How much do you
know about the person working next to you? From the outside, life at Mackintosh
Textiles appears to run smoothly, but in a community with so many secrets to
hide, things are far from straightforward.
Following the
enormous success of the first series, Seasons 2 3 and 4 of Paul Abbott's award-winning drama, return
to the Manchester textile factory to unpick the fabric of the bosses' and
workers' private lives.
The factory
setting only serves to heighten the characters' dilemmas. They bottle up
difficulties so as not to lose face in front of friends and colleagues, and then
sometimes the pressure gets too great and they explode.
Clocking Off is
by one of Britain's foremost television writers and has a strong ensemble cast,
including Ricky Tomlinson (The Royle Family), Lindsey Coulson (EastEnders),
Philip Glenister (Roger Roger), Lesley Sharp (The Full Monty) and Jason Merrells
(Casualty).
Recorded from
Digital TV, and supplied as a 6 Disc Set, the quality (compared to a retail DVD)
is 9 Audio 9 Video (Excellant!).
DVDs and episode
are as follows;
Clocking
Off - Season Two - Disc One
Kev's Story
Ever wondered
what goes on behind the neighbours' doors? Sometimes its best not to delve into
other people's lives, as Kev Leach finds out. Kev is pretty happy with his life
- steady job, cute hairdresser girlfriend, Babs, own home and nights out with
the boys. Then his work-mate, Brian Pringle, a machine engineer at Mackintosh,
moves in across the road following his divorce. At first, things run smoothly -
the pair share the petrol on the factory run and go for a quick pint after work.
But then Kev gets nosy. Through his video camera, usually reserved for taping
his more intimate moments with Babs, he takes a peek at Brian surfing the net.
What Kev sees, or thinks he sees, is so unexpected, so awful that he can hardly
process the information. Is he living across the road from a paedophile? Well,
he might be, and then again he might not. The problem for Kev is that however
much he thinks he sees, he's never quite sure if his suspicions are justified.
As the weeks go by, Kev watches Brian closely, storing away any evidence that
proves his suspicions. He even starts working in the youth club where Brian
volunteers, just to keep an eye on him. Kev's suspicions lead him down a dark
road to violence, an illicit liaison and to the growing realisation that even if
he can prove that Brian is up to no good, Brian will do anything to stop him
from blowing the whistle. For once, Kev is faced with a situation that not even
his big brother Martin can sort out. And he is finally forced to do something it
seemed he'd never do - start growing up.
Bev's Story
Good-time girl
Bev likes a drink and a laugh, but life hasn't turned out quite as planned.
She's lonely, her only son is nothing but trouble and it seems like the fun
times are gone for ever. When Mal, widower and regular nice guy, turns up to
service a machine at Mackintosh's, Bev suddenly glimpses a possible future and,
from where she sits, it looks just fine. Knowing that Mal has always had a bit
of a thing for her, she flirts and he asks her out. Mal's teenage sons Alex and
Scott (Nicky Evans and Bryan Dick) take an instant dislike to Bev, but Mal is
besotted, feeling alive for the first time since his wife died.When Bev moves
in, bringing her tacky knick-knacks with her, Mal's eldest son is furious. The
situation worsens when Bev tells him that his mother and father's relationship
was not perfect�especially when it came to sex. Even Bev realises that this was
a bad move, but she is a fighter and in pursuit of Mal and everything that comes
with him�nice house, nice life, she is a formidable enemy. And with Mal blind to
all her faults, she can't lose. His son leaves home, and Mal and Bev become
engaged. Shortly after, she announces she is pregnant. When she loses the baby,
it binds Mal to her more tightly. Then one day, during a drunken conversation in
a bar with Julie, Bev reveals that the pregnancy was not all it seemed.
Freda's
Story
After sitting all
week at a sewing machine at Mackintosh, Freda is ready for a girls' night out.
However, she has to tell her friends to go on without her. She has been
babysitting her two small grandchildren and, not for the first time, her
daughter Lindsey never arrives to collect them. Now Freda's life is about to
change - either she looks after the kids or Social Services will. At first, it's
a nightmare. How can she cope with the kids and a full-time job with not enough
money and not enough time? She tracks down their father, Tony (Jonathan Wrather),
who is less interested in his children than in getting back to his game of pool.
