JamesF

I've been reliving this show on Youtube over the past couple of days with loads of stuff that aired when I was a kid.

I'd forgotten how truly soapy and addictive it could be! Carla murdering her husband and framing Ellen for drug abuse, Guy's gay stalker, the truck driver ploughing into the front of the clinic and killing Carmen. It's made me do some reading up on how the show's progressed because I think I stopped watching around the time Ellen and David's baby died.

Despite my tortured love for Neighbours and appreciate for some of Home and Away, SS really puts them to shame when it comes to melodrama. They don't seem hostage to censorship like those two shows so they can be both as gritty or outrageous as they please. Severely underrated.

I fear we're rapidly heading back to the 'good' old days.

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Hilarious OTT moments, no drama that actually resonates.

Susan's best friend was Liljana Bishop, Harold's daughter-in-law. She had an affair with Paul Robinson, her husband David kicked her out and she was living with Susan until they reconciled about a month before the plane crash. At the time Susan had also been close friends with a girl named Sindi and barely batted an eyelid when she had a nervous breakdown, tried to kill Toadie and then got carted away to a mental institution. It was all just really shoddily executed.

Canal Road was a highly publicised drama series set in a medical clinic in Melbourne but it bombed. I've only seen bits and pieces of it but it amped up the sex and drugs and had some kind of murder mystery running through it. Paul Leyden was the star.

My problem with Corrie these days is that it's taken a leaf out of the book of American soaps when it comes to certain characters.

People like Michelle, Graeme, Tina, Nick, Izzy, Becky...they all may have some potential but the producers are obsessed with ramming them down our throats at the expense of genuine ensemble stories.

Perhaps it's a problem of the cast bloating and the budget shrinking but a good comparison is the Tony Gordon explosion and Maya's rampage. In the latter, everyone on the street was out to see it. With the former, it was only a select group of buzz characters and even most of them were kept indoors. Why did Eileen's house have the lights on when everywhere else was cordoned off for example? And of course it HAD to be Becky who led the lynch mob. I get it. She's got a heart of gold.

I've gone for the girl on the right...

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?

Oh absolutely. The 'G' rating is a chore but they have worked round it plenty of times before. I absolutely loved 2004-5. By 2006-7 they were still pushing the envelope (Katya's drug past, Sky murdering Terrence, Rob Robinson shooting Paul) but there was no introspection in the characters. The pace was so ridiculously fast that nothing had any lasting consequences. I still find it bizarre that the same team that wrote the Kennedys' 12 month long marriage breakdown was responsible for Susan planning a wedding 48 hours after her best friend was blown up in the Bass Strait.

There are always ways round the rating issue. I just wish to God they'd find the balance again as Susan Bower seemed to be getting there at the start of the regime change.

The more I think about it though, the more I think she's merely towing the party line. She EPed Canal Road which was a fairly sleazy show - she's clearly no prude. I have a very strong suspicion that Ten became more obsessed with the demos than the ratings and at some point in 2009 pushed to focus on the teens and their CBBCesque adventures. I'd also hazard a guess that at some point, Bower's gone for a compromise and that's why we're starting to see a slight shift again with the teens having active sex lives and older characters getting more focus. I certainly would never have imagined Jane Badler coming on as a camp superbitch in 2009, followed by Rosemary Daniels.

So weighing it all up, perhaps at least some of Bower's perceived arrogance is down to carrying the can for Ten's tinkering (which they have a long history of e.g. the Bishops'/Timmins' being axed). She wants to keep her job so she tries to publicly make the best of a bad situation.

As an aside I've caught glimpses of some of the stuff airing in Oz at the moment and it's really surprisingly engaging.

Ben, I find your thoughts really interesting. I've watched Neighbours since I was about 2 and this era really is the first I've been so completely bored by. Objectively looking back at 1999-2002, there was plenty there that was more boring and offensively ignorant to history but for some reason the teen quotient really pushes me over the edge.

