The male protagonist in the show is, of course, a young man named Joseph. He lives in a house on one of the poorer Glaswegian council estates with his father and eleven brothers - results of an unfortunate line of failed marriages, one night stands and inevitable maternal suicides. As the only child who has yet to receive a court sentence for petty theft, vandalism or drunk and disorderly conduct, Joe holds a special place in his father's heart from the beginning of the show.