Dame Penelope Keith: The Good Life and To The Manor Born actress dies aged 86

The actress followed that by playing aristocrat Audrey, who was forced to sell her country estate following the death of her husband in To the Manor Born.

The last episode of the first series in 1979 received almost 24 million viewers – the highest audience for any non-live event on British TV in the 70s.

Dame Penelope won another Bafta TV award soon after, this time for best actress for The Norman Conquests and Saving It For Albie.

Her other sitcom credits in the 1980s and 90s included Executive Stress, set in a publishing house; No Job for a Lady, playing a Labour MP; Moving, about a couple selling their house; Law and Disorder, in which she played a barrister; and Next of Kin, which saw children move in with their grandparents.

The much-loved actress succeeded Laurence Olivier as president of the Actors’ Benevolent Fund after his death in 1989.

This century, working largely in theatre, she played Madame Arcati in a 2004 production of Blithe Spirit and Lady Bracknell in a 2007 version of The Importance of Being Earnest.

London’s West End theatres will dim their lights in her memory on Wednesday.

Claire Walker, co-chief executive of the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, said: “We are proud to come together as an industry and honour the life and extraordinarily prolific career of Dame Penelope Keith, who will undoubtedly be remembered for many years to come as one of this country’s most venerated actors.

“We offer condolences to her loved ones and all who knew her.”

The actress was a made a dame in 2014 for services to the arts and charity.

Following her death, a “classic episode” from the third series of The Good Life will be shown on BBC Two at 19:00 BST on Monday evening, the BBC confirmed.

Paying tribute, director of BBC Comedy Jon Petrie described Dame Penelope as “one of the defining figures of British television comedy”.

“Her iconic performance as Margo in The Good Life remains one of the nation’s most beloved sitcom roles and continues to delight audiences today,” he said.

All episodes of The Good Life and To the Manor Born, which she starred in, are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.