Skylover

God, I wish I could watch some more of the early years from some of the stuff I've read in this thread. It sounds like they did some really hard-hitting stuff, and not just stuff that was for the sake of drama. What year did this Donna character feature? They definitely seem to have upped the ante as far as continuity is concerned. You're so right about the writing making the acting seem forced, Carl. Such as that line from Anthony about chewing gum. It's like the interaction between new and existing characters is so forced and isn't done in a very organic way. Having said that, Anthony seemed wooden in his scene with Michael too.

I have to agree with you to a certain extent, Amello. On the one hand, I think the show desperately needs to bring in some eye candy and bolster some of the existing families but, on the other hand, I don't think the Moons are the right family to build, and I don't know if the casting has been that great. On the whole reaction to the new Moons has been very split, some loving them and some hating them. I think in terms of looks they've done well, as the boys do look like they could be related, but both actors don't seem to be very natural, especially the actor who plays Anthony, as he came across as very wooden in his debut episode. Having said all this, I will give them time to grow as they could work out well for the show in the long run. Who could have seen that Ronnie and Roxy would become such good characters (I know some don't like Roxy but I do and I think many others do). I have a feeling these two could be characters that really come into their own and we could get some mileage from them. Though I could see it going the other way and them being axed in a year or so. I also hate Michael, and it's clear they've chosen David Essex for his star as he's also not a very natural actor. Lola seems very theatrical but she's started to improve in the last few episodes. I like that they're trying to revitalise Billy's character (which, granted they've been doing for years; I personally think they should never have gotten rid of Honey) and I think it's working with Julie and Lola. Only they've now made the idiotic decision to get rid of Julie. Seeing how wooden the Moons were in the pub scenes made me wish the PTB were holding on to the talented actors like Zoe Lucker. A terrible mistake getting rid of Vanessa.

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actually really like Joshua Pascoe in the role of Ben. I think both of you make excellent points about the character. I know I'm in a minority liking Ben (and Josh) but I think the way the character always seems so awkward around others is part of the character. He seems very anti-social and bitter about his life, which I think is an aspect Joshua has brought to the role. I think he's become a lot more complex since Joshua took on the role and I never really liked Charlie's version. I'm not sure about Ben being a villain for the show, and I think it seems unlikely. I don't want his sexuality to cloud the way they write for the character, but I don't want him to be an all-out villain either. Somewhere inbetween would be good. I think it's a good direction to take the character in what with the massive contrast between him and Phil, but I don't think it's the right time to do it. With Christian and Syed featuring in such high profile stories and having just had a huge story involving the Masoods not accepting their gay soon, it's a bit overkill for the same to happen with Phil and Ben, but you can't get away from that if the storyline is done now because that's naturally the way he will react. It's also not the right time because the writers still need to give the character time to settle in and need to give the audience time to get used to him. If this was a new character I don't think the backlash would have been so prominent, there's no getting away from the fact that the contrast between Charlie and Joshua has caused a lot of fan to be unhappy, and understandably. As you say, Santer always wanted Ben to be a joke, but it seems that Kirkwood doesn't want that, and time to develop is what's needed for the character to build, and the audience to form some sort of attachment. Though I guess with the age that he's at, it's understandable that they'd do the story now...

Oh my goodness, I think I may have just turned straight. How beautiful has Holl Valance become: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMirFwsak_M I'm disappointed she doesn't want to go back into music. I was also going to ask, Ben, do you think Neighbours has the potential to last much longer or do you think it's one of the contemporary soaps which will die soon? Many people talk of its demise, and that due to low ratings on Five it most likely won't last another five or so years? It makes me sad to see on the boards and just in general that the show doesn't seem to be talked about hardly at all anymore, but will the diehard let it go without a fight? It is very much a TV anomoly, the way it's survived after its turbulent history.

