy foil 1970s sitcoms lived or died on the quality of their stereotypes. Warren Mitchell's Alf Garnett was completely believable as a cartoon bigot, as was Leonard Rossiter's absurdly over-the-top landlord Rigsby. John Cleese's portrayal of a middle-class hotelier on the verge of a nervous breakdown wasn't exactly subtle, but we instantly recognised the type. Back then, Brits tended to remain in their silos, only glimpsing how the other half lived via TV sitcoms. I doubt many BBC producers had ever met an actual Albert Steptoe, but Wilfrid Brambell's grotesque interpretation of a rag-and-bone man was real enough to carry a brilliant script. The reason The Good Life characters didn't work was because we couldn't place them properly. Nowadays, of course, we flinch at the idea of stereotypes, assuming they will always be crudely drawn depictions of reality. In fact, a well-executed stereotype can distil the essence of a character, making them a perfect comedy foil. With society becoming increasingly atomised, writers have lost the art of creating believable stereotypes; today, we demand complexity and back stories even from two-dimensional superheroes. The genius of 1970s sitcoms was their ability to hold up a madly distorted but instantly recognisable mirror to the tragicomedy we call life. Unfortunately, The Good Life's situational setting failed to match the comedic stereotypes and therefore failed to tell us much about the human condition. That said, I still giggle whenever I think of Margo going head to head with her nemesis Miss Mountshaft, dictatorial leading light of the local music society. With a name like Mountshaft, perhaps 1970s sitcoms weren't quite as innocent as we like to think.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Why Glasgow's food scene made me question living in London
As someone who grew up in – and still lives in – London, I've always pictured myself staying put. But lately, the mass closure of venues and pubs, the cost of living that means you can't breathe outside your house without spending 20 quid, and the audacity of landlords (posting a picture of a pile of dirty clothes instead of the room itself – seriously) has left me a bit disillusioned with the Big Smoke. It wasn't until I found myself in Glasgow 's Cat House – surrounded by sweaty Scottish grebos, Limp Bizkit's 'My Way' annihilating my eardrums, sipping on a £4 vodka lime soda (yes, four pounds) after a fantastic day of eating and exploring – that I started to seriously wonder if I was living in the wrong city. Speaking of eating: as much as I was tempted to try my first pizza crunch, it would have been plain silly considering what Glasgow's food scene has to offer. My first taste of this was at Margo on Miller Street. An extremely cool two-storey restaurant that oozes stylish sophistication, it's the sort of place where you'd be content if the food were merely fine – but it's not. Far from it. Unassuming 'chipsticks with taramasalata' turn out to be golden, 1000-layer potatoes the length of my forearm, perfect for plunging into expertly whipped fishy meze. Pork belly with beetroot ketchup is wonderfully fatty, juicy and earthy. Skate wing swimming in a lemony, buttery mussel sauce is cooked to the kind of perfection that reminds me why I eat out – there's no way I'd nail fish like this at home. The dense and fudgy 'bare bones chocolate nemesis' makes it into my top two desserts of all time, and at £7 it's less than half the price of The River Cafe's signature pud. For an aperitif, digestif or both (I won't judge), head downstairs to Sebb's basement bar – owned by the same group, Scoop. Boring cocktails these are not. A cherry sour with a lemon meringue head is obscenely good, as is the peach picker, which somehow tastes more of peach than an actual peach. As a very recent martini convert, I'm still kicking myself for missing their salty, vinegary 'chip shop' version, complete with an enormous pickled onion. They do the classics too, but I'd recommend being adventurous – Sebb's knows their way around a shaker. Just a short subway ride away on Great Western Road – that's right, Glasgow has a subway, take that TfL – is Michelin-starred Cail Bruich, one of only two starred restaurants in the city (the other is Unalome) and the only starred kitchen in Scotland headed by a woman: Lorna McNee. The menu packs in so much without spreading itself thin. It's supposedly seven courses but don't be fooled – it's closer to 10 once you include snacks, bread and dessert bites. Standouts include west coast brown crab atop a creamy Thai green sauce full of garden herbs, offset by crispy Granny Smith apple. It's fresh and creamy, rich and light – total balance and skill. Isle of Skye langoustine, bisque and ravioli topped with XO brings layered, umami flavours that just demand you sit back and let them unfold, grinning like an idiot. I could go on and on, but one that stuck with me was a teensy choux pastry filled with molten cheese – a reverse fondue so warm and comforting it was basically a hug in a bite. It's not just fine dining where women lead the way. There's