Man Down

- Season 4

(2017)

Dan finds himself blinkered by unrealistic hopes for his impending fatherhood. He has quit his hated job as a schoolteacher and is now on an increasingly desperate search for a home for his soon-to-be family.

With Emma living with her parents Dan, back at work teaching, is staying in an empty room at the retirement home, where his mother discovers his teen-age diary. This includes his attachment to a teddy bear which he had forgotten but aims to claim back from the children's ward at the local hospital. Meanwhile Brian is unsuccessfully trying online dating as well as being disturbed by Jo's sudden interest in scavenging, though he does at least solve the mystery of the bear.

Feeling under-valued as a father by family, friends and Emma and her parents Dan is persuaded by other jaded fathers to join their Dad Club. Unfortunately Emma will not let him have their one day old son so he brings along a substitute. Predictably disaster follows. Meanwhile Brian, already annoyed that his daughter has acquired a Scottish accent, sets out to locate Jo, on the run from the tax-man.

With Emma and her parents mocking his teaching skills Dan aims to prove them wrong by taking a school party to a World War Two museum, run by the officious Ted. Needless to say the unruly class undermines Dan whilst Jo, on the run from the tax-man, has stowed away in their bus and joins in the reconstruction, giving the kids wrong information, though she does come to Dan's aid. Meanwhile museum model Brian is caught in an unfortunate position with teacher Ally.

To relieve a stressed out Emma health visitor Patty suggests Dan takes baby Simon for a day but the child refuses to look at him and Dan's attempts to resolve the situation fail. Then he meets a blind man who offers advice but disaster strikes thanks to Jo's hippy friend Milky Sue and worse is to follow at the christening when Dan inadvertently takes Brian's 'recreational' pills.

Dan has his own flat, without Emma, who is applying for sole custody of their baby but finds himself being abducted by the vengeful Daddy and his daughter, love-lorn care assistant Carol, who chain him up in a remote woodland caravan. Now is the time for friends and family to rescue him and get him to court to challenge Emma.