Ben

Yeah, it's all b/c of the 'G' rating, and the restrictions it poses. They've actually got stricter over the years. It's stupid having a soap under a General Rating, given that the 'G' means that anyone of all ages can watch the show, which has made Susan Bower steer the show towards kids, instead of its intended 18-49 demo. But judging from a couple of up-coming storylines, it seems maybe she's willing to push the boundaries, like the show used to do (and is finally listening to viewers). I love Rosemary, so it'll be good to see her again. Glad that she's getting four episodes, and it isn't just a one-guest-ep.

This is a Neighbours Skit that they produced for the Logies, which was deemed too risqué to air. It's from the 7PM Project, and is a parody of Neighbours and Underbelly. It's hilarious, and similar to the Two Libby's skit. <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>

Major Natasha exit spoiler...

I think they had Mas throw Zainab out into the rain, b/c it gave them the opportunity to recreate the classic scene of Pat being thrown out of the same house, in the pouring rain, scrabbling to pick up her clothes. And did anyone else notice the soap cliché of suitcases always spilling out when thrown to the ground? Why are they never closed properly? I look at Lucy's blackmail attempts as being a way for her to help her Uncle Christian. She knew he was miserable, and that Syed was breaking his heart, so she did what she thought was right by making Syed suffer. She also thought it would all lead to Syed falling out of the closet, and him and Christian being together. You have to remember that Lucy couldn't understand Syed's plight; she sees being gay, as no big deal, and something he shouldn't be ashamed about. Lucy runs by her own morals, so blackmailing Syed was her way of doing good; but she's like her mother, Cindy, so of course she'd enjoy turning the knife in Syed. Lucy fronting up to Masood and Zainab fit perfectly with her character - it's what she does. I see Jane as someone who has changed her opinion of Christian, and what he did to her marriage. I think she understands the situation differently, and sees it as being in the past. I do like that someone is pointing out the romance of it all, as there's always one person who sees the love story, but really, they need Christian and Syed to have an epiphany, and realize how horrible they've behaved. Balance is needed. Were those scenes cut? I know that next week, some Ben/Abi/Jordan stuff happens, and the Jane/Ian holiday stuff also climaxes. Or they could happen at the end of this week. Adam blurting out Chelsea's pregnancy seems odd, as I don't see where that would've gone. Chelsea's not in any of this week, and that story was wrapped up last week, so I don't see where it would've gone.

Why does it feel like these departures are in the wrong order? The deadwood are still hanging around, while characters with potential are being fired before them - Natasha has potential, and the Peacocks were good supporting players, that were never used to their full advantage. I can understand letting Ashley & Claire go, but to me, they wouldn't be #1. When you look at the show, there are several that are pointless - Sean, Kirk, Michelle, Ryan...

Carl, that scenario is puzzling, as I remember there was Sean Steel, who was stabbed on New Year's Eve, and died, but I don't remember him being involved with a cop, who dated his best friend. Sean was one half of the Will & Grace pairing, and his best friend was Tanya, who was carrying his IVF child. Sean dated closet case bisexual Brendan Boulter, who ended up marrying Melanie Costello - he was way in denial about the whole thing, and even had numerous one-night-stands. They did make a point of labelling him bi, which Melanie came to understand; she later regretted it, after he continued to lie to her. Brendan, thankfully left for a new life in France; the guy was seriously wooden, and pairing him with self-centred, whiny Mel, didn't do any of them any favours. I was never really a fan of this story, as it all felt a bit like, yet another gay storyline, and Brendan had no charm. He was dull, and felt very unimportant. It also made Melanie a victim, and she had enough to whine about, without adding a cheating bi boyfriend. What also bugged me, was that they made a point of Brendan being bi, but he was only ever with Mel - all of his flings were with men. It felt like they wanted to give him this label, to show how they were representing bisexuals, but really, it felt like Brendan was simply gay. But I've done some research, and found that there was a gay cop, called Adam, who dated Clive, and slept with his best mate, Gabby. This happened in the early days, and I think Clive was FA's first male gay character (Holly being the first lesbian). I don't remember him at all. Clive was really annoying; he bugged me for some reason, so whenever he had storylines, I tended to tune out. I also wasn't a regular viewer at the time, so that doesn't help. But I did like Clive's friendships with Gabby and Declan (who he crushed on at one point). They made a nice little trio. Adam, though was a guest character, so they didn't delve all that much into his storyline. I think it was as simple as being exposed for a cheat, and leaving town. IIRC, Clive was never meant to be happy at all.

