Vernon Heath is a 49-year-old former front man for a punk rock band called "The Plague". After living off his wife for the last two decades and spending most of his time in the pub, the two are getting a divorce, and Vernon is forced to move into a student flat in Kilburn, London, occupied by his children Max and Milly, as well as their flatmate David. Vernon believes that moving in with them will rekindle his old world. However, Max, Milly and David are disgusted by him, and his best friend and former Plague member Bryan appears to have "sold-out", now working as a deputy head teacher of a primary school and happily married.
Production
The original radio series was broadcast on BBCRadio 2, recorded in The Drill Hall in late 2006. Originally a pilot was to be made for BBC Two. However, ITV took control of the project and commissioned eight episodes. Paul Jackson, ITVs director of entertainment and comedy said, "From the moment I arrived in this job I have made it my mission to bring quality sitcom back to ITV, this project absolutely does that and I'm very excited about having Ade back on our screens." A pilot version of the first episode was shot in 2007 with the notable difference of Ben Elton in the role of Bryan, the same role he had played in the original radio version. Elton was replaced by Mark Arden in the transmitted version and the following episodes for reasons unknown.
Reception
The show has been seen as Edmondson's return to TV comedy, with the character of Vernon being compared to that of Vyvyan, a similar punk character he played in the BBC TV sitcom The Young Ones. The first episode's preview in The GuardianTV listings was scathing, describing the programme as a "graceless gumbo of mainstream sentimentality and Bottom-esque cruelty... roaring awfulness." Concluding: "Tonight's episode ... Chinese flatmate mocked for having a Chinese accent. Unbelievable." Ade Edmondson looking back on the show, said he enjoyed writing it but had a hard time getting it made. It was pushed back many times by the BBC while "they were playing musical chairs" until BBC 2 picked up on it, then ITV did later for its TV adaption. Before the broadcast run, the cast including Edmondson were told that if the series averaged 4 million a second series would be commissioned, but fell short with 3.4 which Edmondson explained as being "fair". Only the first two episodes ranked in ITV 1's top 30 weekly BARB ratings at positions 25 and 26.
