Each episode was set in an unsuccessful pub in London's East End. At the start of each episode, a disaster, visit from royalty, angry mob etc. destroys the pub. The pub is run by brothers, the nervous Barry and the idiotic Garry. The only regulars of the pub are Bob and Dodgy Phil. Every episode revolves around one of Dodgy Phil's plans to improve the pub, a plan which Barry always has doubts about. The doubts are often confirmed due to the pub's destruction at the end of every episode. One of the running jokes in the series is that, as the pub is next to a zoo, unusual animals are often found inside it. The plot often follows the same formula, The pub is destroyed or needs rebuilding, and Dodgy Phil produces a scheme to re-launch the pub, which Barry disputes. Dodgy Phil telephones a friend, such as 'Mock Tudor Trev' or 'Logistical Nightmare Len', who arrives immediately to rebuild the pub, together with a set of characters represented by sound effects, and often Edith Piaf. The work is then finished in a short sound effect (often to the sound of Je ne regrette Rien). The plan is flawed, and the pub is destroyed or closed down at the end of each episode.