Vernon

After a messy divorce, in which his high-flying wife takes everything, Vernon's left broke and homeless and with nowhere to go... so he moves in with his kids Max and Milly.

Vernon is a switched on, plugged in, super cool kinda guy. He's an ex-front man of rock roll punk band that lived breathed anarchy every turn. At least that's what he'd have you believe. Unfortunately for this couldn't be further from the truth!

At 49, Vernon is now more interested in having a cup of cocoa and listening to Book At Bedtime. When did this change happen? It wasn't overnight. It's been a long, slow, steady slide from thrusting young buck to sad middle-aged git. But now that he's divorced and free to start again, Vernon's decided to try and slide everything back to how it was. Nothing is going to stop him from becoming the groovy, exciting teenager he once was, except: his age, his body, his kids and his addiction to Hobnobs and Countdown!

Vernon thinks modern life is completely annoying, but he still wants to be part of it. There are so many stupid, arbitrary new rules, new ways to have fun, new ambitions. He can't keep up with fashion, and what's in and out - this leaves Vernon torn between giving his new exciting life a chance, and feeling angry at young people today for not doing it properly.

Milly

Milly is 18 and in her first year at university studying psychology and modern dance. She's spiky, naively sexy, and a bit uptight.

She is furious about the fact her dad has moved into her house as she was just about to launch herself into all the things 18-year-olds do when they've just left home. She can't do this now she has got a dad in her cupboard!

Milly loves Vernon really, and is probably the one who is the most upset about the divorce, but her dad is driving her insane which doesn't help things. He's constantly embarrassing her and doing things that turn her world completely upside down.

Max

Max is Vernon's 20 year old son. He's at University but he doesn't have a clue what he's doing there. Literally. He applied to do some ridiculous convoluted course which has led him to change courses so many times, he now doesn't really know what he's doing - he just turns up and looks gormless and people seem to think that's ok, no one really knows whether he's very clever or very stupid.

Max is almost like an idiot savant; he's dumb in the classical way but at the same time comes out with some rather pertinent insults and character revelations about other people. He's a complete conundrum really.

David

David went to an English-style Public School in Hong Kong, and therefore has a very old-fashioned view of Britain. He is far too polite and buttoned-up to complain about anything - particularly Vernon.

David is slightly older than flatmates Max and Milly. He is doing a post graduate course at their university and has a very skewed idea of what the English are like.

Max, Milly and Vernon all sponge off David as his dad is a Triad leader and so has left him a massive trust fund. David fancies Milly, and as a result will do anything she asks him to.

Bryan

Bryan is an old friend of Vernon's, and godfather to Milly. They used to be in the same band at university but their lives have taken very different routes. Bryan has become Mr Average, very normal and very suburban. He receives many an ear bashing from Vernon who feels his mate has become too conventional in his old age.

However, despite the micky taking that Vernon dishes out, he is secretly jealous of the normal life his friend leads. Bryan has a secure job, a car and a respectable job. Bryan is happy with his relaxed existence, but at the same time there's a part of Vernon's life - the anarchy, the free will and the total disregard to anyone around him - that he is jealous of.