B Corp-certified Dear Green coffee roasters, founded by Lisa Lawson in 2011 and named Roast Magazine 's 2024 Roaster of the Year – proof they care as much about ethics and the environment as they do about making bloody great coffee. Gaga, owned by Julie Lin, celebrates her Scottish and Malaysian heritage. As someone who recently discovered a mild allergy to prawns, gluten and peanuts, something has to be truly splendid to justify the inevitable eczema flare-up; I can confirm that a deep-fried prawn bao bun with coriander mayo absolutely qualifies. There are clever citrus twists too, like Sichuan fried chicken with orange zest and a spicy blood orange margarita. Don't skip the house pickles or nasi goreng. Then there's glorious Gloriosa, with Rosie Healey as head chef and owner. Sometimes you try something so good it ruins that thing everywhere else. Their springy, oily, bouncy focaccia blew every other version I've had clean out of the water. I don't think I can order focaccia again unless it's from here. Again, gluten worth it – same goes for the paccheri rigati beef ragu. A mountain of butterhead lettuce, shallot, soft herbs and ewe's curd is beautifully tangy and minty, while charred tropia onions with sherry vinegar and aioli taste like spring on a plate. Highly recommended for veggies and pescitarians – they're very well looked after here. If none of the puds tickle your pickle (which I doubt), pop a few doors down to Fat Sal's for proper Scottish ice cream. Their coconut flavour was a resounding 10/10. A trip to Scotland wouldn't be complete without a distillery visit. Despite my fantasy of being as cool as Don Draper, I still can't say I love whisky – but what they produce at Clydeside made me grimace a lot less than usual. I particularly liked their amber-coloured sherry cask, though our lovely tour guide Marnie warned me it could be at risk if nobody drinks actual sherry anymore. So if you like sherry-cask whisky, do your bit and buy some sherry! The last thing we ate before heading back to London with Avanti West Coast – a really nice way to travel, especially in first class, though it's maddening it costs so much more than flying – was a top-notch brunch at Henry's. Their pickle-topped bloody mary kicked aside the remnants of my £4-drink-induced hangover, as did a croissant stuffed with bacon, garlic, honey and brie – just £8. Another reminder that you can't get a breakfast of this standard in London without remortgaging your flat. As I leave, rethinking my entire existence – and whether London is really home after all – I know I've barely scratched the surface of Glasgow's restaurants, boozers, bars and venues, the abundance of gingers that mean I no longer feel like the odd one out, and quite literally the friendliest, funniest people on the planet. A resounding success. Glasgow, you have my heart – and I'm already planning my return.
Irish Times
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Strange new worlds and a summer camp murder: YA reads for June
Skipshock: think jet lag turned up to 11. Moving quickly between worlds where time passes differently – shorter days for the poorer, exploited north; longer, luxurious ones for the wealthy south – means that salesmen's careers are short and brutal. 'We are twice as likely to be alcoholics, three times as likely to die by suicide, and infinitely more likely to disappear without anyone caring at all.' Moon has been a salesman for seven years, and time is running out. Enter Margo, 'a sixteen-year-old failed runaway with a watch and unsuitable clothing', whose train from Cork to Dublin suddenly transforms into something more old-fashioned and sinister. In an unfamiliar realm, where time races by far too quickly, she tries to figure out who she can trust. Moon, perhaps, but he's thinking about her not so much as a damsel in distress as a job – delivering her will net him the kind of payload that could help him retire, before the illness sinks its claws in any further. Caroline O'Donoghue's Skipshock (Walker, £14.99), the first in a new duology from the acclaimed author of both teen and adult fiction, is a thought-provoking look at inequality, time and borders, wrapped up in a delicious romantic adventure. Moon, a member of the Lunati, a people whose 'sacred caravan trails' were shut down by an oppressive regime, trusts neither those in power nor the revolutionary movement trying to overthrow them. [ Caroline O'Donoghue: If we had carried on living together, we would have had no friends left Opens in new window ] Margo, emotionally troubled but from relative privilege, takes a while to realise that not having 'done anything wrong' doesn't matter in these new circumstances, that she is 'in effect, an illegal immigrant' here. Their different perspectives invite a certain level of political commentary, and there are some clear parallels with our own world, but O'Donoghue is careful not to sacrifice story, or to reduce complex situations to simple binaries. Thoroughly enjoyable and intelligent. READ MORE 'We had been placed in a biodome with a diameter of about ten kilometres, and a