I can't believe I've found you Ben, I've never talked to such an interesting, intelligent person on a messageboard. I love reading your posts. Seriously, have you not written for soap before? I think you'd be great, have you ever considered it? I'd love to write for Neighbours, H&A or EastEnders but I haven't got the confidence to do anything about it. I don't know where to get the necessary experience in the field... LOL at Steve running aimlessly through the bush for an entire episode. So true. Steve Parker's pinacle moment surely has to be talking with Lucas about a goldfish for an entire episode in 2009. I couldn't believe what I was watching. The Parkers were just a car crash full stop. I find it hugely ironic that Bridget was involved in a car accident as her arrival storyline, and then died in a car accident for her departure storyline. Neighbours can get things wrong (obviously) but to me, everything bad it has done at various times over the years, all culminated in the Parkers. Of course I've seen the 1997 season finale, I'm a hardcore Neighbours fan you know Yeah, I know I haven't watched 2000 or 2001, but my obsession with the show is unnatural. I have archived every episode of the show from April 2002 to the present day, bar September and November 2003. I loved that finale, you are so right, it was a brilliant season cliffhanger. Looking back, it seems strange that the show hasn't progressed in that regard. It has gone backwards in so many ways what with the censorship and the crap stunts. You have to wonder why the stunts are so poorly done. Do you think the producer just thinks it's not important, or that it's too expensive, or maybe that sometimes it's not logistically possible? I'm surprised you haven't been able to see the 97 episode again, Ben, don't you have the Iconic Episodes DVDs? The 6000th episode is my favourite episode of 2010, and actually one of my favourite episodes ever. It far surpasses the Libby/Steph aftermath if you ask me. I hated the aftermath. I didn't have a problem with the way the secret was outed, but it was all so theatrical. The confrontation out in the street between Libby an Steph is one of the lowest points in the history of the show for me. It was like the antithesis of what Neighbours should be. I liked the references to the past such as how Steph had always wanted Drew, and the first bike crash, but I found the acting quite poor. It wasn't Carla or Kym's best moment, very much 'reading the script' acting. And Libby calling Steph a 'filthy tramp' or something similar was almost as bad as when Chris was running after Andrew saying 'You're cactus, Robinson' about selling him the dating manual. Gosh, typing it out like this makes you realise how stupid the show can be sometimes The camerawork for the reveal was also all over the shop, for such an important moment you'd think they'd try and keep it still. Plus the dodgy music in the background which was meant to add tension to the moment but just highlighted how pathetic the whole thing was. Funnily enough, I wasn't against the idea of Steph getting pregnant by Dan, it's just the way they went about it. They could have done it without turning Steph into a selifish, manipulative b*tch who acted without any logic whatsoever. I always said I would have liked it had she told Toadie shortly after she found out that she was pregnant to Dan, and she chose to tell everyone the baby was the result of a one-night stand. Then a few months later Libby walks in on a conversation between Steph and Toadie talking about the paternity of the baby and jumps to the conclusion that Toadie was the father. When she asks them excitedly, Steph is about to say he isn't when Toadie, in a moment of madness, jumps in to help Steph and admits that he is the father. This way all of the characters could have stayed true to themselves; Toadie would still be tied to the story but in a less contrived way. People probably would have enjoyed the storyline a lot more that way. What were your other favourite episodes from 2010? After ep 6000 my next favourite would be 6025; Steph and Libby's confrontation followed by Ringo's death. The scenes in the bedsit were absoutely fantastic, as opposed to the reveal, these scenes were full of such emotion, they were so character-driven and so complex. It was the resolution to a story betwee friends that had been building for ten years. It touched on so many aspects of the characters and I loved it so much. The only thing that would have made it better was if Kym V hadn't used botox as it made her acting look poor with the lack of ability to move her face when in actual fact she's a star of the show. I also loved Steph's exit. It broke my heart to see her story end in such a horrible way, but I think the story, although maybe not intentional by the writers, had such a deep meaning and really made the audience think. That one mistake (sleeping with Dan) which could happen one night, can have such massive consequences for the rest of your life, because ultimately Steph wouldn't have been in that motel that day if she hadn't slept with Dan. A fantastic story and I don't care that many hated Steph's departure, I thought it was unique. I think it suited the character too. Steph has always been someone attracted to danger, right from the days of Woody, and I think there's a dark tone to the character that isn't often shown. She always felt that she wasn't worthy of being happy, and she always seems to sabotage her happiness, she feels she doesn't deserve it. And that danger is the thing she clings on to to maker her feel like she has a purpose, and that was the character's biggest downfall. I think her relationship with Max was out of character, b/c he represented everything that Steph was against, but maybe that's why she went for him, to bring normality back to her life? I suppose you could say that it was a natural progression for her to seek something grounded after the mess she made with her former boyfriends like Woody. Anyway, I've written all of this as it's why I think Steph's an iconic character. I don't know if iconic's the right word; on DS there have been many posters discussing what the word iconic actually means, and they think that people use it too often tom describe characters when the word should only be used sparingly to describe the ultimate stars of the show. I don't think that Steph became 'iconic' because she was in it for ten years, but time does help as the character develops so much more than a character who only appears for three years. To be fair though, a character has to be doing something right to be in the show that long, wouldn't you say? You're right about the Scullys arrival making them seem like aliena. I agree that this was used later for the Timmins, but I woul say it was more successful for the latter. What's your opinion of the Timmins family? I suppose it was original that the Scullys were a family with 3 daughters but I think that limited their appeal. There was nothing to instantly like about this family or draw you in. They were just the annoying new family. The problem with it being 3 girls is that you felt like you were just watching some teen girls whining for 20 minutes, it was more like a children's TV show than a soap with the Scullys. Reading what you've written, perhaps you are right about the Martin family. I guess we will never know because they haven't stayed as long as the Kennedys, but do you think you would have felt like that at the time, not knowing how long the K's would still be there for? Were you upset that the Martins had gone? Perhaps I wold feel differently if the Martins had been replaced by a family that I liked, but I think the fact I dislike the Scullys early years so much taints my view of getting rid of the Martins. There were other ways they could have beefed up the Martins; they could have explored more of Ruth's extended family, or maybe they could have adopted? To be fair though, it was probably the right decision to introduce a new family, I just don't think the Scullys were as good as the new family could have been. I like your description of Flick. Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish between well-written characters and good actors. In this case I think I disliked Flick because I thought Holly was a poor actress. You have a point that Flick had a good story, but I never really believed in Holly as an actress. I don't like how many viewers seem to remember Flick as one of the classic characters, as I feel that gew out of Holly's looks and public profile from her music career more than anything to do with the character. Funnily enough, I LOVE Holly's music. I put on her album the other day and it doesn't sound dated at all despite being released in 2002. A highly underrated artist and a shame she didn't persevere with her music career as I think she had a good thing going with a unique sound. Jack was an ok character. Didn't exactly set me alive. I liked his 2004 storyline with Macca(?) and getting involved with drugs, even if they couldn't even say the word(!) Another fantastic story from 2004 and I love how they tied Stuart into it as well. There's nothing bad about that season, pure bliss really. I think Jack fitted well into the family, do you? I loved his relationship with Michelle, they had great chemistry as siblings and out of all the siblings I think they had the closest relationship. That's probably my favourite thing about both characters. I didn't mean that I thought Michael was meant to be like Joe, but I think it's a shame that most of the older males are in that mould now rather than the Joe S/M mould. Yeah, he is supposed to be laid-bck etc which annoys the hell out of me most of the time, with his irresponsible decisions as principal. I have read about Tash's aunt, it's certainly intriguing. Do you want her to be a b*tch like Tash, or a character that can give Tash some guidance and get sympathy from the audience or Tash? I can't decide, I think I'd be happy with either scenario, but with the bching that goes on these days in the show, maybe it would be nice to have another grounded character. Especially as Dr Lawson is going to be a 'love-to-hate' character apparently. Many people are speculating that this 'aunt' could be revealed as Tash's real mum later in the year in the Lyn/Valda style. Do you think that's likely? I have to agree with your mum about Tom Scully. I was always found him smug too, he seemed above his station. His return was in 2007, I have an unnatural affinity with the dates/years that everything happened in Neighbours, which comes out of my love for the show. I have Neighbours Asperger's. I loved that he and Susan watch Hitchcock films together one night, and in the recent story with Susan and Jim Dolan, Jim said one of his favourite films was Vertigo, to which I was hoping Susan would mention Tom but no such luck. Seems like such thorough and possibly contrived continuity would occur if I was in charge Was Lyn being religious not mentioned before Tom's arrival? I'm sure it's always been a part of the character, but maybe I'm wrong. I wouldn't have expected Lyn to react badly to Chris being gay as she was a hairdresser and as you say, loved Gino. I wish he'd come back You think they did edit Callum and Sonya's backstories then? I'm inclined to disagree, as apart from Callum saying he caught his mum stealing from his piggybank, nothing else had ever been mentioned about her. So it doesn't fit with one line...? Plus I would say it is totally natural for Sonya's character. She went out of her way not to go out with Toaie back in 2009, making up all the excuses under the sun why she couldn't go out with him. I watched an ep the other day and Toadie said 'she must have a really messed up past' so it seems like it does fit to me. You're right about Jade and the GG thing. Also, why is Jade Asian? As you say, the later no.30 group had some poor comedy stories like the bikini shop and the wrestling, but there was a lot of other light-hearted stuff that I enjoyed. Maybe I should give 2000/2001 another go, but the fact that the Scullys heavily feature is a hige turn-off for me. Against all odds, I found myself liking Carolyn too. But I think a lot of viewers probably didn't because of the reasons I mentioned. I hadn't thought before about the similarities between her and Madge, and you have a point. But I think they could have shown her domineering side and how she was similar to Madge in a more believable way. Why shouldn't Harold have had a bucks night? It seems like an example of looking for drama when it isn't there or doesn't come naturally. Lou and Carolyn not getting on seemed like a predictable road to go down to me. What I meant by not knowing how to pronounce her name is that, right up until the wedding the characters were calling her 'Caro-lyn' but then on the wedding day even Harold pronounced it 'Caroline'...?! I want to end this post by saying, I totally disagree that Lucas should leave, I would be very upset if he were to go as he's one of my favourite characters and has been consistently since his arrival. What an amazing actor they have in Scott Major and an awesome character in Lucas. I never get bored of his scenes and I think he's easily one of the strongest characters of the last decade. He's the sort of character that can mix with anyone and it works. So much charm and charisma hiding a damaged, vulnerable individual. I think it proves how wonderful he is that pretty much all of the characters have gone that he once interacted with, yet he continues to be such an onscreen presence. You're right, we have covered a lot, and I know I'd certainly come here if I wanted to knoe more about the show.

