Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll
| Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Debbie Horsfield |
| Starring |
Gillian Kearney Emma Cooke Sue Johnston Phil Daniels Joseph McFadden David Threlfall |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC 1 |
| Original release | 5 September – 10 October 1999 |
Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll is a six-part television mini-series which was written and created by Debbie Horsfield and directed by John Woods. It was produced by Wall to Wall for BBC One.
Originally shown in 1999, it was later adapted into a stage musical which appeared at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre in 2005.
Set in Eccles, a suburb of Salford in 1965; the story focuses on the Brooks family: twins - Elloise and Arden Brookes. They live with their father and grandmother, and work in their cousin Norman's chip shop. Arden is confident and considered the 'pretty' one, Ellie the quiet and clever one. Irma is 'moral guardian' of the family, a woman determined to control the lives of her family members.
Irma's nephew, Norman Kershawe, proposes to Ellie on her 18th birthday. Ellie thinks he is going to propose to Arden - particularly when he asks her to try the ring on and is about to remove it when Norman tells her they're engaged. Shocked but pleased, Ellie accepts but Arden is jealous. Fearing people will say she's on the shelf, she orders Ellie not to tell anyone. That night, the Ice Cubes, backing group of singer Larry Valentine, meet the girls in the chippy - introduced by Hayley, a friend of Arden's. Justin and Dallas are interested in the girls, tossing a coin to decide who will chase which girl. Dallas gets Arden and Justin gets Ellie. Arden likes Dallas and is happy to flirt with him but Ellie isn't interested in Justin. Hayley tells Arden about a talent contest where the winner will make a demo tape with a London record producer. Seeing it as an opportunity to escape, she and Ellie enter and is hopeful until Justin tells her that the winner is already decided. Unhappy, she challenges Larry (as judge) and he implies she'll win if they come to an "arrangement" but he lies.
Wanting to spend time with Ellie, Justin suggests they make a demo tape anyway as Dallas knows the record producer. Tex, 3rd member of the band, suggests Dallas and Ellie write a song together but they end up hiding from Larry as he entertains his girlfriend and then Norman and her grandmother as Norman is interested in buying the building from Larry. Not giving up, Justin takes them out to dinner, going to The Belvedere Hotel where Howard, the girls' father, works. He seats them at the best table but Irma is furious to find them there, insisting they leave with her. She tells them not to go out without her permission and tells Norman about Ellie dining out so he brings the wedding forward. Feeling suffocated, Ellie sleeps with Dallas but regrets it, remembering Arden, and tells Dallas she can't see him again. He is devastated and decides to end things with Arden but she won't listen. Trying again, Justin visits Irma. He impressed her when they met at The Belvedere and agrees to him taking Ellie out but accompanies them, much to Justin's dismay. Ellie also tells him that she's engaged so Justin gets drunk and tells Dallas and Tex that he slept with Ellie. Irma and Ellie visit and Dallas confronts Ellie about their one night stand and they arrange to meet. Unfortunately the conversation is recorded and Justin and Arden hear it. Angry with Ellie, Arden tells her she's pregnant but blames Dallas for not taking precautions, leading Ellie to discover she is pregnant too. Norman,(informed by Justin), punches Dallas and confronts Ellie, asking her to trust his assurance that she is better off with him and she agrees.
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