Ria Parkinson (Wendy Craig) is a bored housewife and mother. She spends her time daydreaming, and meets regularly with wealthy businessman Leonard to relieve the monotony. Husband Ben, a dentist and avid butterfly collector (Geoffrey Palmer) is oblivious to it all, and her unemployed grown up sons, who both live at home (Nicholas Lyndhurst - who went on to better things, and Andrew Hall - who didn't) also have other things on their minds, especially girlfriends.