1991

S8.E1 ∙ Fame

Mon, Nov 15, 1999

Bill is upset when she learns that the other family members have put the porters forward as subjects for a fly-on-the-wall television documentary as she fears it could harm their application to foster Declan. She thus goes out of the way when the crew arrives to put them off the idea of using the Porters,sending Ben on a silly wild goose chase 'emergency ' call and serving unpalatable food. Eventually she gets her way though the Porters are shocked to find that the family chosen to replace them,the Bakers, are just like them with similar names and a neighbour called Rhoda. Bill believes her brush with fame is over but had reckoned without Ben putting the house forward for 'Changing Rooms'.

7.7 /10

S8.E2 ∙ Enter the Dragon

Mon, Nov 22, 1999

Declan is staying with the Porters when Bette pays a surprise visit and angers Bill by her indulgence of the little boy. Bill and Ben are anxious to get rid of Bette when she lets slip that often,when staying away from home,she has a nightmare about something white,large and terrifying though they are unclear as to what it exactly takes the form of. Ben decides to put it to the test by dangling a large white rabbit in white Y-fronts through a hatch into Bette's bedroom,but it fails to do the trick. Declan's rendition of 'Walking in the Air' from 'The Snow-Man' on the other hand,hits the spot.

7.4 /10

S8.E3 ∙ Sticky Fingers

Mon, Nov 29, 1999

Jenny comes home for the week-end with new boyfriend Keith. Bill is quite happy that they sleep together but Ben is disapproving and plans to wear Keith out before he can do anything. This takes the form of getting him to help Ben lay the floor tiles at Bill and Rona's new catering centre and also by getting him to push home a piano Ben has recently bought with Ben,feigning a twisted ankle,sitting on top of it. However the piano rolls down a hill and Ben genuinely ends up in casualty. Declan is mistakenly accused of shop-lifting and the police escort him to Bill and Rona's catering centre,only to find the two women have been accidentally inhaling the tiling adhesive and are high on solvents.

8 /10

S8.E4 ∙ After the Fox

Mon, Dec 06, 1999

When they learn that they are being under-cut by a rival firm Bill and Rona decide to go over to France and buy cheap wine and provisions for their business. However whilst still on the continent they discover that a fox has crept into the back of their van. After several attempts to get rid of the fox they finally succeed and make their way to customs - where the customs officers find sheep in the back of the van.

7.6 /10

S8.E5 ∙ Carry on Screaming

Mon, Dec 13, 1999

On Hallowe'en a social worker approves the Porters fostering Declan but tells Bill he has an uncle,Lon,whom he has never heard of. Bill and Ben visit him at the cemetery lodge where he lives and note he has a lot of facial whiskers. When Lon tells Ben that there is a 'curse of the Porters' Ben fears the worst and assumes that the male members of the family are all likely to become werewolves. However,on opening the box of family photos given him by Lon he discovers that in fact he is Jewish.

6.6 /10

S8.E6 ∙ The Millennium Experience

Wed, Dec 29, 1999

Declan is now officially part of the family but with the Millennium approaching Ben annoys Bill by panic buying as he believes that a computer failure will cause a shortage of power. On New Year's Eve Tina arrives for the family gathering and reports a gas leak but the workmen mending it cut through an electric cable,causing a power cut . Switching on the radio whilst huddled in the dark the family hears that an unexploded bomb has been unearthed in the street. With Rona announcing that she is pregnant this is a New Year's Eve to remember,especially when the source of the supposed gas leak is discovered.

6.9 /10