I just realised that I said I'd add more to the thread later, but reading through your points I think I've responded to everything! The only thing I'd like to add is that when I said I loved Cameron's death, it was more that I was impressed with the stunt than anything else. When I heard that Max was going to run him down, I was expecting some lame off-camera shot a la the Parkers car crash, but we actually saw Max hit Cameron and it looked real. It is a rare moment that Neighbours does a stunt and it works. I really wish that we had seen Paul fall from the mezzaninein the 6000th episode. What we got instead was pathetic and ruined the tension in the episode. Look forward to reading your reply soon!

I feel quite sorry for Michelle Collins as I don't think she deserves all the criticism she's getting. The press really annoys me. To be honest I'm surprised that Phil Collinson and Michelle seem to be taking it so well, they don't seem upset at all. Still, as you say, there was really no need for them to go on TV for this. What a waste of time. Thanks for the link though, it was interesting watcing it.

Have I missed something? Why has Lauren suddenly become such a whore and has set her sights on any guy that comes her way? Maybe I haven't been watching very closely but her caracter seems to have changed a fair bit. I'm glad they re-cast her though, it wasn't great to begin with but Jacqueline Jossa has really come into her own. What do people think of ryan Kirkwood as producer so far? I notice that I empathise for the characters more since he took over. Ronnie always seemed like a selfish b*tch under Santer, but her exit the last few months have been written so well and you really feel sorry for the character.

I agree that Oliver and Carmella's return was rushed, as well as Rebecca's exit. I'm not really sure why they chose to bring back Oliver and Carmella anyway, as they barely featured in the episodes they were in, and their return just seemed like a publicity stunt. I was annoyed that Carmella didn't share a scene with Toadie. I hated the Scullys when they arrived. Maybe because the Martins were my favourite Neighbours family, so to me, it was a heavy blow that their exit episode didn't end on their exit. It was so contrived how the Scullys pulled into the drive just as the Martins left. I guess they wanted to show that a new era had started, but it just highlighted what a loss the Martins were. Then the writers proceeded to give the Scullys a stereotypical, OTT entrance with them rubbing people up the wrong way etc i.e. Lyn saying about Susan's hair. To me Steph and Lyn are iconic in Neighbours history, especially Lyn. But I think the others are generally forgettable. ITA about Lyn's idiosyncrasies. She was OTT to begin with, but she became such a brilliantly defined character thanks to Janet's brilliant acting. I never understood why they chose to bring in a nuclear family with three daughters, there wasn't much appealing about them at first, though I guess Flick was hot and that was something that young boys would have liked. I guess Phil and Ruth had naturally reached the end of their potential in storylines, but much like Karl and Susan stick around still for the fact that they're long-termers and generally are loved by the fans, I think the Martins should have too. I don't know if I attach a certain amount of sentimental value to the family as they were the main family during my upbringing. Though Ian Rawlings was very committed to the show, and at that point the Martins were the only, if tenuoius, link to the beginning of the show. I suppose Madge was also there, but it wasn't as if the Martins had become a fragmented family as Hannah, Anne and Lance were still in the show, though maybe they realised that Anne was leaving in a few months and wanted no.26 to have a clean slate. Michelle Scully started to become a decent character around 2002, when shebegan dating Connor. She was a very bland character but I found Flick rather bland too. A character like Joe Scully seems to be a rareity these days; an alpha male trying to look after his family the best he can. The older males in the show seem very watered down aka Michael, or characters based on the Joe Scully model just fail epicly, i.e. Steve Parker. As for storied Phil and Ruth could have had, I could see maybe Ruth wanting to have some/a child/ren together but Phil not being keen on the idea since already had children from two different marriages. Another reason it was silly to get rid of them, was because they could always have brought back Debbie, or rather Michael, who could always have been a source for stories, being such a troubled character. I can see why you found Debbie annoying but I liked her on the whole. I always think she didn't really know how she fitted into the family. I am too young to remember, but I have been told that during her anorexia/bulimia storylines, Marnie Reece-Wilmore slimmed down so much the story had a real impact. I agree about the K/S/I triangle. It was extremely well-written and last year I watched the entire 2004 season again. It was so good that it only took me a few months to get through. You could see each character's point of view and every twist and turn had you on the edge of your seat, like Father Tom Scully getting involved, Darcy, Gus, the dreams. It was paced so well; it wasn't too dragged out or too fast. It seemed so real and natural. I was a Kizzy fan too. There was a chemistry between Karl and Izzy, and you really wanted Izzy to just be loved and cared for. I like your ideas for the Ramsay backstory. Such a shame that nothing will ever be done to sort out that mess while Bower is in control. I am very much a fan of Toadie and Sonya. They are becoming one of the best couples in the show at the moment, but I think Eve Morey is an outstanding actress who really drives the stories with her portrayal. I don’t have a problem with the fact that her being Callum’s mother came out of nowhere. I’m sick of reading that they edited the backstory to fit with it when actually, they didn’t. I don’t like how the adults !@#$%^&*] foot around Callum and treat him like a ten year old, plus I feel that Toadie can be a bit self-righteous and has changed quite a bit as a character but that is down to the plot-driven nature of the wrters storytelling at the moment. I didn’t appreciate how Sonya was victimised by promising Callum that she would never gamble again, as she only did that because she loved him so much. Sonya and Toadie have potential to be a long-term Neighbours couple IMO, I just hope that Eve Morey is committed to the show long-term, I’d love to see the two have children. As for Drew/Joel/Sarah/Dee/Tess, I have to admit, they’re probably a bit before my time as I don’t recall that much about them. Drew was a similar character to Declan in that he was a leading man and a bit of a heart throb, his relationship with Libby never really bothered me that much and I actually thought she had much stronger chemistry with Darren. I couldn’t stand Joel, he was quite annoying a lot of the time and I wasn’t a fan of the no.30 comedy plots of that time with him, Toadie and Lance, though Lance was a vastly superior character. I can’t comment on Tess as I know virtually nothing about her. After the Martins left, I lost a lot of passion for Neighbours and din’t start watching properly again until 2003. Recently I’ve watched the 2002 season so that is still fresh in my mind but the there’s nothing from the 00-01 period that makes me want to watch it. I don’t think the Hancocks deserve the reputation they have. I suppose you could argue that they were extremely bland but I don’t see why the writers couldn’t have developed the characters more to make them work. Evan, to me, was clearly the weak link of the piece. He seemed such a weak male character, and the actor was awfully stunted in his delivery. IMO they should have killed him off and kept the rest. Given time I think Maggie could have been a great character. When I went back to watching the 2002 season this year I was surprised that the family were so hated. They were heavily involved in storylines leading up to their departure such as Matt drag racing and the marriage problems between Maggie and Evan and there were some touching moments. I recall a moment when Matt was taken away by the police and he had to explain to Emily that he was going away for a while, it was all very heart-breaking. The Parkers far surpass the Hancocks as worst Neighbours family ever, if you ask me. IA about Harold’s return. On the whole it has been a disappointment for me. I was expecting some epic scenes with all the old-timers like Lyn, the Ks, Lou, Toadie and Summer. I was also annoyed that he didn’t even share one scene with Lyn. His return has lacked something. I think it’s because they brought him back for Toadie’s storyline and I would have much rather he came back for a story of his own. It just all lacked purpose and you were left wondering why they even brought him back. I was one of the few who wasn’t against Harold re-marrying and I stick by that, but they even managed to stuff that up. It could have been great, but we didn’t get to see any of Harold and Carolyn’s relationship without other characters thrust upon scenes and that left you with the feeling that you didn’t know who she was. Then they make her bribe Troy to leave town, not allow Harold to have a bucks night and be a right b*tch to Lou for no reason. It was like the writers didn’t even want viewers to like Carolyn? To be honest I’m not really sure how they managed to screw it up so badly. I’m not even sure how her name is meant to be pronounced? I loved Connor. I actually really miss him and his friendship with Toadie is one of my all-time favourites. The Stu/Connor/Toadie household is far supierior to the Lance/Joel/Toad one, though maybe not as strong as the 2006 gang. He was such a fun and upbeat character, though a little silly at times, I can see why people would think he was one-dimensional in some ways. The ECO triangle sent me to sleep. I hated Oliver with a passion. He’s one of the most selfish characters of all time. Oliver was the root of the problem, but none of the pairings appealed to me either. Mia was a character with great potential, they should have kept her on, her and Oliver had quite a lot of chemistry but I think Mia was the sort of character who would work with anyone. IA about Sister Mary Catherine. I know that she only became a nun to ease her conscience, but as you say they should have shown how religion had become important to her. The way they did write it in the end just showed that it was an ill-thought out plot device and lacked depth. The story would have had more of a point if Carmella’s time in the convent had impacted her more than she was expecting it. Perhaps she realised that their way of life was something to be admired, and her attitude to life did change after all? They didn’t need it to be a major part of her character after she ditched the habit, but it could have slightly influence her behaviour from then on. The odd comment here or there to guide the other characters. Just to show that people can be driven by religion, even if it’s just in a subtle way. I think I’ve answered your posts back to front, not sure if I’ve replied to everything but will soon when I get time. These posts are insanely long but I enjoy reading them

