Magnolia
Ex-con PAUL (Ralph Ineson) is desperately trying to keep his business, Ace Decorators, afloat.
His wife SHEILA (Dawn Steele), a sharp-witted but overworked nurse, wants him to give up and take a paid job with previous employers, the notorious KING BROTHERS, but Paul refuses to abandon his workmates, who he met in prison - sweet and bookish stoner DINO (Christopher Bisson), and volatile TERRY (Chris Coghill).
Keen to win a contract to do up houses on the dodgy Hag Moor Estate, PAUL finds himself wining and dining the obnoxious, racist site manager, GREGG (Mark Benton), at his own expense. After a disastrous Indian meal, which ends with GREGG being dumped unconscious (and covered in pickle) in a park by the waiters he's offended, PAUL's in despair.
His only other option is the maintenance contract for the Willows, a posh new estate - but it looks like the King Brothers have got that sewn up. In the meantime, while finishing a decorating job, DINO starts a tender friendship with sensitive MARJORIE (Sophie Thompson), the bullied wife of oafish pedant ROGER FORSYTH (Simon Kunz). Ace Decorators get the Hag Moor contract, but to his fury, however, Paul discovers GREGG was ripping them off all this time.
Both Roger and Gregg get their come-uppances in accidents which send them both to the burns unit in Sheila's A and E ward, much to everyone's delight. A timely bit of deception at the Willows estate by Terry's hapless brother ED means that Ace suddenly have more work than they can handle - but will Paul's motley crew be able to take the pace?
