My Family

- Season 10

(2010)

It's Christmas 2039. Ben looks like an octogenarian but Susan, thanks to moisturisers, still looks middle-aged. Janey has ballooned, Mikey has lost all his hair and is resorting to an ill-fitting wig and Roger, thanks to an accident at the zoo, is just a head in a glass case. Kenzo is late in arriving, giving the family time to look back on some of their worst Christmas days ever, though the worst one of all time, as Kenzo reminds them, was when Uncle Richard came to stay.

When the council assume Ben is disabled and send him cheques he tries to return the money but the clerk won't listen and Rosemary, the gushing welfare visitor who comes to assess him, is too busy saying how brave she thinks he is, to let him get a word in edge ways. She even puts him forward for an award, which he goes to collect. And then the other Ben Harper, the really disabled one, turns up.

Given that he used to have lots of girl-friends, when Michael comes out as gay, Ben is perplexed but determined to be supportive. Susan is just annoyed that Michael told Ben first. Ben's pride in his son's sexuality leads to his proclaiming it to a new patient - who just happens to be the homophobic, bigoted father of Michael's boy-friend Scott. When he throws Scott out it's down to Susan to save the situation.

Ben is appalled to discover that Martin, the benign elderly widower from next door, is besotted with Susan and has built a shrine to her in his kitchen. Whilst Ben has trouble persuading the police, Martin ties Susan to a chair and proposes to her. Ben goes to her rescue but ends up tied to another chair so that Susan has to profess affection for Martin in order to free them.

Craig, a young Australian, arrives at the house, claiming his mother was at college with Ben and Susan lets him stay in exchange for doing some decorating. Initially irritated by him, Ben starts to worry when it looks as if Craig could be his illegitimate son, especially as the lad starts dating Janey. Clumsy efforts are made to obtain Craig's DNA though the biggest surprise comes from Susan.

To prove how trendy he is, Ben accompanies an embarrassed Michael to a gay club, where he gets chatted up by the adoring Rupert, who follows him home and sends him flowers. It's down to Susan to rescue her husband - and wangle herself a free holiday at the same time. Janey uses unconventional means to persuade the council to fit speed bumps after Kenzo is almost run over.

Whilst Susan is away Ben takes part in a police identity parade, where he is picked out as being a mugger and remanded in a cell with hard cases Carl and Terry. They hire their brief to get him released but later turn up at his house, wanting to lie low, along with Carl's wife Verity, who wants sex with Ben. To Ben's horror Carl wants to watch them, causing Ben to take drastic action - which gets him arrested again.

When Janey has to sit with a poorly Kenzo Ben volunteers to look after one of her elderly care clients, Harry, a man who seems to have been around but is not allowed out else he will go walkabout. However Harry encourages Ben to join him for a night on the town - leading to Ben's performing in a karaoke, getting a tattoo and picking up women. Roger, meanwhile, has a smashing time trying to forget Abi.

Whilst playing Santa at Susan's works Christmas party Ben becomes emotionally involved when a little girl asks him to reconcile her mother and grand-father, who have fallen out. He actually succeeds, winning rare praise from Susan for his efforts. The Harpers are less successful, though, when their lavish New year party, with fireworks, a band and food from T.V. chef Ainsley Harriott initially fails to poach guests from nasty neighbour Casey's glitzy annual event. Can recent dental patient Rolf Harris save the night with his presence or will the rocket literally go up...