Freda doesn't know where to turn. Luckily, a chance meeting with Mack offers her
an opportunity to explain the situation and he gives her the space to sort
herself out. Gradually, Freda stops seeing the children as an imposition in her
life. With extra income from a new venture in curtain-making, part-time hours at
work and friend Julie's open-hearted willingness to chip in, Freda's life has
become complete. When she finds out that Lindsey has left the country and that
her grandchildren are with her long term, it is no longer a problem. However,
looming in the background is Tony. In court for breaking his probation on a
drugs charge, he suddenly sees the kids as a way of avoiding jail. One day he
turns up and just takes them. Freda is heartbroken. All she wants is the
children back.
Clocking
Off - Season Two - Disc Two
Barry's
Story
Life has not been
good to Barry Jackson. His wife ran off with his previous boss, leaving him to
bring up two young daughters in his mother's house while he works nights as a
security guard at Mackintosh. But though he's a loser, he is not bitter. Then
one day, he wins £20,000 on the football pools. To Barry, this is a fortune. It
could change his life - not that he has a love life or even a social life. So
when he meets Trudy's sister, Janice, he is smitten. But Janice is everything
Barry is not - worldly, cynical, mercenary - and she has her eyes elsewhere, on
Mack. Since her husband ran off with all her money and left her reduced to
selling flowers at a roadside stall, love takes second place in her thoughts to
cash. Mack has cash, but isn't interested. When Trudy suggests a date with
Barry, Janice dismisses the idea out of hand. Not only is he Trudy's 'cast off'
but he is also only a security guard, hardly in a position to support her in the
style to which she was accustomed. The news of Barry's windfall, however,
changes her mind. One date leads to several. Barry is in love and even Janice
finds herself falling, because he is a good man and as an added bonus, a
fantastic lover. She meets his kids and his Mum and everything looks rosy for
them both, until Janice discovers that Barry's win wasn't as much as she
thought.
Ronnie's
Story
For over 20
years, Mackintosh truck driver Ronnie Anderson has cared lovingly and devotedly
for his wife Jess (Kate Fitzgerald), a wheelchair-bound victim of multiple
sclerosis. What no one knows is that Ronnie now wants out, out of caring for
Jess, out of his life. He feels he has given enough and it is time to start
again. Ronnie is in love with Jess' home-help Trish and she loves him back.
Everything changes one day when Ronnie's truck is hijacked. He is beaten, dumped
in a car boot and the truck's contents are stolen. Rumours fly around the
factory after Ronnie is questioned by the police, who believe that the hijack
was an inside job. He proclaims his innocence but, like many things in his life,
it is a lie. It was Ronnie who tipped off the robbers and the violence was just
to make it look good. For the couple are hoping that the robbery will give them
enough to provide for Jess and for them to be together. They get a scare when
one of the hijackers is caught, but he keeps quiet, they get their cut and
everything seems to be going according to plan - until Ronnie's son, Nick, sees
them together and realises the truth.
The Lads
After a night on
the town, Ade, Barney, Kev and Nick are waiting in the taxi queue when some
drunks start a fight, during which someone is knifed. At the sound of sirens,
they run. The next morning, the stabbing is all over the news: the victim is in
a critical condition. For the Mackintosh lads, the big question is who used the
blade? Accusations fly, although no one suspects Ade because he didn't want to
get involved in the first place and he is as dangerous as a cuddly toy. Then
Barney phones the hospital to find out how the injured man is, the police trace
the call and he is arrested. The knife has also been found. One of the injured
men's sidekicks is brought to the factory to identify Barney's accomplices. Kev
has had enough and willingly walks into the trap. Nick wants to do the same, but
Ade tries to stop him. He was the one with the knife. Ade hides while Nick and
Kev are arrested. Both deny knowing the fourth man. Whatever they think of Ade,
they will not grass. A witness confirms that the boys only fought in self
defence and, as none of their fingerprints match those on the knife, they are
released. But there is unfinished business with Ade. Over the course of a very
long night, the four lads learn something fundamental about themselves, their
friendship and also about the awful destructiveness of fear.
