Grumpy, not wholly successful comic Rick Spleen lives with his girlfriend Mel, a placid talent agent and his grasping daughter Sam, who is dating the thick Ben. Eatern European housekeeper Magda completes the household. Rick and his American co-writer Marty are having problems with material for a recycling campaign and a corporate show for a loan company, which means that it ends up in the bin, along with the fruit cake given Rick by local café owner Michael. (imdb)

Rick's insomnia is not helped by the noisy paper boy Wayne who arrives just as he is trying to drop off and a visit to the sarcastic female newsagent is to no avail. When the toaster breaks down Rick lies to the electrical shop man about when he bought it, resulting in more sarcasm and the need to buy a new toaster. (imdb)

When chat show host Adam Greene ribs him about being overweight Rick decides to exercise at the local gym. Unfortunately, when another gym user comments on his weight and Rick attributes it to the side effect of cancer treatment, the other man turns out to be a genuine cancer sufferer. Rick finds a missing cat in the garage and Magda returns it to its owner for a hundred pound reward, but a guilty Rick donates the money to a cancer charity. (imdb)