...
Pramface
Laura and Jamie are struggling to cope with the everyday challenges of raising their baby, so the last thing they need is a big family event. But the Christening is looming and they're nowhere near ready for it. Keith, under pressure from Sandra, is forced to take temping work at the toy shop to help pay for the Christening. But Keith finds it hard to cope when he discovers his new supervisor is his son. Alan is still recovering from his head injury, and Janet wants to go back to work, although she's not mentioning this to Alan. As the visiting relatives arrive, squabble and then criticise, Jamie and Laura are really feeling the pressure - and they haven't even managed to agree on a name yet.
Beth is confused when she finds herself attracted to a posh boy with views politically opposed to her own. In the absence of real girl friends, she is forced to turn to Jamie and Mike for guidance. Laura is attempting to widen her circle of friends, but she finds it hard to find a peer group - the pramface mums in the park are more interested in nicking her phone, and the competitive yummy mummies just want to patronise and score points off her. Meanwhile, a lonely Alan employs Keith, to be his driver.
Laura has a work placement so, with Janet out at work and Alan too clumsy to be safely left with a baby, she takes up Jamie's offer to babysit. When Jamie finds out he has an exam on the same day but doesn't want to let Laura think he's shirking his responsibility, he is forced to leave Emily with his last resort babysitters, Mike and Beth. Sandra, sick of Keith's increasing employment torpor, pushes him into getting a job.
Jamie is turning 18 and Mike has taken over organising the party. His main mission is to source some high-quality, mind-altering substances. Mike decides to go organic and get hold of some mushrooms. Beth comes on the hunt and steers him towards a harmless non-psychedelic type. Meanwhile, Keith has been forced to take a new-age influenced 'back to work' course. He goes on an accelerated journey of self-discovery. He's getting fitter, and closer to the eternal truths of the universe but he's no closer to getting a job.
When Laura learns that Jamie has a date, she goes out of her way to get one herself. She wants to show him that if he's over her, she can move on too. She arranges an internet date with Marcus, a proper, grown-up man with a flat and a job. But, on Danielle's advice, she chooses not to tell him about being a mother for the time being. Mike is on a body-transforming course combining high-strength Russian muscle steroids with a kettlebell workout. But the side effects are taking their toll on his waistline and his emotional state. Keith is approached by a model agent offering work for Emily. He and Sandra enter the world of baby modelling, but soon find out it's more competitive, catty and aggressive than they imagined.
Danielle encourages Laura to come to a university ball in Edinburgh. But when she arrives Danielle introduces her to her new friend, Francesca, who seems intent on undermining Laura so she can have Danielle to herself. Jamie is depressed - convinced he's blown it with Laura, failing at school and miserable in his job. Mike is so worried about his mate that, when Jamie goes missing, Mike thinks he may be about to kill himself. Keith, too, is at a low ebb in his self-esteem. He even suspects Sandra of cheating with her boss and decides to confront him man to man.
The future is still uncertain for Jamie and Laura, who are now officially a couple, but Jamie is concerned that Laura's not really into him as she won't 'go public' with the news and tell her parents or friends. Mike is throwing a party to celebrate the end of exams, but is keeping it under the radar to ensure only the cool crowd get to hear about it. Beth gets a huge shock when her previously flawless academic record is 'tainted' with a B, and rather than getting into the party spirit, begins to question her whole identity as 'the smart one'. Alan's also got some persuading to do: he tries to drag Janet back to counselling as he's feeling neglected by her spending so much time at work.
