Just when you thought soaps had done it all, along comes five's Family Affairs claiming a first - introducing a happy family. You could hear the shock waves go round the room as series producer Alison Davis revealed the news. We're so used to soap families arguing, betraying, maiming, even killing each other, that the idea of mum, dad and the children staying together is just mind-boggling.

Ex-Minder star Gary Webster and Kazia Pelka, who spent six years as Nurse Maggie in ITV's Heartbeat, play the Costellos, who move to Charnham and struggle together to come to terms with hitting hard times.

"We have big plans for this family," says Davis, outlining how five is increasing investment and raising the profile of its five-times-a-week home-grown soap.

"They will not have affairs or split up. We want to convey a sense of home, of a family sticking together and working together. It's a lot harder to write stuff like that than split people up at the first sign of trouble."

New executive producer Paul Marquess has worked miracles before - he was behind the revival of ITV's The Bill and created the gloriously tacky Footballers' Wives. Early in his career he also worked in "a very junior capacity" on Family Affairs, part of five's schedules since the channel began six years ago.

"This is a programme that can grow," he says. "Research shows there are one million watching and many more, particularly women, who could watch. It's very much about women behaving badly and making things happen. That's interesting and a different way of looking at things."

Gareth Hale, one half of the comedy double act, joins the cast in his first long-running dramatic role as builder Doug Mackenzie in the revamped Family Affairs. Another new star, Kazia Pelka, is more familiar to followers of soaps, with Brookside, Coronation Street and Heartbeat on her CV.

Pelka, who comes from Dewsbury and grew up in Leeds, has a family link with the soap - actor brother Valentine Pelka has appeared in the series. "He's the body under Charnham Common. He was ironed to death," she jokes. "My mum is a huge fan, so she's thrilled I'm in it."

Chrissy Costello is the mother of two daughters and the wife of Gary Costello, a former city trader who's lost all their money through insider trading.

Pelka explains: "She's come from a background where she was abandoned by her mother and her sister died when young. Her dream was not a career, but to be a perfect wife with a perfect family. And that's what she had. Then they lost everything. She's finding it very difficult to come to terms with that."

What emerges is that Chrissy is going to tell a very big lie - the content of which the actress won't reveal - that will have equally big repercussions, testing the perfect family very severely.

"We do love each other and, hopefully, they'll win through. Looking at soap, every marriage has infidelity but that's not always the test of a marriage. That's rather nice, not to go down that route," she says.

Pelka first met Family Affairs co-star Gary Webster at drama school. She says they get along well, which isn't essential but is helpful for their relationship on screen. "You can work with someone if you don't like them, but there's friendship in the best sort of relationships," she adds.

Her big break was in C4's Brookside, as illegal immigrant Anna Wolska who clashed with the Scouse soap's bad boy Barry Grant. She still sees Paul Usher, the actor who played him, because he's in The Bill which is filmed in the same studio.

From Brookie, she moved to Yorkshire for Heartbeat. Her daughter Theodora was born during her time on the series, although Pelka was back on set in costume within six weeks. From the Moors, she moved to Weatherfield as heartbreaker Hazel Wilding in Coronation Street.

"Someone said to me, 'why do you choose soaps?'. But, if you're lucky, the work chooses you. I just take projects that interest me, and Family Affairs interested me," she says.

"I've always left series when I thought the time was right, that it was just the right thing to do. I've never regretted leaving a job. You do regret the loss of camaraderie of daily interaction with your colleagues, but then you move on to someone, something else.

"Generally, people think it's a bitchy place in our business. But I've worked with wonderful people in a lovely atmosphere."

The schedule for Family Affairs is a daunting one, but she makes the best use of her time. Instead of being in the green room, she's learning her lines so she can relax when she gets home.

Despite her time in Heartbeat and the Street, she went through a period last year when she was recognised by people in the street for Brookside. "That was quite surprising, considering I left in 1993. I think it's to do with my hair and make-up," says Pelka, who makes her debut in Family Affairs early next month.

* Family Affairs is on five, Monday to Friday at 6.30pm.

Published: ??/??/2003