Ben

I've thought about Ten's roll in all of this, especially with their track record of interfering, and I still come back to Susan Bower. I do believe that Ten are partly responsible for the teen overload, but as Exec Producer, Bower should be able to manage Ten's demands, and her own vision for the show in a much more balanced fashion. It's almost as if she dropped the ball at some point, and has struggled to pick it up since. I would be really surprised if the network execs weren't interfering now, or last year as opposed to now, b/c Ten don't seem to be doing anything. So yeah, I'm willing to bet Ten pushed the change in direction, but how much story input do they have? Bower could've written more substantial and mature material, instead of weeks of the mind-numbingly boring deb/Kate's dancing, or Harry's dramas, or the numerous bully of the week stories that did nothing but bore and annoy (Saffron, Griffo, Candace, Dean). OK, Saffron was probably the one with the most potential that was squandered; she was also the bright spot in the teen dominance, seeing as she sometimes was the only adult to appear! Word. I really wanted Andrew to be introduced after Elle left, and I thought he had potential when he début at schoolies, but he's just been turned into such a one-note character. We've had all of his storylines when Elle, Cameron and Robert were around. This week has been one of the better weeks that appears every so often (never often enough). I've loved the stuff with Libby/Doug/Karl/Steph - especially when she realized Doug is Karl's boss, and then he busted them kissing. The Steph/Lyn scenes were good, too. That scene where they reconciled, and Lyn begrudgingly agreed to keep the secret, was really sad. The more I think about it, the more I believe that Carla probably gave TPTB plenty of notice about her leaving, which is probably why they decided to give her this big storyline. I don't think it's a coincidence. Which means that Carla probably quit for reasons that weren't about this story... I also enjoyed the Donna/Nick scenes when she learned he was her bio dad. I hope we see more of Nick, and explore his relationship with Donna.

I think I said before that I can see why Ashley & Claire got picked, but really, like you say, they don't jump out at you straight away, or not even when you look at the show. If you were faced with clearing out the deadwood, Ashley & Claire would be bottom of the list; Natasha and Trevor shouldn't be on it, IMO. Trevor has really come into his own since Carla's hostage terror, and you can see him as a-knight-in-shining-armour type character, who steps up when the going gets tough. Trevor and Carla have a lot of potential - potential that ironically wasn't there to begin with. Molly was a good decision, but really, what are they gonna do with Tyrone? He needs to go, too. Character interaction is better, but still not at its best. Why hasn't Leanne been to see Carla? They're supposed to be mates! The Gail & Tina scenes have been long over due. Sadly, Gail is still as miserable as sin. I nearly chocked when Nick said: "I'm not just a pretty face." Oh, the irony. That David/Graeme/Natasha scene was terrible. It made no sense why Natasha would jump to that conclusion from her POV, given that it looked like Graeme was attacking David with a meat dispenser as opposed to giving him a euphoric massage. I LOL at her rattling her keys in an attempt to remind them of sharing a prison cell.

Here's some news that should delight no-one, bar maybe All My Shadows. *sigh*

Lucas is awesome. He's a fave of mine, and one of the positive things Susan Bower has done. He's the type of character the show needs, and I hope Scott Major sticks around for a little while longer. His scenes with Callum were really nice. Yeah, Harry's leaving. He always appears to be in some dream world, with his far away look. It is a shame that he's going, purely b/c it makes the mess they made trashing the Ramsay/Robinson history pointless; this, and he suits Summer way better than Andrew, who I hate. Sophie is the kind of kid Neighbours does well - they have a history of tomboy girls dating back to Charlene. I don't think Callum's fake at all. He's another great addition that Bower got right. Karl is so much more that these silly mini plots. I wish they would use him to his full potential and give him a major story that is about him, and not the teens. Ringo's singing was pitchy to say the least, but I put that down to Sam Clark being nervous singing it live for the first time on set. They really should've had him record it like they normally do. I noticed he looks thinner, too, but then I guess he never used to where skinny jeans, before... And yes, they've forgotten his eating disorder. I think we were lucky that he had a momentary relapse back in 2008, as Sam was adamant that Ringo should not just get over it... pity the writers weren't so adamant. I think he should have a relapse; he's had plenty of opportunities to, and it would add more to his character.

