The Repo Man

In recession-hit Britain, people are turning to finance companies to buy the items they want but can’t afford. For those who have signed up to sky-high repayments but fail to keep up with them, the next knock on their door could be from Sean James – The Repo Man.

This two-part documentary series follows the work of no-nonsense repo man Sean and his team as they repossess items from homes and businesses on behalf of finance companies. Whether it’s a well-loved and much needed family car, a chest freezer that needs ripping out of a Chinese Takeaway, or vital equipment hidden inside a mechanic’s workshop, Sean will repo anything, anywhere, any time. 

He is routinely faced with aggressive, emotional or sneaky ‘targets’ but once he has them in his sights, Sean has no intention of leaving empty-handed. Sean is willing to travel the length and breadth of the UK – aiming to search better, stake-out longer or interrogate harder than his competitors – ultimately to bring back the bacon, often when no-one else could.

This self-styled saviour of the repo world, owner of one of the UK’s leading repossession companies, Donegal Investigations, is supported by a rotating crew of part-time agents, including ex-World Champion boxer Marcus, ‘H’ an ex-Marine and scaffolder Reece - all men who can handle themselves if the need arises.

Sean is a repo veteran and has been in the business since leaving the Navy at 21, but despite his hard-man image, he harbours a much softer side, whether it’s painting, writing a series of fantasy novels or simply tucking in his kids at bedtime. Being a repo man just pays the bills and as Sean’s workload can be unpredictable, he also puts his artistic skills to use by painting murals for children’s bedrooms. Sean reaps a very different type of reward in this side-job as delighted children and parents full of praise are a long way from the upset or outrage he often leaves behind him after a repo mission.

The Repo Man documents the stories of those on the receiving end of the repossessions: from devastated Diane, who breaks down in tears when she realises that the car her ex-partner gave her is up for repossession; or the restaurant owner forced to pay up if he wants to keep the kitchen equipment and stay open that night; to born-again Michael, who sings a song of praise to God as soon as the brand new car has been removed from his driveway.

Action-packed, occasionally funny and touching, this series looks at Britain during the financial crisis through the eyes of one of the UK’s most dogged and persistent repo man.