Sons and Daughters began as the saga of two families linked by events that had happened twenty years earlier. At that time, young David Palmer and his pregnant girlfriend, Patricia Dunne, had found themselves at Fiona Thompson's Sydney boarding house. After giving birth to twins, a boy and a girl, Patricia promptly ran out on David and their son, taking baby Angela with her. Fiona was then left literally holding the baby, while David also took off to "get on his feet". He returned to collect John some years later, now married and with another young family of his own.
While David had married kaftan-wearing, Pavlova-baking Beryl, Patricia did much better for herself, marrying businessman Gordon Hamilton, and becoming something of a high society lady.
Life could have ticked along nicely for all of them, had John not been accused of killing his boss (John's future brother-in-law was the real culprit). He ran back to "Aunt Fiona", and within a few episodes had met his mother and sister (none of them realising the connection), decided Patricia was a rich bitch (correct) and fallen in love with his sister, Angela (whoops!). Of course, the truth eventually came out, John's name was cleared, and the scene was set for the action of the next year or two. Having been a spoilt little rich girl all her life, Angela moved in with the Palmers, and soon learned to appreciate her step-family, and the delights of their cream and beige décor. John, on the other hand, got a bit big headed and ended up driving fancy cars and dating petulant society girl Pru Armstrong.
Reunited after twenty years, David and Patricia realised they still had feelings for one another and embarked on a torrid affair, while Saint Beryl vowed to fight for her man. Meanwhile, their kids had their own problems. Susan's husband went to prison for murder, after John's name had been cleared, while brother Kevin got the girl next door pregnant and had to marry her.
The scene was set for six years of romance, intrigue, mayhem and melodrama.
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