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While running the advertising agency Eyecatchers, Simon Harrap explores his relationships with his daughter Samantha, his business partner Derek Yates, and a string of romantic liaisons. His mother-in-law, Nell, often interferes in his attempts to raise Samantha on his own, but usually haa her granddaughter's best interests at heart.
1984
Widower Simon Harrap runs Eyecatchers, an advertising agency, with business partner Derek Yates and, helped by daffy Scots housekeeper Maddie, is raising his 13-year-old daughter Samantha. His mother-in-law Nell is critical of his womanising after he returns from Monte Carlo with the leggy Gillian and tells him he should consider remarrying for Samantha's sake. Whilst not going quite that far, Simon does turn down a further evening with Gillian to be home in time to sample the sausage rolls his daughter has made him.
Ever anxious to get Simon married off, Nell, armed with a list of his old girlfriends, reacquaints him with Kim Tracy, whom he saw shortly after his wife Ruth died. Kim comes to Simon's flat but explains that she's betrothed to another.
Simon tries in vain to dissuade Derek from seeing Glenda, a woman with a reputation, behind his wife's back. The next day, Simon arrives to find Derek sans trousers and with no memory of the night before. All is revealed, however, when Mr Sharma, to whose Indian restaurant Derek went with Glenda, arrives
With time on her hands, Nell decides she would like to help out at Eyecatchers but only succeeds in getting on Simon's and Derk's nerves so, when Maddie goes on holiday, Simon is delighted that Nell spends her days at home, looking after Samantha.
Slimy ad manager Keating persuades Samantha that she could be the Whoppa Bar Sunshine girl if she sings for him but Simon discovers that he has made this promise to others, purely to steal their ideas and ensures that Keating is barred by other agencies.
Simon discovers that Samantha has been missing Wednesday afternoons from school, telling the teacher that she's seeing a psychiatrist. In fact, she is going to matinées of Hamlet, because she has a crush on the lead actor and is mortified when she finds out that he is getting married.
1985
After falling into a canal whilst out jogging, Simon meets Ernestine Hargreaves, who comes to check him out for water poisoning and they start seeing each other. However, Ernestine is allergic to cat fur, discovered when Simon finds out that Samantha has been looking after a stray that she found.
1985
Simon and Samantha return from holiday to find that Maddie has married at last and moved out, leaving her sister Isobel as her replacement. However, Isobel isn't just clumsy but a terrible cook and Simon considers sacking her but Samantha gets him to relent and he gives Isobel a month to come up to scratch.
Denis Taylor, who has made his money rearing and selling turkeys, seeks Eyecatchers' advice. Simon sees a street juggler dressed as a turkey and Taylor buys the idea of a man in a turkey costume to promote his campaign. In the abscence of the juggler, Derek dresses as a turkey, leading to a fight with the street entertainer, the destruction of Derek's costume and no contract from Taylor.
Samantha is apprehended for shoplifting but explains she was trying to replace the tape recorder her friend stole as she's being blackmailed by an upperclassman. Simon, Derek and Oscar, a pickpocket stopped by Nell, pose as gangsters to scare the girl.
Simon and lazy radiator repairman Ron swap jobs for the day and Ron amazes Simon by pulling off a deal. Meanwhile, Samantha befriends a girl named Katie and shares her – to Simon – outlandish fashion sense. Simon agrees to the girls going to a pop concert but insists on chaperoning.
Simon gets a job offer in California and Derek, hurt that he wasn't consulted, invites his friend Fergus to replace Simon. Samantha is worried that if they go to America, Maddie will be jobless so she suggests Maddie becomes Derek's housekeeper whilst Derek's wife works for the firm.
When Eyecatchers suffers a cash crisis, entrepreneur Babu Bhatti offers to put up the cash if Simon can persuade a visiting Dean Martin to perform at a closing cabaret at a conference he's arranging.
Maddie hears from her father that she must return to Scotland and marry as she has yet to find herself a husband. When Maddie's father arrives, various men are passed off as his daughter's intended. Meanwhile, Simon and Samantha have their first disagreement over family holiday.
Samantha wants to know about her late mother, but all Simon will say is that she was faultless beyond using his toothbrush. She seeks Nell and Derek for more but Simon has primed them not to mention the mysterious Harry.
