The Syndicate: Series 1

“Has your life improved since winning the lottery?” That question is put to five grocery store employees who contribute toward weekly tickets with an agreement to split any winnings. It's no surprise that the answer isn't necessarily “yes” after they hit it big. The main characters in this British TV drama are Denise (Lorraine Bruce), the ad hoc syndicate organizer who wants to use the cash for plastic surgery and win her husband back; Stuart (Matthew McNulty), who hopes to finally marry the mother of his children; Jamie (Matthew Lewis), Stuart's train-wreck of a younger brother who robs the store the night before the group wins the prize; Leanne (Joanna Page), a single mother with a secret that is revealed with all the publicity; and Bob (Timothy Spall), the compassionate, soft-spoken store manager who discovers that he has a virulent form of cancer. Money, it turns out, brings out the worst in some, the best in others, and simply complicates things for the rest. The episodes, each focusing on one individual's story while weaving in elements of the others, capture both the triumphs and disappointments. Mostly, however, the show is about working-class characters trying to figure out what really matters to them in the face of a dream come true. Fans of the Harry Potter films may be surprised to see Lewis (nebbishy Neville Longbottom) playing a nasty, self-absorbed punk. Compiling all five episodes from the 2012 debut season, this is a strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)