Lizzie has an idea to rejuvenate her marriage; Shula and Alistair face the same challenge.

Radio Times: Nigel gets a shake-up.

Characters: Alistair, Elizabeth, Nigel, Shula

• The atmosphere between Shula and Alistair is icy, but Shula is determined to sort things out. She tells Alistair how sorry she is for demanding their joint account be put in her name only, and in return, he tells her how flat and boring his life has felt recently. It’s as though he’s becoming his father, with pipe and slippers. Gambling gave him such a buzz. They agree to try and find time for fun, and to value the little things that make a relationship. For a start, they all go on their bikes to try out the Lower Loxley cycle path.
• Flat and boring seems to describe Nigel and Elizabeth’s life at present. Lizzie had hoped they might spend some time together, but Nigel is off to supervise his tree maintenance team, leaving Lizzie to cope with a flooded toilet.
• A bored and rather drunken Lilian tries to persuade Matt to come over and down a bottle of wine, but Matt makes excuses, and Lilian hangs up on him.
• The bike ride is a great success, and the Lloyds decide to go to some of the events at the Bull later in the week. While Daniel and Alistair go off to inspect a fungus with Nigel, Lizzie tells her sister how bored she’s feeling, and how romantic Usha and Ashok’s relationship seems to be. At bedtime, Lizzie suggests to Nigel that they might try Usha’s idea of a pretend date. At first all Nigel wants to do is go to sleep, but with a little persuasion, he starts to think it might be a good idea.
• As Shula and Alistair go to bed, she asks him if there’s anything he’d like to change. There is; the bedroom wallpaper and the general state of their bedroom. So their first bedtime after making up their differences is spent filling bin-liners.