Simon Nye's modern reworking of Beauty and the Beast stars Martin Clunes as Tom Fitzhenry, an ugly reclusive aristocrat who lives on his beautiful, slightly decaying estate. He despairs of ever having a relationship with a woman. Tom never leaves his home unless venturing out to attend to his roses.Tom is forced to hire a plumber for an urgent job to the mansion. Along comes Cathy, a quirky, vivacious barmaid from the council estate in the village, who carries out the plumbing work for her sick father. Cathy's blunt honesty is hard to swallow for Tom at first, but gradually he learns to change and love blossoms between them. But when Tom reverts back to his snobbish ways, Cathy flees back to the village. He realises that if he is to win Cathy back he must break a habit of a lifetime and conquer his inhibitions.