His worst fears are confirmed. Each of his charges, with one exception, is a loser. As he works his way through the embarrassingly formulaic training set-pieces with never a doubt about the value of his corporate objectives, the awful reality of the appalling quality of the human material he has to work with becomes clear.

From failed actress to religious puritan, from would-be pop star to tarty young temptress, none is the trainee of choice - except, perhaps, the apparently sophisticated Charlotte, professional lady to her fingertips and romantic and professional hope of the slick and be-suited Church. Perhaps - but perhaps not.

In parallel with the hilarious accounts of Church's attempts to instil a corporate culture in the team, we are treated to funny and sometimes moving stories of the individuals' private lives and their relationships with each other on and off the job.

The threads of their lives are tangled and disentangled and the course ends with some clever and satisfying events and conclusions.