Saturday, April 16, 2011

Six to watch: Soap weddings

Last night, as is traditional in EastEnders, the happiest day of Tanya's life ended in disaster. We revisit six of the most memorable soap weddings

The soaps' wedding season is well and truly upon us. Last week, Corrie gave us a double whammy of unholy matrimony as David and Kylie, plus Graeme and Xin grimly got spliced. And in EastEnders Tamwar and Afiain's union was doomed, even before the ceiling fell in on their guests. Last night it was Tanya and Greg's turn to get "cash and carried". And that could only mean one thing: marital misery as Tanya weepily whispered "I do" just as Max smashed his car into a lorry.

Getting hitched in soaps rarely goes without a hitch. People get jilted at the altar, bombshells are dutifully dropped during the lawful impediment question ("she's a man!"), or a late arrival reveals a pregnancy. And a wedding's not a wedding without a fight. Let's take a look at some highlights from the cavalcade of bigamists, liars, killers and fraudsters and love cheats who've marched down the aisle. And of course, you're invited to nominate your own favourites below.

Peter and Shelley, Coronation Street


This union wasn't really built to last ? mainly because inveterate womaniser Peter was already hitched to Lucy when he said "I do" to nice but dim Rovers' barmaid Shelley. "Does it matter?" Peter shrugged, almost admirably under the circumstances. On the day things kicked off with a huge fight. "Shut your big fat pointless mouth!" erupted Shelley in one of her better rejoinders. But inexplicably, she forgave him. "You'll never regret this, I promise," Peter lied. As usual, Ken was smug. "We did it. We got them to the altar" ? overlooking the fact that it's not usually a problem where Peter is concerned.

Ian and Mel, EastEnders


Never mind the UK's growing divorce rate ? in EastEnders, marriages are lucky to last the day. When Ian wooed glamorous barmaid Melanie and convinced her to marry him, everyone was astonished. Ian was a man so unbearable that his first wife hired a hitman to kill him, remember. But Mel had only agreed to wed him because Ian had told her his daughter, Lucy, had cancer (she hadn't). The millennium fireworks weren't confined to the sky when Mel discovered the truth, ("Guess what Ian, I don't love you and I never have") and walked out, still wearing her wedding dress.

Karen and Steve, Coronation Street


Watch out, she's got a stiletto! In Corrie, Karen had spent months and most of Steve's money planning her la-di-dah Valentine's wedding to a man she'd already divorced once (they married for a bet). As ever, Blanche called it right when she said Steve would be better off buying boomerangs than engagement rings ? he's been married five times. Their union was cemented when Steve declared: "Look, half the street think you're a slag, the other half think you're a nutter. I think you're both!" Who said romance was dead? However, Tracy had other plans for Steve, cancelling the photographer and venue, then announcing in the church that he was her baby's father. So, not Roy Cropper then. In a memorable scene, Karen whacked Tracy over the head with her shoe, resulting in a catfight in the aisle. Karen was all class, we miss her.

Phil & Stella, EastEnders


More alarm bells than wedding bells: Phil ? who is strangely irresistible to Albert Square's women ? headed down the aisle for a fourth time when he married lawyer Stella. He must really like wedding cake. Phil's son Ben revealed that Stella had been psychologically and physically tormenting him, just as the happy couple were exchanging rings. The bride fled to an abandoned warehouse and ended up on the roof arguing with Phil, before plumetting to her death. Happy days!

Frank and Lyn, Brookside

A Brookside wedding was never a joyous prospect, but Frank Rogers' wedding to Lyn, who he met at her brother's funeral, was particularly dispiriting. The groom didn't even make it to his own reception. After snorting industrial quantities of cocaine, Jimmy Corkhill (Scouseface) crashed into the wedding car, killing Frank and Tony, Ron Dixon's son who had hitched a lift with the happy couple. Later, following a scuffle with Frank's eldest daughter, Sammy, Lyn miscarried dead Frank's baby. Sorry about that.

Sharon and Dennis, EastEnders


Sharon wanted her missing father, Dirty Den ? who was also her fiance's father ? to give her away when the controversial couple tied the knot. Of course he turned up to spoil things, but not quite in the way Dennis had feared. It turned out he hadn't run off with another woman as everyone thought; in fact his ex Chrissie had murdered him and buried his body under the cellar floor of the Queen Vic. Sam, staggering about in her hoodie and swigging scotch, dug him up from beneath two tonnes of concrete. Congratulations! Here's your decomposed dad! It's not unusual to have skeletons falling out of the closet, but actually inviting them to the wedding?


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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/apr/15/six-of-the-best-soap-weddings

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