I'm so sick of Tyler Moon already. Why do new characters and returns always have to be written in such a sensational way? I know the characters have to establish themselves, but many characters like Tyler always arrive and are so OTT to begin with. And like has already been said in this thread, the bad boy womanizer thing is so overkill. I can't hardly understand some of his lines either. ^Btw thanks for the heds up. I will be wathing that. I hope they show Janine's exit from 2004 even if she has returned now.

I am really loving Rainie. She's pretty much my favourite character right now. I have hated her most of the time, but I don't know why it is that she's been drawing me in recently. I hope they make her a permanent character. What are your thoughts on the character, Carl?

I agree that Bower would never axe a Ramsay, and would probably not axe any character that has been introduced during her reign. I think the Ramsays can be great at times though, their backstory is complete sh*t, and it's a shame that Bower won't just rectify the story so that they aren't actually Ramsays. I think more people would warm to them then. I've always thought that their father, Patrick Mooney(?) should turn up, despite supposedly being dead, and take their story in a different direction. After all, Paul was the one who was told by an unidentified source that the dad was dead, so it could easily turn out that he wasn't. I don't really know how I'd write their backstory to correct it though. I mean what we know so far is extremely random and ill-thought out; the random will of Helen's which describes Jill as 'the unfortunate child' her daughter was carrying, the pendant/necklace found by Elle under the Ramsay house, where can you take the story with these facts? I don't know about specific details, but I'd like it to turn out that the mother was mentally unstable and drove the father away. If Patrick ever contacted the Ramsays again, he could confirm this. We know that Jill supposedly faked presents from the father for Christmas etc. but maybe it turns out they were from him after all. Maybe Jill tried to forge a new identity to get some money out of the Robinsons? I think you're more likly to come up with better specifics for a potential storyline, Ben... As for the cast during the last five years, I still think it hasn't been any more unstable than any other period of the show. We have had characters who have had long stays, such as Zeke (6 years), Elle and Rachel (4 years), Carmella (on and off for 5 years). I do think it's the producer's responsibility to talk the actors round and to keep them for longer, I suspect this is what happened with Pippa Black as she was reported as leaving a year earlier than she did but ended up staying on, though I think Bower could have been more persuasive on more occasions. I think Margot's one who should have been persuaded, as well as Jane Hall. I don't think Zeke was a favourite of Bower's, but I think she tried to develop the character as until her arrival, he had gone pretty much without a story that revolved around him, and she fleshed out the character a lot which I think was needed, as he was proving pretty pointless otherwise. Rachel had already featured in several high profile stories so I see it as natural that Zeke got the spotlight for a little while, and fair too seeing as Matthew seemed pretty dedicated to the show. He was great as lot of the time, but he featured in too many shouty, angsty scenes which brought the character down as he seemed to broody and annoying. You're spot on with the cast departures. I was disappointed with Zeke's, as they just didn't really make much of a fuss, ano be fair Declan had become such a mess by the time he left I was relieved that they barely focused on him, but Rebecca and Lyn's exits are inexcusable. Both characters were extremely important the show in one way or another, and it was stupid that their exits wo remembered fondly. I think Lyn's departure reflects how the producers think Neighbours is just a teen show, and it annoys me no end. Why do Cameron Welsh (H&A) and Susan Bower think that these fantastic multi-generational shows should be aimed so narrowly at the teen market? For decades they worked and were successful focusing on the entire community, but have become shadows of their former selves at the hands of such incapable individuals. On NFans they're saying that Chris' father, named George, apparently appears in the next block of episodes and doesn't approve of Chris' choice to work at the garage. I think that's a great move. You're right about those sorts of characters, they're definitely the most fascinating to watch. I don't really have much of an opinion on Marco. I didn't love him or hate him. I think he was a nice sort of a character, but I don't think that Carmella was especially suited to him. Looking at her past relationships, it seemed like she liked a bit of drama and to go for someone who represented a bit of danger. With Marco also being Italian, there wasn't much scope for drama with her family. She loved being with Connor because he was the complete antithesis of what type of family she came from. And I think it would have been interesting had they continued on with that theme. Having said that, I can see why they invented Marco for Carmella; as she was pregnant I suppose it is natural that she would have gone for the safe option and someone who would be a good father figure for Chloe, but they lacked chemistry in comparison to Carm/Connor. I was never a fan of Carmella and Oliver. Funny that the actors are now an item in real life. Carmella's another character who was a casualty of having a great story which failed in execution; becoming a nun. I remember at the time being totally shocked that they were bringing her back as a nun, purely because I thought it would be a stupid shock plot that would be over within a few months and never mentioned again. It was an interesting development, especially the reasons for shy she became a nun. Such guilt over selling her cousin's baby. But it's a shame she was only ever a nun because of that. They writers made it seem that she never was trul religious, but only was so in order to redeem herself for what she had done. I think it would have been more interesting if they'd kept that aspect to the character. They didn't have to go on about it all the time, but I thought it was a shame we never saw Carmella's behaviour being influeced by her faith. In soap you only tend to see religious people who turn out to be psychotic (H&A and EE are heavily guilty of this) or characters who preach down our throats and tend to be old (Dot Branning, Harold Bishop). Just because Natalie Blair and Carmella were gorgeous, they didn't keep that aspect to the character and it right p*ssed me off. However, I was pleased with Carmella's final scene where she gave Harold her rosary beads. I also love that scene where Saffron broke down. You're right, she should have interacted with more characters. And yes, she definitely did save some teen-centric episodes. Though many others don't agree for some reason and hated the character. I think I liked Declan when he first started. I've always thought that James Sorensen was extremely attractive, and on a superficial level that's probably why I liked him at the start. I also think he was a fairly convincing bad boy. But I thought the writers played up to the love tory so much and it was too much of a fairytale for me. I hated Bridget, which I suppose didn't help, so I was never truly invested in that story. Another problem was that I really liked Kate, and didn't like how he quickly forgot about Bridget and was willing to date Kate, as well as being hot and cold with her all the time which I know I should empathise with, but just didn't. He treated her so appallingly and then started being really sickly and lovey-dovey with Kate seeming like he was in love with her, and totally forgot about Bridget on many occasions. They mentioned her on a superficial level just so that fans wouldn't be p*ssed off, but I never liked Declan's actions towards the end. I think it just annoyed me how his character was so linked to girls that he could barely stand on his own in a scene without being glud to either Bridget, or Kate. Yes, that was the problem, I think - I just hated his relationship storylines! I don't know what made me think that he saw himself as the star of the show, other than that the producers clearly thought that too as they shunted him to the front of storylines constantly and his attitude came off as such. I found Erin Mullally less annoying than JS. I know that's a minority view, and I know EM was a very poor actor, but I just found the actorless grating. Granted, he wasn't suited to the re-cast as other than a passing facial resemblance to JS, everything else was different. I was just glad that JS was gone. I loved Kate's dancing storylines; I'm starting to sound like a broken record again, but...execution fails here once again. The poor girl was given extremely poor stories to deal with in this regard. I loved her dancing when she was with Sunny at no.28, but more effort should have been put into the routines so that the audience would have been really impressed. They gave her some cheesey outfits and some poor routines, and the audience was left feeling that Kate didn't deserve to be a dancer. This is the 21st century, and I think SB failed to realise that when you tackle something like that, you have to go the whole hog especially with programmes like Scrictly Come Dancing etc on these days. It annoyed me that her dancing stories were just suddenly dropped. Couldn't they have upped their game and actually made Ashleigh learn some awesome routines? Instead she is now randomly becoming a teacher, which we never even knew she wanted to do before now. I liked the Katya/Max story. I can see why many wouldn't have liked it because they seemed like the most unlikely pairing you could have made out of the cast, but Katya needed guidance and she saw someone normal in Max. After everything she'd been through, and not having ha a parental figure for her early adult years, she loved the loyalty and dependability she saw in Max. I'm glad they weren't ever actually together because it would have been out of character for the Max character, but then his character ended up being destroyed anyway so would it have been that bad had he left Steph for Katya? I agree she should have stayed on the show, she was a theatrical kind of character but she is definitely one of my favourites of all time. I love Max running over Cameron! I think this year it has improved because they pretty much have a clean slate. The 20-something gang aren't too hard to write for and are my favourites at the moment. With Donna et al. I think it was difficult for them to decide what direction to take them in after having been teens at the school. Those friendships didn't especially ring true though. I much prefer the teen group we have now. The Cris/Tash friendship is something I would like to see develop. Perhaps while Andrew and Summer are axed are spending all their time together, C/T can get closer. You're right, these posts are difficult to write, that's why I took so long to reply. Few things ( ) - What did you think of the Martin family, and the Scully families at first? Do you thinkm the show was right to axe Phil and Ruth Martin, in order to bring a nuclear family in with the Scully's? What do you think of the Izzy/Karl/Susan plot? Sorry for all the questions!

Funny what you've said about CS Sean. To be fair I don't watch CS on a regular basis, and have only ever watched it briefly for a few weeks around the ram crash, and also between about March and May this year. So maybe my views aren't that informed, I've just never found Sean to be a bad character or actor, I feel that Christian's sexuaity is thrusted upon us moreso than Sean's. But as I say, maybe I haven't seen the worst of it. I guess they are trying to have that contrast between Syed/Christian, but I just wish Christian wasn't a stereotypical gay. I get that it's part of his character, but why do they have to be so full-on about it? I mean, as a gay person, everyone always assumes that I love people like Lady Gaga. My taste in music is actually more dance/Drum & Bass/Dubstep. Of course some characteristics should show that he may be gay, but an important thing is that many people don't feel part of the gay culture or community because they simply don't like the values and attitudes that community hold as a lot of them fit the steretype. Maybe Syed will always be the less stereotypical gay. I hated it when it was Christian's birthday and they went to like a drag queen party or something, I'm not sure if that's right because I only had the episode on in the background, but I hated the use of 'QUEEN' in the dialogue. In regard to Greg, maybe you're right that had they given him more of a variety of things to do, h could have been a better character. But if I had my way, I would have casted someone else in the role. There definitely is a place for nice guys, but IMHO Stefan Booth doesn't have the ability to develop into a strng long-term character. Alfie sort of fills that nice guy role, though I'm so over him and Kat. I think I'd rather they left and Sharon returned to take over the pub. Now Sam Womack is leaving, I definitely see a spot for Sharon in the cast and I think she'd fill a gaping hole. She might also be able to breathe some life into Phil. What are your thoughts on Sharon, Ben? I don't think she's necessarily needed, but I think she was such a popular cast member who would be welcomed back easily, and even if her story did sort of come to an end, characters like that always have a place in the show. Having said all that, I don't think her story did truly come to an end. I'd love to see her interact with her child. I agree that we like similar types of characters. I was appalled and quite offended at how poorly Glenda's character was handled and how her exit was written. IMO BK listens to the fans too much and lets them influence the decisions he makes too much. At the end of the day, he's at the helm and should decide what's best for the show. I like that aspect of Syed coming back into Zainab's life as well. TBH I would much rather that Yusef never came back as a villain. It would have been much more interesting if he was a nice person. He's hot too