He should fit right in with H&A, then. Seriously though, it's nice to hear that he has promise. Courtesy of BTTB... New character's info. Penn Graham: April Scott: The Walkers: But that is not all, as we can reveal that there will soon be a startling revelation about a new regular, which will excite many long term fans of the show....and trust us, it's going to be huge... ************** All sounds quite interesting. I do notice how they're falling back on the old psycho story. And I laughed when I realized that they'd cast Christian Clark - the guy who abruptly quit Neighbours to pursue a Hollywood career, only to return to an Oz soap. Swings and roundabouts.

Siege week was surprisingly so much better than I had imagined. The acting from Alison King was phenomenal, and Samia Smith and Gray O'Brien really stepped up. I loved the Tony & Carla scenes, when she pleaded with him, then turned on him. Chilling. I loved the Maria & Carla scene. There's potential there. But, I really disliked the scene with Nick & Carla, and the way he spoke to her, as if she'd just been through the ordeal of chipping a nail, not surviving nearly being burnt alive by her deranged ex-husband. That was callous, and a new low for Nick. The Nick was never like this. Is it just me, or did anyone else think involving Roy & Hayley in this story was unnecessary and felt kinda out of place? I mean from the very beginning. They could've picked someone/people who were more connected to Tony/Carla/Maria. Oh, and I guessed the factory would be the third casualty. Do you really have to ask? Logic should tell you that:

Maybe Jason Daniel will help lift the show out of its funk?

I forgot to mention that I'm happy, too. I really hope it helps fix and explore Roxy's character, and maybe even bond them as a family (Ronnie/Roxy/Glenda).

James, I think we've been watching for the same amount of time, give or take. Although, I don't really have any physical memories of the 80s (not really). And you're right, there have been boring periods in the past; I was also one of those people who believed the show needed a creative change back in 2008 (it did), but I never imagined it would come to this. 2008 had life; it wasn't on life support, which is sometimes how it feels. I don't think its just the teen quotient, but the general writing. Imagine if the storylines had more punch, more heart and soul, more maturity, the teens would be more bearable to watch, no? You're also right again, in that Bower has done some really good stuff, especially when she took over in 2008, and the beginning of 2009, the aftermath of Bridget's death, which are important to remember. But, now it all feels tainted, b/c the show is in a mess; it doesn't help that Bower doesn't want to acknowledge it. If she believes there are problems, then surely she would attempt to fix them, not add to/continue them? I loved Nicola West. I thought she was awesome from the moment she rocked up in her flashy convertible, and began an affair with her adopted nephew, Riley. During this time, the show didn't really know how to use her, but Susan Bower shaped her, and gave her layers, even though most of them were rushed through. Her decent into an emotional breakdown, was enjoyable; it felt like a Neighbours storyline. But, what I didn't like was how they downplayed Steve's role in it, and basically took away any responsibility he had. Cramming it all into 2 weeks didn't help, either. Nicola had the kind of energy that the show is missing. She had a good rapport with Toadie, Callum and Karl; had developed a kind of frenemy relationship with Susan, and as you say, fleshed out the missing 20 something group. I think they could easily bring her back by having her discharged, and with no where to go, decides to pay Toadie a visit, hoping to rebuild bridges, and find herself again. I'd just love for her to come, but I know that is quite unlikely, as Bower has stated that she doesn't want to bring a load of characters back, as she feels the show should be looking to its future. I think it's also interesting to note what other age groups the show is missing/are under represented. 20s, over 50s, 30s could do with a boost in numbers, especially with Steph leaving. As we know, the kids and teens are covered.

