Bob and Margaret

- Season 1

(1998)

Margaret plans to throw a surprise birthday party for Bob on his 40th birthday, as he struggles with the sudden impact of middle age.

A new dentist opens a practice right across the road from Bob's and steals all his customers. His receptionist also defects, so Bob hires Penny. But things are not as they seem.

A quiet night at home...unfortunately it falls on a night when there's absolutely nothing to watch on TV.

Bob and Margaret decide to get fit and, after fruitless attempts at aerobics and workouts, they decide on a friendly game of badminton against Cathy and her latest boyfriend, Ken.

After Bob and Margaret's home is robbed, they file a police report and an insurance claim. Bob tries to get Margaret to lie on the insurance claim so they can get bigger/newer/flashier/fancier high-tech replacements. Margaret feels that this is dishonest and leads to high insurance premiums; she'd rather get comparable replacements and install a home security system. Meanwhile, the thieves watch for empty shipping boxes left for the trash collector.

Concerned at the amount they're spending on takeaway food and expensive local food shops, Bob and Margaret journey to the Super Save Shopatropolis in Croydon.

With some trepidation, Bob and Margaret deliver their dogs, William and Elizabeth, to a kennel on their way to a holiday in Greece.

Bob's brother Peter is a successful chef who has a new cooking show. He and his wife Rosie are traveling to India for it and need a favor from Bob and Margaret before they go.

Bob and Margaret have been invited to Neil and Moira's for dinner...or so they think.

While listening to the radio, Bob observes his charmless young assistant Penny, inspiring him to recite odes about youth and innocence.

It's time for the annual dental convention, but Bob isn't keen on going when he sees that Bernard Wiggins, a "loud-mouthed big shot" colleague from his student days, is a featured speaker.

Margaret fears that her relationship with Bob is getting stale after they have a petty argument. After talking things over, they plan an anniversary getaway...if they can actually get away.

It's Halloween. It is also Bob father's birthday and his mother wants to celebrate by visiting his grave. Bob is not comfortable with this and tries to get out of it, but can't because his brother Peter is away making another one of his cooking shows. Bob receives a call from a woman who tells him that her husband, an old school friend of Bob's, has died while repairing his roof. Bob cannot remember this man and, as he hates funeral's anyway, does not want to go. He relents under pressure from Margaret. At the funeral he finds that virtually no one at the funeral ...

In this story of neighbourhood social angst, Bob is having a complex burglar alarm installed by Graham, a sad, lonely man whose confidence is lifted immeasurably by this rare sale to Bob. That evening, new neighbours move in next door to Bob and Margaret, who decide to make a point of being friendly with them. The new neighbours turn out to be friendly Americans, Kitty and Larry. Kitty is French Canadian and Larry is a TV antenna's salesman from Miami. They have two dysfunctional children and a dog who has been in quarantine for too long. Bob and Margaret, intimidated...