Tuesday March 10 at 8:30pm on Seven (PG)
- GUEST STARS GEORGE SPARTELS & DINA PANOZZO
Julie fears that as she heads into menopause she’s losing the ‘mojo’ that has always enabled her to dispense sound wisdom to family and friends tonight on PACKED TO THE RAFTERS. And desperate to contact Melissa and win her back, Ben resolves to declare his love for her on national television – with tragi-comic results.
Julie’s mojo is already beginning to fail her as she counsels Chrissy about her acceptance of Carbo’s marriage proposal. Chrissy is having severe second thoughts and Julie finds herself giving the bizarre advice that Chrissy could always get divorced after a year if it doesn’t work out. Question is, as Carbo splashes out on a big diamond, then proceeds to sink a few too many beers, also sharing her doubts?
Sammy has flown back from New York with expensive gifts for the entire family. Knowing this will upset Nathan, Julie cautiously advises Sammy to hide most of the purchases from him. Already aware that Sammy lied about her mother paying for her flights, Nathan becomes angry when he discovers Sammy’s mother Trish has also bankrolled her shopping excesses. He seeks advice from Julie but she’s by now feeling too under-confident to help. Ben recklessly advises his brother to confront Sammy head-on, which Nathan does, with explosive results.
Meanwhile, Melissa still isn’t returning Ben’s phone calls and he is at a loss to win her back. On a boys’ night out to celebrate Carbo’s engagement, a progressively drunker Carbo encourages Ben to propose to Melissa. When Ben points out that he can’t even contact Melissa, Carbo suggests he thinks outside the square. Ben wonders if he should declare his love for her live on national TV and asks Julie for advice. Julie’s common sense apparently eluding her, she flips a coin, and – the next day – Ben crashes a live breakfast-show weather-report whilst holding an ‘I Love You Mel’ sign.
Later he sees a taped replay of his efforts and realises he’s made a complete fool of himself. Will the disastrous exhibition be enough to win Melissa back or will it turn her away forever?
Rachel considers leaving home after her best friend Libby asks her to move in with her. She asks her mother for advice but Julie – who’s also besieged by Nathan for help with his problems – breaks down in tears, eventually confessing to her family that she thinks she may be menopausal.
PACKED TO THE RAFTERS stars REBECCA GIBNEY as Julie Rafter, ERIK THOMSON as Dave Rafter, MICHAEL CATON as Ted Taylor, JESSICA MARAIS as Rachel Rafter, HUGH SHERIDAN as Ben Rafter, ANGUS McLAREN as Nathan Rafter, JESSICA McNAMEE as Sammy Rafter, GEORGE HOUVARDAS as Nick ‘Carbo’ Karandonis, ZOE VENTOURA as Melissa Bannon, CAROLINE BRAZIER as Chrissy Merchant and JUSTIN ROSNIAK as Warney, with special guests GEORGE SPARTELS as Theo Karandonis, DINA PANOZZO as Rita Karandonis, JEROME EHLERS as Tony Westaway and SARAH CHADWICK as Trish Westaway.