Plot Synopsis

Rachel shocks her proper British parents when she marries an American hippie, but it's just the first in a series of surprises for the family. Cuckoo is every parent's worst nightmare -- a slacker full of outlandish, New Age ideas -- and the man Ken and Lorna's only daughter, Rachel, has brought home from her gap year and introduced as her new husband. Ken and Lorna have no choice but to welcome him into their family home -- and if every Englishman's home is his castle, then this hippie has stormed Ken's fortress and plundered everything -- most unforgivably, his princess. Set in the Midlands -- home to the ?Thompson family -- Ken and Lorna are horrified by their daughter's news but as he settles into the family home, they are surprised just how much they warm to their new squared-jawed, self-appointed spiritual ninja son-in-law. Shortly after renewing their wedding vows, Cuckoo flew the coop to continue researching his book. While on walkabout in the foothills of the Himalayas, he went missing...eventually presumed dead.

The second season opens two years after Cuckoo's disappearance and life in the Thompson family house is only just getting back to normal. Ken and Lorna are looking forward to a future without the kids under their feet. Dylan is about to go to university and Rachel is rebuilding her life with her new boyfriend, a nice-but-dull lawyer, Ben. Despite appearances, Cuckoo's absence is still felt -- not least by his young widow, Rachel. Everyone worries she's lost her mojo since the tragic events in Asia. This fragile equilibrium is well and truly shattered when a handsome and mysterious young stranger, Dale, appears in Lichfield, looking for the man who found fame and philosophy in the simplest of hot snacks: the jack-et po-ta-to.

Season 3 re-joins the Thompson family six months after Dale's dramatic departure at Christmas. Ken and Lorna are preparing for the birth of their new baby. Dylan, much to Ken's delight, is getting ready to fly the nest as he prepares to leave for university. Rachel (is heartbroken and pining for Dale, but has managed to salvage a questionable friendship with jilted 'bestie' Ben. Life is slowly getting back to normal in Litchfield when a transformed Dale returns to throw more spanners in the family works.

The six-episode fourth season had its U.S. premiere on Friday, December 14, 2018 at 3:01am ET/12:01am PT on Netflix. Hoping to build a career for himself, Dale gives hospitality a try, while lawyer Ken copes badly with some professional issues of his own. Ken is thrilled to be nominated for Lawyer of the Year until he learns that his workplace rival Jane has also made the list. Dale starts a job search. Ken's awards ceremony speech has consequences, Dale and Steve try to get a business license, and Sid gets into a top nursery -- with one condition. After calling the police on his loud-partying new neighbor, Ken befriends him and keeps the phone call a secret, allowing suspicion to fall on Steve.
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In Season 5, the Thompson clan is getting back to peace and quiet following Dale's departure, until Ken (Greg Davies) receives some unexpected news of the sister he never knew he had -- Ivy. Ivy gets in touch with Ken out of the blue, seemingly wanting to get to know her new family. Ken is really excited about his long-lost sister arriving - especially when he finds out that she's a billionaire - but it turns out that Ivy isn't intending to get to know her brother at all. Rachel returns from travelling solo, after things didn't work out with Dale. But she's not the only person who has returned to Lichfield -- her ex-boyfriend Ben is back, and in touch. The seven-episode fifth season had its U.S. premiere on Friday, April 19, 2019 at 3:01am ET/12:01am PT on Netflix.