FFS I just tried to post a really long post and it disappeared! Anyway, the gist was...I agree that a few of those characters should be developed instead of being axed. Especially Vanessa. It's such a waste getting rid of her. I don't think they've written Vanessa as a character you can easily identify or empathise with, and ultimately that's where the character has failed. She comes across as a stuck up selfish WAG. But actresses as talented as Zoe Lucker don't come along very often so it's a shame they've axed her. As for Greg, I'm glad he's going. I find the character too sickly-sweet and bland, and the acting is fairly poor IMO - he seems like a bit of a 'reading the script' actor. I wish Max and Tanya weren't getting back together though, as it doesn't seem very in character and like quite an unnatural path the writers have taken. I believe that they wouldn't have gone down that route had Santer still been in charge. As for Phil, never in a million years would they get rid of him. Somehow he's one of the most popular characters in the series, which annoys me because he ran out of steam a long time ago! Ben, I don't like the adoption storyline with C/S or Christian as a character. I think he comes across as very steretypical (as a matter of fact I prefer Anthony from CS as his sexuality doesn't seem to be thrust upon the viewers in the same way that Christian's is) but I love Syed as a character. He's very relatable, and Marc Elliott's a great actor, I have his fan card. I'm looking forward to Mandy's return because I just love character returns in general even if I don't remember the character. I'm interested after watching all the clips and reading the description of the character that Carl has posted, and she seems like my kind of character. Like you said in the Neighbours thread, those damaged, vulnerable characters are often the best and because I see a lot of Stacey and Janine in the character, that is something that draws me to her. I still miss Glenda. Most underrated character ever.

I agree that they've tried to flesh out Christian and Syed's characters more as well as their relatonship, but I still think they're a pretty bad representation of a gay couple. I guess you're right that they always have been, but making them want to adopt now as a plot device is both poor writing and quite unnecessary if you ask me. I think it would have had quite a big impact if both actors had stayed and the writers had decided to go down that route in a few years...A loving couple, regardless of sexuality, want to start a family and care for a child just like a normal couple would. But considering how unstable their circumstances are, i.e. the Masoods not accepting the relationship, the couple not even being married (not that I think they necessarily need to be married but it's still another aspect which proves it's far too soon). I guess the whole point is that Christian wants a family to make sure he holds on to Syed...But gays have it difficult enough with such an issue without making us look like we stumble into such life changing decisions without thinking. I hope it doesn't seem from this post that like I wanted to argue wth you, of course I respect your opinion and I enjoy reading your comments in this thread so it's quite the opposite. These characters just rile me up so badly.

Ah, thanks for the heads up. ITA about Max/Tanya. I think in order for the characters to develop they were better apart. Their reuinion doesn't ring true to me because the last time she dumped him Tanya seemed like she never wanted to see him ever again. I think the cast is quite weak at the moment. So many key cast members from various familes have left, leaving only the Masoods as a solid family unit. I would count the Mitchells, but I find Phil/Shirley and Ben to be quite weak characters. I'm also finding myself getting quite offended by the Christian/Syed scenes. Their relationship is becoming stereotypical and I also feel that they are portraying gays as irrespoinsible...I mean wanting to 'adopt' a child and start a family after being together for a few months...?! I've never watched Emmerdale, but I just wondered what it was like because I'm not too fond of EE or Corrie at the minute. EE is properly slightly in a better position. I like how Bryan Kirkwood is re-visiting most of the characters' families to develop them a bit. The conclusion to the story with Janine and Lydia was great, but then even the ending to that seemed to come out of nowhere and I'm not entirely sure about the exact details of the storyline!

What do you mean by this, if you don't mind me asking? I don't recall hearing about chaos going on behind the scenes late last year? Ths show is in quite a bad state at the moment if you ask me. There's nothing really drawing me in. Though I will be tuning in for Mandy's return, I'm really looking forward to that. Is Emmerdale any good at the moment cos Corrie and EE are equally as bad! BTW, where did Ricky go to on-screen?

This show is in such a terrible state. I have been watching it for about six months just because it's the oldest soap in the UK and I thought if it's got such history then it must be a great show... Little did I know that I would be tuning in to poor writing, tens of characters who have stayed past their use-by-date and the poorest acting of all the soaps. It makes me sad that when Neighbours is on such a creative high Coronation Street gets about 6m more viewers a day.

