Fatboy Slim

Backdropped by the political turmoil of 1990s Northern Ireland, the show features the giddy misadventures of the central five friends. *Spoilers for episode six ...

“I wanted to do the story as it happened to my group of friends,” she said. The gang embrace a grieving Clare after it’s revealed her dad died from an aneurism. Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

Halloween — the biggest night in Derry's social calendar, transcending politics and religion with its cross-community appeal.

The night is young, and she can’t wait to find Laurie among the throngs. In a stroke of sheer manipulation, Michelle manages to blag five VIP freebies when she takes their sob story to the TV, explaining how poor James received a black eye and a broken leg in an unprovoked assault. We knew that something was amiss earlier when we saw him break off from breaking off Aunt Sarah’s fake engagement to Ciaran, to take a phone call and solemnly ask ‘when?’ This could be the night she finally gets a snog. As the gang celebrates Clare’s moment of bliss, Gerry (Tommy Tiernan) arrives with news that Clare’s dad has suffered an aneurysm. But tickets are like hen’s teeth and when the gang manages to bag the final five, this provokes a maniac called Mad Stab to throw the gauntlet down to James. Whoever wins a fight, wins the tickets. She swears her way through the interview (and yes, we heard it all, despite the bleeps), but there’s a brilliant exchange between the two when Michelle lists her cousin’s failings. The only problem is that Laurie has come dressed as a clown and there are quite a few of them. Poor James is petrified and ‘high on adrenalin’, grabs the tickets and tears them up. Mad Stab is played by Emmett Scanlon in a genius piece of casting. In their lit-up angel wings and fluffy halos, the five head off for the best night of their lives; James sporting a fake black eye and walking with a crutch. Mad Stab wants to kill him.