- Robert Lindsay (118/120) [2000–2011] portrays Ben Harper. Ben Harper is a dentist who is constantly grumpy and sarcastic. When he is not at work sacking another assistant or trying to avoid fellow-dentist Roger, he is at home trying to relax (which never works). Ben isn't all bad though, behind his moody exterior he does really love his family and has to put up with being bossed about and manipulated by his wife Susan and continually fleeced for money by his children.
Like Jim Royle, Ben Harper is a typical grumpy and sarcastic member of the family. Although Ben is not as lazy as Jim, he does like to just relax when he gets home from work. Unlike Jim, who doesnt work at all. Ben's main characteristic is being moody, as he is known for dacking assistants or stressing at his kids
- Zoë Wanamaker CBE (116/120) [2000–2011] portrays Susan Harper. Susan Harper is a control freak and very good at getting her way. She is constantly worried about her three children and often forces Ben to go out of his way to monitor or look after them. Susan is a tour guide but seems to spend most of her time at home. She is a terrible cook, and the rest of the family often have to sneak the food she has prepared into the bin without her noticing.
Susan Harper is very controlling when it comes to her family. This is different to Barbara Royle, as Barbara does everything she cans for her family whereas Susan makes sure she benefits from things she does, instead of doing everything for her family. Although Susan is a loving mother, she still doesn't take any hassle from her children and often bosses about her husband.
- Gabriel Thomson (114/120) [2000–2011] portrays Michael Harper. Michael (or 'Mikey' as Ben calls him) is the youngest of Ben and Susan's children. He is a smart, geeky adolescent. He looks down on his family as he thinks he is more sensible than the rest of them put together and often ends up getting them out of trouble. Since starting university he has experiment with bleached hair and piercings. In series 10, Michael comes out and tells his family that he is gay, a fact accepted by the family, to his relief.
- Daniela Denby-Ashe (94/120) [2000–2002; 2004–2011] portrays Janey Harper. Fashion conscious, money loving, boy mad Janey spends all her time on the phone, switching boyfriends or pestering Ben for money so she can go shopping. Whilst at Manchester University (spending yet more of her dad's money) Janey got pregnant. She was expelled and returned home to once again take advantage of her parents. Susan does not seem to mind, as it means she now has Kenzo Harper to look after.[5]
- Keiron Self (59/120) [2002–2011] portrays Roger Bailey. Roger is the over-enthusiastic dentist who works in the same building as Ben. He often turns up at the Harper household un-invited and proceeds to un-intentionally annoy Ben. For a long period Roger was trying to build up the courage to ask Abi out on a date. They were, after all, ideally suited – like Abi, Roger possesses no common sense and is gullible. Eventually they did marry but have since split as Abi has decided to become a nun. He's now a part-time policeman as well a dentist.[5]
- Siobhan Hayes (57/120) [2002–2008] portrays Abi Harper. Abi moved in to the Harper household in the third series. She is Ben's first cousin once removed ... although Ben wishes she was not! Apart from being very clumsy, Abi was also very dim. She could often also be seen telling Ben and Susan off, as she was quite a well behaved character. It took her a while, but Abi finally realised that Roger was madly in love with her and so married the dentist in Series seven. However, she later left Roger to become a nun.[5]
- Kris Marshall (45/120) [2000–2005] portrays Nick Harper. Nick Harper is the oldest of the three siblings. He is a complete layabout who is constantly changing jobs – one minute, a self-employed stunt-man, the next a gorilla-o-gram or at one point a sperm-donor. Nick is extremely laid-back and certainly cannot be trusted to carry out an important task or look after money. Nick was last seen moving out into his own flat – from the phone conversations Ben and Susan have with him it seems he is coping living on his own.
- Rhodri Meilir (31/120) [2005–2009] portrays Alfie Butts. Alfie is a friend of Nick's. He turned up at the Harper household at Christmas in 2005. Alfie comes from a small community in Wales which seems to have some rather backwards traditions, based on what we hear in the stories he tells. There were clearly not many girls where Alfie came from, so he very much enjoys spending time at the Harpers' and meeting Michael's friends. For some reason most of the family have turned to Alfie at one stage or other for his advice. Alfie is a struggling musician – despite not having a steady income or place to live he is still very laid back about life.[5] He did not appear in the 2009 Christmas special, and was completely absent from the whole of series 10 and 11, with no explanation as to his whereabouts.
- Tayler Marshall (23/120) [2004–2011] portrays Kenzo Harper. Kenzo is the youngest member of the Harper household, son of Janey, grandson of Ben and Susan and nephew of Michael and Nick. Even at such a young age, he's shown a massive intelligence which at times even rivals (and at times even beats) Michael's. At the end of series nine, after doing his project about the family, he reveals to them that his teachers want him to go to see a psychologist.