Susan Bower has done some amazing stuff but she's got herself into a mess. I've said to a friend of mine that while 2004-2006 was solid gold with a few [!@#$%^&*] stains, the show is now one massive turd with flecks of gold.

Can I ask how you felt about Nicola West? I really enjoyed her arc in spite of myself and I'd love it if they found a way to bring her back. She was the kind of dynamic 20 something character the show's missing. They just don't even have that age range anymore.

I didn't know Janet Andrewartha had shown dissatisfaction. She seems pleased to be back and is very much towing the party line about her character change.

I don't think the Scullys are important to the show. The only family that is really truly integral is the Kennedys (and to a far lesser extent the Robinsons).

What I find concerning about Steph's exit is that it's another longterm character we're losing and I don't trust the show to invest in history for a replacement. In 10 years, Steph has intertwined with many different sets of characters and families (much like Libby) and when she goes, we lose that link to its history. Ironically it's not really the character itself that I'm concerned about.

Tbh I'd rather they just delayed the episodes and then used the erratic scheduling of the next month to try to "catch up" to correct airdates.

I absolutely hate it when episodes are cut about and storylines edited. I'd rather watch nothing than a barely decipherable version of what was originally intended. Perhaps it's the frustrated Neighbours viewer in me!

Tis indeed Amello. Same woman, same cheating husband. One of my favourite ever soap storylines (if not the favourite).

It seems like a lot of Australian soap actors don't get a lot of credit for their work. I guess at least she's very popular with the fans, isn't she?

No they don't. I don't think it's just soaps either. Aussies don't take their television very seriously and the awards only go to the popular faces of the time. Jackie's certainly got a major fanbase in the UK and with the hardcore of viewers in Oz but unlike Ray Meagher from Home and Away, the Susan character doesn't have the catchphrases and gimmicks to really put her in the public consciousness.

From what I've read Jane Badler's going to play the board chairwoman of the Daniels Corporation, Diana Marshall. They've set up a story for Paul Robinson to have Lassiter's hotel taken away from him if he doesn't boost profits or some such and her character's name was on the paperwork. Could be interesting if they play it right.

On a completely unrelated note I found this on Youtube. I'd forgotten how depressing the MS story was but fantastically acted. I don't know how Jackie Woodburne isn't better recognised.

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I gave up on Emerald Point after the pilot. Incredibly dull. Out of curiosity though I watched the finale last night and it was a much improved show. More emphasis was put on the female characters, plenty of bitching etc. Still lacking anything remotely memorable.

Enjoy Chris. The first season of Savannah was fantastic soapy fun. 90s sleaze with a bit of the 80s earnestness that Melrose didn't need to bother with. Pacific Palisades had its moments but the story arcs just didn't seem to be there.

Re: novelists, I think Sidney Sheldon could have been the best option particularly with his TV background. I've only read a few of his books and he has a very 'easy' writing style that would translate well to the screen. Jackie Collins however...nope. A total one trick pony. Hollywood Wives and Chances were her masterpieces and genuine page turning beach reads that were dare I say it unpredictable. The rest were [!@#$%^&*]. Completely and utterly formulaic, the irony being that she invented the formula in the 80s when she could still be bothered to use her imagination. She'd be terrible at writing a primetime soap that was anything more than gloss.

Just a heads up but over the past couple of days it seems someone's been uploading full episodes of Emerald Point NAS. I don't want to publicise it too much but you can guess where.

Regarding 'good' soaps and in particular short-lived ones, Pasadena immediately springs to mind. The names involved would have suggested a lot more pretension but it was a lot of fun, though in a far less obvious way than Desperate Housewives. It really was a case of wrong network, wrong time.

I finally got to see Peter's AA meeting from last week with Ken, Deirdre, and Blanche, and damn! Blanche had me rolling. When she accused the one lady of having halitosis, that was it. And then when Deirdre stormed out and Ken went after her, he walked down the stairs as Blanche just rode the stair lift. Too funny!

