Whimsical tales of the Tollit family, who live in the picturesque Northern town of Sutton Moor. The husband, Len, is a soft-hearted, well-meaning chap who holds strong views on certain subjects and is fiercely proud of his working-class roots. But his determination to prove himself the equal of those who may consider themselves his betters often leads to confrontation and infuriates his wife, Pat. They have two children, the pre-teen Sean and the sexually-maturing Siobhan, who, at 15, is at that 'awkward age'. Living in the granny flat in their yard is Mr Bebbington, who had been Len's late mother's boyfriend but has remained with them for six months since her death. Pat constantly cajoles Len into getting Bebbington out but he is quite content to let him stay and treats him as one of the family. Len's brother, Morris, who lives nearby, is a spiritual man who comes across as half-hippy and half-witted.

Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this enduringly popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines.

Clarence Flamer hosts a late-night talk show on regional radio station North Star Sound. A phone call he takes one night leads to his discovering a mortgage scam being run by a group of estate agents. His attempts to delve deeper have tragic consequences.