This show tells the story of partners Freddie Thornhill (Sir Ian McKellen) and Stuart Bixby (Sir Derek Jacobi), who have lived together in a small central London flat for nearly fifty years. Constantly picking each other apart and holding on to petty slights for decades, Freddie and Stuart are always at each other's throats, cracking snide remarks aimed at the other's age, appearance, and flaws. However, underneath their vicious, co-dependent fighting, they have a deep love for one another. Freddie and Stuart are often joined by feisty best friend Violet Crosby (Frances de la Tour) and Ash Weston (Iwan Rheon), their young, upstairs neighbor.