Episode list

Snobbish dentist Laurence Rodenhurst and his flirtatious wife Liz see their socially-conscious daughter Jenny marry Paul, scruffy son of lower-class Ted and Rita Simcock. At the reception Jenny argues ethics with Ted's friend Rodney Sillitoe who owns a chicken factory, his wife Betty gets drunk, and melancholy widower Neville Badger tells anyone who will listen how much he misses his wife. Rita's father embarrasses her in front of Laurence, making her lament that the Rodenhursts must look down on her; she's unaware that Ted and Liz are having sex in one of the hotel rooms. When Jenny announces that she's pregnant, social niceties vanish and Ted's other son, brusque would-be philosopher Elvis, punches Jenny's estate-agent brother Simon.

Ted and Rita are Laurence's guests at the dentist's dinner dance,where,due to a misunderstanding,they are the only people in evening dress and where Ted tries to drum up trade for his foundry. Neville is still miserable, Elvis - working as a waiter - still arguing with Simon and Jenny still political,prompting a drunken Rodney to give up his factory. There are shocks in store for both Ted and his wife when Liz tells him she is pregnant,Laurence tells Rita that he knows their spouses have been having an affair and Rita's father collapses on the dance floor.

Now living apart from Rita Ted takes Liz to the Anglers' Club Christmas ball where everybody tries to persuade him to go back to his wife. Neville arrives dressed as Henry VIII,having lost his way to a fancy dress party and Rodney,his crisis of conscience having passed,offers Elvis a job at the chicken factory. Both Rita and Laurence turn up and Rita's rendition of a Christmas carol shows how popular she is with everybody,finally leaving with Laurence. Furthermore Ted is accused of cheating in order to win the Wisbech fishing contest and is forced to resign as club chairman. All the guests leave early and he admits to Liz that the evening has been a total disaster.

Ted is now bankrupt and Liz has left him,incurring Rita's scorn when they all meet at a charity evening to raise money for the local playhouse. Nonetheless Rita,now working as a secretary and fond of her independence,refuses to have Ted back and Liz is similarly unwilling to get back with Laurence,leading both husbands to suspect - wrongly - that Neville is more than just friends with the ladies. Paul,now the father of baby Thomas,is embarrassed when Carol,with whom he had a drunken one night stand,shows up.

Rodney has now bought Ted's foundry,causing some bitterness, so that when Ted turns up for the crowning of Miss Frozen Chicken (UK) sponsored by Rodney's Cock a Doodle chicken factory he refuses to speak to him. Rita also falls out with Betty after pointing out that her extreme drinking is well-known though,strangely,Elvis and Simon become friends. After letting in feminist protesters Paul admits his indiscretion with Carol to Jenny,who leaves him. However the evening's biggest shock comes when Liz and Neville announce that they plan to marry,upsetting Rita,though she still refuses to reconcile with Ted.

Liz and Neville get married,though Laurence's recent suicide throws a shadow on the proceedings.Jenny and Paul have reconciled as she is pregnant again, Elvis is dating Carol and Simon,under Elvis's tutelage,having an affair with a married woman. The reception is held at a small restaurant where not only are the Sillitoes dining but Ted working as a waiter alongside young waitress Sandra,whom he is dating. He is terribly embarrassed to have to serve his ex-wife,especially as she too has a younger squeeze,the handsome politician Gerry Lansdown,with whom she announces her engagement as soon as her divorce comes through.