Felicity Kendal defends ‘The Good Life'

Felicity Kendal has called out claims that The Good Life showcased "toxic masculinity."

The actress defended the sitcom against a recent backlash from critics who claimed her on-screen husband was a dominating character.

In a conversation with Paper she mentioned, "I think that sometimes these days, because the show has endured for so long and become part of the folklore, people look back on it mistakenly, and slightly narrow-mindedly."

The Good Life, which ran from 1975 to 1978, depicts Felicity and her late co-star Richard Briers as a London couple who try to live off the land after the husband's decision to quit his job in advertising.

"It wasn't a documentary, it was a comedy, and Tom did not drag Barbara along unwillingly," Felicity explained.

"Barbara was positive, and practical, and totally in love with her partner. Yes, she got p**sed off on occasion, but she loved Tom. I loved Tom," the Solo star said.

Elsewhere in the interview, Felicity recalled the "thrilling" moment Queen Elizabeth II, who was a huge fan of The Good Life, attended a live taping of the show.

"Oh, it was a thrilling experience," she remembered, adding, "We were worried about what we would do if something went wrong during the recording."

Typically, she said, she and her co-stars would use bad language if they would mess up on set so Felicity Kendal jokingly concluded, "We tended to swear a bit, but I don't think any of us wanted to swear in front of the Queen.”