After her husband dies disgracefully and leaves a bankrupt estate, Sammy returns home to live with her mother Jean (Kerry Armstrong) and younger brother Jim (Ben Mingay).

She encounters former boyfriend Dan (Matt Passmore) and works for politician Chris (George Houvardas), while fending off Jim's abrasive girlfriend Bev (Doris Younane).

She is forced to return to her hometown of Newcastle in Australia after the disgraceful death of her husband Nick, when she is told his accumulated debts leave her almost penniless.

Sammy returns to Newcastle 20 years after leaving, with her privately educated teenage son Lenny and daughter Tess, who have never visited Australia before.

All three move into Sammy's childhood beachfront home with her mother Jean, a recovering alcoholic and infantile brother Jim.

After encountering other former schoolmates, Sammy realises that everyone in her hometown hates her and she tries to get back to London, but finds numerous personal and financial obstacles.

Back in Newcastle, the accidental killing of Terry in Jean's house is investigated by an under-resourced pair of police officers, Fairbank and Emily.

The website's critical consensus states: "Frayed's intentionally cringe humor may be squirm-inducing, but solid performances and a surprisingly sweet center will keep viewers watching - even if it's through their fingers.

He said that "Frayed isn’t perfect: it slows down a lot once it hits Newcastle and Sammy (initially) is the kind of character it takes time to warm to.

"[31] In a more mediocre review from Jasper Rees of The Daily Telegraph, he criticized the first episode, stating that "[Frayed is] a pungent Eighties-set comedy that doesn’t know how far to take the joke" and gave it 3 out of 5 stars.