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A comedy about the triumphs and tribulations of marriage and friendship from very different perspectives. It's about the funny – and sometimes annoying – things that happen between husbands, wives, parents, children, neighbors and friends day after day after day. The show focuses on Eddie and Joy Stark, a couple married for 23 years who live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Eddie and Joy's free-spirited daughter, Ally, returns from a trek in the Ecuadorian rain forest with her new husband, Doug. When Ally and Doug decide to set up camp in a trailer in the Starks' backyard, they ultimately ruin Eddie's plans for installing a Jacuzzi. Meanwhile, Eddie and Joy attempt to overcome their dislike of Doug and accept him as a member of the family.
Joy and Eddie decide to get separate beds after years of putting up with each other's sleep habits. Meanwhile Eddie's new principal turns out to be a former student with an agenda.
When Doug's father gives him and Ally a large sum of money, they struggle with the decision to keep it or give it back. Meanwhile, Eddie decides to write a book about the Hindenburg disaster.
When Eddie and Joy try to live without complaining, Eddie finds that repressing his true feelings makes him sick. Meanwhile, Kenny creates problems for parents when he works as a mall Santa.
When Eddie and Joy pay a visit to his parents in Florida, Eddie discovers that his parents are planning to divorce in order to qualify for medical insurance. Eddie refuses to accept the idea and tries to convince his mother that it's a bad decision to put his father back on the market.
Joy's fun and beautiful new friend Eileen also happens to be Eddie's ex-girlfriend. At first, the friendship doesn't seem to be a problem until Joy invites Eileen over to the house and Eddie gets himself in trouble by reminiscing a little too fondly about the past. Meanwhile, Kenny thinks he's doing something nice for his new girlfriend by babysitting her kids, but doesn't realize she may be using him.
After Kenny's ex-wife kicks him out of their house, Eddie invites Kenny to stay with him and Joy. Eddie quickly realizes that Joy is a lot nicer when Kenny is around, so Eddie tries to get Kenny to stay with them longer, but Kenny's annoying habits have Joy trying desperately to reconnect the estranged couple.
When Joy loses her job at the travel agency, she must use her best assets to find work elsewhere. Meanwhile, Eddie takes Doug to his favorite restaurant.
When Eddie buys a high-definition television without checking with Joy first, she decides to join in the spending spree. Meanwhile, Doug suspects he is living on a sitcom.
When Joy urges Eddie to get a check-up from their doctor, Simona (Susan Yeagley), Eddie becomes enamored with her and her husband, Stephen (Kevin Nealon), and their seemingly perfect life. Joy becomes annoyed when Eddie becomes ardent about taking Simona's advice, even though Joy has been nagging him for years, and decides to prove to Eddie that Simona isn't as perfect as she seems.
When Eddie attends their annual baseball game date without Joy, they realize that they can have separate lives, but at what cost? Meanwhile, Ally and Doug try to save a tree but end up causing a tree disease epidemic in the neighborhood.
When it is realized that Eddie is grouchy because he isn't sleeping well he gets treatment. Unfortunately Joy can't sleep without him snoring so now she is the grouchy one.
Eddie and Joy pick sides when their friends break-up, but when they get back together it ends up costing them.
When Eddie and Joy befriend Stephen (guest star Nealon) and his wife Simona, Eddie clicks with them right away, which causes Joy to feel left out. In an effort to win Joy over, Eddie coaches their new friends on her all her likes and dislikes. Meanwhile, Kenny starts a new job as a supermarket sample salesman only to realize that sample distribution can be a competitive biz
When Joy convinces Eddie to visit Simona for an annual check-up, he catches a nasty head cold before his big interview with a Hindenburg blimp survivor. Meanwhile, Joy can't understand why Simona won't pay her a compliment.
When Joy goes overboard planning Ally and Doug's wedding, Eddie convinces them to elope. Kenny agrees to officiate the ceremony, but when Joy finds out about their plans she persuades Eddie to help her stop the wedding.
When the Starks meet Simona and Stephen for dinner, they decide to ditch them with the bill resulting in an all-out dining war between the couples. Meanwhile, Joy makes Eddie's life miserable at work.
When Eddie befriends a new teacher at school, they find they have a lot in common, but Ms. Duffy has other plans for their relationship. Meanwhile, Eddie and Joy reminisce about the music they loved in the 1980s.
Eddie tries to get a raise so he and Joy can go on vacation, but he has a tough time convincing his principal. Meanwhile, Doug's delusion that he is a character on a sitcom gets even worse.
When Joy and Eddie meet their rather unconventional new neighbors, Tommy (guest star Gottfried) and April Campbell, Eddie can't seem to get the idea of being with a younger woman out of his head. Meanwhile, Eddie and Joy hold a yard sale, and the new neighbors want to buy everything they're selling.
