Coming Up

Harassed single parent Karen lives with her two year old son Henry and gets no help from the child's father. Lack of childcare costs her a job interview and she goes to a park, leaving Henry with Anna, another mother whilst she goes for a drink. In the bar she picks up Martin and goes home with him for - unsatisfactory - sex but on returning to the park she finds Anna has called the police to whom she must give her address. This turns out to be a blessing in disguise when Martin follows her home and proves to be a potentially sympathetic friend.

Not only does Denise Johnson work at Mike's Burger Van she is the Mega-Mouthful Champion, who can take on all comers by eating a hundred and thirty six burgers in a row. Regular customer Tom - whom Denise fancies - suggests she enter a speed eating contest in Austin, Texas, paying her air fare whilst Mike sees to sponsorship. However Denise's selfish mother tries to dissuade her, telling her it is a waste of money and that Tom is only feigning affection for her as he wants her job. Tired of being told what to do Denise finally decides to act on her own impulses.

Gemma is to be head bridesmaid when her mother Lynn marries her partner Paul and they both tell her she looks a 'big girl' in her pink dress. On the eve of the wedding she meets Hannah, once her best friend at school though the girls have been estranged for six months, each blaming the other. Hannah is to return to her native Sierra Leone next day but will not say why and refuses to get drunk and have sex with boys along with Gemma though they part on good terms. As the wedding day dawns Gemma realizes that Hannah is returning to Sierra Leone for the ritual of female circumcision and, in her pink dress, rushes to stop her, thus reuniting her with her erstwhile best friend

Baz may be an assistant manager at a supermarket but he still lives rent free with his doting mother, is like a kid with his super motor and goes drinking with his colleagues - to the annoyance of his pregnant wife Roxy. When Baz goes out to play pool with his friends, rather than join Roxy house-hunting, she goes back to her mother. Baz misses his child's birth as he busy pursuing work-mate Sully, who has taken advantage of Baz's weakness to 'borrow' the store's van. However he appreciates that he must change in order to win Roxy back - and starts by selling his car. He even books a number of house viewings.

Single parent Frances is a war correspondent in Afghanistan. Her teen-age daughter Sammy fears for her safety so she stages an accident in which she breaks her arm. Frances returns home but makes it clear that she wants to get back to the Middle East as soon as possible, causing Sammy to fake a burglary in which she steals Frances's passport. Mother and daughter have a bitter argument and it is down to Frances's mother Helen to inject the pair with a dose of reality.

After drug-dealing gangster Jackie Junior is imprisoned for killing his father the respected Charlie determines to bring order to the Kilnamuck estate, inaugurating a nightly patrol to keep order. His niece Fiona, her admirer Van and their friend Eddie form one such patrol but, just as Van is about to declare his feelings for Fiona, they learn that Jackie has been released from prison early. They tell Charlie, who confronts Jackie and asks him to leave the area but Jackie counters by threatening to expose a secret from Charlie's past. When their friend Tommy is killed in a manner identical to Jackie's father as he was about to have a meeting with tanning shop owner Slick Rick the young trio investigate and accuse Jackie of being the murderer. Then somebody shoots Jackie dead. Van must protect Fiona before the real killer is punished after explaining his motives.

Cynthia was once part of a medal-winning synchronized swimming team. Now she is elderly and, following a stroke, immobile, social worker Susan feeling she should go into a home. Cynthia's carer and grand-daughter, school-girl Ellie resists and, helped by her friend Cassia, they escape and move Cynthia into a deserted flat. However the old lady takes a turn for the worst, leaving the girls to try and recreate her former glory at the local swimming bath.