Sort of... I say that apprehensively, b/c not everyone liked Sami; he was flamboyant, kinda OTT, but in a grounded sense. If you've ever seen clips of Yasmin, then you'll understand how these two became BFF's. But this was all balanced out by the straight Brett, who really made you root for these two - they had chemistry, too, unlike Chryed. Sami's mother, Aamina was introduced, and we got to know her, and see their relationship (his other family members weren't IIRC). Every time she'd visit, he used to hide all of his personal "gay" items, like photos of himself and his then separated married boyfriend, Max Lawson. That guy broke his heart when he ultimately chose his family over Sami (they did try the whole thing where his kids visited, but they never took to Sami). Aamina arranged him a bride, and a wedding, and was prepared to go through with it, even though the bride knew his secret. Brett gave him an ultimatum, and Sami decided to tell the truth, but his bride (who was in love with another man, and wanted their shame marriage to keep up her pretence) blackmailed him into going through with the wedding. Ultimately, Sami backed out of the wedding at the last minute, and Aamina found out her son was gay. She disowned him. Sami and Brett reunited. Then his father had a heart attack and died, which triggered a huge confrontation between Sami and Aamina, where she stabbed him with a knife. He survived, and left for Australia with Brett, whose visa had expired. Aamina went to prison. Family Affairs had a lot of gay characters, of all varieties; some worked, and some didn't. I think Sami worked, for the most part. Sami drove the story, and you understood his plight. The religious angle was dealt with, and there were moments of drama, sadness, and comedy. He has qualities that Syed is missing. I do wonder if Sami and Brett would've stayed, had the show not been cancelled.

Lets extinguish that flame before it grows - no way is Fatboy a representation of a cool Londoner. There are some guys that are deemed cool, as that slang usually accompanies some kind of bad boy persona; but generally, never. It's also mostly teens that talk like that, or street kids (I.e Billie's crew), and Fatboy is neither. I loved the Mosque scenes, too. I thought they were really well written, and addressed the issue perfectly. I like how Masood's beliefs are quite polarising compared to Zainab, especially in how they're dealing with it. Syed is annoying. For a story that was supposed to be about him being torn between being a good Muslim boy, and being gay, they sure have glossed over a lot of his religious anguish. Zainab has addressed that angle more so than Syed has, much like how Masood, is more tormented by the gay angle more than Syed himself. But Syed is pathetic anyway, as is Christian, and for the story to have any meaning, they'll have to be together in the end, chemistry or not. Plus, Syed is not the first gay Muslim; Family Affairs already told this story in 2005, with Sami Shafiq and his Australian lover, Brett.

I was a huge JJ fan. 2005 was when Dan Bennett took over, and began the OTT years. Things went downhill from this point onwards, especially the character assassination of Jesse. How Dan Bennett had the nerve to bring back Chloe Richards, a beloved character, only to kill her off in a dumb storyline, is beyond me. He had the opportunity to reunite Jesse and Chloe, and have them ride off into the sunset, but instead chose the senseless option.

