AdultbrothersMarkandColinPollockstilllivewiththeirparentsFrankandMavisPollockinasmallapartmentintheprojectsofLondon'seastendinwhatisacollectivedepressedandunhappyexistence.Thethreemenofthehouseholdareallonthedole,eachdoinglittletofindgainfulemployment.Betweenthebrothers,Markisthesmartaleck,whocallshisparentsbytheirgivennamestoirkthem,andwhohangsoutwithabunchofhooligansashereferstohimselfandhisfriends,suchasaskinheadnamedCoxy.Althoughnevermedicallydiagnosedassuch,Colinisseeminglyemotionallyslow.ColinlikestohangoutwithMarkandhisfriendsinhiswanttobeaccepted,especiallyasMarktellshimthataneighborhoodgirlnamedHayleyisinterestedhim.ThefamilyrarelysocializeswithMavis'sisterandbrother-in-law,BarbaraandJohn,wholiveamiddletouppermiddleclassandseeminglyperfectexistenceinthesuburbsofChigwell.Althoughnottellingthemtotheirface,Johndislikeshisrelationsbymarriage,believingespeciallyMarktobebrashandtrashy.AunilateralactbyBarbaraleadstomanyissueswithintheextendedfamilycomingtothesurface,mostspecificallythetruehappinessofthemarriagebetweenBarbaraandJohn,andwhatColinistrulylookingfortobehappyinlife.