The
lowdown: 'Clocking Off' is a drama series that was first
broadcast on BBC One between 23 January 2000
and 6 April 2003. A total
of 27 episodes were made over the four seasons, with each episode being
a stand-alone
story featuring the private
life one of the staff of a Manchester-based company called Mackintosh Textiles,
while
the main characters appeared
in most episodes, albeit often very briefly. It featured many well-known
British actors,
including John Simm, Philip
Glenister, David Morrissey, Mark Benton and of course Christopher Eccleston.
The
episode: 'Yvonne's Story' is the second episode of the
first series, and was first broadcast on 30 January 2000.
It begins with two women
dressed as clowns setting fire to a house. It turns out that the house
belongs to one of the
women, Yvonne Kolakowski
(played by Sarah Lancashire, known to Doctor Who fans as Miss Foster in
'Partners in
Crime'). Yvonne is a machinist
at Mackintosh Textiles who wants to claim the insurance after her partner
decides to
throw her out of their home.
She does not know that her three children are in the house, but her neighbour
Jim Calvert (Christopher Eccleston) comes to the rescue and saves them.
Yvonne has nowhere to go, so Jim offers to let her stay
with him until she can find
somewhere to live. Jim is single and works at the local airport, and soon
discovers the pitfalls
of living with three children.
He comes home to find his house extremely messy, and has to sleep on an
air mattress,
while Yvonne's teenage daughter
is convinced he is having inappropriate thoughts about her. However, as
time passes
he gets used to having Yvonne
and her children around. Jim and Yvonne eventually make love, and he asks
her to stay
with him, but she is reluctant
after a series of failed relationships. Yvonne and her children move out,
but Jim makes
one last bid to woo her,
and after a memorable evening at a restaurant, Yvonne agrees to try to
make a relationship
work. The series is highly
recommended for people who like realistic, character-driven shows.
Video Clips: Jim
to the rescue
8.5mb
Jim asks Yvonne
to stay 4.0mb |
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