Neighbours: Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

Any Kimberley Davies fans may enjoy this - a pilot she did in 1998 (with Mark Hamill, Rachel Bilson, Richard Burgi, among others).

 

 

[Liberty City]

I'm about 40 episodes from finishing the 2022 year season! Woo!

[Liberty City]

No no... not Hendrix. First Sonya, and now Hendrix? Ugh. Not my gay heart. I can't take this... but what a story. Whew... American soaps wouldn't take these risks today.

[tiofmso]

So the first episode of the return just finished airing in Australia, did anyone watch it? What did you think?

Without spoiling, I enjoyed it. I think they did a good job setting up a few future storylines for the rest of the year and obviously the major one that kicks the show off.

I do wish there was a better introduction to the new characters though, even just saying their names more often. I know i’ll learn them eventually but if I had one minor complaint that would be it.

[althea-davis]

I liked the first episode. I thought the twist at the end was really unexpected, but I am really curious how it came to happen. and on a shallow note: new Byron is absolutely drool-worthy lol

[Vee]

I guess I should check this out - we'll see how newbie-friendly it is.

Oh, the opening recap featuring all the classic standard-def footage reminds me so much of the AMC/OLTL recap videos when Prospect Park brought them back. Sigh.

Edited September 18, 2023 by Vee

[Liberty City]

Watched the episode at 2:30am this morning, and I called that twist at the end, and yet was still surprised by it happening! I cannot wait to see what comes next.

[Vee]

I like the new family - again, never one with a make-up you'd get on an American soap. I do wonder what the boy's fascination with the area is about.

I have a very passing familiarity with several of the veteran characters, but the youngsters I don't know from Adam so I can't tell who's who or why. Mischa Barton definitely has had a career comedown but looks decent for her age. I wasn't sure what Paul was talking about re: losing people in his family unless it was all meant to signpost the twist.

The somewhat frenetic or overwrought nature of the montage cutting, intros, slightly awkward exposition etc. again remind me a lot of the AMC/OLTL revival pilots, plus the timejump. But that exposition was necessary here as it was there, as well as them being somewhat similar tonally and aesthetically. In both cases a fair bit of it is corny but still on brand for what the audience expects - and the glitzed-up editing style/rhythms remind me a lot of the Euro/UK soaps in general too. None of it's bad per se, just different than what we generally get here in the States (and God knows Neighbours is in a more healthy position than they are atm).

Edited September 19, 2023 by Vee

[Liberty City]

Yeah; they've definitely maintained how they've been as an Australian soap; even Stefan Dennis (Paul) said they wouldn't be Americanized. And I don't think Paul stating he was losing people in his family was a signpost to the twist; I think it had to do with several of his family members not being in the continuation.

[Vee]

Is there a good primer news article on the cast and the families in the wake of the revival, or should I just google wildly?

It is weird to have a new soap to tune into 4 days a week overnight, again a la the PP soaps. (I will stop making that comparison)

Apparently the new opening is slightly different on Aussie TV vs. Amazon? It's interesting that Barton who is supposedly short-term appears to be in it. I do like hearing that the ending is apparently an homage to the classic opening.

Edited September 19, 2023 by Vee

[tiofmso]

So episode 2 wasn’t as exciting as the return was, but it did at least start to fill in some of the gaps between the finale and now. Particularly what happened between Paul/Terese and the rest of the family.

I can’t put it into words but, I still feel like i’m missing a giant chunk of story that my brain’s trying to fill in on its own. It’s no fault of the show that’s just what happens when you’ve been off air for a year and a half.

@Vee

Apologies I didn’t see your post but for spoilers/info about new characters I think this might be what you’re looking for (though i’ve not used the site myself)

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/neighbours/

However for more of a bio on character histories for longer term characters I find this to be really useful (even if it’s not fully up to date)

http://perfectblend.net

Edited September 19, 2023 by tiofmso

[Vee]

Thanks!

[Liberty City]

The theme is not what I was expecting, yet it is exactly what I was expecting... if that makes sense? Just disappointed the names are no longer included.

The backstory of how Terese & Toadie got together was brief, yet explained a lot. Again, I like them together and while I saw the twist coming, I was still surprised.

[1974mdp]

So, I watched the first episode of the reboot without seeing any of the show in the past. I was curious to check it out, and it's kind of wild...as someone else mentioned...that there is a new daily soap available.

There were parts I liked, and I can appreciate the use of what appear to be veteran actors in the story. That said, I found it a bit hard to get into as a brand new viewer, and at times, it didn't hold my attention. Obviously, there was the big wedding twist, but as a new viewer, that didn't really grab me. 

There is sooo much backstory obviously. I do wonder if a show like this may work better if it started with more of a clean slate...brand new stories/ characters with some veteran characters for the returning viewer...sort of like Dallas did. I'll give it a few more episodes to see if it ropes me in.

I'm wondering if there are any other brand new viewers, like myself, and their take on it.

I wonder if the show would be Daytime Emmy eligible since it streams in the US and is produced by Amazon. It would be great to see more than the "last four" in the US represented.

[DRW50]

Any new fans of the show (and hell, I count myself as a new fan compared to many) might enjoy this dedicated fansite. 

Neighbours: The Perfect Blend