Writing for ITV's SATURDAY NIGHT THEATRE series, Dennis Potter introduced the notion that popular music expresses the yearning of the human spirit for a better world. A troubled young man, David Peters (Ian Holm), claims, "Once dreams were possible, that's what the popular songs told us." Rejecting rock music of the day, Peters is immersed in the tunes of Thirties crooner Al Bowlly (killed during the London blitz). He collects Bowlly memorabilia, publishes the Bowlly fan-club newsletter, and finds pleasure in lip-synching Bowlly records but his obsession with Bowlly masks certain darker events in his past.

Tikhov, a lecturer, arrives from the city along a rain-washed road to a construction site. To beat the rain, he stops at a house where a young woman and her child live. The awkwardness of the unexpected guest quickly passes, and Lyuba tries to persuade him not to go to the club, which is surely empty due to the bad weather. But Tikhov leaves, confident that they are waiting for him...

Tom "Killer" Dane kills Jeff's friend, who then pursues him. Jeff and Dane are look-alike half brothers, which allows Dane to make a raid dressed like Jeff. Jeff is arrested, but before Dane's henchman can organize a lynch mob, Fuzzy breaks him out and Jeff heads after Dane again.

A singing medicine-show cowboy and his magician partner catch a killer.

At his wedding Claude Sams has an argument with his son about his life-style; in anger Paul leaves. Together with a friend he sets out for Vegas to search a job. While changing a tire on the highway, he's killed by a passing truck. The police believes it's been an accident, but Claude doesn't accept this and frantically searches for a yellow truck and it's crazy driver at all truck stations.

A man kidnaps two girls in Oregon triggering the Amber Alert system throughout many surrounding states.

A diverse set of characters find themselves together in a old diner in a small town on Christmas eve during a snow-storm. While a young expecting couple tries to make it home on a night that's anything but silent.

A police deputy in a small town grows more and more disgusted with the rampant corruption and brutality practiced by the sheriff and his fellow officers.

The film takes place during one day of operation of a railway line, the capacity of which is lower than necessary. A disaster occurs: a passenger train crashes into a tank train, the driver's assistant is killed, and traffic on the section is delayed. The film explores the patterns that led to the accident.

Set in a dystopian future where the world is dying from a crippling disease, a mysterious figure visits an illegal drug den in the hope of sourcing a rumored cure, but unwittingly gets caught up in a robbery that could threaten his chances of making it back out alive...