Seasons & episodes

Patricia wants Max to exert his authority over the business while Barry is away.......so he delegates the decisions to Penny. David talks Katie into taking on the role of choreographer of "Bing Crosbie's Christmas Cracker", while Audrey is only too willing to come over and look at his script. Meanwhile, Mandy's television is repossessed.

The Farnhams find gifts on their doorstep, while Jean finds Audrey on hers. Kenny arrives at Mandy's with a new television. Marianne wants to take the Glasgow job, but Mick doesn't want her to take the kids with her. David takes Audrey up on her offer, and Mike and Beth also share a bed.

Mick pleads not guilty, and Marianne gives him his engagement ring back. Then Leo, Lee, Rachel and Garry are arrested for shoplifting. David tries to distance himself from Audrey, but she threatens to tell Jean what they have been doing. Max and Penny wonder if Sam would buy Barry out.

Sinbad overhears David and Audrey discussing their "affair". The parents of the shoplifters are disgusted with their offspring, particularly Greg, who can't believe Garry was so stupid that he got caught. Bev practises her songs, and almost gets a few notes right.

Leo and Garry go to be cautioned at the police station, but Rachel and Lee run away to London. Greg also plans to disappear rather than confess what he has done to Mick. Carl, Mike and Beth hold a party at Jacqui and Katie's. Sinbad plans to gift-wrap number 10, but gets a terrible shock.

David feigns illness to avoid seeing Audrey at the pantomime rehearsal, but the players arrive at the bungalow, and he is drafted in to play the dame. Sam agrees to buy into the partnership with Max. Greg promises not to let Garry down again. Rachel books a room at a guest house, and sneaks Lee in.

Beth invites Mike to a ball, but Carl isn't convinced that he stands a chance with her. Rachel splits from Lee, but may he heading into even more trouble. Penny gets Jimmy to decorate the house, and Marianne leaves for Glasgow.

Lee arrives home, delivered the last few yards of the way by Jimmy, but Mandy is distraught to learn that Rachel is still in London. Anxious to avoid Audrey, David goes down with Sinbad to search. Ron is offered a role in the pantomime.

Sam gives Penny an extravagant Christmas present, and when she hears that Barry isn't returning until after Christmas, she agrees to spend it with Sam. Rachel realises what she is getting into, and leaves Nick. Max asks Jimmy to run the club until Barry returns, and Penny asks him to look after the house and use the food she's bought.......

Cornered by Audrey during the final preparations for the pantomime, David activates the fire extinguisher, drenching Ron and wrecking the electrical systems. Max is nervous to hear from Penny that Sam has gone to proposition Barry regarding the buy-out.......but who does Sam find managing the club? Mandy tells Beth the truth about Kenny and Sinbad.

Mandy tries to find out whether Rachel slept with Lee. Sinbad attempts to pay off Kenny, but just gets roughed up. Jimmy overcomes Max's reluctance to allow him and Jackie to have a meal at his restaurant. Julia tries to teach Mike and Beth to dance.

David adds up the pantomime takings, but Audrey reveals that they are almost entirely cancelled out by the costs of repairs to the church hall. Mandy tries to repay Kenny with Sinbad's money, but he says it will cost her another &pound