Across

1 CHIL{l} (cool) without last letter (but not quite) with reversal (returning) of NERD (unfashionable type) = CHILDREN (Jim-Bob and John-Boy to Olivia Walton)

5 MOTH (insect) + ER (queen - the late Elizabeth Regina) + IN (at home) + (with) LAW (bill) = MOTHER-IN-LAW (Pearl to Fred Flintstone)

7 reversed (coming back) first letters (from the West) of [W]ales [E]ncounter [R]ather [A]ttractive [C]astle = CAREW (castle that might be encountered returning from West of Wales)

9 BASIL(herb) = end letter (at last) of i[S] inside BAIL

10 OYL (Olive - from the Popeye cartoons) = (and) first letters (starters) of [O]nion [Y]esterday [L]ovely

11 USHER (escort) = {p}USHER (one who sells drugs) starting after (but only after) first letter (start of) [P]rocession

13 ERATO (muse) = ERA (a long time) + reversal (about) of O(ld) + T(ime)

15 anagram (up) of SONNETSLIFT

17 anagram (around) of MOSSNIPS

Down

1 CATER (provide food for) = CR (king - Charles Rex) with ATE (having been fed) inside

2 ICE (second name for Vanilla) = ICE (FROST)

3 DIBBLE (cop in Top Cat) containing (pulled in) R(ight) = DRIBBLE (drip)

4 removing both end letters (uncovered) of {h}ELLIS{h} = ELLIS (island where immigrants were processed)

5 MUFF (mistake) containing (to have) alternate letters (regularly) of d[A]n[C]e[D] = (for) MACDUFF (this man, hos mother? She never gave birth to him)

6 WALTS (Disney's) containing (holding) ON

8 WORK TOP (shirt worn for job) = WORKTOP (counter)

12 HE + (and) I + (with) DI = HEIDI (a girl from Switzerland)

14 {h}AUNTS (behaves like a ghost) without H(otel) = AUNTS (Patti and Selma to Lisa and Maggie Simpson)

16 TWO (number) = hidden word (kept in) a[TWO]ork