The twists and turns in the lives of the members of the Foster household, a Black British family who reside in a flat in South London and which consists of dad Samuel, mum Pearl, and their three children.
Sonny goes out to get a bottle of mouthwash ahead of his latest big date, and Pearl is unhappy about Shirley's involvement with a 21-year-old man.
Pearl refuses to think about what life will be like when her family nest is empty, and Shirley ridicules the idea that a popular girl could be interested in Sonny.
The Foster family are thrilled to see a black man on television. He is the Reverend Steve Smith, a man they remember from Guyana.
The family have trouble convincing Samuel that he needs to see a doctor. The children think their father's emotional outbursts and headaches are symptoms of hypertension.
Benjamin has to write an essay on 'The Man I Most Admire', and while there are a few obvious candidates, daily stresses take their toll and give him second thoughts.
When an opportunity arises to join the staff of a fashionable department store, Samuel thinks his troubles could be over by finally becoming a white-collar worker.
Sonny Foster, the young Rembrandt of South London, attracts the attention of a patron who offers him his own studio.
The Foster family finances are already over-stretched, but when a door-to-door salesman offers them the 'History of the Black People' in 10 volumes, they are tempted.
Samuel discovers a paper bag, full of thousands of pounds, that has apparently been dumped after a local supermarket robbery.
Samuel Foster is chosen for a Government retraining scheme and spends the rent money on hosting a fancy party, only to discover that the scheme has an upper age limit...
Pearl turns matchmaker when she decides it's time for her neighbour Vilma to remarry. The arrival of Samuel's handsome friend Erroll provides her with an ideal opening.
Rebellious Benjamin Foster is sent home from school for being insolent.