Rick is a disillusioned stand-up comedian and writer, whose career has not gone the way he planned. Hosting corporate events, appearing on second-rate daytime chat shows and fronting cheap sell-through DVDs was not what he dreamed of as a young man.

Worse still, he's stuck with a lousy stage name that he chose 20 years ago. Rick combines a mass of neuroses and petty grievances with a terrible propensity for lying.

Rick's very tight with his money too (except for when it comes to giving teenager Sam money). He tries to save money wherever he can - whether it be forging his tax disc, stealing cutlery from Michael's cafe or badly self-engraving a christening present. Unfortunately because Rick is in the public eye it's not always possible for him to get away with it - for example he ended up having to grudgingly give Michael £500 for his failed skipathon attempt.

You suspect if it wasn't for co-writer Marty, Rick wouldn't have any standup material at all. Rick often repeats funny lines he's heard to Mel and Marty but alters the story to pretend that he came up with and told the joke himself.

Mel is Rick's unflappable long-term partner and also an agent to c-list stars. Only someone as calm and philosophical as Mel could survive life with Rick. Her dry sense of humour and independence helps her to shrug off all the very worst of his excesses.

Mel knows that Rick is his own worst enemy (well, unless you count anyone he comes into contact with). She often ends up having to step in and stop some of Rick's more mis-judged actions: for example his pointless and all-consuming grudge against Wayne the noisy paperboy.

Marty is Rick's quick-talking American writing partner. It's not easy working with Rick, but winding him up and feeding his neuroses helps to relieve the frustrations.

But what annoys Rick most is the fact that Marty is invariably the one who comes up with the funniest lines.

Marty spends most of his days arguing with Rick about every subject under the sun, drinking too much coffee, and devising work avoidance strategies.

Sam is Rick and Mel's laid-back, feckless daughter. Although she is fond of her parents, she rarely communicates with them, unless it's to ask them for money to subsidise her college life!

Sam is 17 and would probably be the world's least motivated human being, if it were not for the existence of her boyfriend Ben.

Ben is Sam's boyfriend and he's even more laid-back than his girlfriend (which most people didn't think was possible till he turned up).

In fact Ben is possibly the least-motivated human being on the planet. He ambles through life cheerfully doing nothing (apart from a lot of drugs one suspects).

Click here for our interview with Rasmus Hardiker

Michael is the local wholefood cafe owner who appears to be somewhat unhinged. He came into the business via a high-powered job in the City, followed by six months' intensive therapy at a rehabilitation centre in Dorset!

At first Michael thought he Rick was his friend however soon discovered this not to be the case as Rick refused to endorse the cakes he was planning on distributing (and the free cake he gave to Rick ended up being found in the bin). Things soon got worse for Michael though - Rick managed to crash his car into him!

Despite Rick's constant lies and bad deeds Michael still politely puts up with him... perhaps it's because Rick is one of his most loyal customers.

Magda is Rick and Mel's Eastern European daily help, who combines a surly and depressive nature with a talent for winding Rick up without even trying.

Magda is learning English from daytime television but her own tales of woe put to shame anything you might hear on Trisha.