Created by Jeremy Dyson (of The League of Gentlemen) and Simon Ashdown, the series consists of a fifty-minute opening episode followed by ten half-hour instalments.

A prudish couple, Dudley (Kris Marshall) and Lola (Sarah Smart), arrive in Blackpool by bus from Stoke-on-Trent, and find themselves in a seedy boarding house run by the sinister Leo Finch (Philip Jackson).

At the same time Carter Krantz (Daniel Mays) arrives from London, thrown out of a car naked and carrying only a key and a piece of paper with the name "Ambrose Chapel".

He thinks that this is a man responsible for his mother's murder, but after roughing up an innocent taxidermist, Ambrose Chapfel, (Mark Gatiss), he discovers it is actually a disused church, now a nightclub called "Sins" which is run by Shirley Woolf (Ian Puleston-Davies).

After Connie tells her she is pregnant, she puts on a "party mix" tape that is actually a recording of Shirley having sex with one of the lapdancers.

Mercy, who has engaged Krantz to offer his services to Shirley in order to spy on him, calls him into her office to demand a report.

The first brother (Ewan Bailey) arrives and is treated to a cabaret and drinks, but makes extravagant demands, including a girl.

In a panic, because the second brother is due, Shirley and Kranz decide they have to allow him to be seen, apparently alive, and then fake his death in a drowning accident.

This is a problem because he has two bullet wounds in the head and half his foot is blown off, but the taxidermist Ambrose Chapfel comes to the rescue, and they are able to carry off the deception.

Lola goes back to the boarding house to confront Dudley, and leaves with Krantz, who happens to be at the front door.

After Mercy had tried to drown her three-month-old baby, Frannie had taken him and vanished, taking as well something very precious: a key to the chapel, where she had placed something of great value.

Eventually, having put on costumes, they find Lola and Mercy on the top platform of the tower, with the bag from the safe.

The bag contains a teddy-bear hot water bottle, which Mercy's father gave to Frannie as a child, and whose name is Bridewell.