Dennis Potter used his own background as a Russian language clerk in the War Office when writing this play for ITV's SATURDAY NIGHT THEATRE series. At the time of the 1956 Suez Crisis and the Russian invasion of Hungary, Private Bob Hawk reports to the London Intelligence Office where the strength of Soviet troops is under scrutiny.

Arthur takes early retirement, and with his wife Marion, moves into a bungalow by the sea, bought by their son. However, disillusionment sets in after a year when the plans he had do not work out and life is not what they expected or hoped.

Charlie Tully and womanising Reggie Peek con two rich Italians out of £500,000, but during their flight out, Charlie is arrested for scamming an American and a dog. Reggie stores the money in a Swiss bank and after Charlie is released, is about to tell him where...when he is suddenly killed by Sid Sabbath's gang, whose girlfriend was dating the (now) deceased! The only leads are four tattoos on the girls Reggie had affairs with while Charlie was in jail, but Sabbath is on Charlie's trail, and the tricked Italians have contracted the mob - to find the money, and then kill him...