I loved Unforgettable! They should have played it once or twice but in the end the song was ruined because they rolled it out for every occasion. IA about Ty's exit, the kids singing him off was like the writers punishment on Dean Geyer for leaving or something As for cast departures, I don't think Bower would have axed that many characters had the actors stayed on. IMO I don't think she has axed that many characters during her tenure (I mean ones that we might not be aware of) and she seems to me like she wants the characters to settle in and the cast to be stable. I think if she was to be heavy with the axe, she qwould have been after fan reaction to the Ramsays was bad. They've made no effort to rectify the Ramsay retcon and it doesn't seem like they're going to. Bower aside, I think the lure of Hollywood is something that causes cast instability these days which wasn't there back in the 80s and 90s. So many Neighbours and H&A stars have made it in America an ultimately I think that's why there are so few people who stick around these days. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't be surprised if Bower axed Zeke as she obviously didn't think much of the character given his terrible departure. He was sweet, and at times has been a favourite of mine, but to me he seems like a very specific character and I think the writers found it difficult to be true and consistent to the character as well as not making him annoying. In regard to what you say about PirateNet, I agree that many things about it were ridiculous. The thing with Neighbours is that the ideas behind stories are often better than the exeuction. I think bringing in PirateNet was an inspired idea and totally original, but they went about it all the wong way as you say. I think most of the characters that have left recently were deadwood, but as you say, of course there were others like Rebecca and Lyn who were fabulous characters and will be sorely missed. It felt like Lyn barely featured during her last few months on the show and it was such a shame. I agree about the behaviour between Lyn and Rebecca being childish. The change was natural, but once again I think it's a case of the idea behind it being good, but the execution just fell flat. It was very childish. I didn't want Lyn to become between Paul and Rebecca, but I still felt they could have shown a bit more how Lyn was feeling still in love with Paul. She told Susan in the season finale and it was literally never mentioned again. It seemed like there was no point in actually highlightin the fact in the first place. As for the Rachel/Angus story, I understand why that would be controversial in real life, but in the context of a soap, as long as it was handled sensitively I don't see what the big deal is. I agree that Angus shouldn't have gone there, but from what I remember it seemed to be Rachel doin all the chasing and being unable to let go and while Angus should have been more firm, there's no denying that Rachel was far more persistent. I liked that angle to the story though as Angus wasn't a pervert, he just happened to find himself in an extremely difficult situation and although he acted stupidly, he did so out of love for Rachel. You're right that Angus was painted as the bad guy upon his return, but since Bower's taken the reigns complexity is something the show often fails to achieve with some of its more controversial characters. Angus turning into the bad guy, Sam becoming a bitch and her bipolar being forgotten about which could have been a drivin force story-wise during her return in '08. Nicola was also a casualty of this. They failed to achieve complexity with her, trying to paint her as the bad person and it toally backfired just making the Parkers look heartless and uncaring. The Chris/Aiden story should be handled sensitively. I'm hoping they'll do it justice as surely many fans will be offended if they treat the couple any differently, particularly fans from the UK who are used to gay couples in soaps. I guess we'll have to see what happens. That story is the one I'm looking forward to the most in the next couple of months and I hope, for he sake of the show and the producers, that they pull this off. Because there's two ways this can go; everyone loves the couple and the portrayal, or people call for Bower's dismissal once again for treating us all like idiots. I think Chris' family are badly needed in the show right now. For me as a gay man, I would like to see him interact with his parents, and it would be interesting to see how his parents react to the news that he's got a boyfriend, and it would be great to see him introducing Aiden to them. Unfortunately at this stage I think it's quite unlikely. That would certainly bring more to Chris' character though, as I don't want his sexuality to constantly be used in stories. I don't think it's even worth mentioning the Home and Away story, it was totally offensive. Fair enough, Charlie may have been bi or what have you, but Charlie/Joey were quite popular as a pairing and the producers used a plot device of Charlie sleeping with Hugo (which didn't make any sense) to pave the way for Joey's exit. Pathetic. Oh and I'm so glad that you liked Saffron!! I almost mentioned that in my last post, but I thought you'd disagree about her being a great character. Yeah, she was painted as a panto villain but once again it's a character whose complexities weren't clearly portrayed. Everyone seemed to hate her but I would have loved to have got to know her more and you're right, we were suppsoed to feel sorry for Donna but in the end I started resenting the girl because she seemed to act so immature all the time. Yeah, her designs were bad. I loved how Saffron was firm with her, but also saw potential in Donna and seemed to deep down have a sort of affection for her even if she was a hard-faced b*tch. Some of her characterisitcs remind me of an early Morag Bellingham. Ugh, you've brought it all back with the Donna dithering with the letters stuff. There were so many times during that period when a character would do something totally irrational and unrealistic, and you just wanted to slap them round the face. They tried to make story out of contrived situations, didn't they? I recall a time when so many characters would do something bad, be about to own up, then another character would 'heroically' take the rap for it. Totally stupid. As for James Sorensen, we'll have to disagree on that one. Everyone saw him as the star of the show, but I really hated him. I felt that James Sorensen saw himself as the star of the show, and whilst I agree that he had great chemistry with Rebecca, his constant arrogant and know-it-all attitude really got on my nerves. To me his acting seemed like reading from the script in scenes, but everyone loved him. For some reason I just never clicked with that character. I agree that being a Ramsay doesn't qualify Kate to be the golden girl but it wouldn't surprise me if that's TPTB's reason for pushing her into storylines. I know she's quite an unpopular character, and maybe being approachable and nice doesn't make her a great character, but she's just someone I identify with. imagine her being a friend, someone I'd pop round to have a coffee with. I guess some people just like characters that others don't, much like how I don't like Declan but many people do. Some of Kate's characteristics are annoying, yeah, but on the whole I want her to be happy and I see many of her faults as resulting frm the responsibilties she has had heaped upon her in the last few years. I notice you didn't list many of the long-term characters as your favourites! Sky Mangel is probably my all-time favourite character, followed by Julie Martin even if she wasn't in the show for very long. Funny you should mention Katya, she's definitely up there with my favourites but she's another one who many hated. I see her as a guilty pleasure but I