Alec Callendar is a small-town solicitor with big-time dreams. His is a typically suburban legal practice, but privately he wishes he were more like his hero, Perry Mason. One day, into his life walks an Angel—Zoë Angell, who has come to consult him about a divorce. On the face of it, an aging widower and a 27-year-old physical education teacher should have nothing in common. But a mutual love of old musicals and a whimsical sense of humour spark a romance which surprises not just Alec and Zoë, but also the entire office staff, his two grown-up children and the rest of their families and friends. Alec and Zoë fall deeply in love, despite seemingly endless pitfalls.

Series 1 • Series 2 • Series 3 • Series 4 • Series 5 • Series 6 • Christmas

Episode Descriptions:

#101 It Never Entered My Mind
Zoë Angell is a 26-year-old PE teacher seeking a divorce from her errant milkman husband. In achieving this she visits a solicitor called Alec Callender, a 53-year-old widower. At first things go wrong between them and Zoë storms out, but a chance meeting in a pub with Alec’s son draws Alec and Zoë together, starting something that will have a tremendous effect on both of their lives.

#102 Fools Rush In
Alec arranges a lunch meeting with Zoë in order to discuss her divorce. They are both attracted to each other but sense that they are getting in too deep. However, when confronted later by a predatory widow, Alec finally decides to ask Zoë out.

#103 Send in the Clowns
Alec and Zoë are due to go and see “Bottom’s Up,” a musical version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” but Zoë sprains her ankle and is unable to go. In attempting to cheer her up, Alec succeeds in making an ass of himself in front of Zoë’s parents.

#104 Anything You Can Do
Overcoming their mutual embarrassment over Alec’s performance in front of Zoë’s parents, Zoë invites Alec to her flat for dinner. But what do they have in common? What will they talk about? Both make attempts to read up on the other’s interests, but the evening still looks like being a disaster.

#105 They Didn’t Believe Me
It is Alec’s 54th birthday and he decides that it is time that Zoë met his family, especially his daughter Simone, a vicar’s wife with very strict principles. So he invites Zoë along to a Sunday dinner at Simone’s. What will she make of Alec and Zoë’s relationship?

#106 There’s A Small Hotel
Alec invites Zoë to his home for dinner, and although they get on very well the house still seems haunted by memories of Alec’s wife, so Alec intends to take Zoë away to a small hotel that he knows. Meanwhile, Miss Flood suspects that Mr. Henty is also going away for the weekend — with Hilary.

#201 What Kind of Fool Am I?
Zoë’s decree nisi has finally come through, meaning that she is actually divorced. Alec believes that this something to celebrate, but Zoë isn’t quite so sure.

#202 I Remember It Well
Alec meets Zoë’s parents for the first time without a horse’s head on. They get on so well that Zoë feels left out. Has she fallen down the age gap? And has Alec noticed?

#203 You’re Driving Me Crazy
Zoë decides to learn to drive and with Alec teaching her their relationship is at times under considerable stress. Zoë’s birthday is approaching and she suspects that Alec is going to buy her a car. Meanwhile Hilary suspects that Miss Flood has got herself a boyfriend and Semple, Callender and Henty receive through the post a romantic novel by one Elvira Storm. Are these two things connected?

#204 Time After Time
Zoë isn’t seeing much of Alec, who seems to be tired much of the time after his exertions with Zoë, and this leads to Zoë asking him to move into her flat with her. Meanwhile, there is trouble brewing at the office when Alec suspects Miss Flood of being a drugs baron!

#205 There’s a Place for Us
Alec is still undecided about moving into Zoë’s flat — is this because it is so small when compared with his house? Meanwhile, after a disagreement with her parents over Derek, Hilary has left home and temporarily moved in with Miss Flood.

#206 No Other Love
Alec and Zoë are now living together, but there are troubles on the horizon. A new American teacher has arrived at Eldon High and is working closely with Zoë on the school play. Jealousy rears its ugly head and Alec believes that he is going to lose Zoë to a younger man. These events coincide with the return to Pinner of “Dangerous” Dollie Capper, an old flame of Alec’s.

#207 My Funny Valentine
Alec and Zoë have split up — very inappropriately as St Valentine’s Day is approaching. Alec is so miserable at the office that Hilary decides to try some matchmaking but things go wrong and she only succeeds in losing her job.

Christmas Special
I’ll See You in My Dreams
It is approaching the 25th anniversary of Alec becoming a solicitor and he is becoming bored of dealing just with conveyancing and divorces and he wishes for just one big case. There are a number of break-ins at solicitors’ offices in the area, including Semple, Callender and Henty, giving Alec the chance to indulge in his Perry Mason fantasies...

#301 That’ll Be the Day
Two anniversaries coincide; Miss Flood has bought some flowers because it is the anniversary of Buddy Holly’s death, and Alec and Zoë have been together for one year. Everyone, except Zoë, is starting to think that this would be an opportune moment for the couple to announce their wedding date.

#302 The Look of Love
Alec has sold his house, so he and Zoë are looking for a new home, but they are both looking for different things in a house. Meanwhile, with Miss Flood taking time off to look after her mother, Hilary has made some changes to the office.

#303 Too Close for Comfort
Alec and Zoë have bought a house together — and it just happens to be in the same street as Simone’s vicarage. Alec is having problems at home and at work; he has employed a cowboy builder, Hilary is attempting to learn Esperanto, and Jamie appears to be getting involved with a client.

