Good Life star and national treasure Briers dies at 79

The star had revealed just weeks ago he had been battling the lung condition emphysema, which he attributed to years of smoking.

Briers will be best remembered for his performance as Tom Good, alongside Felicity Kendal, in the 1970s BBC1 sitcom The Good Life about a couple who drop out of the rat race in a London suburb, to enjoy a life of simple self-sufficiency.

The actor, who also starred in shows such as Ever Decreasing Circles and Monarch Of The Glen, died “peacefully” at his London home, his agent said.

His varied career saw him narrate 1970s children’s cartoon series Roobarb And Custard, as well as adding his voice to the animated version of Watership Down.

Although long known for his comedy roles in film and TV, a new strand to Briers’ career unfolded when he joined Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Theatre Company in 1987, to perform classical roles. He was awarded the OBE in 1989 for services to the arts.

Sir Kenneth described Briers as a national treasure, a great actor and a wonderful man.”

Rada-trained Briers had made his West End debut in the late 1950s in Gilt And Gingerbread, and went on to work on a number of British films.

But he struck gold as an actor with his many sitcoms in the 1970s and 1980s, although none more so than The Good Life with Penelope Keith, Felicity Kendal and the late Paul Eddington, who died in 1995.

Penelope Keith said: “He was a real gent – both gentle and a gentleman. ”

Briers married the actress Anne Davies in 1956. They had two daughters.