Mike (Martin Freeman), student trainee Steve (Ryan Cartright) and Kenny (Peter Serafinowicz) constitute the expert staff of Hamway’s Hardware Store, London – where the customer is rarely right. They run the store under the watchful eye of boss Rex (Ken Morley), a man in the throes of a mid-life crisis, while respite and refreshment are provided by the nearby café run by Julie (Ella Kenion) and Mike’s girlfriend, Anne (Susan Earl); their relationship is occasionally stretched to breaking point by regular outbreaks of laddish behaviour, dangerous DIY and the occasional unwanted house-guest…

Released on DVD for the first time in the UK, Thames Television’s Hardware was created and written by Men Behaving Badly creator Simon Nye. The show’s wry humour and offbeat setting provided a perfect showcase for the emerging talents of Martin Freeman, soon to achieve international success in The Office, and Rose d’Or winner Peter Serafinowicz (Spaced, Look Around You); the series also featured Ken Morley, best known for the character of Reg Holdsworth in Coronation Street, and Ella Kenion (The Catherine Tate Show). This release comprises both series of Hardware, originally screened between 2003 and 2004.