I think the Masoods will be fine. But there really isn't that much left to the Foxes, once Chelsea and Libby leave - it'll be a very scattered family after that. Plus, I just can't see them introducing Mercy's family. What I can see, is Grace and Mercy inevitably moving in with Patrick and Denise, after Grace and Patrick get together. Controversial, but maybe they should introduce Becca's family? But then, she's such a non entity as it is, and seems to be universally loathed... I really liked your idea, Carl. Except, I'm not too fond of the Masood/Jane angle, even though I loved their potential at the beginning, it just feels like they've ruined all of that. But, I can totally see the show shoving in that angle. I really want Kathy back, now. It doesn't feel organic at the moment for Ryan to learn the truth. I guess, if the baby has a health scare... Otherwise, why would Stacey tell at all?

A part of me thinks it's too simplistic to say she acts out of spite, b/c that would all be a bit childish, would it not? It's more her vision for the show doesn't fit with the last 23 years. She has this obsession with American teen drama, and has even said that her vision for the Ramsay kids was to emulate Party Of Five! She wants Neighbours to be a teen drama, where anyone over the age of 25 are supporting players, and if you're over 50, then forget it. I really believe that if Lou wasn't a veteran of the show, she would've pushed him out the door long ago. I think this is quite evident if you've ever read any of Bower's blog posts on the official site - she writes like she's 13, or if her readers are 13. It's not good. Her writing style is simplistic. You have your good and bad characters, or points of view, but never any shades of grey. She doesn't do ambiguity. She does Disney stories. So, Sam and Angus were the previous regimes inventions, who became very popular. They both had lots of story potential (more so Sam), but Bower had done with them. Fans got vocal, so decided to bring them back, but tweak them to fit her plot; her idea of who they should be. If fans grew tired of them, then all the better. That sounds mean and harsh, but I can't think of any other explanation for why she ruined Sam, the way she did. Or why she propped Bridget and Steve Parker, Sunny, so much, even though they weren't that popular (OK, Steve was popular down under, and Bridget divided viewers), but the balance was all wrong. Notice how I left out Miranda? She's the one Parker who Bower didn't seem to favour. When Steve and Miranda split up, Miranda got less episodes, and storylines that never went anywhere (a la EE's Chelsea), while Steve would pop up randomly, during episodes he didn't belong in. Bower follows her own train of thought, which is why Sunny got a bigger exit than Elle. She favours the teens over anyone else. There were a lot of characters that left in 2008/09, and most of them were adults, only to be replaced by teens. Rosie, Frazer, Riley, Ned, Kirsten, Oliver, Carmella, Marco, Sienna, Nicola, Steve, Miranda, Bridget, Ty, Rachel, Harold, Elle, Dan... And in there place we got: Donna, Sunny, Kate, Harry, Sophie, Callum, Mia, Andrew, Summer, Lyn, Sonya, Doug, Chris (the guy that hangs with Harry) - the ratio is just all wrong. You'll also notice that any new adults are recurring, including Lyn. ETA: I forgot about Lucas. But my point still stands. I've really babbled. Hopefully I did manage to answer your question, but as you can see, I'm really passionate about this; I love Neighbours, and have been watching for a very long time. It's like how you feel about MAB destroying Y&R.

I find this so interesting. When you look at how society was in the 70s/80s, and then how different or more excepting soaps portrayed life back then, is quite polarizing, IMO. More diversity on EE, which was less of an issue; more openness in the Oz soaps (Neighbours could talk about sex and abortion freely; Number 96 and Chances had gay couples); even US soaps were more progressive then, than they are now (Erica's termination on AMC, and now that ghastly rewrite). Where did it all go wrong? Why has the soap industry regressed so much? There shouldn't be a racial quota; gay characters shouldn't be taboo; minorities shouldn't be tokens or segregated from the rest of the canvas. ETA: I never want to see Sonia again. Her brief return for Bianca's wedding was more than enough. Also, I'm loving how the characters are interacting more with people they probably wouldn't have, under Santa - I.e: Liz/Grace/Vanessa; Lucas/Zainab; Ian/teens. I also liked the book club/lingerie party - it was nice seeing Bianca/Heather/Zainab/Denise/Kim/Marie interact after months of being isolated.

