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Gary's rock star dad Terry is played by Alan Ford

Alan Ford (Snatch, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels) is Terry, an old rocker who used to be in a band called Glamasaurus. With long flowing locks he's a big kid himself who's always trying to prove his youthfulness – whether it's by playing a hugely-amplified guitar while doing scissor jumps off the dining table or muscling in on the kids' rehearsal time with his ear-splitting rebel yell. The family lives in Terry's house but he spends most of his time in a tour van on the road where he's been working on his rock-opera comeback album for the past 30 years. Just don't call him grandad...

Annabelle's mum Jill is played by Emily Joyce

Emily Joyce (Mutual Friends, My Hero) is nightmarish, bottle-blonde Jill, the stage mum from hell. She lives vicariously through her daughter, but there's no motherly love or tenderness here. Annabelle's career and the amount of money she's making is Jill's only concern. There's no love lost between Jill and the Swanns, but she recognises having them on her daughter's show is a necessary evil.

My Almost Famous Family episode synopses

1. We've Only Just Begun
The Swann family get their first shot at fame as the house band on a tea-time chat show. Rock and, indeed, roll! But, with Annabelle determined to cast aside Aretha and "duet" with Hadley, is this the beginning of the end for We're In Perfect Harmony?

2. The Girl Is Mine
While Gary and Shalondra are away Terry comes to play ... his really loud guitar! Unfortunately it's just when Toyah needs to practise for her grade eight cello exam. To make matters worse Terry insists the band perform his old embarrassing hit from the Seventies. Where's mum and dad when you need them? Stuck in a field in the campervan with a deadly bull, that's where.

3. The Sound Of Silence
Isaac kidnaps Annabelle's pet pig, Pixie, while Aretha loses her hearing just as a record exec is coming to see her perform. As Toyah and Martha try helping Aretha rediscover her voice (and overcome her hearing loss) Isaac is desperate for Pixie to keep quiet before Hadley gets suspicious.

4. Beat Surrender
Gary and Shalondra announce a maths test. Anyone who fails is out of the band! Grandad's arrival is a distraction for everyone, but for Isaac it's a great way to avoid revising. But can the others stop him from being kicked out of the band?

5. Piece Of Me
Gary is determined not to miss Hadley's football, or the father/son basketball with Isaac, so Shalondra devises a fridge magnet chart to keep everything to plan. Toyah, meanwhile, gets hooked on her celebrity status.

6. Can't Touch This
Gary and Shalondra get locked in the recording studio spying on the kids. When Aretha breaks Toyah's precious bow, Isaac glues it to her back! How long can the boys keep Toyah from discovering the truth and all hell breaking lose in the house?

7. Bittersweet Symphony
A small lie from Hadley sees him passing himself off as the bad boy of Harp, and all for the new love of his life. Meanwhile, Aretha is the lucrative voice of the yappy nappy puppy – unfortunately they insist she be the face of it, too.

8. Take A Chance On Me
Toyah and Aretha compete to write a song for R&B star, Monelle (Javine Hylton). Hadley, meanwhile, tries to work out why Isaac is so much more popular than him.

9. Born To Be Wild
When Hadley, the bad boy of rock, is mugged by girls, he wants to leave the band. It's left to Isaac to try and help him "man up". Aretha, meanwhile, enlists Toyah's help to beat Annabelle to the Teen-Style Queen award.

10. Can't Get You Out Of My Head
Hadley and Isaac get hooked on a not very rock 'n' roll supermarket computer game, Supalife, while Aretha gives Toyah a make-over to attract TV heart-throb Zac MacDonald – and promptly regrets it.

11. Christmas Time
The Totally Annabelle Christmas special is coming live from the Swanns's living room. Unfortunately, Toyah's OCD starts playing up making it difficult for her to be one of Martha's wise men. Meanwhile, Hadley is desperate to sing his solo; Shalondra is determined to find her presents; and how exactly is Isaac supposed to play the drums with a cookie jar stuck to his hand?