Series 3 (2008)
Series 3 is the first series in which the storylines of episodes are connected throughout. The first few storylines are as follows: Michael is distraught about finding out his father's sexuality, Magda is searching for a house after her bedsit gets infested with toxic gas, and Sam and Ben have made a single on YouTube. The following storylines are Magda accidentally selling some of Rick's prized possessions at a car-boot sale, Sam and Ben splitting up and Magda returning home for her sister's wedding.
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | "Gas" | 13 November 2008 (2008-11-13) |
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The episode opens with Rick at a celebrity charity auction trying to attract bids for the waistcoat of an ex-rock star. To start the bidding, he opens with a bid of £500 but with no takers, he ends up with it. Seeing Michael's father at the auction with a man, he assumes that they are a gay couple and resolves to protect Michael from this revelation. Meanwhile Magda has had to move out of her flat as the gas boiler is faulty and moves into the Spleen household. It is clear that Michael believes his father's companion is solely a business colleague, however, when he relaunches his cafe as a chic restaurant, with less than complete success, it becomes clear that this is not the case; Rick's suspicions had been correct. The waistcoat bought by Rick turns out to be worth considerably more than he paid for it, but he has given it to his daughter, whose boyfriend has cut it up for a textiles project at college. Last appearance of Ambrose |
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| 16 | "Panda" | 20 November 2008 (2008-11-20) |
| Magda has begun settling in, to the extent of infiltrating her fridge magnets and watching The Jeremy Kyle Show in the afternoons; meanwhile Rick has signed up for a television programme to trace his ancestry. Ben and Sam have formed a pop duo, "Ben and Sam." who are shown performing a track called "Tragic" on Youtube. Michael is inexplicably missing after the revelations about his father, but Rick and Marty find him working out in his garage, seemingly unconcerned. Rick has discovered his Scottish ancestry for the programme, but since his family name is Shaw, the confused Magda thinks he may be Chinese. It turns out, however, that his family history is not interesting enough for the television programme, and is rejected. | ||
| 17 | "Fax" | 27 November 2008 (2008-11-27) |
| Rick appears as a guest on a much-loved panel game and earns the worst score in the show's history. At home, Rick and Mel are cleaning out the closets to find items for a local car boot sale which Madga is looking forward to attending. Rick's email crashes when he tries to send a finished script; he convinces an estate agent that he's interested in buying a house (solely because no other shop has a fax machine), and agrees to a house visit. Meanwhile, Michael has begun therapy sessions for his emotional issues, and Ben and Sam cause an annoyance with their loud practising, until Rick learns their song will be in a TV advert. | ||
| 18 | "Karma" | 4 December 2008 (2008-12-04) |
| A near-death experience makes Rick a changed man. From now on, he plans to embrace the positive and see only the good in people. His new attitude annoys Marty, who predicts it won't last. But Rick even manages to forgive Magda for selling some of his prized possessions at a car-boot sale, and when he lands the title role in a major TV drama, it looks like fate has rewarded him. | ||
| 19 | "Spikey" | 11 December 2008 (2008-12-11) |
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Rick's appearance on a radio phone-in show is not as successful as might be and Sam has split up with Ben for a new boyfriend, the eponymous 'Spikey', who is a drunken waster. Magda wants to return home for her sister's wedding and Mel agrees to pay for this, to Rick's disapproval. Meanwhile, Rick and Mel are invited to see a play by one of his former rivals. It turns out to be a gloomy experience, relieved only by Ben's mobile phone that Rick is keeping hold of ringing at an inopportune moment. The following morning, Magda announces that the wedding is off as her sister's intended has turned out to be already married. Ben and Sam become reconciled as Spikey has put himself into hospital trying to reconnect the electricity at his squat. Rick's appearance at a function for a junk mail organisation goes awry when he is lampooned for the mobile phone incident, which has been reported in the local press. Although Spikey has been frequently mentioned in every series of the show, this is his only actual appearance. |
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| 20 | "Mistake" | 18 December 2008 (2008-12-18) |
| Rick finds his order of letterheads mis-spells his name as 'Bick'. Rick and Marty are thinking up some new concepts to pitch to TV executives. Mel moves her agency office into the living room. Marty develops a crush on Izzy, Mel's assistant. Magda returns to the UK with her sister, to whom Rick pays £20 to fix his letterheads with correction fluid, although she runs out and finishes the job with a pen. Magda appears to dislike Izzy. Ben and Sam cook up a plan to sell samosas at a festival, but find they are unable to without the correct health and safety licensing. Rick overhears Mel and Izzy talking about a panel show for which Rick thinks he would be perfect. Izzy feeds Marty false information on who will become team captain on the show and Rick telephones the producer of the show and makes up some damaging information about the individual. It turns out that Mel was actually pitching Rick for the show, and he has inadvertently caused the producer to re-think the position. The episode ends with Rick's neighbour attempting to complain about Ben and Sam attempting to sell his elderly mother the samosas. Rick slams the door in his face, the screen fades to black with the doorbell being rung repeatedly. | ||
| 21 | "Nuts" | 23 December 2008 (2008-12-23) |
| Rick is looking forward to spending a quiet Christmas at home with Mel. It will be a well-earned break from the challenging acting role he is currently immersed in – playing the part of Mr Smee in a panto. Marty is no fan of pantomime, or of Christmas in general, and plans to head off for some winter sun – preferably to a country where carol-singing is punishable by death. Meanwhile, Michael has fallen in love at first sight with a chat room friend named Zoe and is already planning to propose on their first date. Ben and Sam are spending the holidays together, accompanied by Sam's gift to Ben of "homemade" mince pies. As for Magda, plans to return home to spend Christmas with her family are called off in favour of a week of mourning when her country's president dies. |
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