also think she's probably the sole character who represents what was wrong with Neighbours during its OTT phase. She was pretty much involved in all of its ridiculous stories, from Guy to being in a relationship with Robert. I mean, in a year or two she was shot, nearly fell off a cliff, stole cars, was revealed as a prostitute in her past, was kidnapped, it was never-ending LOL. But I loved that disaster followed her everywhere in a sadistic kind of way. It was kind of like 'what's going to happen to Katya next?' LOL. I see you say that Declan could have stayed on "but everyone was dragging the show down in one way or another which I didn't wuite see at the time" - what do you mean by that comment about the 08-10 era? Do you think the characters were good but the writing was bad, or that the characters weren't quite working. Why didn't you realise that and what has made you come to that conlusion later on? I definitely think 2011 has been a turning point, so much seem to be working in the show's favour at the moment, it still has problems, but far fewer than this time last year. No problem with posts becoming essays, it makes for good discussion and I think that's happening to mine now too

They should do what they did to Tiffany when Martine McCutcheon was playing up; kill her off. Have you enjoyed the end of the 2003 season? I'd kill to see the Barry/Janine/Paul stuff again. Janine is a godess.

I don't think Bower can be blamed for the cast instability during her time on the show. I don't think more actors have left while she's been in charge than any other period. Miranda isn't the only character that Bower has axed; the actor that played Riley Parker has confirmed in interviews that he left as the writers felt there was nowhere to go with the character, and I expect Marco and Ned were axed too. Thank God Ned was axed, he is possibly the worst character played by the worst actor in any soap ever. Due to the cast size, I think you have to expect a air few departures. I think it's a shame that a few characters from the last teen group couldn't have stayed longer. Having said that, I think we've lost a lot of deadwood and the show really has a fresh feel to it this year. I think the cast and story changes of 2011 have really benefited the show. I was a bit miffed whn I fond out Zeke was leaving, but who would he have interacted with if he was in the show now? I can imagine him hanging around with Kate and Jade and it seeming really forced. Jade and Kate's friendship is great to watch, I really love the 20s group. Sam is anoter guest who was never promoted to regular status. Bower is quoted as saying that she wanted to staple Dean Geyer's feet to the floor or something weird along those lines so I doubt he was axed. Stupid if he was axed, one of the hottest guys the show has ever had and Ty was a good character. As regards to Lyn, I also thought it was stupid that she didn't get on with Rebecca. Especially considering that they got on well during Lyn's 2008 return. Some parts of the feud were good but I don't think it needed to last so long and perhaps they should have treated the story as a bit of lighthearted fun. I still see that as a natural progession of the Lyn character. Paul really left a mark on her in 2006, and she became a more worldy-wise person out of it, but I think she also became a bit bitter and twisted. Lyn really loves Paul though. I think they could have done more with that after she admitted to Susan that she still loved him at the end of 2009. I liked parts of the Rachel/Angus story. To be honest I don't understand why there was such controversy surrounding it. I mean, he was, what, 22? And she looked older than 16. Plus Angus didn't know that she was 16 when he met her. I think they could have done more with the story, but I appreciated Bower's efforts to milk the story for all it was worth, bringing Angus back into the show when his sentence was up. It really pissed me off that Rachel got with Ty about a month after Angus had left. That character is probably one of the most destroyed characters of all time. She became a whiny, self-obsessed teen. ITA with you about Andrew. I hope they go all out with Chris and Aiden. I think they need to cause a bit of controversy now the show's on a digital channel, and Neighbours being the first show in Australia to have a gay couple will put it on the map. If they make it Disneyesque I will be seriously offended. I said on PB though, Bower doesn't seem to shy away from controversy so can you imagine them glossing over many issues? I hope they get to kiss and actually be a couple like straight characters do. If the character is popular, I would love for Aidan to become permanent. Do you think that is very likely? Do you think Bower would cave after complaints from viewers and get rid of the character? Will Ten be hesitant to let them go all out with this storyline? I can imagine Ten being wary, but do you think they could see it as a ratings-grabber? So many questions. I really don't get why people on boards say 'the ratings are going to go down, families won't let their children watch!' - I would have thought it would spark interest? Anyway, I really hope they don't cock it up because they've got something good to work with. Bob Morley's casting is fantastic, I think he'll be great in the role. They could easily bring in Chris' parents to bulk up the older cast, I don't see why they don't do that, it seems like an obvious choice. It would definitely flesh him out as well. Why do you think it all fell apart when the previous teens came together? So you weren't a fan of many of Donna's plots then? What did you think of the Saffron plot and her finding her dad? As for Declan, I've never understood th attraction of Declan Mk 1. He's probably the most popular character of the last few years, but I see him in a totally different light to most people. I found James Sorensen's acting poor most of the time, and I found the character quite arrogant. I agree about Ringo, he was a really fun character in his first few months. He had some great scenes with Lolly. He was a fresh character, but they ruined him. Zeke's 'Lost Boy' aamnesia storylines are some of my favourite stories of the last few years. They had their problems, but I liked the ideas behind them. Lost Boy was areally inspired story. I loved the flashbacks he had from the rafting accident, it made it look like he had been abused by the guy who got him, I would have loved it if they'd gone in that direction but obviously this being Neighbours. The aftermath was extremely poor. They did really well with the fall out of the rafting accident, but as soon as Zeke was found, they kind of lost their way. They should have dealt more with the affect the whole thing had on Zeke, but it was all swept under the carpet. I wish we had seen Zeke at PirateNet more, he seemed so natural there. I've said in the past, they could have interwoven Zeke's radio show with other stories and had montages of Zeke talking about subjects relating to other characters while montages of those characters were being shown. I think they've tried to make Kate their golden girl as she's a Ramsay and therefore at the centre of the show. I agree that the introduction was terrible. It seemed like Kate, Harry and Sophie didn't give a dam about their mother. No grieving was depicted whatsoever. I know I'm in a small minority in my love for Kate, but I just think she seems like a lovely, approachable person. Ashleigh's also a good actress. I think the person Susan falls for will be someone else entirely. Doctor Rhys Lawson is permanent apparently, and the older doctor arrives after Malcolm returns so I doubt it will be him. Who is your favourite character of all time, Ben? Do you like Sky Mangel and Julie Martin? What's your opinion of Rosie Hoyland? Do ou think she deserved to be axed? I think Rosie being there during theIzzy stuff would have been brilliant.

