There's nothing Harry Priest likes better than rules. Rules help keep life bearable, especially if life has dealt you a bad hand, like it has to Harry.

After losing his job and his wife, Harry Priest has managed to get himself signed off as long-term sick. He's not a scrounger, mind - he just believes he spent his life contributing to the state so he's due some compensation, and anyway he's not about to retrain as a DIY store 'helper'. Luckily Harry has enough to keep him occupied: living with him are his mother-in-law Genie (permanently drunk whilst claiming to be six years sober), eldest daughter Nicola and her fiancée Gaz (trying for a baby) and youngest daughter Julia and her new boyfriend Jamie, just returned from university.

They can all stay there as long as they abide by Harry's 'rules' - tricky as Harry keeps making up new ones.