Honest - New series starring Amanda Redman

9 January 2008 @ 9-10pm on ITV1

It's one hell of a day for Lindsay Carter (Amanda Redman). On the up-side, one of her sons Taylor (Matthew McNulty) is graduating as a solicitor. He's the first Carter ever to graduate from university and Lindsay is extremely proud.

There is no way she's going to miss that ceremony, no matter what else happens. On the down-side, her husband Mack (Danny Webb) is being sentenced on various burglary charges. But Wilson, the family lawyer, has assured them he'll be out in a year, tops. It's not great, but the family has lived through worse in the past. It's an occupational hazard.

Then there's a familiar knock on the door and the family nemesis – Detective Sergeant Ed Bain (Sean Pertwee) – leads his police team on yet another search of the Carter's home.

Which is when Lindsay's day starts getting worse. The cops are looking for Taylor's twin brother, Vin (Matthew McNulty). It's about a burglary where an old Chinese lady has ended up in hospital. Lindsay, of course, denies all – the Carters don't do violence – but Vin's unexplained absence from the house doesn't look good. And when he does turn up, there are some pretty suspicious bruises all over his face.

Of course, by that time Lindsay's day has got a hell of a lot worse. She's found out that her oldest daughter, Kacie (Laura Haddock), has been posing for some pretty risqué photos as part of her dream to be the next Naomi Campbell. Then Mack's father, Norman Carter, a.k.a. Grandpa (Michael Byrne), has managed to burn down his house. And, in the biggest blow of the day thus far, Mack gets sent down for not one, but FOUR years.

Could things get any worse? Lindsay finds out that her youngest daughter, Lianna (Eleanor Wyld), has managed to avoid attending Riddle Comprehensive for months on end - which is an entirely achievable thing when you can blackmail the deputy head Catherine (Georgia MacKenzie) with pictures of her having sex with Taylor back when he was 15.

But the icing on the cake of Lindsay's day is added when she meets Vicky Hong (Maye Choo). Vicky has the evidence that proves Vin did the burglary (on Vicky's family home) and unless Lindsay can retrieve a missing heirloom, then that evidence will find its way to Sgt. Bain.

Unfortunately Vin, incorrectly thinking the Hong family heirloom might contain drugs, has managed to destroy it. When Lindsay discovers this, she also discovers that Vin's little foray into burglary and the drugs trade was done with Mack's knowledge and, indeed, blessing. This is a complete betrayal of the code Lindsay has always lived by: the Carters don't deal in drugs. But Mack is unrepentant – look where the code got him. His view is 'you go where the money is, or you get out'.

So Lindsay, seeing the writing on the wall for her family, takes the second option. They're getting out. They're going straight. No more crime.

The general consensus, from everyone from Mack to Bain, is that this can't be done. But Lindsay is a pretty determined woman when she puts her mind to it.