In the early 1960s aspiring stage actor Harry H. Corbett jumps at the chance to play junk-dealer Harold Steptoe in a television comedy show 'Steptoe and Son'. However, the show's success proves to be a poisoned chalice for him, type-casting him and thwarting his stage ambitions. Wilfrid Brambell, the actor playing his father, is marginalized in a different way. He is a gay man in an England where homosexuality is still illegal.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Jason IsaacsHarry H Corbett | Harry H Corbett |
 Phil DavisWilfrid Brambell | Wilfrid Brambell |
 Roger AllamTom Sloan | Tom Sloan |
 Clare HigginsJoan Littlewood | Joan Littlewood |
 Burn GormanRay Galton | Ray Galton |
 Rory KinnearAlan Simpson | Alan Simpson |
 Sophie HunterMaureen Corbett | Maureen Corbett |
 Zoë TapperSheila Steafel | Sheila Steafel |