Jack and Liz are "not-as-young-as-they-thought-they-were" couple trying to come to terms with a few hard facts - namely, if they're ever going to have children, they're going to have to get started!

They've been married for several years now and yet - as with many of their generation - Jack and Liz have never seriously discussed the 'children question.' Do they or don't they/should they or shouldn't they?

It's not that they DON'T want children but . . .with busy lives and interesting careers, there just hasn't been the time. Also, their closest friends, Jeff and Shaz, are not exactly an ideal advertisement for parenthood - shaz is constantly frazzled and has lost all sense of herself as an attractive woman, whilst Jeff spends as much time as possible staying late at work.

But, after recovering from the first serious illness of his life, Jack is brought face to face with a sense of his own mortality and the realization that neither he nor Liz are really "young" anymore. If they are going to have children, they're going to have to do something about it NOW.

For Jack, it isn't such a big decision - it needn't affect his rather ideal career as published author and (very) part-time Writer in Residence at the local university. However, Liz's job as a reporter with a local radio station will be a bit less accommodating . . .

However, to Jack's surprise, Liz agrees that they should try for children. Spurred on by Jeff's warning to Jack that it could take quite a long time, Jack gets down to business. After a jittery start (too tight pajamas and a panic attack), it actually isn't long at all before Liz finds she's pregnant. If they are pleased, Liz and Jack's respective parents are over the moon. In fact, the good news brings on a bout of competitive knitting!

Meanwhile, Jeff is having his own - slightly premature - midlife crisis. And unlike Jack and Liz, it looks as though he and Shaz may not have what it takes to get them through . . .

Episodes
8 x 1/2 Hours

Starring
Clive Mantle
Sarah Lancashire

Written By
John Godber

Directed By
Dewi Humphries

Produced By
Sydney Lotterby

Distributed For