Last year. It was all designed to attract new/old/keep viewers tuning in, after Ten lost interest in the show, and started only airing Friday night promos. So, Bower decided they needed to promote the show themselves, and designed their own previews. It all bombed really badly. The show was in a major slump when they début (boring teen stories 5 days a week), so tacking on long previews that showcased how teen-boring the next ep was gonna be, had the reverse effect of what they were meant to be. New/old/present viewers tuned out in their droves. Not many like them... or more accurately, not many like the cheap look - it reminds me of when JER implemented the same cheapness to the Days previews. Personally, the previews are too long, and give too much away, and the This Week preview - that airs at the start of Monday's ep - is unnecessary. But, even with the criticism, and the proof that they obviously had an adverse effect on ratings, they are still here. Bower loves them. Sonya Mitchell is a dog trainer for the blind, and was Toadie's love interest/Lucas' GA sponsor. She's a recovering gambling addict, and has "issues" with alcohol. She's quite an enigmatic character, with lots of secrets. She seems to have a fraught relationship with her parents. When Toadie agreed to be the father of Steph's baby, and they conceived their sham relationship plan, Sonya became collateral damage. He loves her. She loves him. They can't be together. She's not taking the news of Steph's pregnancy very well, and has had a gambling relapse. That's the high she was on the other day - that and she's not used to drinking... With Steph leaving, people are speculating that she will become a permanent fixture. But so far, they've chosen not cash in on Sonya's past, but instead tease us that there's more to her, without actually going there. It's annoying. Potential storylines wasting away. He's recurring at the moment. He signed a 6 months contract, with the option of it being extended if he proves popular. I hope he stays around for longer, and not just for Steph's storyline. He's interesting. The thing is, Bower's not so good at extending character's stay that viewers love - she brought back Angus, but made him unlikeable so viewers wouldn't root for him and Rachel; destroyed Sam's character after fan pressure wanted her back (she was an instant hit, but look what they did to her); Kyle is also very popular, but he's still only a minor recurring character - yet she brings in other teens, and continues to squander his potential. I guess if Bower likes Doug, then he will get an extension.

Sylph, you really have surprised me with your love for Zsa Zsa and Leon, and wanting to write out the Beale family (EE's first original family!). I get your Chelsea love, but Tiana has been wooden for too long. What's so special about Leon? Isn't he just an inconsequential character with no ties to the show? How can he be a great loss when he doesn't bring anything to the canvas? And, as terrible as Ben is, he's being recast - and hopefully SORASed - so he should return a better character, played by a better actor. Ben has a place within the show for as long as they want him, considering he's the next generation of Mitchell, and is Ian's half-brother, Kathy's son. He has more of a place than Leon. It was when Martin took him "hostage" on the viaduct, and threatened to throw him off, unless Phil did something for him. I forget what. It was all rather silly, and I zoned out for most of it, b/c you knew that Martin was never gonna kill Ben. It probably involved Sonia in some capacity, seeing has everything seemed to. Yes!! I do! I really want not-dead Kathy to return to Albert Square A-SAP. What would you have Kathy do?

