Semi Circles
Series 1
1. A Desirable Residence
Ben has been in one of his "fix things up" moods which is a surprise to Helen, and with the help of neighbour Alastair manages to complete a number of jobs. However, the newly installed shelves quickly fall down as another neighbour Mrs Kelly arrives at the door who has turned up to be nosey, and offers the services of her friend Mr Juke to do some more serious required building work. At the pub, Ben suggests to Alastair that he intends to be more competent at do-it-yourself rather than frittering money away on hiring of builders. Back at home, Mr Juke arrives with some criticism of the newly installed fireplace while Ben struggles to bring up the topic of money when he wants to know how much the work will cost. Helen however has worries about how they will restore the house to its original character as Mr Juke recommends replacing everything.
2. A Nice Area
A house has sold in the area, though Mrs Kelly is hoping that it hasn't been sold to a black family who were looking around it previously, much to the shock of Ben and Helen who proclaim that the mult-racial community they live in is desirable. News also gets around that a Mr Mukerjee has applied for planning permission to open a restaurant in the area. This results in an action committee being formed to oppose its opening, with Alastair chairing that they oppose it on "environmental" grounds. The group insists their objection is not on racial grounds, and much more about preventing the lowering of property values. Alastair however is placated when he discovers Mr Mukerjee is planning to open a high-end French restaurant rathan than the assumed Indian one, though Mr Mukerjee soon has a change of heart upon hearing about the action committee.
3. A Matter of Life and Death
Ben and Helen return from watching a film, which has him recalling his youth, and lamenting not keeping in touch with his former school friends. He soon hears from a former school friend, Willie, who is agrees to meet in the pub. Discussion turns to Willie's work for an insurance company and quickly shifts the topic onto life insurance, and begins his sales pitch to persuade him to purchase a policy to ensure that Helen and the kids are well-cared for. Returning home, Ben reveals the nature of the conversation at the pub while Helen questions whether he is going to fall for his pitch considering he has also brought a number of brochures home. Deciding against a policy, Willie proves difficult to converse with, as much of his life revolves around death and being thankful for his own life insurance policy, and he gets more embedded into Ben and Helen's life when he discovers their house is on his way home. However, Mrs Kelly manages to come to their rescue.
4. The Quality of Life
Helen and Ben prepare to join friend Alistair who has a new girlfriend, Perpetua, at her new cottage out in the country. The foursome along with Helen and Ben's children head to the cottage and have an enjoyably quiet and relaxing afternoon, Helen and Ben begin to feel at home in the countryside which leads to Alastair and Perpetua questioning why they actually live in the city. Back at home, Helen and Ben begin to look at countryside property though continually come across problems related to commuting and price, while Mrs Kelly manages to insert her own opinions on everything regarding living out of the city. Heading out to spend another weekend in the country, Ben soon injures his back working in the field, while Perpetua proves to be unsympathetic. The weekend quickly shows Ben and Helen that the countryside isn't what they thought it would be, while Alastair and Perpetua also end their relationship.
5. A Woman's Role
Returning home after a hard day at work, Ben and Helen end up in a discussion which leaves her feeling like she is missing out on life as a stay-at-home mother. Using the new calculator that Ben has bought her, she has taken to working out how many hours of her life are used up on chores. The situation leaves Ben worrying about the repercussions, and when her feminist friend Laura has had a change in her own life, it sets Helen about revising her own life. Mrs Kelly arrives during the middle of the discussion, though struggles to understand things with her conservative views. When Ben is challenged to his "division of labour" by Laura, and with Helen joining in, Ben decides to head off to the pub. Eventually realising that Helen's task at home is difficult, Ben turns to Mrs Kelly for advice who believes it is just a phase. When Helen decides to go away for two days with her feminist group, Ben is left in charge of the house and the children.
6. A Bit on the Side
Mrs Kelly arrives on Sunday morning as Ben and Helen attempt a lie-in, bringing the morning newspapers. Helen takes to starting making food for the dinner party they are hosting in the evening in which they hope to also do some match-making for Helen's friend Laura and Ben's work colleague Nigel, which prompts Mrs Kelly to reveal how she met her Neville. At the dinner party, Helen encounters Nigel and has to deal with his advances which proves to be refreshing for Helen whose life has little in the way of time for an affair. After the dinner party, the discussion comes up of adventures outside of the marital bed, though Ben laughs off the idea of Helen having an affair herself. When work colleague Linda is preparing to leave for San Francisco, he discovers that she has an attraction to him and offers a no-strings fling, though he soon suffers from a pang of guilt and backs out. Helen also reveals her offer of an affair, which leaves Ben dismayed at her only consideration against being lack of time.