This show is really inspired lunacy--I just heard of it about a year ago myself, found a few episodes on youtube, and immediately had to go and buy the entire series. Hilarious mashup of 80's glitzy US nighttime soap operas (Dallas in particular) and Masterpiece Theater-style 'trouble at t'mill' British social drama--West is achingly funny as the scheming patriarch, but the entire cast, the actress who plays the feisty labor-leader mom in particular, are comic gold. Being a huge fan of actor Ian Richardson, seeing him turn up in a role as a shady QC in several episodes made the series even more of a delight. This one should get a run on American PBS, but with funding cuts probably never will, so I'd urge fans of classic British comedy to acquire themselves a set of the DVDs right away.