Cutting It

Cutting It
Cutting It DVD cover for series 4
Created by	Debbie Horsfield
Starring	Sarah Parish Jason Merrells Angela Griffin Siân Reeves Ben Daniels Amanda Holden Annette Badland Christine Stephen-Daly
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	25
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Release
Original network	BBC One
Original release	16 April 2002 (2002-04-16) – 12 July 2005 (2005-07-12)

Cutting It is a BBC television drama series set in Manchester, England, focusing on the lives and loves of the team running a hairdressing salon. It ran for four series between 2002 and 2005. The show featured a number of actors who have since become established stars, including Amanda Holden and Ben Daniels.

In the first series, Alison Henshall, known as Allie, and her husband, Gavin Ferraday, run a hairdressing and beauty salon. Allie's sisters, Darcy and Sydney, are the salon's beautician and nail technician. Allie and Gavin also employ three more staff, hairdresser Shane, junior Ruby and accountant Eugene. Their parents, Brawdie and Tom, complete the regular cast.

Finn Bevan, Allie's ex, and his current wife, Mia, open a rival salon across the road. Allie is upset as she wanted a 2nd Henshall Ferraday salon while Gavin wants to start a family. Allie is reluctant, insisting that she is not maternal and tells Finn that she aborted their baby but later admits that she gave their daughter up for adoption. Ruby reveals that she is Allie and Finn's biological daughter after Allie visits her parents to discuss Ruby's behaviour. Gavin knows that they knew each other years ago and soon realizes the truth about their relationship, as does Mia. Finn makes it clear that he wants Allie back but, despite a one-night stand, she chooses to stay with Gavin until he leaves, needing space. On his return, he insists Ruby tell Allie the truth and she is horrified to learn that Finn is her biological father. Gavin asks Allie to choose and she chooses Finn, leaving with him.

Other secrets that emerge during the series is the truth about Darcy being mixed race. Tom and Brawdie claim that Darcy is a throwback to Brawdie's Jamaican grandmother but when 70s singer, DC Washington, comes for a wedding that Allie and Gavin are doing the hair and beauty for, the truth is revealed. When confronted by Allie, Brawdie insists that she wanted Allie to have a better life and that she'd done her a favour. It is soon clear that Brawdie blames her and Tom for wrecking her life. Darcy and Sidney are equally disgusted and despite Brawdie trying to persuade Darcy to introduce herself to DC as his daughter, she refuses, saying that Tom is her father.

A few of Allie and Gavin's friends/colleagues club together to bring a stylist up from London for some expert coaching and Gavin gives his place to Mia, much to Allie's horror. Mia is equally horrified to discover that the stylist is Chantal Morisot, her former boss and the woman she stole Finn from. Chantal is antagonistic to Mia all day and eventually Allie confronts her about it. Chantal apologizes, promises a full refund before leaving. Allie persuades Mia to come for a drink with her, her sisters and Ruby. Sydney tells them that she thinks that she is pregnant, following a brief relationship with Finn, upsetting Mia and Allie, and Allie confides in Mia about the baby she gave up for adoption. Chantal happens to be in the same bar and when she hears Mia tell Allie that Finn will make a great father, she laughs and tells her to ask Finn's other ex-wives, Natalie and Su-Lin, about that. Sydney has a daughter, Calypso, and struggles with motherhood as she insists that Calypso behave as if they were sisters, rather than mother and daughter