Skylover

I'm a bit behind but I love these scenes with Martin/Stacey/Sonia/Michelle & Jean. So great to have Sonia and Jean back for the Bex story.

I fail to see what Robbie Jackson will bring. Except being there as Bex's uncle and Sonia's brother I guess.

Thanks. The set for the bar where he DJs is really good. I might try and watch some today. What did you think of the character played by Jascha Rust?

Thanks. I think I liked the bad one. He was a DJ I believe. ETA: Love all that stuff about Jasmin! Releasing her own porno to get attention ! Only in soap Jasmin and Emily seem like the best girls in this show. Katrin and her ex are cool too.

I better tune in for the anniversary episodes. I love this show, nice to see it's got to 25 years. What happened to the older lesbian/bisexual who was having a relationship with the much younger girl?

Good old Marilyn. Simply one of the best!

Why are German men so hot. The casts are very very attractive in comparison to the UK and Aus soaps IMO. Those 2 actors did an awesome job when they lost the baby, I liked the scenes where they went to a support group. I really miss Jascha Rust. That UU story looks well worth tuning in to, that Valentin, wow!

Ah thanks, wow he has aged! I saw the thing where they lost the baby.

It's difficult to back the storyline. Especially when they could have created a child from Paul's missing years between 1993 and 2004. ETA: It was Australian ratings that went down.

The show has had a massive ratings drop after the Kim Taylor/Robinson Retcon plot in the last week.

Who's the guy in the yellow? Looks hot.

Sorry it's taken so long for me to reply, well a day, but still, I have so much to say about Neighbours I could sit here typing away forever. I don't disagree with Ben's points and I expect he has some differing opinions because I didn't elaborate about what I meant on certain points. As for the writers looking too much at the past, it's very much a recent observation I've made. In fact probably until the point Kim Taylor returned and they decided to make Ben a mechanic, I thought the balance was pretty much perfect. In the last 5 years they've used the past to great effect, bringing people back when necessary, leaving certain characters in the past who should be left in the past, and not bringing the returnees back for too long or too little. I've loved seeing Lucy, Clive, Kathy, Guy, Harold, Sarah, Angus etc. Using the past can certainly enhance stories and the show in general. The problem I have is what they're doing (or not doing) with Ben. He's been one of my favourite character and when Angus was around last year, the group of Ben, Piper, Xanthe and Angus was one of my favourite teen groups of all time. But they've all suffered since Angus' departure. Strangely enough none of the regular teens seemed to get as much exposure and character development as Angus, who was a guest, but they at least seemed to have more prominence when he was around. I can't stand how nothing is done with Ben. He's a legacy character and they treat him like an extra. Then when they finally get round to giving his character something to do, they make him a mechanic which makes no sense for his character at all. He comes across as quite an unassuming, shy, creative kind of boy, who I would expect to want to pursue music, fashion or modelling. Yet they want to give him a career which couldn't contrast with his personality any more if they tried, all because his dad Drew was a mechanic. If it feels to me like they're compromising Ben's natural character development for the sake of history. To me it's more important to progress the current characters than trying to crowbar something from history into every aspect of the show. Drew was hardly a memorable character, Libby is but this is about Ben, not Drew or Libby. Other than that i'm very disappointed with how he's ignored in general anyway. I don't like how Ben and Xanthe's relationship doesn't receive any screen-time. DRW50 - As you can probably tell from the EE thread, my opinions generally differ from most posters, and this is certainly no different in the Neighbours fandom. However, it appears that many people agree with me about this Ben situation, at least according to the Neighbours forums. The Kim story just seems strange to me. I do actually really love the fact that they've brought back a character from 1985, and I'm sure many others do, but us hardcore fans are probably only 0.0001% of the viewership so I fail to see how that benefits the show. Moreover, Kim was not a memorable character, she was never the strongest actress in the first place, so it makes little sense bringing her back to the current show. I and the other nostalgic hardcore fans are probably willing to put up with the poor acting, but are the majority of the viewership? Who don't even remember Kim...They may as well have re-cast her with a better actress, but rather than that they could have left the story along altogether and introduced the twins with other stories, like David coming out. Their paternity isn't particularly exciting for viewers. What would I change about the show? I'd spread the stories among the cast more evenly. The Mark/Sonya/Toadie/Andrea storyline has been thrilling, but at the expense of other cast and their stories. The teen characters who used to be central to the show are now glorified extras and personally I would give them more air-time. This is the show that created my name-sake Sky Mangel. I'd try and orchestrate Ben and Piper sharing more screen-time. I wouldn't pair them romantically as I'm aware the Typer fan base is quite large (much as I'd want to!) but both characters do come alive when they're together. The next thing I'd probably do is match-make Elly and Mark, see how they go together, or axe her. I have a love/hate relationship with Elly. She had no chemistry with Ned, and pairing him with her really stifled his character. On the other hand, when Angus was crushing on Elly it really brought out the best in both characters, the Angus character is my favourite character from 2016. I love how he's Sarah's son - a lot of people complained about how unrealistic it was that Sarah would want Angus to stay with Karl and Susan while she got treatment for her Cancer - I don't agree. Karl and Susan have always been suckers for a kid in need, and Sarah loved Karl not only because he was a caring Dr, but also because he represented that loving, stable, comfortable life that she craved. Her wanting Angus to be raised by them felt natural to me, and was a great storyline. I think Jai was perfect for the role too. Anyway - I'm going off on a tangent - back to Elly, she seems to work or not depending on who she has screen time with. It's bizarre. She comes alive in scenes with either Leo or Mark, so I'd be happy to see her paired with either of them. Unfortunately she doesn't work with her ex who has just come back into her life, Finn. I think if it came to it I'd axe her and re-cast Libby Kennedy. It feels wrong that Ben is there without his mum, I'd try and get back Michala Banas who played Libby when Kym was sick, or re-cast altogether. As you know with the Martin and Michelle EE re-casts, I'm all for a good re-cast as I think the character is more important. I'd also get some characters to return from eras which have been largely ignored. To me Steph's history/backstory feels largely ignored, so I'd probably try and get back the actors who played Michelle or Jack Scully, or have her brother Oscar come to stay. Even her father (re-cast) perhaps. It's been lovely to see Lyn so much the last couple of years but what about Steph's other family? I would have re-cast some of Lauren's kids or tried to get back Bailey If I was in charge of the show I'd try and get the G rating ditched as it hampers the show. I'd like to see Sonya have a relapse, take drugs and get smashed I don't want to see the show turn into EastEnders, but it'd be nice if they didn't have to skirt around issues. I'd axe Jack too, and introduce another early 20-something female for Paige to be friends with, and a teenage boy for Ben to be friends with (or re-introduce Angus). I find Ben isolated since Angus left. I think Amy deserves a story too. Not sure what else I'd change at the moment but I'll have a think I'm pretty tired right now

