White Teeth

2002 - 2002

The Peculiar Second Marriage of Archie Jones

17th September 2002

Episode 1

It's 1974. Archie Jones is one of life's great losers. Even his attempt to kill himself is foiled by a passing butcher. The return of his old war comrade, Samad Iqbal, brings back a secret Archie has been trying to forget, and Samad's wedding to a feisty girl half his age makes lonely Archie feel even worse. Convinced that he 'picked up the wrong life in the cloakroom of existence', Archie is not expecting a sudden diversion to a funkier place. But on New Year's Eve, a chance encounter at a wild party changes everything.

The Temptation of Samad Iqbal

24th September 2002

Episode 2

Samad Iqbal is in self-described 'chicken tikka purgatory', working as a waiter in his cousin's curry house and forced to sleep in the loft by his wife, Alsana, who is on sex-strike. Fate presents frustrated Samad with the ultimate test of his faith, in the shapely form of Poppy Burt-Jones, his twin sons' teacher. A passionate adulterous affair throws Samad into turmoil. He decides to try and make amends by saving his sons from the corruption of the West, although he can afford to send only one of them back to Bangladesh for a proper education in the old ways. Millat needs it most, but Magid saw his dad kissing Poppy.

The Trouble with Millat

1st October 2002

Episode 3

It's 1992, and sexy Millat is 17, streetwise and idolised by Archie's daughter Irie, who is in turn adored by nerdy Josh Malfen. When all three get caught with a joint at school, their punishment is study classes with Josh's eccentric parents, controversial geneticists Marcus and Joyce. Millat charms Joyce, and soon moves in with them after Samad kicks him out. But before long, Joyce and Irie are heartbroken when Millat leaves to join an Islamic sect. Meanwhile, to Samad's horror, grown-up Magid is more 'British' than ever. He has a place at Oxford - and a secret benefactor who is flying him home.

The Return of Magid Iqbal

8th October 2002

Episode 4

In a finale of love, death and revelation, Archie's secret comes out once and for all.

Top Cast

Om Puri•Phil Davis•Naomie Harris

The lives of three families are woven together across three decades in multi-cultural Britain.

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Full Cast

Om Puri Image

Om Puri

Samad

Phil Davis Image

Phil Davis

Archie

Naomie Harris Image

Naomie Harris

Clara

Archie Panjabi Image

Archie Panjabi

Alsana

Deepak Verma Image

Deepak Verma

Shiva

Mona Hammond Image

Mona Hammond

Hortense

Jeff Mirza Image

Jeff Mirza

Mo

Full Crew

Charles Pattinson Image

Charles Pattinson

Executive Producer

Suzan Harrison

Executive Producer

Catrin Meredydd

Art Direction

George Faber

Executive Producer

Adrian Johnston Image

Adrian Johnston

Original Music Composer

Barbara Herman-Skelding

Set Decoration

Maureen Duff

Casting

Sharon Martin

Makeup Designer

Nicolas Brown

Producer

Rudi Buckle

Sound Recordist

Rebecca Eaton Image

Rebecca Eaton

Executive Producer

David Odd

Director of Photography

Alice Normington

Production Design

Andrew Hulme

Editor

Rosie Hackett

Costume Design

Gail Stevens

Casting

Gianluca Buttari

Foley Editor

Chris Lyons

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Zadie Smith Image

Zadie Smith

Novel

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