#304 It’s All in the Game
There is competition in the air, be it chess, croquet or Zoë going for promotion at work. Meanwhile, the arrival in Pinner of Miss Flood’s nephew starts to distract Hilary from her work and her previously beloved Derek.

#305 The Way You Look Tonight
Alec’s French brother-in-law is due to visit Pinner, and Zoë is preparing to live up to everything she has been told about Alec’s late wife. Meanwhile, Jamie is finding work at Semple, Callender and Henty too boring and is preparing to leave.

#306 Feelings
Jamie is not pulling his weight at the office and Alec is getting close to firing him. However, he soon finds out why and Zoë sees a side of Alec that she hasn’t seen before. Meanwhile, Hilary is intrigued to discover that Miss Flood is seeing a gentleman friend.

#307 I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plans
Passions and desires are appearing in the office; is it between Jamie and Hilary, Alec and Hilary, or still Alec and Zoë? It would appear to be the latter, especially when Zoë announces that she is pregnant. She then springs a surprise on Alec, and Miss Flood gets a shock from Hilary and Anthony.

#401 This Could Be the Start of Something Big
Alec and Zoë return from the start of their honeymoon to find that Simone is also pregnant and there is a war zone in the office as Miss Flood is still objecting to Hilary’s engagement to her nephew.

#402 Just Like A Woman
Alec believes that Zoë is not capable of doing all of the housework in her condition, so when Clothilde, his French niece, wants to come to Britain he employs her as an au pair. Meanwhile at the office, Miss Flood is behaving very strangely.

#403 I’m Old-Fashioned
Alec has a new client, Peter Charles, who plays Inspector Dangerfield in a popular TV series. At home, Zoë accuses Alec of being anti-gay when he objects to he working with a homosexual colleague. Meanwhile, Miss Flood is nervous at the prospect of meeting Gerald’s daughters, so Hilary decides to lend a hand.

#404 The Party’s Over
Miss Flood, Gerald, Hilary and Jamie are spending an evening at Alec and Zoë’s playing a murder mystery game. Everything seems to be going well, but tragedy is just around the corner

#405 The Crying Game
Everyone is very upset about Zoë’s miscarriage, seemingly except Zoë herself. Jamie’s new girlfriend inspires Hilary to try and win back Derek, resulting in a new addition to the Callender household.

#406 Catch the Bouquet
Miss Flood’s wedding is rapidly approaching and she is starting to panic about it. Meanwhile, Alec and Zoë’s relationship still hasn’t returned to normal, and both Jamie and Debbie are having parent problems.

#501 Splish Splash
Some time has passed and Zoë is heavily pregnant. She sparks some debate with Alec over the method of birth, favouring a water birth.

#502 Baby Love
A proud father again, Alec is taking a lot of paternity leave, leaving Jamie too much work at the office and driving Zoë crazy at home. But Zoë’s plan to drive him back to work is in danger of backfiring.

#503 School Days
Alec infuriates Zoë by putting Fleur’s name on a waiting list for a public school without consulting her.

#504 Who Can I Turn To?
Roy Morgan Jones has proposed to Debbie and she faces a difficult decision choosing between him and her current boyfriend Trevor. Zoë is clearly against having Roy as a brother-in-law, and when Debbie goes to Alec for legal advice she sees a chance to use him to influence her sister. Meanwhile, Vera is apprehensive as Jamie attempts to modernise the office.

#505 Let There Be Love
Zoë is suffering from post-natal depression and is fed up at being stuck at home, with Alec being on the receiving end. Meanwhile, Hilary is entering lots of competitions and Alec is attempting to win an important new contract from a very boring building society manager.

#506 The Best is Yet to Come
Fleur’s christening is approaching and Alec and Zoë disagree over who should be godmother. Meanwhile, Hilary believes she is pregnant and Alec has health problems.

#601 Nice Work If You Can Get It
With Hilary having moved to the Isle of White, Vera is having difficulties finding a replacement secretary. To Jamie and Alec’s horror, Simone is temporarily filling in. Meanwhile, there is conflict in the Callender household over Zoë’s wish to return to work.

#602 Take Good Care of My Baby
With Zoë back at school, the Callenders need someone to look after Fleur during the day. They try newspaper adverts and an exclusive nanny agency, but the solution is closer than they imagine.

#603 Son of My Father
The school is organizing a series of talks on careers and Zoë wants Alec to talk about being a solicitor. Meanwhile, Jamie has become disillusioned with the profession and wants to leave it, to Alec’s disgust.

#604 Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom Wine
Zoë’s mother has left her husband and is staying with Alec and Zoë — a situation that Alec is exploiting. Meanwhile, Vera believes that Rosie is being conned by a modelling agency.

#605 Let the Heartaches Begin
Alec is skeptical when Jamie introduces a new business plan. Meanwhile, Zoë is trying to fix her sister up on a blind date, but Alec is concerned that the young man is more interested in the wrong sister.

#606 Until It’s Time for You to Go
The 30th anniversary of Vera starting at the office is approaching, and Jamie is organising a surprise “This Is Your Life” party for her. When Alec attends it he has to put on a brave face — because of Zoë’s relationship with Mark, he has left her.