All episodes from the eighth series are thirty minutes long, excluding the Christmas special.

[4] Ben is delighted when he takes delivery of a plasma television for his neighbour Mr MacIntyre, who is on holiday.

He wants to propose to her, but her deeply religious parents, the Bakers, dislike the idea but suggest they donate £20,000 for the child's upbringing.

When Ben goes to his bank to pay in a cheque from Alfie for two years' rent, he walks in during a robbery.

The robbers are a bickering couple Joan (Pauline Quirke) and Gary (Perry Benson), while the other hostages are Jim McKenzie (Sean Scanlan), manager Peter Warwick (Simon Chandler) and chief cashier Belinda Smith (Emma Kennedy).

With Susan away, during the robbery a young, blonde Family Liaison Officer Penny Bishop (Georgia Tennant) comes round to comfort Michael and he takes advantage of the situation.

Ben accidentally drives into Mr Casey (Nickolas Grace), the neighbour whose dog he previously ran over, and he ends up in hospital.

The Police decide to take no action, but Ben wants Mr Casey to sign a disclaimer so he cannot later be sued.

Ben reforms the rock and roll band he was with in his 20s, The Revolutions, and makes contact with guitarists Ziggy (Philip Bird) and Danny (David Keyes) and drummer Sticks (Rowland Rivron).

Susan hasn't the heart to tell him, until Ben criticises Kenzo during a school piano recital.