Trudy, Mack
and Martin's Story
Martin and Trudy
are together and very happy. Martin's relationship with Mack, however, is not so
good. Mack is jealous that Trudy, who was always devoted to him, has settled for
Martin and, as transport manager, Martin gets the blame when the insurance
company refuse to renew the policy on the Mackintosh trucks. Trudy, however,
suggests that she and Martin take over running the haulage as an independent
company. Things go well, they get married, and Trudy cuts the final cord with
Mack after he pushes her too far, leaving him with the realisation that he needs
her a lot more than she needs him. Then Martin's sister-in-law Sue (Alison
Swann) turns up, eight months pregnant and with her husband, Martin's wayward
brother Stuart, in jail with no hope of release. Martin had a relationship with
Sue before Trudy and it's not long before Trudy realises that the baby is not
Stuart's but Martin's. Sue swears she will never tell Martin but Trudy knows
this is a secret she cannot live with. She sends Martin round to see Sue and
then waits for him with his bags packed. Martin has always looked after
everyone, taken care of everything. He will leave her now to look after Sue and
the baby, won't he? But this is one decision Martin is determined to make for
himself, and for once in his life he knows precisely what he wants.
Clocking Off - Season Three
- Disc One
Franny's Story
Franny is one of those
people who cannot admit
defeat. Whatever he's up
against, he'll keep going,
until it breaks him in two.
And if he decides that a
course of action is right,
then he pursues it, no
turning aside, no
consultation. No matter what
the cost. He's a cook in the
Mackintosh canteen. Nice
enough bloke, good at his
job but something of an
unknown quantity. Franny
doesn't let people in, not
even his wife Imogen (Jane
Slavin). They are trying to
conceive a baby, but he
won't talk about it. He just
repeats his mantra that
everything will work out in
the end. Then his troubled
sister, Terri (Clare
Kerrigan) commits suicide.
Distraught, Franny discovers
that she has had a child,
now in foster care. Franny
tracks down the father, an
arrogant young copper called
Jason Woods (Marc Warren).
When he doesn't seem
interested, Franny decides
to try to adopt the child
himself. Imogen is taken
aback by the lack of
discussion, but she wants a
child too - maybe this is
the only way. But when they
finally see the baby, her
need is destroyed by the
desperation she sees in
Franny. Franny's pursuit of
the adoption is ruining his
marriage and taking over his
life. But he cannot turn
aside; even when he learns
how much damage he himself
has done to those he loves.
He is prepared to sacrifice
everything - will it be
worth it?
Tasha's Story
Tasha (Katie Blake) is a
textile design student,
doing work experience at
Mackintosh. She's a posh
girl from a leafy suburb and
she doesn't fit in. She
desperately wants to but she
comes from another world.
Mack (Philip Glenister) is
feeling his age. Living
alone in his suburban family
house, his dissatisfaction
with life is growing. This
is not what he wants,
surrounded by housewives
driving 4 by 4s, spending
his weekends at elderly
neighbour's barbecues.
There's got to be something
more. Tasha is thrilled when
the girls invite her to the
pub. Everyone is drinking up
and having a good time, when
she offers some coke around.
They're not shocked, but it
highlights the differences -
they don't live the life
where people can afford to
snort coke. Just another
thing that marks her out.
Mack comes to the pub to get
the keys to his filing
cabinet but unusually he
ends up staying. Normally,
he avoids uncomfortable,
social situations with his
workers but he definitely
has things in common with
Tasha - not to mention the
spark of attraction there is
between them. They end up
back at Mack's - snorting
the coke and making love in
his nice, suburban house,
chosen and decorated by his
ex-wife Catherine in her
desperation to escape her
own background. He shares
with Tasha how lonely he
feels, how trapped by the
factory - this wasn't what
he expected from life. How
he doesn't fit in with his
staff or with anyone else
for that matter. Tasha's
attitude is straightforward
- if you've got a problem,
then change it. This gets
Mack thinking. But Tasha's
mission to be one of the
girls eventually goes wrong.
