Ever Decreasing Circles was a British sitcom which ran on BBC1 for four series from 1984 to 1987. It was written by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, and reunited them with Richard Briers, the star of their previous hit show, The Good Life. It was much less brash than most sitcoms, and was more like a comedy drama in places. A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... BBC One (or BBC1 as it was formerly styled) is the oldest United Kingdom, and indeed, the world. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Esmonde and Bob Larbey (born 1934) were a successful British television comedy scriptwriting duo from the 1960s to the 1990s, creating popular sitcoms such as Please, Sir and The Good Life. ... Richard Briers (born January 14, 1934) is a British actor, chiefly associated with sitcom. ... For other uses, see The Good Life (disambiguation) The Good Life was one of the most successful British sitcoms of all time, produced by the BBC during the mid-1970s. ...

Briers played Martin Bryce, an obsessive compulsive middle-aged man who is at the centre of his local suburban community. He is married to Ann (Penelope Wilton), and has an apparently calm and relaxed lifestyle, until he encounters their new next-door neighbour, Paul Ryman (Peter Egan). Paul is everything Martin is not - adventurous, laisse-faire, flippant, witty, handsome and charming. He attempts to try and join in with the activities of Martin and his friends, but his fresh thinking causes Martin to see him as a rival, who might want to "take over" Martin's self-appointed role as organiser. Martin's obsession with order and stability also leads him to get upset at Paul's minor changes to routine, such as sitting at a different table in the local pub. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a brain disorder, and more specifically, an anxiety disorder. ... Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ... Penelope Wilton (born June 3, 1946 in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK) is a British actress. ... A public house, usually known as a pub, is a drinking establishment found mainly in the Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries influenced by British cultural heritage. ...

An undercurrent through the series was the potential of romance between Paul and Ann, but nothing ever happened between them, despite many opportunities. Despite Martin's foibles, he and Ann are clearly very much in love, and manage to ride out even their most difficult disagreements. Other regular characters included Howard and Hilda (Stanley Lebor and Geraldine Newman), neighbours of Martin's who share some of his obsessiveness while having plenty of quirks of their own, such as often dressing identically.

The show was voted number 52 in the BBC's Britain's Best Sitcom poll in 2003. ... Britains Best Sitcom is the name of a poll conducted in 2003 and 2004 by the BBC. Criticism was levelled at the BBC after it was revealed that the top ten programmes were all their own productions and that only one place lower at number 11 was the highest... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...