Gary (Martin Clunes) needs a lodger to help pay the mortgage on his flat. Unfortunately, neither of his lodgers seems to be able (or willing) to pay any rent.
First there's Dermot (Harry Enfield) and then Tony (Neil Morrissey). Both of them 'get the hots' for Deborah (Leslie Ash), who owns the flat upstairs.
Gary also has thoughts in that direction, in spite of the fact that he has a regular girlfiend, Dorothy (Caroline Quentin).
The programme was based on a Simon Nye novel of the same name, first published in 1989.
The first two series, made by Thames Television, were transmitted on ITV. Partly because of poor scheduling, viewing figures were unremarkable, so ITV declined to commission a third series. The programme was then "adopted" by the BBC, who turned it into one of the UK's most popular sitcoms.
The idea was later sold to a US network, leading to a relatively short-lived "translation" of the programme.
Series: 6
Episodes: 42
Transmitted: 1992-1998
Channel: ITV (1992) ; BBC1 (1994-98)
BBC Television
Thames Television
Hartswood Films