Putting herself in the
middle of one of their
lives, she is way out of her
depth. Flailing about to
make things right, she only
makes them a whole lot
worse...
Mark's Story
Sometimes the reality of who
people are is so terrifying,
even to themselves, that it
must remain hidden. Mark
Talbot (James Murray) is one
of these people. Someone
with darkness in his past
and in himself, a darkness
from which he cannot escape,
however much he wishes that
he could. He seems like a
nice enough lad, excitedly
getting ready for his first
day at Mackintosh. He's fit,
clean, nice to his Mum -
ex-army, Parachute Regiment
no less, if his tattoo is
anything to go by. He
approaches his new workmates
with confidence, he's
charming, friendly and
obviously one for the
ladies, as his instant
rapport with resident babe
Hannah Phillips (Katisha
Kenyon) demonstrates. The
other blokes can't believe
how quickly he's in there!
However, after his first day
at work, Mark is picked up
by the police. He's
obviously known to them and
they are giving him some
kind of warning now he's
back in the area. But what
has he been in trouble for?
And why would the police be
checking up on him if he's
just out of the army? Nick
Anderson (William Ash) is
particularly impressed by
Mark. His recent marriage to
Kim (Emma Cunniffe) is not
going too well, so a new
mate to talk to is just what
he needs, especially one
who's been in the military -
Nick's dream career. They
quickly become friends, Kim
too. Mark seems particularly
taken with her, even
engineering 'chance'
meetings. But Mark has
demons that refuse to stay
buried. Over the next few
weeks, those close to him
will make shocking
discoveries about what he
is: Hannah, who has a
viciously unpleasant brush
with his nastier side; Nick,
who discovers that, far from
being in the army, Mark has
stolen his dead brother's
military past; and above all
Nick's wife Kim, who will
bear a terrible, secret cost
for welcoming Mark into
their home...
Julie's Story
Julie (Siobhan Finneran) is
a Mackintosh old hand. She's
a strange girl really - mid
thirties, lives at home with
her parents, popular, kind
and generous but not truly
close to anyone. As for a
love life: non-existent. She
feels a vague emptiness
inside, but nothing she's
ever dealt with. Life just
goes on, day by day, same
old thing. Its not as if
she's actually unhappy. Then
her brother, Robert (Phil
Cornwell), the big success
of the family, comes over
for a visit from his home in
Hong Kong. Julie is over the
moon because although he's a
bit of a bolshie bloke, she
adores him. He's done well -
successful job, happy
marriage, two beautiful
girls. And out of the blue,
he offers Julie some of his
good fortune: why doesn't
she come out to Hong Kong
too - they'd be together,
she'd see more of her
nieces, earn loads of money,
make a new start. Back in
the bedroom she's had since
she was a kid, Julie
realises how small her world
is. Hong Kong looks tempting
- frightening but tempting.
Could she, quiet, reliable
Julie, take that kind of
risk? At the same time,
there's a new machinist at
work, Vicky (Sharon Duce).
Julie shows her the ropes
and they get on like a house
on fire. At a party, there
is a moment between them, an
awkward moment when Julie
makes a joke about
mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation. It confuses
her. It's the kind of
intimate moment she is not
used to, not with anyone.
Whenever Vicky's around, she
feels like a nervous
schoolgirl. Robert nags
Julie to make a decision.
When their Mum says that
Julie has always been a
homebody, lacking ambition
and get up and go, she makes
up her mind. She'll do it.
She'll surprise everyone and
take a leap in the dark. But
Julie finds out that
Robert's perfect life in
Hong Kong is facing meltdown
and his invitation is not
quite as disinterested as it
seems. And then there's
Vicky, who arouses all sorts
of emotions in Julie,
terrifying, exciting,
butterflies-in-the-stomach.
Perhaps if Julie can steel
herself to saying no to
helping someone, to think of
her own needs for once, a
future of real happiness
will become a possibility...
Clocking Off - Season Three
- Disc Two
Jenny's Story
Jenny (Sophie Okonedo) has a
pretty good life. She drives
a forklift at Mackintosh
alongside her best mate,
Suzie (Nicola Stephenson),
so work is a real laugh.