One of the funniest things in weeks.

I'm still enjoying the show. I don't know what it is but no matter how low Neighbours goes, I can't give it up. I think it's in a fairly good place at the moment.

Zeke's departure is interesting...it's fairly obvious where it's going but Karl and Susan are such fantastic actors that I welcome them having something meaty to get into. I've always hoped they could do the "loss of a child" thing even it if is a bit of a cheat.

I also like the direction Zeke as a character has taken. I couldn't stand him or the actor until this year and it feels as though they've finally defined him.

My other passion in the show is Rebecca. I think she is a fantastic actress and a fabulous character. I really, really hope TPTB recognise this and push her to the forefront.

Yes, Danielle was played by an appalling actress. I think even the most casual of viewers could see that. I'm not a regular viewer at all but I don't understand the hysteria surrounding her departure either. It's completely reactionary. Can people honestly say they wanted to watch SJ and Danielle form a mother/daughter bond for months on end? I don't see where it could have gone.

And you're completely right about the segregation. It's part of one of the problems of having such a large cast and Santer insisting on bringing back old characters with no forethought for how they will fit in (ESPECIALLY Claire before she left). The show has massively swollen familial groups who end up hogging story time from each other. There are exceptions where they blend in such as Tania's friendship with Jane but these are hardly substantial.

Santer's storylines have clearly been planned in advance. Looking back over the Danielle story, there were seeds planted of that not long after Samantha Janus's arrival. The Max/Stacey/Tanya triangle also lasted for around 18 months and still seems to be touched upon.

You do have a point though about periods of blahness. I think the Aussie soaps are the same. The highs can be so tremendous that no effort/thought is put into plotting anything compulsive to segue into so you end up with big peaks and troughs.

Interesting. Wonder if he'll be looking for work whilst he's back over here.

I don't think Emmerdale could ever be watchable again unless it had a complete overhaul i.e. firing 75% of the cast. I've seen a few minutes here and there now Maxwell Caulfield and Amanda Donahoe have joined - there seems to be an intriguing story developing with a woman from his past.

It just doesn't gel as a show. There is some talent there but huge portions of time centre on comedy incest and grotesque hillbilly cariacatures.

But then the first half of Hollyoaks tonight revolved around someone having a phobia of a potato so Emmerdale's in good company as far as crap writing at the moment .

I watched the episode tonight. It's probably the first I've seen in months so I wasn't entirely sure what was going on but it was quite bizarre.

Some of it was very, very good. I gasped when Ronnie threw Danielle into the street (knowing of course how the story was going to end). Sam Janus put in an excellent performance.

The rest just seemed a little too muddled and frenzied. The last 15 minutes was full of people in other storylines shouting at one another though I enjoyed Janine laying into "Fat Pat" as I always do.

I suppose it's enjoyable. It's become a very camp show that is completely about women - light years away from the old days of male gangsters beating each other up in back streets. But nothing really seems to move forwards. Tanya/Max/Stacey, Shirley, Dot, Ian/Jane, Janine, Ricky/Bianca...there's a Jim Reilly syndrome setting in that I feel I can not bother watching for months on end and the characters haven't evolved in any meaningful way at all.

On the other hand perhaps I'm being impatient. Diederick Santer has obviously plotted several years of story and likes to take his time.

I think he's the new series producer who's taken over from Anita Turner. As I've stated before and feel the need to do so again, I loathe the show but I'm intrigued by the recent backstage reshuffling.

If I'm not mistaken, Gavin started his career as a script editor for Corrie.

Incidentally I noticed Daran Little in a bar this weekend. I wonder whether he's back for a visit or his American dream has crashed and burned...

Still not seen this week (possibly Monday's?) but I'm really enjoying it outside bloody Mickey running away for the umpteenth time. Can't stand that child.