Simon and Derek are unimpressed by potential client Mervyn Drover, an alcoholic who will offer a contract if they put his girlfriend on payroll. Soon after, they learn that Nell, doing crossing duty at Samantha's school, has been knocked down by a car — driven by Drover.
After quarrelling with his wife Muriel, Derek moves in with the Harraps but the men decide not to tell Samantha as they think that she's too young to understand. However, Samantha teams up with Derek's daughter Annabelle to reunite the warring couple.
Simon is out to renew the firm's valuable contract with Britannia Biscuits and shows its elegant female marketing director, Portland McIntyre, a video of its achievements. Unfortunately, a porn film has been substituted.
Whilst Simon needs a bank loan, Fergus needs to impress girlfriend Anthea and persuades Derek to pretend that Fergus is his boss, using the Eyecatchers office. Alas, Anthea, unimpressed by Derek, wants him sacked.
Simon's latest date expresses frustration at her sister and her family staying with her, which gives Simon the impression that she's not child-friendly. So he pretends Samantha doesn't exist.
After being beaten at squash by Simon, Derek bets Muriel's car against Fergus' that Simon will beat Fergus at squash – which he does. The bet is won by Derek, but is on again when Fergus's niece and Samantha audition for the same part.
When Simon learns that his new client Mr Brocklebank is an old flame of Nell's from four decades earlier, Samantha resolves to reunite them. However, Mr Brocklebank is now married.
Samantha and her new friend Gemma plot to get Simon paired off with Gemma's mother, Laura.
While Simon is in hospital with appendicitis, the VAT man comes to inspect the firm's books.
Simon finds a young woman named Jennifer drunk in the street. He brings her home to sleep it off and gallantly gives her his bed while he sleeps on the sofa. Next day, however, she tells Samantha that she is Simon's betrothed and they are going to get married. Among the celebrants is Jerry, Jennifer's boyfriend, who is out to do Simon harm.
A client promises the Harraps a holiday in Greece in exchange for making a video but on arrival at the airport they discover the tickets are worthless as the company has gone bust. Fortunately Nell's friend Pinky saw this coming and made sure the company never got the tapes as well as providing them all with a holiday in his country cottage.
1987
Simon has to accept that Samantha's coming of age when she tells him that she likes a young man named Jeremy, causing his paternal, protective instincts to surface. When Jeremy asks him to tell Samantha something on his behalf, Simon fears the worst. Meanwhile, Derek learns that Muriel is pregnant.
Simon and Samantha are pleased for Nell that her friendship with Pinky is progressing and encourage Pinky to propose. They're all shocked when she meets Major Pendleton who, whilst having a wife in Canada, books the local church for a wedding in the name of Pendleton.
Simon and Nell have a falling-out after he rejects her offer to help in the agency. Hurt, she announces that she's moving to Spain. Samantha attempts to get them to reconcile but in vain. Isobel tells Simon that Samantha has run away from home and will only return when her grandmother and father reconcile! Meanwhile, Derek smartens himself up and wins a fashion contract.
Samantha calls her pet hamster Uncle Derek, due to its facial resemblance to her father's business partner. The hamster falls ill and, when Fergus overhears Samantha bewailing the fact that 'Poor old Uncle Derek might die', he gets the wrong idea.
Realising he's neglecting Samantha, Simon sends Derek in his place on his Zurich business trip. However, Derek misses the flight and, so as not to lose face with his wife, stays at the Harraps for the weekend before going to the Swiss Centre to buy presents for the family from his supposed trip.
Simon is left a large sum in a will but it must be shared with another family member, whose surname is Appleby, the same as Fergus, who is not in Simon's good books, having borrowed and broken Eyecatchers equipment.
Samantha and Emma are due to go on a French exchange visit but Derek is unsure if he can afford it and Simon believes Samantha should not go so that her friend is not envious. Nell comes up with the money and, at the evening to meet the host families, Simon sees Samantha getting very friendly indeed with the son, the handsome Michel.
Isobel meets young teacher Alan, who is shortly leaving for Africa and who asks her to his flat for 'a single night of love'. Fearing he is just using her for sex, she seeks Samantha to ask Simon for advice, which leads to a misunderstanding when he thinks she is referring to herself and her boyfriend.
Samantha is unhappy when Simon seems likely to marry his current girlfriend Ellen. Whilst he initially denies any plans, he realises that he really wants to walk her down the aisle. When Nell meets Ellen, she's struck by her resemblance to her daughter, Simon's late wife.
