Maggie and Andrew are looking forward to an early retirement in France, but due to the death of their son and daughter-in-law, their grandchildren arrive, totally disrupting their plans as they take on their family duties as next of kin.
Philip has to take a visit to casualty, while Jake's hamster dies, and Georgia falls for the builder, whose interest lies with the cleaner.
Andrew takes the kids out to entertain them, only to get himself arrested. Andrew tells Maggie to relax and enjoy having their grandchildren around, while Georgia is devastated to find Tom kissing Liz.
The drastic changes to the family's living conditions has put a financial strain on Maggie and Andrew, plus the lack of living space exacerbates the problem, so Tom decides to transform the garage into a bedroom prompting Andrew to make a tearful goodbye to his garage wine collection.
Maggie's looking forward to some time to herself now the children are going back to school, but chicken-poxes intervenes.
Maggie and Andrew decide to legally adopt their three grandchildren; however this news doesn't go down too well. Plus, Liz has doubts after her first date with Tom.
Maggie gets a job at a friend's restaurant and the family all gather together to watch Jake in his school nativity.
Maggie attempts to make Jake a fancy dress costume, then after reading Georgia's diary, Maggie believes she has forgot her birthday, prompting her to hold a belated one.
Jake is having nightmares about global pollution, and Georgia needs persuading to wear a tooth brace. Meanwhile, Philip blames himself for his parents' fatal car crash.
Maggie is less than thrilled when the children buy her a puppy for her birthday, but she knows that she won't be very popular if she gives the dog away. At a party Georgia refuses to serve drinks and the puppy becomes seriously ill.
It's Jake's sports day so Maggie and Andrew go along to support him. Andrew sells his classic car to pay off Tom, but Maggie earmarks the money for a holiday.
The family go on a camping trip to France, but Maggie is tempted by the lure of the comforts of a chateau, after having to cope with lengthy shower queues and neighbours from hell.
Maggie and Andrew plan to have a romantic wedding anniversary, but it all goes wrong when they are confronted by a family from hell.
Maggie wins a day trip to Chessington World of Adventures, so Andrew insists that the entire family go along to enjoy themselves.
Maggie has the flu and is therefore confined to bed, so Andrew is delegated the main housekeeper role. However the grandchildren aren't best please with Andrew's reign.
After embarrassing their grandchildren in public, Maggie and Andrew receive a stern lecture on acceptable public behaviour. This triggers a rebellious reaction from the pair, as they decide to up the ante by behaving even more embarrassingly than they had previously - much to their grandchildren's dismay.
Maggie feels superfluous as the children have been turning to Andrew for support with their problems, so she decides to leave home.
Maggie becomes a cub mistress and Andrew has a reunion with his former secretary. Meanwhile their friend Rosie tries to fix a raffle so that the family will win a car.
The Prentice family take a holiday aboard a narrow boat, but all soon goes awry when the 'crew' begin plotting a mutiny.
Georgia announces that she'll be fasting for world peace, but Maggie begins to worry when she doesn't start to eat again. Meanwhile Jake demands he be bought deodorants and Philip falls in love with a ballerina.
Maggie discovers that her neighbours are moving because her household is too noisy. Philip is unhappy at the prospect of Andrew and Maggie performing a jive at his school dance.
Maggie finds out that Philip has been shoplifting from the local mini market, but he is also being bullied by a boy at school. They decide to pay the boy's parents a visit.