Episode Guide (Series 1)
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1: "When Ria Met Leonard" (10 Nov 78)
Ben and Russell haven't spoken to one another for nearly a year. Ria tries to persuade them to talk, without successs.
Adam comes home with his arm in a plaster cast, saying that he's crashed his car.
Later, Ria goes into a cafe for a cup of coffee. She sits at a table, absent-mindedly flicking her cigarette ash. The ash lands in a trifle belonging to a man sitting at the same table. He introduces himself as Leonard Dutton. They start talking and Ria makes out her children are much younger than they really are.
Later that day, they meet again when Leonard almost runs Ria down in his car. They go for a walk in the park and talk about relationships, then Leonard gives her a lift home. He suggests they meet the following day in the cafe. Ria turns up, but has second thoughts and goes home again.
Trivia: the Parkinsons live at 11, Jade Road, Cheltenham
2: "Breaking The Silence" (17 Nov 78)
Ben and Russell haven't spoken to one another for over a year. Suddenly they begin talking again as a result of Ria's latest culinary disaster.
Ria meets up with Leonard again and he tries to talk her into having lunch with him. She declines at first, but they end up having lunch together.
That evening, Ria resorts to emotional blackmail to persuade her family to eat her apple sponge and custard. She's surprised to find that Ben and Russell are speaking again.
Several days later, Leonard tries to talk to Ria but she tells him to go away. She returns home to find Ben, Russell and Adam in the middle of a heated argument over a broken butterfly net.
3: "Thinking About A Job" (24 Nov 78)
Ria's car breaks down and Leonard stops and gives her a tow back home. As he's driving away, he's stopped by the police for speeding.
Ria feels like a drudge. She thinks about getting a job. Ben doesn't agree with the idea. Ria argues with him about it.
Leonard has been banned from driving, so he advertises for a chauffeur. Ria rings up to apply for the job, but is told that it has already been offered to someone.
Ria discovers Adam and Russell busking. Ben gets upset about it.
4: "How About Lunch?" (1 Dec 78)
Leonard has now hired a chauffeur, Thomas. While being driven around, Leonard sees Ria's car. He leaves a note for Ria, not knowing that Adam and Russell have borrowed the car. It's his birthday the following day, so he wants Ria to have lunch with him.
Ria tries to talk Ben into being more spontaneous, without success.
Leonard makes several unsuccessful attempts to contact Ria to invite her for lunch.
Ben tries to be spontaneous. He comes home at lunchtime and drags Ria off to sleep in a tent out in the country.
5: "The Lovers" (8 Dec 78)
Over breakfast, Ria and Russell discuss the fact that a modern sculpture, "The Lovers", currently on display locally, has been sold to an American millionaire.
Ria goes to listen to a brass band in the local park. Leonard appears and tries to talk to her. They have an argument.
Russell has chained himself to the statue of "The Lovers" in protest against its sale to an American buyer. Ria, Ben and Adam go to the Art Gallery to see him. Ben tries to talk Russell into unchaining himself. Ria chains herself to the statue with him.
There's a lot of newspaper coverage the next day. Ben is horrified, particularly since all of the papers have got his age wrong. Adam and Russell buy Ben a present to apologise for the trouble they've caused him. Ben takes the two boys out for a drink.
Ria gets a phone call from Leonard. He tells her that he's bought "The Lovers" so that it can stay in the Art Gallery.
6: "He'll Have To Go" (15 Dec 78)
Ria goes to church and meets Leonard 'accidentally'. Alone in the graveyard afterwards, she's reminded how short life is and decides that she wants her life to be "perfect". She resolves to get rid of everything that stops life from being "perfect", including Leonard.
Adam comes home with a ridiculous perm. Ria is worried that the shock will be too much for Ben. Adam ends up wandering around the house wearing a crash helmet.
Ben is told by one of his patients that the way to keep a woman 'on her toes' is to do something unexpected every now and then. That night, Ben doesn't come home until midnight. Ria gets very upset.
Ria has lunch with Leonard. She tells him that he's "one of the things that will have to go".