Pacing only seemed to really become an issue, when actors vacation time was coupled with the introduction of episode quotas (as a money saving device). I don't remember 2007 having these issues, and even though the ep quotas came into effect in 2009, 2008 didn't seem as bad, either (albeit pacing started to be a problem then, too, but never as much as 2009). Or maybe I have selective amnesia? But what I don't get, is when they've put all that effort into the murder story, and the build up to the Live ep, why they fell short of the aftermath? It's like they didn't properly plan out other storylines to take over from the whodunit? and instead we've had months of filler involving characters that no-one cares about. An inflated teen scene, with Billie and his crew; the pointless introduction of Leon, Fatboy, Zsa Zsa, and the soon-to-arrive Mercy; why did they saddle Masood and Zainab with a baby? Where's the story about Heather developing as a character through motherhood? What's the point of Adam, and his uber rushed pairing with Libby, who, along with Darren, are trapped in the dullest triangle ever? Serial killer Lucas is an anticlimax waiting to happen, where everything in between is convoluted filler (unless this garden make-over story leads to his reveal). And then there's the introduction of Louise, Phil's daughter - why? And Jack & Chelsea? Pat's sever heart attack? Moving on to this weeks eps: I was a bit disappointed in Lucy having a termination. I just really wanted her to have the baby and give it to Jane. I am glad Ian didn't coerce Lucy into it, but I wonder if he had properly talked to her, easing her fears, would she have still gone through with it? And I get why Ian lied to Jane, but when the truth comes out, it'll break her in two. Such a tragic story, and probably the only compelling one right now (IMO). Also loved the scene with Peter and Lucy - I think that was the first time they felt like proper twins. More of this would be good. But ratings don't really represent the actual number of people watching, just the number of households who have it tuned on. And this only really seems to work for Corrie and EE, sometimes E'dale, where no matter how terrible the show is, they still seem to pull in similar ratings. And I don't believe 10 million people can sit through every ep of Corrie, in its current guise.

I agree. B/c of those introductory scenes, I do think it was intended, but the plotting probably pushed it to the backburner, or it was simply forgotten about, until recently, and tacked on to the Live show. It should never have been mentioned, really, seeing as the time had past. What really is the long term point? If you were Stacey, would you have gone to the cops? You're pregnant, and you've just murdered someone in cold blood. The charge could probably be brought down to manslaughter, but you'd still be facing jail time. You'd keep quiet. And when Bradley did become a suspect (due to his own actions), what would have been the point in telling Bradley that she's the killer? Everyone knew Bradley didn't do it; the cops had evidence, and if she had told him, he would've covered for her. So the outcome would still have been the same. I just don't see how the outcome could've been changed, if Stacey had told the truth. And I guess you can put the rest down to Stacey's bipolar meds, as they would numb her emotional responses to situations, so she wouldn't have a "normal" reaction to killing Archie; hence no moment of hiding her secret. The last time they mentioned this side effect of the meds, was with Jean, a couple of years ago. I like Ryan, too. But like a lot of the other new male characters, he has yet to be fully developed. He does have promise with Janine, so I can see Stacey and their baby being an obstacle for Ryan & Janine. I've not been a big fan of Bradley for ages. He became a bit of a non entity for a while, and most recently has been shown to be really selfish and rude. The way he treated Syd and Noah, in that cold, detached way; the way he treated Becca for no apparent reason (there's no excuse for rudeness). And I really don't get why Charlie quit due to public attention - surely if he gets another role that becomes popular, or is on a big show/film, then won't he get the attention all over again? And I like Becca; she's a lonely, damaged soul. She needs Stacey, b/c she's all Becca's got, and her infatuation with Max, is interesting and slightly creepy, depending on her motive. Plus, we don't know what went on in her past that made her self harm; there's lots of potential, and she seems like a competent actor.

