This BBC comedy written by Carla Lane found us once again sitting around the dinner table with a volatile Liverpool family. But this time around we were in a mock-Tudor house instead of a terrace and it was less “bread” and more “ciabatta with sun-dried tomatoes”.
Michael Angelis played Harold Craven, a self-made millionaire (he was in plastic flowerpots) with Sue Johnston as his suffocated and discontented wife, Terese. There were also three troubled (adopted) children.
Daughter Hannah (Sandy Hendrickse) was married to a macho Italian clot (Zubin Varla), son Victor (Russell Boulter in series one and Stefan Escreet in series two) was gay and only recently out-of-the-closet, and idle young animal rights activist Darwin (Stephen Lord) had his heart in the right place, even if his brain was not.
Unable to understand them, Harold lavished gifts on them instead of the affection and understanding they craved. He also had a brief illicit affair with his secretary, Eden (Julie Peasgood).
Peter Caffrey played Harold’s hopelessly incompetent Irish chauffeur, Lloyd.
After 18 episodes over two series, Harold decided to put the plastic flowerpot business on the market when the threat of bankruptcy became too much to bear, and the jilted Eden finally disappeared after failing to seduce Darwin.
Harold Craven
Michael Angelis Terese Craven
Sue Johnston Darwin Craven
Stephen Lord Hannah Craven
Sandy Hendrickse Victor Craven
Russell Boulter (1)
Stefan Escreet (2) Eden
Julie Peasgood Lloyd
Peter Caffrey Antonio
Zubin Varla Stephen
Derek Howard
