Recently-divorced Andrew is in a cleft stick. He has a job promotion likelihood but he feels obliged to live with and care for Peggy, his elderly mother, whose mind is starting to wander. His selfish brother Richard and Richard's social climbing wife Tina are no help as they want Andrew to bear all the responsibility. Andrew seems doomed to keep mum when she cooks a meal at midnight and has a disaster with the ironing.

Uncle William is being buried but Peggy has got it into her head that the funeral is that of Uncle Tom, who is still very much alive. She rides off in the funeral car without Andrew, stopping on the way to buy some oranges and, on arriving at the graveyard, causing confusion when she encounters Uncle Tom.

Unable to work at home due to his mother's interruptions Andrew gets back in touch with Kate, his ex-wife, and decides to go out for a platonic evening with her. Lisa, a baby-sitter, is engaged to sit with Peggy, who inadvertently causes mischief.

Andrew has dropped a computer on his foot at work and comes home with it in a bandage, supported by Rula, a taxi driver, whom Peggy mistakes for his girl-friend. Deciding that he is not well and has to be looked after, she goes out to buy him food but only succeeds in ending up in hospital. Richard and Tina, helpful as ever, decide that the time has come for Peggy to be put into a home though Andrew is still not keen.

Richard gives Peggy a dog but she lets it run off. Next day he wants it back as it belonged to his kids and he got rid of it because it annoyed him but now the kids are playing up. Andrew goes looking for it but gives to a little boy who strikes up an instant rapport with the dog. He explains to Peggy that she cannot look after the dog because her job is to look after him so she reads him bed-time stories.

Andrew is not happy when Peggy makes a will, splitting everything in half to be shared with Richard, and his malcontent annoys her. However, after he has rescued her from being locked in the bathroom, she decides to give him a special present - which proves to be as big an anti-climax as her 'winning' lottery ticket.

Fireman Colin brings Peggy home. She believes she is still a nurse and should be bandaging the fire-fighters. Andrew believes that she should have a companion to stop her wandering and hides her purse so she won't go out before the companion arrives. However she decides to buy Andrew some oysters and gets arrested for shop-lifting. Richard goes to bail her out and gets arrested for bribery. Andrew has some satisfaction in deciding to wait before doing anything to help his brother.

After Peggy gives him breakfast boiled eggs with painted faces and starts talking to her dead cat Andrew thinks it's time she went in a home and sees a very nice one. He persuades her it's a hotel but, when he goes to visit, finds she has been put in an austere room and feels guilty. He is about to get her out but Richard beats him to it.