User reviews

A charming, gentle sitcom from the mid-1990s, My Good Friend starred George Cole as Peter, a lonely old man living with his daughter and her husband, and all too aware that his presence in their house was an unwelcome irritation for them. Feeling very lonely and at a permanent loose end, he meets the similarly melancholy Harry (Richard Pearson), with whom he strikes up a tentative friendship. Then the two of them encounter young single mother Ellie (Minnie Driver), and her son, with whom the two old gents start to spend their days; as time goes on, the three main characters find themselves fulfilling the various gaps in each others' lives…

My Good Friend is a very little known, low budget ITV programme that has totally slipped into obscurity over the last few years, and undeservedly so; a thoughtful, realistic sitcom (albeit one rightly devoid of a laughter track) that showed wit in its writing but was more remarkable for its touchingly realistic look at a couple of very lonely old pensioners. Cole and the lesser-known character actor Pearson were both splendidly natural in the lead parts, but the show's first season was especially notable in that it featured Minnie Driver in one of her earliest starring roles, only a year before she decamped to the US and started to hit it big in Hollywood with films like Grosse Pointe Blank and Good Will Hunting. Driver was wonderful in My Good Friend, and, as a dreamy teenager, I fell in love with her warm, kind-hearted single mother character, a young woman (Driver was only in her early twenties when the show was made) with the weight of the world on her shoulders, but one who also manages to find the time to provide care and friendship for two very lonely old men.

Unfortunately, with Driver unavailable for the second series, she was replaced as Ellie by the considerably older Lesley Vickerage, whose more conventional mid-thirties take on the single mother character made the show much less interesting, and an already slow-paced and mercurial sitcom started to seem quite pointless. Unsurprisingly, the second series was also the last. Like Ben Chaplin's performance as agoraphobic sociopath Matt Malone in the first series of the foul-mouthed flat-share sitcom Game On (produced in Britain at around at the same time), Driver's performance was the main reason My Good Friend was interesting enough to watch, and without her, the show lost its sparkle, in the same way that Game On lost its edge when Chaplin went to the US to star in a The Truth About Cats And Dogs with Uma Thurman, and was replaced in his part by the horrid, charmless Neil Stuke.

My Good Friend sadly isn't available on DVD, but if you should ever get the chance to see series one of the sitcom, try and catch it, if only for Driver's star-making turn.

This was a beautifully written and acted series. This gentle comedy is very much a lost classic and there are no other similar style series I can think of to compare it. It did lose a little of its charm in series 2 due to both female leads being replaced with lesser talented actresses but it was still a joy to watch George Cole and Richard Pearson as 2 very different but lovable friends. If you get a chance to see it, I can not recommend it highly enough.

Peter is retired, and somewhat disenchanted with life, living under his daughter's roof under her rules, he strikes up a conversation and friendship with Harry, a mild mannered, cultured, retired gentleman.

2022, and sadly this show still hasn't had a commercial release, which is a shame, it's well worth your time. It's a typical 90's sitcom, it delivers laughs, but always tinges them with a little sadness, and a lot of reality, don't expect weird plotlines, this one they play straight.

It challenges the stereotypes, what's expected, and what definitely wasn't expected about getting old, seen through 90's eyes of course. It wasn't raucously funny as I've mentioned, but it was humorous, what I think make this show successful, the explorations of the relationships, seeing people flaws and strengths exposed.

Cole and Pearson are both fantastic, at times they really get to show of their skills, Minnie Driver is a marvel in series one, Vickerage is ok in the second series, but the magic simply isn't there. Personally I favoured Annabelle Apsion as Betty, she took over from Matilda Ziegler, both were great though.

Joan Sims was a delight as Pickles, I'm glad she returned for the final episode.

A comedy with heart, 8/10.

I loved this sitcom very much. The characters where so natural and believable. It was so lovely to watch a comedy and be so thoroughly entertained and there was always a message for me to accept the way things were and be grateful for friendship and family even if at times they could drive you around the bend. In its way it was heartwarming and uplifting. Such gentle comedy. They are fine actors and actresses. My only regret is that it is not on DVD or apparently not on u tube. If anyone can put this on U tube I for one would be most grateful. Minnie Drivers son (who's names I cannot remember as it was too long ago) was alway very natural and a good little actor. I wonder if he went on to peruse a acting career? Harry the dear friend who's gentle nature helped George Coles character to calm down a little, but also made him a little frustrated as he was too much the gentleman and a bit of a "old woman", but in saying that he also gave him a new lease of life and a reason to live. Belle Joanna

This series was broadcast in 1995 and 1996. Only 14 episodes made. Minnie Driver was replaced by Lesley Vickerage for season 2 (presumably due to Minnie moving to Hollywood.

It's a story of Peter (George Cole) who is retired and lonely and he lives with his daughter and son-in-law.

He meets Harry (Richard Pearson) who rents a room from Ellie (Minnie Driver/Lesley Vickerage) and tells story of them sharing and being in each others lives.

I'm sorry they only made 14 episodes and don't recall it being broadcast again.

They were on YouTube but the person who uploaded them closed his account.

Not seen the series on VHS or DVD which (in my opinion) is a shame as provides good, clean entertainment.