Neighbours: Discussion Thread

[Ben]

You mean Stefan Dennis - you're getting your Stefan's mixed up. SD is a great actor, and can convey a raft of emotions in the simplest of scenes.

Dylan was one of my fave characters, and I was sad to see him go. Which sullen girl do you mean? His sister Bree or Sky? Dylan had an on-off relationship with Sky, who got pregnant but didn't know who the daddy was. She slept with her art lecturer JP, Dylan's brother Stingray, and Dylan himself. There was a time when Dylan thought he was the father, and was devastated when he found out that he wasn't, and that Stingray was. After Paul had dumped toxic waste into the wetlands, Sky's newly born daughter, Kerry, contracted Leukaemia as a result of the toxic waste (Someone correct me if I'm wrong)... actually, I think I am, as Dylan thought he may have been impotent as a result of the toxic waste or something (Ed, correct me, please!) Anyway, Stingray donated bone marrow to Kerry, but he died shortly after from a blood clot. Dylan was devastated; he was on the edge, and felt like he was going to switch and go crazy at a moment. Dylan left town after Stingray's funeral (and after trashing the Scarlett Bar), needing to get away and short himself out. A few months later, Sky left to join him. Here's link to the synopsis of Dylan's last episode - http://perfectblend....c/2007/5180.htm

Bree went through a Goth phase, and at one point during her "relationship" with Zeke, it did appear like they were exploring her as being asexual, as she wasn't really into intimacy and stuff. At some point, she was doing an essay on DNA, and discovered that her father Kim, was not her dad after all. They all suspected Janelle of cheating, but it was then revealed that she wasn't Bree's mother, and that she had been switched at birth with a blind girl called Anne, who had recently come to town looking for her birth mother, Janelle. This gave Bree an identity crisis, as Janelle was wanting to get to know Anne, but not isolate Bree or treat her like she wasn't her daughter. It was made worse, b/c Bree's biological parents didn't want anything to do with Bree, and they didn't want Anne to have anything to do with the Timmins'. They eventually came round, but then decided to move away. A few months later, Janelle married Steiger (Pepper's dad) and they, along with Bree, left in a helicopter to the tune of Daryl Braithwaite, who guest stared at their wedding.

That's Stingray, Dylan's brother. He had ADHD - hence the oddball antics.

Well, I'm not sure how far behind the UK was back then, so I'll just leave it as those eps being from 2005.

Edited August 18, 2011 by Ben

[DRW50]

Thanks. Those stories sound very sad. I guess the Dylan/Paul relationship was ruined?

The girl was a bit chubby and had long blonde hair.

[DRW50]

What did you think of the surrogacy story? What happened to the surrogate (Kayla?) and her son?

[Skylover]

Sorry for this ridiculously late reply. I've been catching up on a backlog of Home and Away - The Early Years and summarizing some characters from that for BTTB as well as writing my essay for German so I've been very busy! Still, I should have replied earlier bu I guess you've got to be in a Neighbours mood. And after the great run of episodeswe've had, I'm definitely in the mood to talk about the show. What have you thought of recent episodes, Ben? Nice to see you've been watching some episodes, Carl, are you not watching any from the current series? I love the direction they're taking Michael/Tash and Jade/Kyle. I think they're bringing in Emilia at the right time. They've milked Natasha's recklessness for all its worth so I think it will be good to see another dynamic to the family. You really do feel sorry for both M/N so the writers are obviously doing a good job. I do think Michael often lacks character but I think his relationship with Tash is what makes his character. Many people are calling him bland and saying they'd like to see him leave. Do you agree with this, Ben? What do you think could be done with the character to make him more likeable, or do you think it's a fault of the actor? Personally, I've seen nothing so far that makes me dislike him. I think the character is really relatable, and I love his friendship with Lucas. As for Jade, Neighbours

They've done a fantastic job with this story. I love that Jade doesn't get relationships and has always been into 'casual' but is falling for Kyle and doesn't know what to do about it.

What's a sort course if you don't mind me asking? And thanks for the explanation on what a Script Reader is. I don't use any particular software; up until this point I've just treated it as a hobby and nothing major, so I've seen no reason to get really serious about it. Especially as I'm mainly interested in writing for Neighbours, which of course without experience would be near imporssible living this far away from production. I've started watching Doctors (BBC Daytime - in case you didn't know) and I love the format of that show, though EE would be another option. Basically, I'm doing a Degree in German at Aston University, and have just finished my Erasmus Year working in a school in Frankfurt, but will be heading back to Birmingham next year to to my final year. Doctors is actually set and filmed near Birmingham so that would be an excellent starting point. When I finish my course I will be moving back to Norwich I expect, which is where I come from.

