Ben and Susan take part in Michael's school fundraising auction. However, Ben quickly regrets making a pledge when he spies a former patient with severe halitosis bidding for a double session in his dentist's chair.

Susan has taken to asking an increasingly disturbed Michael for advice on make-up and clothes now that Janey has left for university. The arrival of Ben's cousin's daughter in the Harper household could provide a solution - but Ben is reluctant to give up the peace and quiet he has spent his entire married life longing for.

The Harpers star in a documentary about family life as part of Abi's latest college assignment. Susan is happy to present a facade of domestic bliss and dispense cookery tips along with relationship advice. Ben, however, is more concerned with catching a rogue rodent.

Ben and Susan look forward to a night out in a town where nobody knows their names when they visit daughter Janey, who is away at university. Booking into a hotel under the names of Johnny Studd and Delores de Large, the stage is set for a night full of surprises, of one kind or another.

Susan's feathers are ruffled when Nick lands the plum part of Jesus in an amateur theatrical production, leaving Susan to play the rather less demanding part of Shepherd Number Two. Ben, meanwhile, has an extremely painful toothache to contend with, and is wary of entrusting his dental needs to any other dentist.

After Susan finds marijuana in Michael's room, which he got from his friend, Bex, she decides to teach him a lesson; she soon finds herself scrambling after confiscating the evidence.

Janey is appalled when her mother comes to visit her at university - especially when she begins to reminisce about her own student days. Meanwhile, Ben's plans for a relaxing round of golf do not go according to plan.

Nick wins an old car in a poker game, and intends to break it up for parts. Ben takes it over and decides to restore it to its former glory, but he is about as good an engineer as Isambard Kingdom Brunel was a dentist.

It's Ben's birthday, and everyone seems to have taken his request for no fuss literally, neglecting to buy him any presents. Janey is home for the weekend with a new friend, but nobody is sure of the nature of their relationship.

When the children go away for the weekend, Ben and Susan finally have some time to themselves. Unfortunately, it's been so long since that happened, that they have absolutely no idea how to spend it.

After signing up on a social networking site, Susan starts getting messages from an old flame. Meanwhile, Michael finds out their house is cursed and Abi is convince it is haunted.

Ben gets his hopes up that finally one of his kids will move out when Nick decides to get his own apartment; unfortunately, as always for Ben, every silver lining has a cloud.