Villains

Villains was a British anthology series of thirteen standalone plays first shown in 1972. These plays could be seen as pieces in a patchwork, each having its own particular identity but all joining together to give an overall picture. Nine men move into a disused ladies' lavatory and seal themselves in for the weekend. Then they tunnel their way up through the floor of a nearby City bank, and walk out clutching a third of a million pounds between them. It seems the perfect job - but something goes wrong. Most of the men are subsequently caught and convicted. One year on, as the 'Bog Robbers' are being driven from prison to the Appeal Court, another ingenious plan is put into action. It sees them going on the run, taking desperate, sometimes farcical measures to evade recapture, and finding time to reflect on their shady pasts and uncertain futures. It is told from the point of view of the criminals, the individual stories of the men, their accomplices, their women and the audacious heist itself unfold through each of the 13 episodes.