(1980) season 5

Muriel has gone to Australia on holiday to visit her mother, leaving Dudley in the care of their daughters. Jacqui has started a new job at Stanley Barlow's bookshop, leaving Susan at home to prepare meals for their father, although her cooking leaves much to be desired. Growing tired of the complaints, Susan suggests to her sister that they find their father a housekeeper. Duncan, meanwhile, is having problems with a jammed filing cabinet, and likewise hits on the idea of getting Dudley a housekeeper so that he can concentrate on drawing his cartoons; he finds one in Madge Carew, the bullying wife of handyman Arthur Carew. Susan engages a pleasant woman named Elsie Bates from an agency, whilst Dudley - not to be outdone - also engages a housekeeper; an attractive Swedish blonde named Ingrid. Chaos ensues when the three females meet and argue over the position.

Dudley awakes with a hangover after a night on the town, and Susan lands a job as a circulation manager to Hugo, who is starting a new free magazine called Upper Crust; so titled because it is aimed at the upper crust of society. Susan's role is putting it through people's letterboxes, but fortunately she likes being out in the open air. Meanwhile Dudley's overseas syndication royalties on Barney the Bionic Bulldog arrive at Duncan's office; a pretty substantial amount. Duncan bids his secretary Wilma make out a cheque, but she points out that in all likelihood Dudley won't work anymore until he's spent the money. Duncan considers investing it for a year or two on Dudley's behalf and letting him have the interest - or some of it! - but the forthcoming arrival of an auditor rules this out. He decides to pop around to the Rush house to see if he can find a chink in Dudley's armour-plated idleness, hoping to persuade him to buy a new car and fill the tank with petrol. Meanwhile Susan drop

The loft conversion of the Rush house having been completed, Dudley is rediscovering his first love by painting book illustrations for 'Alice in Wonderland'; at the moment he's at work on 'The Mad Hatter's Tea Party' with the help of his daughters, Jacqui and Susan, dressed in character as the Mad Hatter and Alice respectively. The White Rabbit is rather small, however. Dudley's eccentric sister Kate has found him a more suitable one, but she lives at Brighton and its too big to post. Duncan, meanwhile, is planning to move house from South Hampstead to West Hampstead on Saturday. He balks at the removal firm's quote of £250, and decides to hire a van and do it himself. Wilma doesn't fancy helping him hump furniture around, so he goes to the Rush house to enlist the help of Dudley, Jacqui and Susan with the bribe of a moth-eaten armchair and carpet for the studio. Come the day, Dudley cons Duncan into making a detour to Brighton to pick up the White Rabbit, and they park the van on the

Dudley receives a 'Merry Monk' dressing-gown as an early birthday present from Muriel in Australia, which promotes the religious virtues of poverty, chastity and obedience, and wonders whether she is trying to tell him something. Jacqui and Susan blame their father for the loss of Duncan's possessions at Brighton the previous day; he couldn't go to his new flat because it was empty, and had to spend the night in a hotel. Duncan telephones whilst Dudley is in bed to ask if he can move in with the Rushes and live with them until he sorts himself out. The girls suggest he could live up in the studio, but their father is dead set against having his boss living under the same roof. Dudley then receives an advertisement in the post from the Baghdad and Oriental Wine Company, offering new customers unbelievable bargains from their North African selection of real wines at £7.50p for six bottles, and telephones through an order. In the meantime, Duncan makes an alphabetical inventory of his sto

Duncan's rubber plant isn't flourishing in the Rush household, and Dudley's slobish habits aren't helping matters one bit. A new housekeeper is due to start, but Duncan insists on tidying the place up before she arrives. Meanwhile, Susan takes a break from her search for work and calls in at Barlow Books for a chat with Jacqui, explaining that what she really wants is a job where she can travel and meet interesting people; Jacqui suggests a bus conductress! Back at the house, the housekeeper - a Mrs. Francisco - arrives, just as Duncan accidentally smashes a pile of plates. Dudley plays a trick on her and Duncan as an 'entrance exam', and Mrs. Francisco takes her leave. Dudley arrives at Barlow Books and a mysterious gentleman named Mr. Veluva enters the shop; proclaiming himself to be a Wizard of the Third Order, he offers Dudley - whom he takes to be the new owner - books on wizardry and magic. Dudley buys them from him and on returning home tries casting a spell on Duncan's rubber p

The North Hampstead Operatic Society are putting on a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado, with Hugo acting as director and Jacqui and Susan lined up for the roles of Yum-Yum and Pitti-Sing. Dudley attends the auditions at Stanley Barlow's bookshop in the hope of securing the lead, but has to make do with painting the scenery and playing the part of the third coolie in the chorus. Honourable secretary Stanley takes the role of the Mikado for himself. Meanwhile, Duncan is producing Oklahoma! for a rival society; his leading lady walks out on him, so he offers the role to Susan, who eagerly accepts. He heads off for London Airport to meet a Mr. San Pueblo from Tijuana, Mexico. Jacqui is disgusted when she learns her sister is planning to drop out of The Mikado, chastising Susan for her disloyalty. Dudley telephones Duncan's office to complain about his underhand behaviour, and Wilma takes the number of the church hall so that she can arrange for Duncan to ring him back when h