I don't think its a case of who has been well integrated, b/c most/all aren't used to their full potential. On the surface, you could get rid of 90% of the cast, and it wouldn't really matter, but that same 90% will have an effect on one or two characters, instead of a larger majority. E.g.: Denise, Zainab, Bianca, Ronnie - these four have all crossed paths at one time or another, and have each demonstrated that they have the potential to be mates of some sorts, but instead, they have either forgotten their scenes, or keep them as frenemies (how many frenemies does Zainab need?). Denise/Zainab works well, but both characters have the same tense relationship with Bianca, which never gets touched upon, while Bianca has that same tense relationship with Ronnie, that never gets touched upon. During this time, they could've built up Biance/Zee, Bianca/Ronnie, and developed their characters and relationships. I know Zainab is a difficult woman, but surely they could've had one scene with one of her friends (Denise) comforting her/listening to her freak out about Syed (this would've been forced out of her, of course). It could've given a whole different dynamic on the situation, and even though I can't imagine Zee listening to anything Denise has to say, it would still have let her know that she had someone on her side, so to speak. Or imagine Zee ranting at Denise, and Lucas walks in - where does he stand on homosexuality? Would he have gone all creepy and supported Zee? It's all about character interaction, and exploring those dynamics. Without these, characters will never be woven into the canvas properly. It's like they only ever remember Christian & Roxy are BFFs when it suits. Jane doesn't have any close friendships outside of Tanya; Ryan has no-one besides Janine and Whitney... in fact, there is a lack of male friendships, with the exception of Phil/Minty/Ricky, but they never share any meaningful scenes. There's potential for Phil/Masood, but I won't hold my breathe. Re: Jo Joyner - I can see her staying with the show for a while, as long as they continue allowing her to do other projects outside of EE, like she's doing now.

My guess is, she will not be a call girl, and will probably be some other sin related woman. If it didn't directly link into Denise getting major suss, then I bet they would've cut it all together, and not bothered. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with in such a short space of time.

I had an idea they'd pre-empt all of the week (can't imagine they'll air Friday's). I don't know why they just don't air them next week, instead, but edited. Otherwise, if they continue as normal, there will be no point in airing these at a later date, as we would've known the outcome. There are times (last 2 years) that it really feels as if Corrie are cursed. I remember when Days cut out that plane crash from 2001, which was near to 09/11, and all we saw was Victor and Nicole on a plane, and then on the island, with Victor's arm in a sling. They should do something like that, and cut out the shootings, and limit the gun scenes; the context is way different to the real life tragedy, so what they have left, should be OK. Or, merge episodes together...

TV Tonight I think this baby lie story, might have helped sway her in deciding to quit. I know she was very worried about Steph being damaged by it - not just on screen, by by fans as well. Bower promised to protect her character, but that really doesn't seem to be working. But, she has always expressed a desire to do films, so that all fits; it's just surprising, and very random, especially considering the direction the Toadie/Steph relationship was/is headed. I think they may end up phasing Sonya in as permanent player, now that Steph is leaving. At one point it felt as if Sonya was being phased out, but then she keeps popping back up, and she did attend the Logies, which for a sparsely used recurring character, is surprising. I'd love to see Lucy Robinson return - but the actress owns her own fashion label now, so a permanent return might be out of the works. And this show needs more regular adults. Dee, comes to mind, but again, Madeline West probably wouldn't want to stay; Lauren Carpenter, or May-Ling - any of Lou's family, even though Bower doesn't seem to want to write for him; Christina Alessie would be great to see, and give the show a chance to explore her relationship with Andrew; Stu & Sindi would be awesome (but they'd have to bring both back for it to work); Nicola West could be good, even though I know she divided fans, she had a good rapport with Toadie and Callum, and history with the Kennedys; Mal & Catherine (see Stu & Sindi); Geri Hallet could pop back, as a journalist for the Erinsborough News. She was always good fun, and kinda bitchy; her and Libby could be frenemies. I guess it doesn't really matter if they're an old character, or someone new (Bower prefers new), as long as they aren't a kid/teen/anyone under 25. This show has enough of those ages already.

Apparently, Carla Bonner has quit her role as Steph, and will film her final scenes in September. I'll post an official link when I find one, but someone reliable at NFans.com have posted that the news appears in today's Herald Sun. This is quite shocking, no? I expected Carla to be one of the main stayers of the show, especially considering she's been with the show for 11 years.

