Season Three of My Family would have to be one of the strongest seasons over its 11 year history.
It was one of the longest seasons too with a total of 14 episodes including the first My Family Christmas Special which took the episode total up to 35.
With Janey's exit to University comes the introduction of a new character in the third episode of the season, Abi Harper (Siobhan Hayes)
Abi is the daughter of Ben's cousin and Susan invites her to stay there to fill the void left by Janey.
When Abi arrives she puts her fist through their window by knocking too hard and they end up in the emergency ward. They return there soon after as Abi whacks Ben on the head with a cricket bat, mistaking him for a prowler. She is another crazy edition to the household and becomes a permanent fixture for many seasons to come.
Another new character introduced in this season is the neighbouring dentist, Roger Bailey (Keiron Self)
who is the complete opposite to Ben as a dentist. There is a picture of a clown on the ceiling called Bobo when Ben visits Roger in the sixth episode of this season when he has a sore tooth. Ben discovers Roger has named all of his dental tools after Lord of the Rings characters and so he leaves when Roger exclaims that he has found an Ork whilst exploring his mouth with Gandalf.
Roger returns in all remaining seasons and soon becomes a permanent principal character.
Nick's Jobs this season are Shelf stacker, Magician, Female impersonator, Gorilla-gram, Taxi Driver, Exorcist, Bartender, Drive-Thru Santa's Grotto owner/operator.
Ben's Dental Assistants comprised of only two unnamed ones this season, an Indian girl who punches Ben for making her cry, and a frumpy woman who sprays mace at Ben thinking he was making sexual advances.
The Season kicks off with Janey packing up and heading off to University followed by the arrival of accident-prone Abi Harper who spurts blood all over Ben when they meet for the first time. Michael still explores girls and even feels up his brother Nick when he was wearing a bra whilst continuing his search for employment and get rich quick schemes. Janey still hangs around even though she is in Manchester and new characters and regular guestys come in and out of the episode series. The series wraps up with the first ever Christmas special when Janey arrives home pregnant.
Here's the list of episodes...
Episode 22 "Absent Vixen, Cheeky Monkey"
As Janey heads off to University Ben and Susan fight over how her room should be used. Nick gets a job stacking shelves and brings home Tuna cans to price as he ran out of time. When Ben tries to sneak them back to the supermarket so Nick wont be fired, he is betrayed by Nick when he reports him for shoplifting the Tuna.
Episode 23 "Shrink Rap"
Susan finds a letter on Michael's desk inviting her and Ben to a school auction - Michael hasn't shown it to them though because he doesn't want them to go as they are too embarrassing. At the auction Susan buys a therapy session for couples and Ben buys his own free dental treatment to outbid a former patent Mr Spufford who has chronic bad breath. The therapist turns out to be less than calm with Ben and Susan.
Episode 24 "Desperately Squeaking Susan"
Susan, still missing Janey, decides that she needs some female company and so invites Abi, the daughter Ben's cousin, to dinner. Abi turns out to be the most accident-prone, clumsy person you could meet and they instantly end up at the Emergency Ward with her. Ben is aghast as Susan invites Abi to come and live with them!
Episode 25 "Of Mice and Ben"
Abi has to make a video project about family life and she decides to film the Harpers. But Ben and Susan ruin the film by pretending and performing for the camera But when Ben investigates a rat in the ceiling, he is captured on film fleeing from the giant rodent in hysterics.
Episode 26 "Imperfect Strangers"
After being ushered away from the university by Janey and her two male friends, Susan and Ben decide to book into a local hotel under fake names and pretend to meet each other again as strangers. Other strangers show interest in them however and when room keys get mixed up Ben ends up naked in another man's room.
Episode 27 "The Second Greatest Story Ever Told"
Nick gets cast Jesus in a local nativity play and Susan is jealous and angry she is cast as Shepherd #2. Meanwhile Ben is suffering from a severe toothache but is reluctant to put his trust in any other dentist. Susan persuades him to see his old dentist Roger Bailey but he is shocked to discovered he has since died and his son Roger Bailey Jnr has turned the surgery into a character fantasy land.
Episode 28 "Waiting to Inhale"
Susan finds what appears to be a 'joint' in Michael's drawer. She convinces Ben that it is only proper parenting to smoke it to know what their son is exposing himself too. After a hilarious night of stoned behaviour by Ben and Susan they are shocked to learn later that it was just herbs and cinnamon.
Episode 29 "Misery"
Susan visits Janey with the intention to feel young again by hanging out at the university. But things don't go to plan and after starting a food fight in the cafeteria Janey wants her out. Meanwhile Ben pushes through an ankle injury to beat his old friend at golf. But things don't go to plan and made worse by Nicks appearance in his new role as a female impersonator.
Episode 30 "Auto Erotica"
When Nick wins an old car in a poker game, he wants to use it for parts but Ben tries his best to restore it to it's former glory. Abi finds Michael in her room and has some fun teasing him but saves her most disastrous action for Ben and Susan when she lights a candle on their anniversary cake in the garage with gasoline fumes. Kaboom!
Episode 31 "A Handful of Dust"
Ben is annoyed when he discovers that his family have forgotten his birthday but he has bought himself a patch of soil from Wembley Stadium. Janey arrives for his birthday with her 'lesbian girlfriend' Katie to taunt her parents. Nick gets a new job dressing up as a gorilla.
Episode 32 "Lost Weekend"
When the kids go away for the weekend, Ben and Susan finally have some time to themselves but it's been so long since they last had time to themselves they have absolutely no idea how to spend it! They eventually just end up annoying each other.
Episode 33 "Ghosts"
Susan gets back in touch with an old flame she wishes to get revenge on. Michael discovers the house is cursed and Abi is convinced that it is haunted. Nick embarks on a career being a Taxi Driver and then as an Exorcist.
Episode 34 "One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest"
Nick decides to get his own flat which is a dive and he keeps stealing items and food from his parents place. He also get a job at Ben's local pub but is fired for not ordering the beer. When Ben and Susan visit Nick scams them out of money with a fake landlord.
Episode 35 "Ding Dong Merrily"
Janey returns to the Harper household for Christmas, but with the shocking news that she's pregnant! Also Nick begins his new Christmas Tree business, but because the trees he's bought are all for next year Ben is overjoyed to find his living room turned into a forest.
For a sample of Season Three see below.
Episode 24 "Desperately Squeaking Susan"
http://www.free-tv-video-online.me/player/gorillavid.php?id=om5ue5dn9mcw
(if the font is multi-coloured it is an error that I could not mend - apologies)
J G S
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