Jimmy VenablesPainter and decorator. Played by: Nicholas Lyndhurst
![]() Jimmy Venables, a painter and decorator by trade, may have beaten his alcoholism, but he's still trying to make up for the mistakes he made, and more to the point, the years he lost with his children, Alex and Molly. Diana NealPlayed by: Celia Imrie
![]() Diana is opinionated, snobbish, posh and hypocritical; her daughter Ann marrying a common tradesman was never going to impress. The schoolteacher is delighted that they have since divorced but, owing to them having had two children during their marriage, Jimmy is still very much a part of grandmother Diana's life. When Ann, a nurse, announces that she is going to Africa to help a disaster relief programme, the two are thrown together like never before. Alex VenablesPlayed by: Ryan Sampson
![]() Alex is Jimmy's unconventionally brilliant teenage son. A little eccentric and overly friendly, other peoples' perceptions of him don't seem to bother Alex at all, much to Diana and Jimmy's dismay. Molly VenablesPlayed by: Dani Harmer
![]() Smart-talking yet self-conscious teenager Molly not only believes that she is already an adult, but also thinks that she's the only member of the family who is. Siobhan CaseyPlayed by: Amanda Abbington
![]() Jimmy's hairdresser (and barmaid) girlfriend Siobhan has had enough bad relationships in her past to know that Jimmy, flawed though he is, is a lot better than the rest of the guys out there. KevPlayed by: Lee Oakes
![]() Jimmy's assistant in the decorating trade, though he prefers to think of himself as the guy who knows a guy'. If you're looking for a lorry-load of slightly used 40 watt bulbs, Kev's your man. Undeniably friendly, but not exactly the brightest bulb in the lorry! BobbyPlayed by: Vincent Ebrahim
![]() The pub landlord at Jimmy's local, Bobby sees the world through a pair of crap coloured glasses. Bobby always expects the worst and cheerfully shares his pessimism with his customers. |