Shelley is dismayed when Fran starts divorce proceedings against him meaning they both have to hire lawyers. But can his insatiable inability to get out of bed in the mornings really be grounds for a degree absolute?

With the prospect of meaningful employment looking even more unlikely than ever, Shelley is left with no option other than to take up office temping work. He goes along on his first day with an open mind and soon finds kindred spirits who seem to share his philosophy for a brave new world.

After Fran finally snaps and turns Shelley out on his ear, he turns to his best man Paul for help. Fortunately, Paul is going away for a year, and offers Shelley his empty apartment as a temporary home until he sorts himself out. How will Shelley adapt to his new environment and new-found single status?

Shelley & Fran are still struggling to pay the bills and their misery is compounded further when Shelley's former Uni friend Den comes to visit. Not only does Den have a good job and a flash car, but rather expensive culinary tastes.

The utility billls are piling up in the Shelley household but, with his ongoing unemployed status still unresolved, the money isn't actually there to pay them. Desperate measures are called for, Shelley gets himself down to the DHSS office to see if they can bail him out.

Mrs H comes over to babysit Emma, allowing Shelley and Fran a rare night out together at the cinema. The film doesn't quite live up to their expectations, so they retire to the pub. The only problem is, their funds are in short supply, and the topic of conversation soon turns to armageddon!

Baby Emma won't stop crying, and Shelley and Fran are at their wits' ends. Mrs H soon comes calling, and suggests they seek medical help. But, at this time of night, it may not be quite the professional help they'd hoped for!

After a long period of inactivity, Shelley is psyching himself up for signing off at long last at the job centre with his new job at the foreign office waiting. But, with government cutbacks announced, what could possibly go wrong?

The day has finally arrived, and Fran is about to give birth. Things move fast and Shelley needs to rush to the hospital to be at her side. Fran not only has to deal with childbirth but also with Shelley's incessant banter.

Shelley is busy rewiring the kitchen and installing spotlights though he seems to be getting into a bit of a tangle. Worse still, there appears to be a serious case of dry rot under the stairs. Will some expert help enlighten him or leave him left with his wires all crossed?

With Fran busy at her ante-natal class, Shelley seeks solace in a cafe. His peace is short-lived though, when he seems to attract the attentions of the local nutter.

Shelley is still gainfully unemployed and his honest approach at interviews isn't exactly improving his job prospects. When an opportunity arises for a plum job at the foreign office, Fran and Mrs H feel a slightly different approach might see him going places.

Shelley's efforts at DIY at the new house are starting to take shape, he's managed to put up a shelf in the kitchen at least. All this hard graft though gets interrupted when his friend Paul comes to call and as usual is in a spot of bother.

Shelley is dragged back to reality as he endures a painful visit to the labour exchange to sign back on. He's prepared himself well though for the rocky road that lies ahead but will his attempts to talk his way out of an honest day's work fall on deaf ears?

Ted persuades Shelley to come along to the local night school classes.

Shelley and his girlfriend Fran are looking for accomadation. After viewing unsuitable properties, they find a room at Mrs Hawkins' house.

After nearly five years away teaching in the Middle-East, Shelley flies back into the UK. He's shocked to find a new world of high rent, yuppies and wine bars but seems to have inadvertently parted company with his luggage.

Shelley is all alone in his eighth-floor flat on a Sunday afternoon feeling bored and going a bit stir crazy. He thinks he can hear a strange noise in his living room which gives him a good excuse to get Desmond up to investigate.

Shelley gets a surprise invite to his mum Isobel's place for lunch and not only that, Fran is invited too. Will Isobel's attempts to get the estranged couple back together over the meal table bear fruit or will Shelley talk his way back into singledom?

Shelley comes home from a rare hard day's work to find his apartment has been burgled. Despite the ever-presence of Desmond the security guard no one seems to have seen or heard anything.

Taking refuge in the local library, whom should Shelley run into but his old temping-job mucker Malcolm. The two intellectual layabouts soon pick up where they left off, and start putting the world to rights with their verbal sparring.

Shelley's peace is disturbed by noise from a neighboring apartment, it appears there's a party going on. Desmond comes upstairs to check what's going on but seems to be in more of a party mood than Shelley.

Shelley's back in 'advertising', although it appears he may have to work his way back up. But that's the least of his problems, he's been overcharged for his electric bill and finds himself in a highly-charged situation.

Desmond's rather attractive young niece Anne-Marie comes to visit and Shelley takes rather a shine to her. Could love be in the air for the old cynic or will this possibly romantic encounter end up all-too-brief?

Shelley is settling back into life in the UK and turns up for his first day for a new role at the local gym. After running into a vicar dressed as a chicken on the treadmill, his faith becomes severely tested.

After being mugged and having his wallet stolen, Shelley finds himself nursing his sore head in the local hospital ward. His brain doesn't appear to have sustained too much damage thankfully, although it seems the NHS may have further indignities to confound his pain.

It's Shelley's birthday but he's feeling a bit neglected, despite a solitary birthday card from Fran. During a visit to the local wine bar with Carol and Graham, a chance meeting gives him just the opportunity he needs to feel more in the 'party' mood.

When Shelley starts receiving hate-mail and threats, he starts to wonder whom he could have possibly upset and calls in the police. Meanwhile Carol thinks his time could be better spent repainting his flat, although her rates of hourly pay for services rendered seem to be criminal too.