So, did anyone else guess it was Stacey? For a live episode, that was really good. And the behind-the-scenes show was good, too. I agree, but then I don't. See, I think it was always ever so subtly insinuated during Archie's first scenes, in his mansion with Ronnie. This is what made them so creepy. I thought a sick love storyline was gonna follow, but it never did, only to appear now. Of course, it's all too late, and pointless. Instead of being a decent plot twist, where we could've seen it delve into Archie's psychology, it has simply been used to explain away Ronnie detesting her dad, even though it didn't need any more explaining. What Archie had all ready done to her, was all plausible in her hating him. But I didn't buy into Archie raping Stacey, as it just didn't feel like it fit into his character. Sexually abusing his daughter, for whatever reason, is one thing, but Stacey is another. Archie thrived off of psychological warfare, not violence; he was controlling, but not violently controlling - everything was about mind games. Plus, he viewed Stacey has dirty, someone he wouldn't touch, unless it was very necessary - he never slept with Suzy, and only gave into Janine when he really had to. She didn't let Bradley become a suspect; that was out of her hands. He decked Archie, leaving his DNA, which the police finally managed to extract, after months of getting nowhere. And it was Becca who dobbed him into the cops. I really believe, had Stacey 'fessed up to Bradley, that things would still have ended the way they did. He would've still been the prime suspect, eventually. And I can't see them writing out Stacey, not unless Lacey decides to leave. She still has potential with being a mother to Ryan's baby, and making an enemy of Janine in the process. And lets face it: Lacey is one of their best actors. She only foind out in Thursday's ep that Archie is not the father of her baby. Ronnie told her that cancer treatment had made Archie sterile. She soon figured that Ryan Malloy is the baby daddy.

Male character, that is. I know, I missed out the most important word from that sentence. Alf (1988); Morag (1988 recurring); Colleen (1988 recurring until 1999); Irene (1992); Leah (2000); Tony (2005); Miles (2008); Nicole (2008). They've had a pretty big turnover, especially in the last decade. It speaks volumes when the most recent are the longest serving characters.

I think it's seen as a golden period, b/c he managed to turn the show around, when it was at death's door. EE was damaged, some of which will never be repaired (apparently), and that took a lot for him to do. ITA on 2008 - it was a real let down. I actually think a lot of those stories had potential (bar Jack & Tanya), but due to their execution/pacing/direction that potential was squandered. Such a shame. I liked Kevin with Denise (she made him likeable). 2006 featured the horrendous Naomi/Sonia lesbian romance; Martin's boring psycho stalker Sarah; the ruined pairing of Joe & Pauline, which resulted in her lacklustre death and him stupidly trying to kill Dot! 2004 was bad, b/c it had the change over from Louise Berridge to Kathleen Hutchinson, a decision which cost the show dearly. But, IMO, the bad was all ready settling in during the latter months of 2003, particularly when Little Mo was raped a second time (a plot that felt very unnecessary - to put it mildly). In 2004, The Ferreira family was centre stage, with their ridiculous kidney transplant story. I actually thought Tariq revealing he was their half brother, was inevitable, yet a lot people didn't buy it. Then there was Adi/Sasha; the gangster war between Phil and Andy; Kate being an undercover cop; Julie Smith and his gun drama; the Real Walford football team; the icky Den/Zoe relationship, which was part of the tedious Sharon/Dennis/Zoe triangle; Vicki Fowler's ever changeable accent, and her boring plots involving cheating uni lecturers that nobody cared about; the go-nowhere lesbian kiss between Zoe and Kelly; the horrendous fairground disaster; the equally horrendous Alfie/Little Mo affair (reminiscent of Jack/Tanya). It was around the time of Kat discovering the affair, and the ever changeable character actions, that made me tune out. You could literally see from episode to episode how the characters/storylines changed direction; it was frustrating, as you'd see Kat react/say something one ep, then forget she did/said that the next. 2005 was just as bad, yet did manage to recover in the latter months. The show was so bad, that the BBC didn't even bother to celebrate the shows 21st birthday, yet did celebrate Neighbours' a month later. 2005 also saw the lowest ratings ever. But there was one particular storyline that was handled well, and probably the only bright spark: Nana Moon revisiting Normandy. Well written, and well acted.

I know this is a couple of weeks late, but thought it was still interesting. For those of you still watching: how are you finding the teen-overload? And for a woman who started out doing so much good, how has Susan Bower veered so far off course? Seriously, she seems to think the show is the best its ever been, despite the Oz ratings taking a major dive.

I'll miss Tony & Rachel (more so Rachel). It's a shame, as Tony is the second longest serving character, after Alf. Now it'll be Miles(?), meaning, only Alf will represent pre-2008!

