The first episode of David Nobbs' 'A Bit Of A Do' centres on the wedding of the Simocks' scruffy son Paul ( David Thewlis ) to the Rodenhurst's daughter Jenny ( Sarah-Jane Holm ). Both bride and groom are politically aware, she does not even want to be in church as she is an atheist. When Rita ( Gwen Taylor ), Paul's mother, berates him for failing his get his hair cut, he is so needled he walks out of the reception, intending to get one then and there. This in turn upsets Jenny. Rita's dad Percy Spragg ( Keith Marsh ) keeps showing his daughter up by making lavatorial comments. Ted ( David Jason ), Rita's husband, notices Liz ( Nicola Pagett ), Jenny's mother, making eyes at him. She has booked a room at the hotel where the reception is taking place, so they can make love. They do. Lawrence ( Paul Chapman ), Liz's husband, knows his wife is a bit of a nympho and does not care, provided she is discreet. Besides, the tuna fish vol au vents are a revelation...
Also at the reception are boring solicitor Neville Badger ( Michael Jayston ), and Rodney ( Tim Wylton ) and Betty Sillitoe ( Stephanie Cole ) owners of 'Cock A Doodle Chickens', the latter getting paralytic as the night progresses.
Jenny confesses that she is pregnant; Paul's philosophy student brother Elvis ( Wayne Foskitt ) hits her estate agent brother Simon ( Nigel Hastings ), and Percy reveals to the world that Rita was born out of wedlock. Just like any other wedding reception, in other words...
Nobbs on tip-top form. 'The White Wedding' gets the series off to a flying start, in fact it could almost serve as a self-contained play. As it gets underway, we are privileged to hear the thought processes of the main characters. We have all been to weddings at some point in our lives, and the humour here is very real. 'Only Fools & Horses' was still in production when this was made, and it is to Jason's credit that at no time at you reminded of 'Del Boy'. He later said that 'Ted' was about the only character he played in his career that he actively disliked. The sight of Nicola Pagett in sexy underwear attracted much press interest at the time. Keith Marsh's 'Percy' also appeared in the next episode - 'The Dentists' Dinner Dance' - in which he was killed off which is a shame as he was a good character. His wife 'Clarrie' is played by the late Maggie Jones, for many years 'Blanche' in 'Coronation Street'.
Also at the reception are boring solicitor Neville Badger ( Michael Jayston ), and Rodney ( Tim Wylton ) and Betty Sillitoe ( Stephanie Cole ) owners of 'Cock A Doodle Chickens', the latter getting paralytic as the night progresses.
Jenny confesses that she is pregnant; Paul's philosophy student brother Elvis ( Wayne Foskitt ) hits her estate agent brother Simon ( Nigel Hastings ), and Percy reveals to the world that Rita was born out of wedlock. Just like any other wedding reception, in other words...
Nobbs on tip-top form. 'The White Wedding' gets the series off to a flying start, in fact it could almost serve as a self-contained play. As it gets underway, we are privileged to hear the thought processes of the main characters. We have all been to weddings at some point in our lives, and the humour here is very real. 'Only Fools & Horses' was still in production when this was made, and it is to Jason's credit that at no time at you reminded of 'Del Boy'. He later said that 'Ted' was about the only character he played in his career that he actively disliked. The sight of Nicola Pagett in sexy underwear attracted much press interest at the time. Keith Marsh's 'Percy' also appeared in the next episode - 'The Dentists' Dinner Dance' - in which he was killed off which is a shame as he was a good character. His wife 'Clarrie' is played by the late Maggie Jones, for many years 'Blanche' in 'Coronation Street'.