Their eight-year-old sons,
Tom and Ryan, go to school
together. And best of all,
Jenny is marrying Suzie's
brother Sam (Nicholas Sidi),
who she loves big time.
Perfect. Except Jenny has
created this life, like a
house of cards. It is a
fiction, based on lies, and
all it needs is for one card
to get knocked out of place,
and the whole thing falls...
It's the day after Jenny's
hen night. Nursing a
whopping hangover, she's not
feeling much like fork
lifting, but she's still
happy as anything. Until she
glances at one of the
heating contractors (Sean
Gallagher), working on
Mackintosh's cooling system.
There's a jolt of
recognition and her face
contorts. Whoever he is,
this man has put the fear of
god into her. Nauseous, she
runs to the toilets, but not
before he has clocked her
too. Jenny tries to carry on
as normal, avoiding him. But
one day he corners her. She
tries to walk off but he
stops her. The weirdest
thing is that he calls her
Carol. She says he has the
wrong person and pulls away.
Other workers are watching,
so he lets her go. Jenny's
life is now a continuous
effort to escape him but she
can't run forever.
Ultimately, the cards begin
to fall; as Jenny's
beautiful new world
unravels. Because she is not
Jenny - she is, was, Carol,
wife to someone called Phil,
driven to run by the tragic
death of her baby. The man,
Neil, is not some dangerous
lunatic but her ex-brother
in law. And there are still
more lies to be uncovered.
Eventually, Suzie learns
everything about her 'best
friend' and holds Jenny's
future in her hands. She
could say nothing, let the
wedding to Sam go ahead, but
are some secrets too awful
to keep?
Alan's Story
Alan (Bob Pugh) is always
the life and soul of the
party. In his mid-forties,
he's not quite one of the
lads anymore but still sees
life as a giggle. He has a
wonderfully happy marriage
to Sally (Lorriane Ashbourne),
who although she's the much
quieter, more sensible half
of the partnership, watches
all his shenanigans with
fond amusement. They have
two teenage sons, the oldest
of whom Chris (Ciaran
Griffiths) is about to go
off to university, a cause
of enormous pride for them
both. For Sally's fortieth,
Alan throws a big do,
inviting all the lads from
Mackintosh. It's a night to
remember - everyone
drinking, dancing, having a
wail of a time. You can tell
that Sally would rather have
had a quiet evening with
Alan, that the party's more
for him than her, but she
enjoys herself none the
less. When the evening's in
full swing, Alan makes a
little speech and tells
Sally about her present - in
front of everyone, he
announces he's going to have
a vasectomy so she doesn't
have to take the pill
anymore! But for Alan, the
laughter soon fades to
regret and despair. Because
when he goes in for the
operation, the doctors
discover something
unthinkable - they find out
that he has a rare
condition, which causes
infertility - he has always
been infertile. He could not
possibly be the father of
his beloved sons. As his
happy life threatens to
crumble into dust, Alan is
faced with an appalling
dilemma - does he keep this
secret, eating away inside
or does he bring it out in
the open, where it could
destroy everything...
Gary's Story
Gary (Marshall Lancaster),
works in the off cuts
department at Mackintosh,
and has a beautiful,
expensive home, full of
costly antiques and erudite
scientific tomes, everything
just so. The only thing that
doesn't fit is him. The
problem is he's had a letter
from a solicitor, informing
him that he had been left a
house and a substantial
amount of money. In his
father's will. All well and
good, except that the only
father Gary had ever known
was still alive. Both Gary
and his brother Stephen (Lee
Ingleby) were adopted, only
their adoptive parents never
got round to telling them. A
bit of a shock. Especially
for Stephen who got the news
without the financial bonus.
Suddenly strange things
start happening - Gary finds
a piece of paper with
versions of his signature on
it, although no credit cards
or cheque books have been
stolen; then he comes home
after a day at work to find
the kettle warm as if it had
just been used; or there's a
beer bottle top on the floor
which he didn't leave there.
Like someone's been in the
house. Nothing's taken
though so not much he can
do. Then he meets Tina (Jo
Joyner). Or she meets him.
