An Italian woman who has not heard from her daughter for a while travels to London, where the daughter is living, and is shocked to be confronted with the young woman's world. During the brief days they spend together, the women come to acknowledge the insurmountable differences that exist between them despite the love they share.

Another of Dennis Potter's "visitation dramas": Adultery by John disturbs Janet, so she flirts with the simple, mistreated Billy during the middle of giving him a reading lesson. Unfortunately, it triggers aggressive behavior in Billy which he directs toward John.

During the British rule in India, several Indians were lured by the British to travel to distant Mauritius where they would have a better life. Upon reaching this island, the Indians were enslaved, tortured and made to labor in what is now known as the "Coolie Ghat". After the British left India, the Indians in Mauritius decided to continue to live there along with other nationals from different countries.

An English family of six takes in a pregnant woman who disappears shortly after giving birth. They raise the baby girl as their own, but over the years the strange deaths of their children make them consider whether the little girl is more than she appears.