James Shelley, an educated, sardonic, permanently unemployed "professional freelance layabout," has many battles with authority, the tax-man, his landlady, and his girlfriend Fran.
Shelley is delighted to hear that his daughter Emma will be coming over from Canada in a couple of weeks to visit him.
The only snag is, her favourite pastime is swimming, & Shelley can't swim! He decides he may need to take the plunge and take some lessons.
Ted has the bright idea to whisk Shelley away for a short sunshine break in Athens.
However, when their flight is delayed, it starts to look as if his idea may never get off the ground.
Ted's young friend Ravi is concerned about his upcoming arranged marriage, and is looking for a way to escape it.
When he invites Ted and Shelley to his parents restaurant for an Indian meal, Shelley finds himself in the middle of a heated family feud.
Ted is upset that nobody has remembered his birthday so takes to his bed pretending he has a bad back.
His mood is not improved when he discovers that according to the doctor's records, he died three years ago.
