Bay White

Del has applied for a council grant but been turned down. After giving Rodney a bracelet for his birthday inscribed 'Rooney', Del drives Rodney to a fancy dress party where they are dressed as Batman and Robin. However the Reliant Robin breaks down and, as the brothers are running through the fog in costume, they scare off a gang of muggers about to rob a female councilor. At the party they are the only guests in costume because the birthday boy has actually died and the party is now a wake. But there is good news next day when Del catches one of the muggers as he is about to rob an old lady and knocks him unconscious. He gets a medal AND his council grant as a reward for helping the female councilor. Good news for Rodney too as Cassandra announces that she is pregnant.

This is the hard and shocking story of life in a British borstal for young offenders. Luckily the regime has changed since this TV film was made. The brutal regime made no attempt to reform or improve the inmates and actively encouraged a power struggle between the 'tough' new inmate and the 'old hands'. Banned by the BBC for 14 years, this original television version of 'Scum' was finally aired in July 1991. Meanwhile, the director and writer had re-made the film [see Scum (1979)] for theatrical release after it was originally banned for TV broadcast.

The compelling story of two young 'alives' -- facing a moral self-destruction they dare not admit!