Liz gets the chance to star in a commercial filming in the Canary Islands and so Nell suggests Simon replace her with her friend Winifred, who has split from her husband and has time on her hands. Though efficient, Winifred is no ray of sunshine and then Liz returns – her acting career cut short when the director got fresh with her.
Isobel recommends her excellent dentist to Simon but as he's leaving for his appointment, he's waylaid by the formidable Mrs Grant, who accuses her son Kevin's girlfriend Samantha of being a poor influence.
A larger agency wants to take over Eyecatchers, employing Simon but not Derek who, unaware of this, comes to Simon for a rise, though Simon is out and Samantha tells Derek she too wants a rise in her allowance.
Nell's recent talk of life and death pertubs Simon and Samantha, sending the teen into an existential crisis. Meanwhile, Derek and Muriel are expecting.
1988
Nell and Isobel have been practising hypnotism on Derek and ruin a proposed contract with a client because every time the word 'egg' is mentioned, Derek behaves like a chicken. Simon is angry but they hypnotise him into letting Samantha watch an old home movie of him with her mother.
Samantha confesses that every time she thinks of the death of her cat Fluffy from several years ago, she's unable to stop crying. This comes in useful when Derek calls with a woman he's only just met but for whom he plans to leave Muriel. Samantha's tears shame the couple into seeing sense.
Simon suggests to Derek that they take on another ad man. Samantha wants them to employ Mr Gilman, father of her friend Tina, who is depressed because her father has recently lost his job with Christmas quickly approaching. Several candidates are interviewed, mostly unsuitable but Mr Gilman doesm't turn up, the job ultimately going to a Mr Dunbar, who is not who they think.
Derek moves into the office due to spiders at home. Samantha rows with Simon after he chides her for coming in late and she moves in with Nell though, when Nell has a visitor, she also moves to the office. Simon, pursued by widowed Mrs White, decides to lie low at the office.
A woman called Lyn takes the office next door to Eyecatchers and Derek is predictably smitten. The Harraps also have new neighbours and, after a shaky start, Samantha becomes good friends with the son, the similarly aged Hugo. Derek is jealous as Lyn keeps telling him how great Simon is and asks Simon to stay away from her whilst on holiday, unaware of Lyn's connection to Simon.
Simon's relationship with Lyn is progressing very well and she stays the night with him. They even consider marriage. Simon is, however, perturbed to find that Samantha and Hugo have locked themselves in her room and he suspects them of being intimate.
1988
When Samantha's friend Roz comes to stay over at the Harraps', she gives Simon a very passionate goodnight kiss and Isobel walks in on them. She sees Simon as a seducer and almost quits until Samantha explains that Roz kisses older men for a bet.
Samantha is doing her French 'O' Levels and when Jean-Pierre, a very handsome Frenchman and a friend of Simon's, comes to stay, she's keen to learn as much as she can from him – and not just in the academic sense!
A party to celebrate 21 years of Eyecatchers is almost jeopardised when Simon finds a letter which leads him to erroneously believe that Derek is applying for another job.
Eyecatchers is to promote a breakfast cereal called Nyum Nyums which Derek finds repulsive. The contract is to be signed at a wine bar but the clients want to meet Derek and Simon with their wives so Liz and Isobel play the parts. Simultaneously, Samantha discovers that a boy called Sean, who she thought was dating her, is two-timing her.
Samantha is seeing a new beau, Charlie, and feels sorry for her father's loneliness. When she runs into Hugo, she angles to match Simon with Lyn but only finds herself falling for Hugo and dumps Charlie. Hugo, however, has moved on.
Simon seems strangely unconcerned when Samantha tells him that her exam results were excellent and Derek admits to losing a large sum of money – later found – from company accounts. Isobel takes advantage of his distracted state of mind to get him to authorise her ordering a new kitchen.
Simon and Liz go into the office for Saturday overtime and encounter two burglars plotting to rob the shop below. Derek and new side-piece Harriet turn up, as do Samantha and Isobel, and the burglars hold them all captive.
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Richard O'Sullivan
Simon Harrap
Joanne Ridley
Samantha Harrap
Tim Brooke-Taylor
Derek Yates
Joanne Campbell
Liz
Sandra Clark
Isobel McClusky
