Pete Brockman
(Hugh Dennis)
Pete is a History teacher at an inner city school.
In spite of the fact that he has three children, he's never really got the hang of fatherhood. But then, he's never really got the hang of life in general.
Sue Brockman
(Claire Skinner)
Sue is a hard-working mother of three who often feels as if she's out of her depth as far as her family is concerned.
She has major issues with her sister Angela, largely stemming from the way Angela left her to look after their father when their mother died.
Jake Brockman
(Tyger Drew-Honey)
In many ways, Jake is the most sensible member of the family.
He tends to be rather more serious than an 11-year-old boy should be. He seems to know something about everything, possibly because he spends most of his time using his computer.
His parents are afrraid that he's being bullied at his new school, although Jake denies that there are any problems.
Ben Brockman
(Daniel Roche)
Ben is an extremely stubborn, rather hyperactive seven-year-old boy.
He has developed an extraordinary talent for telling lies, which is causing a great deal of concern for his parents.
Karen Brockman
(Ramona Marquez)
Karen is a bright, talkative five-year-old girl.
She is naturally inquisitive and tends to spend much of her time asking questions about anything and everything.
Angela Morrison
(Samantha Bond)
Angela is Sue's sister.
She spends most of her time living and working in the USA.
She does her best to make the children like her, often causing problems for Pete and Sue. Her efforts are largely wasted, however,since only Ben has any liking for her and Karen can't stand her.
Frank Morrison (Grandad)
(David Ryall)
Frank is the father of Sue and Angela.
He seems to be totally bewildered most of the time, making Sue worry that he's becoming senile.
After a fire caused by his attempts to heat up a tin of baked beans, he comes to stay with Pete and Sue.