I love, love, love the way that Susan Bower's allowing other characters to make bitchy digs towards Susan just as Ric P did when he first took over. Paul Robinson saying he hats her and then the stuff in the newspaper office

Susan: What's your star sign Elle?

Elle: Taurus.

Susan: Taurus...oh. Today you're going to be wowed by a fantastic, intelligent new coworker.

Elle: Hmm.

Susan: Where's mine...Cancer...

Elle: That'd be right.

I love Susan dearly but get a kick out of anyone bringing her down a peg or two.

I think Bevan is a fairly heavy hitter these days with Channel 7 and he went back to Home and Away because he wanted to write the bulk of the 20th anniversary stuff. It's clearly a show he's got a tremendous soft spot before despite going up in the world. I've not seen Packed to the Rafters but as far as I'm aware it veers more towards drama like his old show Always Greener. I hear dramedy and I think Ally McBeal.

I'd love to know more about Darran Little's role but that's a discussion for another thread.

To stay on topic I chose to watch the two episodes surrounding Niall blowing up the church. God knows I can never get on board with Hollyoaks ordinarily. There are flaws about it that I can't get past including some of the acting and the fact that character groups can go for weeks on end without being shown. I also found out a while ago that the storyliners/script writers are instructed to make sure they do not begin or end a scene with any of the older characters i.e parents. The emphasis is supposed to remain solely on the young characters and this undermines Bryan Kirkwood's wishes to make it a more inter-generational show.

HOWEVER.

As far as soapy goodness, these episodes were well done. John Paul, Tina and Mercedes couldn't act but the others were good enough to elevate it. I've got to give credit to Hollyoaks for one thing. They really know how to build up a long term storyline and give it a payoff.

Okay so The City is a show that absolutely fascinates me because it represents the kind of variety I think daytime should have and the kind of things I've always thought soaps should try. Of course it got cancelled within 18 months which shows how much I know but whatever.

Having only seen the first and last episodes I was thrilled to see forum member bellcurve had uploaded some material on to YouTube of the Fake Quartermaines. How much fun is this show? Zany without descending into Passions style hijinx, great production values and characters that pop off the screen. Tracy in particular is luminous. A far cry from the seldom used wicked witch cariciature I've seen on GH in the past few years.

This really seems like a show ahead of its time.

ETA:

Alex: Your dad seems quite...gay.

Tracy: Doesn't he?

Love it.

The Mortons have grown on me but they've been really unpopular over here. As soon as the new EP took over, she booted them out the door.

Jodie left sometime before Christmas tho. I think the actress was sick of not having a storyline and they rarely mention the character.

Okay, would someone be kind enough to let me know when this episode aired? I'm about to watch it and I'd like to find some summaries from the period so I can have a clue what's going on.

It's from around 1997. I wish I could remember what was going on but the stories are all a haze. I know it's from after the arrival of Brian Park as EP because Judy is arguing with Gary about the garage and this relates to her mother Joyce being killed. Joyce was one of the first characters Park killed off. It's also the start of Don Brennan's obsession with bringing down Mike Baldwin -- the scene's played pretty low key in the cafe but he ends up driving Alma into the canal and blowing himself up in an attempt to kill Mike.

The new mechanic at the garage has been in a few US series recently like Ghost Whisperer.

Every single Corrie clip I see, I hate Gail more and more. Can that old bitch just die off already?

I enjoy watching her because she's just so weird. Sally's another one I can't get enough of for the same reason.

WHO THE [!@#$%^&*] WAS THAT LOUD MOUTHED BITCH AND WHEN DO I GET THE FREAKIN' JOY OF GETTIN HER ON MY SCREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The ginger one whose first line is "You dirty bitch"? She's Theresa Morton. The Mortons move in to Charlie's house after Tracy kills him. They really didn't take off but they're currently in the middle of a leaving storyline involving Theresa's return (having walked out on the family years before).