circumference of thirty-two. You could walk all the way around in six or seven hours. Why had we been put here? No idea, though of course we had theories.' Xavier is 13 when 'they', unseen aliens or other forces, kidnap his family from a peaceful rural getaway. He has been living in the dome with his father, stepmother and baby brother for three years – farming, foraging, and clinging to his battered phone as the one last link to his brother, mom, and civilisation as he knew it – when a new family arrives. Having accepted 'there's no point wishing for the impossible', his hopes rise all over again when patriarch Riley, more than a little fond of conspiracy theories and guns, begins planning their escape. Kenneth Oppel. Photograph: Mark Raynes Roberts The prolific Canadian author Kenneth Oppel is on form with his latest, Best of All Worlds (Guppy, £14.99), a quietly tense thriller about imprisonment versus freedom, and individual rights versus communal responsibility. Have Xavier's family been wise or foolish to simply accept their lot? 'They put a bubble over your head, you stay put. They put a hoe in your hand, you farm. Three years, you've been doing exactly what they want,' Riley laments. Even if their captors are benevolent, is compliance the best way forward? Is there a touch of Dr Pangloss in Xavier's own father? There's much to discuss in this smart, engaging book. Meg Grehan Irish verse novelist Meg Grehan returns to the characters of her award-winning The Deepest Breath in The Brightest Star (Little Island, £8.99), which sees best friends Stevie, Chloe and Andrew start secondary school. Stevie is still battling anxiety, with the help of her mum and therapist, but she's also very clear on who she is – a girl who loves space and learning and Chloe, who makes her feel 'fizzy and warm and lovely', even if they're not quite ready for hand-holding just yet. (The innocence of this is an important reminder of how LGBTQ+ content in young people's literature is not inherently 'adult'; let's hear it for representing all kinds of swoony first crushes.) Finding a supportive community at their new school through the Rainbow Club is just as sparkling and hopeful for Stevie – 'The potential / In the air / Is so potent / So palpable / So delicious' – but Andrew, given his own voice in this volume, distances himself for reasons he can't quite articulate or admit. This earnest, tender book is a warm hug for young readers. 'When someone you love dies, people give you about a month. In that month, if you cry, they know exactly why you are crying. But after that, whenever you're sad they ask you why. Expecting a different reason than the one before. As if your grief is past its expiry date. As if your grief was a yoghurt.' It's been several months since Nadia lost her best friend, Lizzy, to cancer, and it still weighs heavily on her. There's a list of things Lizzy wanted her to do, including 'get PJs signed by godlike pop star', but Nadia's fallen behind. Getting through the day is hard enough. When her aunt intervenes, sending her on a transatlantic flight to attend a pop concert, it's the beginning of a life-changing road trip that includes – inevitably – a cute boy, Fran, who may have his own demons, but is also up for an adventure. Jacqueline Silvester Jacqueline Silvester's The Last Wish List (Simon & Schuster, £8.99) is a sweet summer rom-com that provides both familiar tropes and a few unexpected swerves. Of particular note is the handling of Nadia's Russian heritage, with parents who 'think mental health is an expression made up by western marketing companies'; it's a vital reminder that the good-to-talk 'awareness' campaigns land differently depending on cultural background. Ava Eldred Finally, Ava Eldred's second novel, Exit Stage Death (UCLan Publishing, £8.99), is an immensely entertaining murder mystery set at a musical theatre summer camp (this reviewer was sucked in immediately by the premise, but recognises that there are some readers who will not be quite as delighted with all the musical references). Livi's in her final year at Camp Chance, determined to be the lead in the showcase and convince her parents to get on board with drama school; she brilliantly captures 'the feelings of atoms shifting' as she enters this intense summer world. With many of her old camp friends now sitting exams, she pushes herself to make new pals and to smash it in rehearsals – until a dead body appears. The police rule it a tragic accident, but Livi knows better, and has a sinister note from the killer to prove it. 'You're in the middle of your own murder mystery now, but the rest is still to be written. You have until the end of camp to find me, or she won't be the only one.' Eldred pulls off this implausible concept with aplomb, letting her teenage characters continue to be concerned with the everyday – who's getting the lead? Who's kissing whom? Will Livi's last summer of joy and theatre be ruined by all this murder business? – while they work together to solve the crime. The use of stage directions in lieu of the more typical italicised killer-monologue is particularly well done, and a final reveal invites rereading.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