O no, Bower definitely didn't give the long-term cast more to do during the teen years, but I would say that is a postive of her tenure overall. While Pellizzeri was constantly shaking up the cast, Bower has let it become more stable, and bringing back Lyn was a masterstroke, even if she was mainly involved in the destruction of Steph's character. Even though the Steph baby lie story fell flat for me, I appreciate that it involved so many of the long-term characters so heavily, like Lyn, Steph, Toadie and the Kennedys. That was the beauty of the story even if the story as a whole was terrible. During Pellizzeri's tenure, new characters would be developed and then leave. As for the teen group as a whole, I really am not a fan of Andrew and Summer. Together or apart. To be honest I find both characters extremely selfish. Andrew, as you say, never seems to accept reponsibilty for anything. I was excited about the character when he was introduced, I think Jordan Smith is an ok actor, and at firstAndrew was sexy, charming, cheeky etc etc but they quickly turned him into a lovesick mess. He lost so much of his personality when he got involved in the Summer/Tash triangle. He just became so wet and one-dimensional. I think the loss of Harry hurt the teen group, as the trio of Andrew/Summer/Harry worked extremely well. I didn't like how Andrew only interacted with Andrew and Summer. His lack of friends and integration into the cast damaged the character, as it felt like all he had going for him was this love triangle. I find Summer annoying as well now. She was good to start with too. But she's opinionated and judgemental, and actually I think she can be quite unwelcoming and unfriendly at times, for example her behaviour towards Kyle when he moved into the Scully's. I don't think she would have ended up the way she has. I think she would be more nerdy than she is, I can't imagine Marisa Siketa playing her now. I'm glad they didn't bring back Siketa as I found her quite annoying. However, I love Chris and Natasha. Even though she's done so much scheming, I still find Natasha a much better character than Andrew and Summer. Chris is very bland, but I think he seems nice enough. I hope they develop some well-defined character traits for him soon. Actually, have you seen the news that he's getting a boyfriend? Bobby Morley is playing him, who played Drew in Home and Away. I'm really pleased about this news. Not only because Morley is hot but he's a good actor and I like his attitude to the fact that the character is gay. I guess we'll see if they do i properly. What makes you prefer this teen group over the last one? Is it the fact that there aren't so many of them, or do you just prefer the actual characters. I posted on Nfans a few weeks ago, how many characters featured in that actual year at school over time: Summer, Bree, Rachel, Zeke, Ringo, Lolly, Bridget, Declan, Donna, Sunny, Kate. It was never-ending! Ben, what is your opinion of Kate? Loads of people I know and on DS seem to hate her, but I think she's actually one of my favourite characters on the show. I love how she is so nurturing and caring at a young age. Looking after her sister is an interesting story, I just wish they hadn't killed off Jill and had brought her in as a regular character.

Interesting post, you seem like a very intelligent guy. Rosie was definitely the strongest character of the no.30 bunch. I loved the fact that she was a virgin at 26, as sex is a strong theme in both Neighbours and Home and Away, so it's good to show that not all people have sex when they're 17, and some people do exist that haven't been in big relationships for most of their life. As for the ratings, do you really think there was nothing wrong with them? Home and Away has rated higher than Neighbours for years, despite the fact that it is far superior and always has been IMO. Do you think that Channel Ten is reponsible, could they have promoted the show more? Like I said earlier though, the fact that the producers were panicking was reflected on screen in many ways. During that time there were constant revamps of the credits style, the key locations changing names i.e. the General Store and Charlie's, characters being axed and so many new characters being brought in. One thing I have enjoyed under Bower's reign is that things seem far more settled and the show itself appears to be more confident. I don't know if that makes much sense, but the way the long-term characters have had the spotlight, the credits have remained the same style for years, and the key locations haven't been altered. It seems like Bower really belives in letting the new cast settle in too. Having read your post again, you're actually right about the witness protection storyline, that would be a good one. It would certainly explain Michael's past rather than it just seeiming like laziness on the writers behalf. I loved Sam too. She was an awesome character in her first stint, but they totally ruined her when she came back. Simone Buchanan was excellent in the bipolar scenes, and I think it's important to show someone coping with an illness like that. I don't understand why the producers haven't brought her in long-term when Simone has said in various interviews that she'd like to go back. I really hope Valentina stays with the show for a long time yet, as Tash is fast becoming one of the most complex characters in years. I don't understand why so many viewers hate her when she's clearly a very mixed up young girl. Talking of the teen group, what do you think of the A/S/C/N teen group? Do you think it's realistic that they would still be friends after everything that's happened? I find Tash and Summer's friendship fantastic to watch. They love to annoy each other but deep down they have this fondness for each other, I think it's really sweet and a unique friendship, you don't often see this in a show. I love how Summer accepts Tash's faults and sees the person underneath.

The actress that plays Mandy really reminds me of Lacey Turner and the character seems quite similar to Stacey. I like the look of her, was she a really big character at the time and quite memorable? Everyone I've told doesn't seem to remember her!