This entertaining comedy drama series comes to close on ITV1 on Monday 5 November @ 9.00pm and it's the wedding day for Dr Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) and Louisa Glasson (Caroline Catz). It’s business as usual for Dr Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes), even though it's his wedding day. He opens the surgery as normal to a stream of patients, including one of the bridesmaids.
Louisa Glasson’s (Caroline Catz) best friend Isobel (Amanda Abbington), who is heavily pregnant, is hit in the eye with a party popper as Roger Fenn (Jeff Rawle), who is giving Louisa away, raises a toast to the bride to be. The doctor prescribes eye-drops, and a patch to cover the injury. An eye patch with a bridesmaid’s dress is not a good look.
Martin manages to offend the local vicar (David Ryall) who is due to conduct the wedding ceremony by suggesting he has a drink problem. But when he goes to the church to try to placate the vicar, Martin catches him red handed with a bottle of whisky.
The vicar stumbles as Martin tries to take the bottle away from him, falls over, and fractures his pelvis. As the ambulance takes the vicar to hospital, Martin is left with the dilemma of finding a replacement vicar with just three hours to go to the wedding.
Pauline (Katherine Parkinson) suggests he could try contacting the former vicar of Delabole, Mr Porter (David Bamber). The retired cleric now lives on a farm, and is almost as curmudgeonly as the doctor. Mr Porter strikes a deal with the doctor. He will conduct the wedding ceremony if Martin will examine his sick pig. There’s no choice for Martin as he dons his surgical gloves.
Bert (Ian McNeice) and Al Large (Joe Absolom) are putting the finishing touches to the wedding banquet when disaster strikes. A burst pipe floods the restaurant where the reception is to be held. Bert appeals to an old mate to help him to save the day and loan him a marquee. The only problem is the marquee looks more like a circus tent.
Could anything more go wrong with the preparations? Portwenn’s zealous policeman PC Joe Penhale (John Marquez) locks up the village florist, Charlie Briggs (Andy Pointon), for trying to steal a bike. But his enthusiasm for cracking crime means that all the flowers for the wedding are locked up in the florist’s shop. Aunt Joan appeals to the police constable to free Charlie, but he refuses. But in a surprising move PC Penhale, breaks open the shop door himself, allowing Aunt Joan to collect the flowers.
With less than an hour to go to the ceremony, Isobel goes into labour. Martin is summoned by Louisa and, on a windswept hill top above Portwenn, he delivers a healthy baby boy.
Now it’s a race against time for Martin and Louisa to get to the church on time. Dressed in their wedding finery in their respective homes, they reflect on the commitment they are about to make. Meanwhile the vicar and the guests are at the church awaiting their arrival…..