Cutting It (BBC1)

"Whatever" - A Teenage Musical (C4)

FOR many, Debbie Horsfield's hairdressing drama lost the plot when Allie chose Finn over Gavin as her partner at the end of the first series. It was a decision that lost her our sympathy and stretched our patience.

That a woman would opt for such an obvious bounder over gallant Gavin may have been dramatically necessary to guarantee a second series, but alienated those who had followed Allie's complex love life. A drama that was a cut above the rest became far more soapy and soppy with the follow-up series.

Like Allie gave Finn a second chance, after he'd deserted her as a pregnant teenager, I was prepared to do the same for the series but by episode two, things are out of control.

Allie is now both a new mother and a new grandmother, as daughter (by Finn) Ruby has had a baby with Allie's previous partner, the aforementioned Gavin. Allie thinks her baby's father is Finn, although we know that he's had the snip and is firing blanks (although I suppose an Ian Beale-like revival in the sperm bank isn't out of the question).

This means, if I've got it right and quite honestly I've a headache trying to work it out, that both new babies have the same father.

As Allie is played by the wonderful Sarah Parish, I want to like her. But her behaviour is becoming downright bizarre. This week, she was having trouble coping with her new infant, although the domineering nanny was far more trouble in my opinion.

Daughter Ruby, meanwhile, was taking to motherhood like a duck to water. Gavin's insistence on living in the country was the only blot on the landscape.

Finn, of course, is proving what a bastard he is although Allie has yet to wake up to the fact. He hires one of his many ex-wives to preside over a prestigious photo-shoot at Allie's hair salon.

Everyone else was relegated to minor roles as Allie and Ruby showed different approaches to bringing up baby in town and country. A pity, because most of the supporting characters are a lot more interesting, and certainly less infuriating, than Allie.

What Cutting It has in its favour is a brash and bright outlook on life, if only Allie would reject Finn in favour of Gavin.

The episode began with the cast singing, in the manner of a pop video, the Supergrass hit Alright. The cast of "Whatever" - A Teenage Musical burst into song from time to time too in a dramatised documentary musical about disaffected youth in Brighton.

This was clearly aimed at a younger audience than me, probably the 14 to 17 age group in which the performers fall. A mystery, and a pity too, then to put it out at 11.05pm when it's doubtful if they'd be watching.