The series premiered on 12 July 2005 featuring an ensemble cast, which has included: Robyn Malcolm, Grant Bowler, Antony Starr, Siobhan Marshall, Antonia Prebble, Frank Whitten and Kirk Torrance.
After several short term stints working for other people, she and her friend Kasey start the Hoochie Mama lingerie firm.
In the second to last episode, Cheryl walks free after the police drop the murder charges, due to Gerard's dodgy past.
He also has an illegitimate teenage son, whom Pascalle slept with during her promiscuous years, and a deceased infant daughter with Cheryl.
Throughout the show he opposes Cheryl's plan for the family to 'go straight' and repeatedly tries to get his sons (but not his daughters) involved in his criminal enterprises.
He later dates his father's ex-girlfriend Sheree Greegan, until she attempts to kill him by staging a house fire, and leaves the country.
These include legal party pills, property development, and Hoochie Mama, the lingerie firm originally owned by his mother.
She agrees to star in a pornographic movie directed by Loretta in order to raise money to have hymen restoration surgery.
Her lack of morality is shown in acts such as allowing her best friend Kurt to be arrested for DVD piracy which she had in fact committed (against his protests), and her attempts to sell her daughter Jane.
Although he is a career criminal, Ted has a very strict moral code, which puts loyalty to family and friends above everything else, and forbids informing on anyone or pleading guilty to anything.
Wayne Judd (Kirk Torrance) (recurring series' 1–4) was initially a Detective Sergeant in the police force and primary antagonist of the show, who regularly investigated crimes in which the West family were suspected of involvement.
Eric Grady (Brian Sergent) is a long-time friend of the West family and one of Wolf's partners in crime.
He disappeared into hiding after series 2, due to Judd's ex-wife and cop Monica lying to him that she had told everyone he was a nark.
He returned in series 5, and revealed that he had been hiding in Palmerston North, until he had come across Monica again there, who told him the truth to get back at Wayne and the Wests.
Caroline Darling (Katrina Browne) is the deputy principal at Shadbolt High School, where as a teacher she had a relationship with Jethro while he was still her student.
Glen Hickey (Rohan Glynn) Judd’s studious former partner who became obsessed with Pascalle West and stalked her.
Kurt (Dane Dawson) is Loretta West's best friend, She allowed him to be arrested for DVD piracy, which she had in fact committed.
Barry "Sparky" Gibbs (John Leigh) is and electrician, pyromaniac and associate of the West family, who sporadically turns up - usually to cause trouble.
Falani (David Fane) is a Samoan friend of the Wests and one of Wolf's partners in crime, with his specialty being the fencing of stolen goods.
Kasey Mason (Nicole Whippy) is of the original owners of the lingerie business, Hoochie Mama, and the wife of Munter.
Had a lesbian affair with an Inland Revenue inspector to try to keep her off Hoochie's case, after they staged a number of invisible parties to launder money through the business.
He is in the party pill business with Jethro, and marries Loretta in the series 5 final, supposedly so that they could fairly fight for shared custody of their daughter Jane.
Lloyd Draper (Scott Harding) a bank manager who tried and failed to lend money to various members of the West family.
In series 4 he began a relationship with Cheryl and Kasey's good friend and business partner, Rochelle Stephens, and also left his bank after it was robbed by Loretta and Nicky.
Dr. Bruce Khan (Jacob Rajan) Pascalle’s fiancé who dumps her in series 3 after seeing her edited porn film.
Gary Savage (Aaron Jeffery) is Wolf's half-brother, from an affair his mother, Rita had with a young neighbour, Vern Gardiner, while Ted was in prison for a botched robbery of department store, Smith & Caughey's.
The Gooch (Karl Willetts) Aaron Spiller's best mate, a fellow Tool Guy and the only one with any actual competence in the job.
In the series cliffhanger, Cheryl accidentally stabs him with a broken bottle and he fires his gun at her, hitting Pascalle.
Several years ago Garth married Sheree Greegan and faked his own death in order to get a life insurance payout.
Deleesha Judd (Dominique Crawford) is Wayne's younger half sister, who lived with the Wests for a short period of time before running off with her boyfriend Isaac Anesi.