The Simple Life is an American sitcom television series starring Judith Light which aired on CBS from June 3 until July 8, 1998. The series stars Judith Light as a Martha Stewart-like TV star, who decides to move her TV show from Manhattan to a rustic farm in upstate New York.^[1]

Judith Light stars in the series as Sara Campbell, the host of her own cooking show, who decides to leave Manhattan and move her show to a country farm. A divorcée, Sara moves her daughter Freddi and mother Muriel to rural upstate New York to live what she preaches — a simpler life. But as they soon learn, life there is anything but simple. Sara finds herself in constant conflict with foreman Luke Barton, who is raising his late sisters' son and daughter nearby.

CBS tried another show similar in content earlier in 1998 titled Style & Substance, starring Jean Smart as a lifestyle expert. It was cancelled after 5 episodes, while 7 more episodes were aired during the summer.

The Simple Life was co-created and produced by Prudence Fraser and Robert Sternin, who were then also producing the hit sitcom The Nanny for CBS as well. Sara was introduced as a former classmate of that series' lead character Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) and her sidekick Val Toriello (Rachel Chagall). They appeared in the pilot, while Fran's mother Sylvia (Renée Taylor) appeared in a separate episode.