One of NE Ohio's most notorious killers wants out of prison — again
AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — One of Northeast Ohio's most notorious killers is making a bid to get out of prison, again. Doug Prade, a former Akron police captain convicted of killing his ex-wife, Dr. Margo Prade, will have his first parole hearing Wednesday, June 4. Ground beef sold nationwide possibly contaminated with E. Coli Prade is serving 20 years to life at the Marion Correctional Institution. He was convicted of his-ex-wife's murder in 1998. Last week, Fox 8's Dave Nethers, spoke with one of the Prades' dearest friends. Donzella Anuszkiewicz, who also is a former federal investigator said, 'There's no doubt in my mind that he did it.' Woman dies from brain-eating amoeba in tap water The Prades had divorced, but friends, family, and court testimony show he continued to harass and threaten his ex-wife. 'We were very afraid for Margo,' said Anuszkiewicz. On the day before Thanksgiving 1997, Margo was shot six times inside her minivan parked outside of her Akron medical office. Doug Prade has maintained his innocence and in 2013 his conviction was overturned. Your Ohio electric bills are probably going up in June He was released from prison based on DNA evidence related to a bite mark on Dr. Prade's lab coat. Eighteen months later, he was back behind bars. That evidence was rejected. Wednesday, Prade will go before a parole committee, a small group of parole board members, who will hear his plea for release. Within days, they will make a recommendation to the full board. If they recommend parole, there will be a full hearing with lawyers and victims permitted to speak. Six years ago, when Doug Prade's appeals were rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court, then Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said the former police captain was right where he belonged. 'It was just a vicious murder and he deserves to serve a very long time in prison,' said Walsh. 'He had been harassing her, He had been illegally wiretapping her phone, threatening her, and assaulting her. She was terrified of him.' Traditionally, the inmate is allowed to have an attorney present at the parole committee hearing, however, only Doug Prade will be permitted to speak. The committee will then make a recommendation to the full parole board in the coming days. If they favor release, they'll hold the larger hearing before making a final decision. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Wales Online
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Penelope Keith to star in programme celebrating 50 years of The Good Life
Penelope Keith to star in programme celebrating 50 years of The Good Life The actress and presenter, 85, played Margo Leadbetter on the show, which follows a couple who convert their garden into a farm (Image: Sergeant Rupert Frere RLC ) Dame Penelope Keith is to star in a special programme celebrating 50 years of sitcom The Good Life. The actress and presenter, 85, played Margo Leadbetter on the show, which follows a couple who convert their garden into a farm. The feature-length retrospective, titled The Good Life: Inside Out, will revisit set locations and look at props and artefacts from the programme's development, including original scripts and production notes. Dame Penelope will take viewers through the course of the sitcom's history and will be seen stepping back onto the set in a version of Margo and Jerry Leadbetter's drawing room, recreated by production company Double Yellow. Dame Penelope said: "I am delighted that (comedy channel) U&Gold has invited me to celebrate 50 years of The Good Life, a series that was important to me and is still so well loved by viewers. "I have such happy memories of making The Good Life – it was a wonderful cast and we were working with excellent scripts and a first rate production team. "The only thing I can't really believe is that it's 50 years since I first played Margo... where have the years gone?" The 120-minute special will also include archival interviews with co-stars Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal and Paul Eddington, as well as producer director John Howard Davies. The quintessential British sitcom ran for four series on the BBC from 1975 to 1978. Kendal played Barbara Good in the sitcom while the late Briers played her husband Tom and Eddington, who died in 1995, played Margo's husband Jerry. In 2010 a documentary titled All About The Good Life, celebrating the show's 35th anniversary, aired on the BBC. Helen Nightingale, head of factual and factual entertainment at broadcaster UKTV, said: "For a show to be remembered so fondly and to be such a reference point in British everyday conversation as The Good Life after 50 years is testament to its quality, and this new retrospective with Double Yellow will explore just how and why the show has endured." Article continues below The Good Life: Inside Out will air on U&Gold later this year.
