Britain in the mid-1990s: a divided, violent nation where civil disorder and urban terrorism are on the increase. Scotland Yard detective Commander Jack Bentham is seconded to Wales to look into a series of shootings by police officers, and uncovers a complex web of deceit and corruption

A prequel to Marion and Geoff, which captures on camcorder the fateful events at a garden party when mini-cab driver Keith's life fell apart. Friends and family have gathered for a barbecue to celebrate the career of Keith's wife Marion, who is at the party with her boss, Mr Sushimoto, and her colleague, Geoff. However, Keith's father-in-law uncovers the true extent of Marion's naked ambition, with humiliating results for Keith.

This "Play on One" story depicts Jack and his farming family in West Wales. They have built up their dairy herd with vast loans and are then told they must cut back on milk production and slaughter some of the herd. The community launches a campaign against the quotas, but Jack takes the law into his own hands.

' Whatever you think of me doesn't change what you are. Rabble who've heard of socialism and think it's ten pints a night. Go on, vote me out ...'

Caroline is to be wed to Sir Ralph and invites her sister Barbara to be her bridesmaid. Barbara seduces Ralph, however, and she becomes the new Lady, but despite her new wealthy situation, she gets bored and turns to highway robbery for thrills. While on the road she meets a famous highwayman, and they continue as a team, but some people begin suspecting her identity, and she risks death if she continues her nefarious activities.

King Lear, old and tired, divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to their protestations of love for him. When Cordelia, youngest and most honest, refuses to idly flatter the old man in return for favor, he banishes her and turns for support to his remaining daughters. But Goneril and Regan have no love for him and instead plot to take all his power from him. In a parallel, Lear's loyal courtier Gloucester favors his illegitimate son Edmund after being told lies about his faithful son Edgar. Madness and tragedy befall both ill-starred fathers.

A devastating terrorist strike wipes out much of Saudi Arabia's oil production; the same day a trader of Saudi origin disappears from English investment bank Sun First Credit (SFCB). Managers soon discover the missing trader, Samir Badr, has built up crippling debts, multiplied a hundred-fold by the attacks in Saudi. SFCB, once the toast of the city, suddenly heads for bankruptcy, taking a whole raft of other banks down with it. The resulting market crash and banking crisis will push Britain and the US into a 21st century recession. Will Britain be able to recover?