In the supermarket, at the
gym, suddenly she's
everywhere. Gary is
attracted to her and
eventually gets up the guts
to ask her out. One
whirlwind romance later,
they're engaged and Tina's
moved in. A rosy future
beckons. Until the day he
comes back from work to find
the locks changed and Tina
accusing him of beating her
up. Life goes topsy-turvy as
an accomplished con tricks
Gary out of everything. As
he tries to comprehend the
calamity, the weird events
at his house start to make
sense, as he reluctantly
admits to himself that Tina
was not acting alone. The
deeper he digs, the more
obvious it becomes that
someone close to him must be
involved, someone he thought
he could trust...
Mack's Story
Mack has never exactly been
a bundle of laughs but over
the last few months, his
bitter disappointment with
life has been increasing,
day-by-day. Is the factory
with its big pressures and
small triumphs, all there
is? As crisis point looms,
Mack needs to carve himself
a future that makes him
happy. On the surface,
things seem surprisingly
good. Mackintosh is on the
brink of the most lucrative
deal ever and despite his
disillusion, Mack is still a
sucker for the pull of
success, big money. He's
also got a nice looking
woman on his arm, Miranda
(Katie Carmichael). She's a
posh girl, bit of a bitch
but classy. Makes him feel
good. She's too quick to
hear wedding bells, but that
can always be dealt with
later. Then Eddie (Craig
Kelly) turns up, Mack's
good-for-not-very-much
brother. Eddie was the one
with the brains, the
brilliant future, all of
which he wasted. He's become
a drifter, full of vaguely
formed plans, none of which
come to fruition. Whilst
Eddie has always envied the
fact that Mack inherited the
factory, Mack has always
been jealous of Eddie's
responsibility-free
lifestyle. They behave like
niggling children, each
bringing out the worse in
the other. Then, things
start going wrong at work.
With orders outstanding and
the big job on the line,
there's a flu epidemic, so
bad that Mack is forced to
start laying staff off. It
could not have happened at a
worse time. These problems,
along with Eddie's presence,
intensify all Mack's
emotions - he's fed up with
everything, keeping the
factory going, making sure
320 people get paid every
week. Let someone else deal
with it. Let Eddie have it.
Its what he's always wanted.
See how he copes. Mack wants
freedom; he wants out and,
sadly for Miranda, he's
going alone. To start again.
The question is, can he do
it? When it comes to the
crunch, will he be able to
walk away from the love of
his life, Mackintosh
Textiles?
Clocking Off - Season
Four - Disc
One
Suzie's Story
Suzie Davidson is getting
married to Jamie, the man of
her dreams, but she
disappears through the
bathroom window in her
wedding dress, leaving him
at the altar. She later
confesses that she has slept
with bad boy old flame
Stuart, and no-one at the
factory seems to be in the
mood to forgive her. And the
strain she's put on her
father suddenly takes its
toll.
Pat & Roy's Story
Pat is given a target of
doubling the factory's
production and is determined
to get the staff on her
side. However, success at
work is marred by problems
at home. She discovers her
husband Roy, a compulsive
gambler and alcoholic, has
lost his job and has been
stealing from their joint
account. Then the bailiffs
arrive.
Maya & Kev's Story
When Maya hits Kev in a car
accident, he finds himself
suffering from epileptic
fits, and is no longer able
to drive or operate
machinery. Maya, stricken
with guilt, finds herself
drawn into Kev's downward
spiral.
Clocking Off - Season
Four - Disc Two
Colin's Story
Colin attacks the nurse who
has been bullying his
mentally ill brother Mark at
the care home where he
lives, but the police think
Mark is to blame for leaving
the man in a coma.
Grace & Faz's Story
Grace is attracted to Faz,
one of the few Asians in the
area. But Faz's father does
not approve of his son
mixing with his white
co-workers, while Grace's
father is furious at the
thought of his daughter
having a mixed-race
relationship.
Freda & Pat's Story
Freda has recently been
promoted to supervisor and
found love with builder
Kenny, but when she feels
slighted by Pat, she starts
a malicious campaign against
the factory manager that
spirals out of control.
