Hebburn

Jack Pearson

The son. He starts things and never finishes them, gets into all kinds of situations, "a walking disaster zone", but loveable and almost naïve in his view of the world.

Jack loves his sister, although their relationship can be a little strained; meanwhile, he has pursued his dreams by becoming a journalist in Manchester, and has ambitions to write books and be a huge success.

Sometimes a little too impetuous and ambitious for his own good, Jack's nevertheless utterly honest, loving and loyal to his family and to Sarah, who he met in Manchester and married on impulse in Las Vegas.

Having had his dreams of publishing a major football biography dashed, Jack's reluctantly found himself Editor (and sole reporter) of the tiny local paper, the Hebburn Advertiser. He wouldn't have taken it if Sarah hadn't fallen pregnant...

Sarah Pearson

The wife. Middle class, from York and Jewish, Sarah is the clever half of the couple. She's studying a PhD in Psychology, looking forward to a successful career in academia and is hoping that her Jack's writing will take off so they can settle down, buy a house and live the dream.

Pregnant with their first child, she's suffering dreadfully from hormonal mood swings, and growing ever-more frustrated with not having any space, peace or privacy. Jack seems to have lost all his drive, and it's not gone un-noticed.

It'd be fair to say that Hebburn did not initially feature in her plans, but Sarah's not a snob and is really relieved that Jack's family like her.

It's a pity that the same cannot be said of her argumentative, snooty, forthright mother...

Joe Pearson

The father, the patriach of the family, strong and silent, great in a crisis, with a dry, almost cutting sense of humour.

A big man with a big heart, capable of huge moments of generosity, while refusing to spend any money at all on himself.

Joe has worked in the Merchant Navy all his life and has often been away from home for six months at a time, but after a massive stroke he's now back in the family home for good; while there's never anything but love between him and Pauline, it's an added pressure on the Pearsons.

Pauline Pearson

The mother. Daft but not stupid, wise but not sensible, her entire focus is her family and getting them forward in life.

In raising her children Pauline has always tried the best for them and in moments of darkness will always "cope". Sometimes by saying the wrong thing, but she will always cope.

She is a homemaker at heart and loves looking after her children even though they are now fully grown adults.

Following Joe's stroke, Pauline's had to make a big change in her own life by becoming the breadwinner: she's got a job as an estate agent. Trouble is, she's really just a bit too honest!

Vicki

The daughter. Headstrong but with a good heart, Vicki lurches from moments of the desire to fit in, to the realisation she is her own person. She thinks Jack is a "waster" and they bicker constantly, but she loves Sarah and almost instantly seems to feel closer to her than she does to long-term best friend Denise.

Jack describes his sister, who idolises Cheryl Cole, as as a "loveable slapper": her somewhat brash, northern manner can disarm, but it's a thin covering over a fairly typical girly-girl.

On-off boyfriend Gervaise keeps breaking her heart, but she still loves him. However, having been more than content with a simple life as the girlfriend of a pub singer apparently on the up, she's inspired by Sarah to strive in life, and join the local college: "There's a whole world out there, and I'm gonna learn the shite out of it."

Dot

Joe's mam, Granny Dot, is the matriarch of the Pearson family. She thinks she controls the family despite a long spell in retirement home exile.

Dot is desperate to join in the conversation and is thrilled at Sarah's introduction to the family. She also enjoys Pauline's difficulties in, well, anything whatsoever, and never misses an opportunity to let her daughter-in-law know that she would do a better job.

But even though she often snipes at Pauline, Dot knows that her son's done well for himself and settled down with a good woman.

Ramsey

One of Jack's old Hebburn mates is, on the surface, a n'er do well, but underneath he cares about his town, his mates, his tearaway son Hutchy and, particularly, Denise.

He's a weekend dad - although Hutchy is often the authority figure - who tries and fails in life.

Despite her still harbouring a deep desire for Jack, Ramsey is overjoyed when he sleeps with, and later begins a relationship (of sorts) with, Denise. He describes her as his 'dream bird', and he quickly gets her pregnant - thanks to some incredibly dodgy condoms.

He's delighted to get what is almost certainly his first job, as the local paper's Phyiscal Distribution Manager - aka, paper boy.

Big Keith

Big Keith is Ramsey's friend. He is, as his name suggests, quite big.

His slobbish appearance is, to be fair, actually more than a little skin-deep - but Big Keith has an undoubted charm, proven when Sarah's hippy sister, Marial, goes a little bit crazy for him and his earthy masculinity.

Gervaise

Gervaise is a pub singer, and a mate of Ramsey. He has an on-off relationship with Vicki - he keeps breaking her heart, but she's hooked.

Now starting to move up in the showbiz world, Gervaise is recording an album and is back together with Vicki. But will it last?

Denise

Jack's ex-girlfriend is a brash, outspoken good time girl.

It may've been a full five years since they split up, but unfortunately for Jack she still harbours more than a little bit of a longing for his talents in the bedroom, and as Vicki's best friend, he can never quite escape her for long.

Jack may have outgrown her uniquely classy style, but for the still Hebburn-bound Ramsey, Denise is his dream bird. Working at the local council-run OAP care home where Dot is resident, and now pregnant by Ramsey, she's developed quite the craving for Pepperami.