THE WEDDING THAT ALMOST WASN'T...

There was as much drama behind the cameras as in front of them when Sons and Daughters filmed its 800th episode - the wedding of Wayne Hamilton and Susan Palmer (Ian Rawlings and Oriana Panozzo).

Two key actors were involved in serious accidents and unseasonal, torrential rain almost forced the cancellation of an outdoor shoot in Queensland.

Just days before the wedding was to be filmed, Sarah Kemp, who plays ding-a-ling Charlie Bartlett, was savaged by a dog at a telethon and had to undergo plastic surgery to remove scars. Charlie is an important character in the lead-up to the wedding. Sarah was in such pain at the time of the filming that she had to be heavily sedated.

Oriana, who plays the blushing bride, was the next victim of misfortune. Just one day after the wedding episode was filmed the beautiful actress was involved in a car crash and rushed to hospital with burst blood vessels in one eye and lacerations to her face.

The accident could not have happened at a worse time as filming of the wedding couple's honeymoon in Queensland was set for the following week. And because Oriana was required in almost every scene, the important shoot had to be delayed.

Fate was still unkind to Sons and Daughters' producers as the new week set for filming marked the end of Noosa's five-month drought - it rained for four days at the outdoor location.

But as the old showbusiness adage goes, the show must - and did - go on.

Oriana said the storyline of the 800th episode was one of the most dramatic she had been involved in.

"The wedding was very dramatic, whereas a wedding should be a very happy time. You'll see lots of emotional things going on," she promised.

In true Sons and Daughters style, there is no lack of drama or tragedy behind the big day as, after five years of secretly loving each other, Wayne and Susan finally get to the altar.

"It has really been a love affair on the rebound," Oriana said. "There were a string of people trying to change Susan's mind."

All the Palmer family have been opposed to her marrying Wayne, and David told Susan he would never give his blessing to the marriage.

And so to the altar... it is Wayne's fourth marriage and sixth serious involvement. Earlier he had wed Jill Taylor (Kim Lewis) only to have her ex-husband turn up, married both Amanda Morrell (Alyce Platt) and Karen Fox (Lydall Rowe), been engaged to Julie Webb (Julie Nihill) and, in last year's cliffhanger episode, even married his half-sister, Mary Reynolds (Tessa Humphries).

 

By: John Burfitt
Source: TV Week
Date: 5 July 1986