I guess he was cast as the "hunk," simply b/c he got naked a lot on Footballer's Wives - that, and Kim Crowther seems to love him. Interestingly, if they hadn't of recast Nick with Adam Rickett all those years ago, the character may not be seen as a hunk to begin with. Anywho, Ben Price is totally wrong for the part, and I wish they would recast again. She was at the party with Adam Thomas, who she met through a mutual friend, called Scott, who apparently hangs out with all the actors. From the article, it seems he chose her, as she apparently didn't want anything to do with him, as he was with his girlfriend. They're both as bad as each other, really - he cheated; both had unprotected sex; she sold her story. Real classy. I didn't find the Siege Week promo on YouTube, but it is up at Soap Scoops, on DS, near the end. I did stumble across this pretty cool promo from 2003, about Richard Hillman, and his next victim. <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

Re: Lucy - I hope, if they do recast (which seems the logical solution) that they get someone who looks similar to Melissa, or Peter, and not someone taller, fatter, or a brunette. I've just remembered what Ruth looked like, and yes, I did like her. And she was boring, but like you say, it was who she was. I never saw it as a negative, though. She was with Mark for most of her time, right? And I remember her baby obsession, too, which I didn't really mind at all (the adoption part). I was sad when she left, and little vexed at the story with her and Conor, which resulted in her getting pregnant. I think I wanted less animosity between her and Mark. Now, I remember Gita's exit. Always thought her having a ONS was so out of character. Hated that. And then they had reporter, Polly, dig up their secret and plaster it all over the front page, which caused that media storm. Polly: she was an annoying character, if IRC. I'll go see if I can dig up that Corrie promo, and post it in the Corrie thread.

^ True, but its not as if the interviewer is gonna fire a load of hate questions at her. Probably, she anticipates the inevitable question about teen overload, which has scared her off. But, if she was any good, she'd face up to that, and just try to give the best damn interview she can. For that to happen, she'd have to be able to identify her faults, which she doesn't seem to be able to do. I swear, she's like the Oz version of MAB!

It didn't help. I'd say it could've been an interesting story to explore, but the execution was terrible, and their motives was scatty. I still don't know why they slept together; there wasn't any kind of attraction between them, instead it all just randomly happened, b/c Roxy was mad at Ronnie or something equally stupid. It felt out of character for her, b/c she never came across as being vindictive. Roxy's not vindictive. I also didn't like that they based it all on sibling jealousy, and Roxy always wanting what Ronnie had (this was an interesting concept in the beginning, but ultimately forgotten in the end), b/c it felt lame and lazy - it wasn't a strong enough motive. But, if all of that had been perfect, it still would've tarnished her character, b/c the Rack fans never would have forgiven her for coming between their golden super-couple. And to make it all worse, Roxy took most of the fan backlash, b/c apparently, Jack was comatosed when it all happened, and obviously couldn't be held responsible for any of it. I loved Gita - she was a favourite. I also liked Sanjay, too, but could never understand them ditching Gita, over Sanjay. Didn't Gita mysteriously vanish for like, a year? And Sanjay was the prime suspect, only for Gita to return a year later with a child in toe? That was a bizarre storyline. Why did she disappear, again? Oh, and didn't Sanjay & Gita end up reuniting again? I liked Simone and Ruth, too. Good times. ITA on your theory about people not liking change, and seeing EE as a damaged brand, etc. I think that's very true. Also, the media hyped up Zsa Zsa as the next big thing - which obviously seeped into a lot people's subconscious - so when she was let go, it was seen as being a big mistake. Of course, there are a lot of people who can separate what they read, and what they see, which is why I know Zsa Zsa wasn't a big deal. She was expendable. I do think they should recast Lucy A-SAP. Don't make any fuss over it on screen; simply have Melissa in the role one week, and the next the recast. Maybe have a gap of about a week or two, just to cushion the blow, but ultimately don't drag it out, especially with the abortion secret in play. Some fans aren't gonna be happy either way, so they may as well get it over with sooner, rather than later. Speaking of promos - has anyone seen the latest Corrie one for Siege Week? It's pretty good actually; better than I expected, as ITV's promos usually are lame.