Legless

By Matt Greenhalgh

'Legless' is a 90minute film for Channel 4 presenting a dramatised version of a story that could have happened in any town in the UK on any weekend, giving both sides of the arguement of drink law liberalisation or greater restriction.  Written and directed by Matt Greenhalgh, creator of the award winning drama series 'Burn It' and produced by one of the North West's independent television companies, Red Production. 'Legless' delivers a quality balanced view of drinking culture in 2005.

Showing one day in the life of an unspecified town's drinking quarter we will follow the human and emotional stories of a variety of people who work, live and use the area in many different ways. Our characters come from different social classes and are old and young. Some are interlinked and some never meet. But they are all about to have a big night out!

The main two characters are the pro reform local councillor, MO, and the Chief of Police, SIMON, who following personal experiences, is against the new laws and believes the situation is difficult enough already - the last thing he wants is more drinking. Through the evening SIMON and MO are forced to understand each others points of view through a series of shared experiences and change from sworn enemies to men with a grudging respect for each other.

We also meet TERRI, a 30 year old insecure woman who is going out with her friends but is determined not to drink. As the evening progresses she meets JOHN, bar manager of our central location, Crazy Faced Jacks, and with the help of moderate drinking and a good night out, they fall in love.

Through the night we follow a paramedic team led by JENNY and see the dangers and the problems they encounter. JENNY'S emotions veer from elation at being able to help and make a difference to devastation at being abused and under appreciated. JENNY is also the separated wife of SIMON and his main reason for wanting to make the streets safer.

Finally we follow the journey of two young boys, LIAM and SCOTT, whose lack of experience and understanding of the drinking culture they are entering, makes them ill equipped to deal with a night out on the town. When LIAM gets into serious trouble we reveal him to be JENNY and SIMON'S son and the emotional rollercoaster changes them all.

'Legless' is an entertaining and thought provoking drama which will forces an audience to confront the reality of drinking culture but also indicates this is a positive time for change and a chance to embrace what is already good about the way we manage our streets.