I know taste is subjective, but I wasn't arguing against that. You made a statement, and I thought it would be interesting if you explained it in more detail. I don't have an encyclopaedic mind that remembers every episode, every stotyline, from every soap throughout the years; you might be able to remind me of some of those dreary magic moments that I might've forgotten. I put dreary in inverted commas, b/c I thought it was an understatement of what that period truly was. IMO, if that period had been dreary, it would've been a welcome.

Name those episodes! Seriously, those "dreary" periods were horrific; for the first time, I actually tuned out for several months, things were that bad. So it would be nice to know which episodes were "pure magic," as I seriously can't remember any at all. The behind the scenes haemorrhaging during this time, nearly killed the show, literally.

I remember he did have some sort of out burst, but not sure if it tied into him leaving, as he did have several exits. I hated Steven - he really bugged me, with his smug attitude. It didn't help when the show started to prop the Steven/Selina pairing, as I was a fan of Jesse & Selina. ETA: I found this clip of Steven's 1996 exit - Pippa and Alisa talk about Steven's out burst. Those were the days, when H&A was good; pity it can't be like that now. They just don't make characters like they used to.

Either you have a good memory for minute details that happened years ago, or you've been reading ep summaries. I don't remember any of that. But it does sound vaguely like it happened.

I don't remember Dylan being a maths prodigy. In fact, I don't remember him doing all that much. When Angel arrived, she was a street kid, and Dylan wasn't with her. I guess he could've been a maths genius, and I've simply forgotten... There was a Steven Matheson, but Angel wasn't involved with him. His storylines were mostly with: Selina/Jesse/Travis/Kelly/Marilyn + he was an original character, too. There was a Simon - an English guy, who fell for Angel. They left together. He was very annoying, for some reason.

Shane & Angel were awesome; they were immensely popular, and if they hadn't of brought in Selina/Shannon/Chloe, I think the show would have suffered from their loss. And yes, Melissa was good then, too. What I've never liked, though, is her refusal to talk about the show that launched her career - it's like she's embarrassed by her soap past. On the rare occasions that she will utter a sentence or two, she's very coy, and claims that she can't remember much about her time on H&A. Whatever.

They are, but Amira is Indian. And technically, it was a Muslim wedding, with an Indian feel (seeing as Amira was the bride).

Yep, go with the wedding. It's awesome. Really. Generally, the story isn't that good, b/c as Carl has stated, there was no build up, and the actors lack decent chemistry; plus, they've missed a valuable opportunity to let Christian's character develop, and organically allow the story to take on a more ambiguous nature. I don't feel I can root for Christian/Syed, any more than Syed/Amira, as both couples are disastrous. What would have worked so much better (IMO) is if Christian had done the one selfless thing and let Syed go (at the last minute of course), thus allowing him to grow as a character, and pass the responsibility onto Syed (where it should be anyway, as after all, this should be his story, and not a Christian *&* Syed story). What's worse is the treatment of Amira, who really seems to be a second thought in the writers minds, as no-one has given a rats ass about her throughout any of this. One by one, more people have found out (Lucy, Jane, Zainab, the Imam...) and not one of them have considered Amira's feelings at all. It's all about Christian and his love story with Syed. And once again, the woman is the loser. Having said all that, the wedding episodes go some way into making up for the bad writing, b/c, they really are awesome. The acting is spot on fantastic, to the point where I can almost forgive them for playing Christian as a bitter, vengeful ex, and Zainab's reaction is very real.

Very. Strangely, I don't find Neighbours as confusing, probably b/c Susan Bower has stated that all final decisions go through her, and I can easily blame her for all the crap that's given the green light. But with H&A, and especially when Bevan was there, he made all the decisions, even though Cameron Welsh is EP... actually it's SP. What's the difference between a Series/Executive Producer? And it was Bevan who took over from Sarah Walker in 2008, but who took over from him? Faith McKinnon and Phil Lloyd, that's who. Taken from yesterday's end credits: Series Producer: Cameron Welsh Script Producers: Faith McKinnon & James Walker Executive Producer: John Holmes Network Executive Producer: Bevan Lee Script Editor: Stephen Vagg Associate Story Producer: Sandy Webster Story Consultant: Sarah Walker & Fiona Bozig