BBC One’s Inside Men is the story of three employees of a security depot who plan and execute a multi-million pound cash heist, told entirely from their perspective.
Written by Tony Basgallop, the new four-part drama serial stars Steven Mackintosh (Camelot) as John, manager of the cash counting house, a character too scared to confront the humdrum normality of his life. Joining him in the robbery is depot security guard Chris, played by Ashley Walters (Outcasts), and forklift driver Marcus, played by Warren Brown (Luther).
Episode 1
Thursday 2nd February 2012, 9pm
John Coniston is the manager of a cash counting house who finds himself in the middle of his worst nightmare: an armed robbery. His family are taken hostage and the gang force him to open the safe at gunpoint. John has been trained for this moment, but is he prepared for the real thing?
Nine months earlier and we see that John’s life is normally anything but exciting. Despite all the dreams and ambitions in his early 20s, he’s now entrenched in a humdrum normality: married, mortgaged, scraping by.
John has always played it safe. He lives in fear of confrontation. His one source of pride is his record at work. At his counting house the books are always balanced. Not even a fiver goes missing without him knowing about it.
Then one day while checking the accounts John notices that £50,000 has gone missing and he can see his world falling apart. He suspects two men of being responsible – Chris, a security guard at the depot and Marcus, a forklift driver.
John calls the two men into his office to confront them. But instead of turning them in to the police he offers them all a way out that will change them and their lives forever.
Episode 2
Thursday 9th February 2012, 9pm
John, Chris and Marcus have made a decision that will change the rest of their lives and set about making their big idea a reality.
The three men do their best to discuss their plan without arousing suspicion. Their first big challenge is to employ the muscle to carry off the heist. Marcus has a connection: a businessman called Kalpesh who can help them with the guns and the men they need, but he wants to see cash to prove they are serious.
John has been put forward for a promotion at work. He gets a pep-talk from his boss on how to assert himself more, but instead of getting the job he uses the advice to help him take control of the group. When Marcus looks like making a mess of the deal with Kalpesh, John has to step in and close the deal.
Episode 3
Thursday 16th February 2012, 9pm
Although the planning for the heist is starting to come together, the men’s lives aren’t getting any easier.
John is riding high on his new-found confidence and sense of power. He is excited by the macho tasks involved in planning the heist and insists on learning to fire the guns. Kalpesh is happy to help but he wants one of his men, Riaz, to be allowed to look around the counting house.
Chris finds his mum increasingly difficult to handle as her drinking gets worse and she suffers bouts of confusion and paranoia. Gina is frustrated that Marcus is getting sidelined and tells him to demand more responsibility.
John gives Marcus the task of buying the masks for the heist, so Gina and Marcus go on a little trip to buy them.
Episode 4
Thursday 23rd February 2012, 9pm
Chris and Riaz are at each other’s throats as tensions in the group are starting to build during the final practice for the heist. A new person in charge of security rubs John up the wrong way and he worries that she may put the whole job at risk.
Gina is offered a proper role in the heist and struggles with the decision to get fully involved. When she finally agrees, she is hit by the seriousness of what she is about to do. Both Gina and Marcus reflect on the risks they are taking and make a big decision as a result.
The team start to worry about Chris as his movements become increasingly unpredictable. John thinks Chris may struggle to go through with the plan.
Everyone tries to remain calm as the big day gets closer; they each savour their old lives for the last time before things change forever.