Arthur is about to celebrate his 80th birthday and his family is gathering for a party. It is a time for celebration, but also for family tensions and a reassessment of how we all spend our lives.

Henry sets out to join a church and passionately help the parish. Slowly but surely his habits of exaggeration and lying begin to catch up with him.

Being accused of child abuse is a nightmare every family dreads. The Taylors are an ordinary happy family, but Paul and Jill are worried about their 11-year-old son Mark, who is not eating. The family GP has diagnosed 'failure to thrive', and Mark is sent to the hospital for a check-up.

Doug and Winnie have tried hard to keep their disabled son Tom 'nice', but when Stephen, a young social worker, takes a professional interest it has tragic consequences.

Sally and George appear a happy middle class couple. However, they are childless, which is starting to cause tension. While George ponders an illegal business venture, Sally starts to grow closer to her piano teacher.

A successful Paris magazine proprietor embarks on a destructive voyage of self-discovery after his wife shoots dead her own sister, with whom he has had an affair for several years.

Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond looks after the British outpost near the Khybar pass. Protected by the kilted Third Foot and Mouth regiment, you would think they were safe, but the Khazi of Kalabar has other ideas—he wants all the British dead. But his troops fear the 'skirted-devils, who are rumoured not to wear any underwear.