Whilst playing Santa at Susan's works Christmas party Ben becomes emotionally involved when a little girl asks him to reconcile her mother and grand-father, who have fallen out. The Harper's New Years Party also is not faring too well with blunders amiss! Can recent dental patient Rolf Harris save the night with his presence or will the rocket literally go up? At least Susan and Ben see in the New Year presenting a united front.
Susan’s art gallery is sponsoring a series of kids’ Christmas parties and Susan has been give then task of co-ordinator – when Katie calls and wants things done differently, Susan bans Christmas, much to Ben’s delight! However, she despairs after learning that her Santa has broken his collarbone and cannot do the party, leaving her with no option but to play Santa herself until Ben finally relents and agrees to be her stand-in Santa.
At the party, the children are proving just as intolerable as Ben imagined, until he meets Mary – all she wants for Christmas is for her Mum and Grandfather to be reunited and Ben is moved by her total belief that “Santa” could make this happen. Mary’s Christmas wish is really bothering
him and much to Susan’s amazement, he resolves to do what he can to help.
Unbeknown to each other, Ben and Susan both try to negotiate reconciliation with Mary’s grandfather and mother at the house where they inevitably meet. Despite Ben trying to explain why they should end their quarrel, everyone, including Susan, gets angry with him.
But Ben is still haunted by the image of Mary asking him to help her and decides he won’t give up. He confronts Mary’s grandfather and forces him to accompany him to Mary’s house where Ben convinces Frank and Elaine that even if they’re not ready to forgive each other, they should call
a truce for Mary’s sake.
Susan is so inspired by Ben’s Christmas spirit that she vows never to miss another Christmas, including this one! Ben and Susan record a Christmas message to Nick, both a little worse for wear! Susan becomes desperate to throw a big New Year’s Eve party for all the friends and neighbours
that Ben has alienated over the years. Ben isn’t keen, but soon reconsiders when his next door nemesis, Mr Casey, reveals he will be holding his own neighbourhood New Year’s Eve bash and the battle of the parties commences. Ben and Susan pull out all the stops but not even catering from Ainsley Harriott and a firework display can tempt the neighbours from Casey’s so Ben decides to play dirty – all’s fair in love and neighbour wars.
By a happy coincidence, Ben’s celebrity patient Rolf Harris needs urgent dental attention and Ben lures him and consequently all the neighbours, over to the house. Success at last! The party is back at the Harpers’ and Craig is standing by with the fireworks. What could possibly go wrong now?