Ben!!! Please don't be a stranger!!

Good question! A lot! I'm at work at the moment but I'll post in a few hours time when it's quiet and I've had time to write a proper answer to that

No worries, I like talking about Neighbours Aw Alan. Karl and Susan have been brilliant throughout this Toadie/Sonya storyline.

Martin is brilliant. For me it's totally worth having re-cast Martin and Michelle. I'm gonna be mega p*ssed if Preston never returns.

The actor is really good in general but his story has sucked. I don't think there's really a place for him on the show. He and Paige went round in circles for about 9 months and were too isolated from everyone else. Having said that, his story has been better the last few weeks.

Sonya is quite an unlikeable character but she has a realness to her which I think is important to the show. She's done loads of really stupid things on the show but you always understand why she does things and I think that makes her very watchable even if you're not rooting for her. I find the actress hit and miss. Sometimes she blows me away and sometimes she falls flat, sometimes she can wail and be too OTT. There's loads they can do with her, and I'm hoping she relapses after her marriage breakdown. I think Mark has become a much better character recently. They've really played on him wanting to be a family man and I think that makes him likeable even if he can be self centred. Aaron floats around without much purpose, they need to give him a better job like as a barman at the Waterhole which he'd be more suited to than this brand enthusiasm crap. He lacks purpose like a lot of the characters like Ben, Amy and Gary. I used to love Tyler but he's lost a lot of personality since going after Piper. I find the couples all wrong. I'd like Elly/Mark, Ben/Piper, Tyler/Paige. They haven't even got 1 couple right IMO I'm a huge fan of Ben, Tyler, Aaron, David and Amy but I'm sick of their characters being ignored or under-valued.

I think the Tanakas are very well-acted, the issue I have with them is that I wish they'd focus on David and his coming out, and subsequent relationship (I presume) with Aaron. Leo isn't really needed. I'm concerned about the direction they're taking Amy in. To be honest I'm quite frustrated with the show as a whole at the moment actually. How does Neighbours manage to balls up stories involving the past so badly every time? ETA: at least they didn't mess up the Sarah/Angus story IMO.

I don't think that's true! In my opinion he was far hotter than Jason Donovan by quite a long way! Supposedly he was late to set quite a lot and I think that's why they replaced him. Really not happy with the direction they're taking Ben at the moment, making him a mechanic. He has shown no signs of loving cars, the writers are thinking too much about the past rather than thinking about him as a character.

The first Scott was lovely Bizarre that they've brought back Kim Taylor.

They've screwed the storyline up. Bex should never have been involved. They should have focused on Michelle and Preston. I still hope they bring him back though. Agree about Sharon.

Denise and Kush have no chemistry. They're making the show too miserable. Where's the balance.