I loved Chloe Lambert too. She was written so well; Steph expected her to be a bit of a bitch when Marc was going to introduce her, but it turned out to be the total opposite. Chloe warned Steph off Marc because she thought he'd only hurt her. And she was right. It was also great how even after Marc and Steph's relationship had ended and Marc barely featured, Chloe still appeared and went on to have quite a big story with Darcy. That was lovly to watch, especially because it was such a grey area. I don't really agree that Max crushed a lot of Steph's spirit. I get why they had such a large fanbase. I think after everything Steph had been through with previour boyfriends and just the hassle she'd managed to cause herself in general, she was attracted to the idea of being part of a 'normal' family and ultimately a loving environment. Max was clearly a very devoted dad and perhaps the security he was offering she took at the expense of her more wild side. I think it was quite natural for the character. Steph's actions and the reason behind her behaviour since the breakdown of her relationship with Max is something that had SO much scope and was barely touched upon. All of her actions made sense; she was with Toadie as it was the easy option but I don't think she ever truly loved him whereas I do think she loved Max. Then it kind of all went downhill from there. She was obviously a very lonely and desperate woman. Heading towards 40 and not in a stable relationship but also with a young child. I think that's why she slept with Dan; seeing Libby kissing Lucas for that split second pushed her over the edge and she did something selfish, feeling that she was never going to find true happiness. They should have played on Steph's loneliness more, the complexity of her actions was there but they never really delved into it but they could have done so much with it.

I was not happy about Boyd cheating on Janae. There were lots of scenes of Kyal Marsh topless which saved the storyline for me But it was kind of bizarre. In 2005 it would have seemed more likely that Jane would cheat on Boyd. Ben looking back, it's not like there was a shortage of storylines that didn't make sense around that time. Everything was out of character and OTT so hey, what's wrong with throwing in an affair? Janae was a great character, and at times she even made Ned bearable. Eliza Taylor-Cotter deserves a Logie for that alone! TPTB and Ten just shot themselves in the foot in so many ways though when they got rid of the Timmins. I read an interview with Eliza in which she said the reason for leaving was that it didn't seem like the same family at Neighbours as when she started. I'm sure that we would have had at least another year or two, who knows, maybe even more, if Ten hadn't axed Janelle and Bree. Even Steiger was a popular character and I think he could have worked as a regular.

I think I associate a certain amount of sentimental value to the character of Sky. I don't know if I've mentioned this before in one of the many posts I've made in this thread, but she is the sole and only reason I got back into watching Neighbours in 2004. Well, I suppose you could say Lana was too, but Sky's spirit was something which I truly admired and her support of Lana through the gay plot was really inspirational and it really helped me at the time too coming to terms with my own sexuality. The writing was flawless and I think Sky was a character who was a really wonderful role model. I liked her with Boyd, and I think it's silly that they wrecked that relationship when the Timmins moved in just so they could hook up more characters but hey, I guess it worked out quite well in the end as Sky and Dylan were another great couple. It's a shame they were totally trashed. I like to think of Sky's second child, whose name, gender and father are unknown, to be Dylan's, and that they're a happy family out there somewhere. Speaking of which, I wonder what happened to Boyd after he left. Did he go and stay with Sky and Dylan, or did he continue travelling like he planned? What are your thoughts on Max and/or Boyd returning to the current show, either in a permanent or guest capacity, Ben? I personally think Boyd would be better, he's still got links there, is a bit of eye candy, and could bring back some substance to the role of Summer who is feeling a bit hollow at the moment with no family around. A few months ago at a Neighbours Night fundraiser for the earthquakes, Jordy and Kyal met for the first time. I don't think it's entirely out of the question. Someone mentioned that the character of Boyd got a few cheers that night so I think he's probably still quite popular. He's not the best actor I guess, but as a guest it wouldn't be a problem.

I'm loving the K/S/J story. I'm not sure if some K fans are annoyed by it, but I love how it's Susan who is the driving force behind the problems now. It is in many ways quite predictable, but with the Ks they've reahed a stage IMO where there's not many places they can go but the strength and popularity of the characters are things which will drive the story and keep viewers interested. Mal's comeback is where it's lacked for me. I don't think his return has worked so far. I'm pretty sure he's been back on Oz screens for over a month (I watch at Aus pace) and he hasn't really done much at all. I think he's had two great scenes with his parents, which is nice, but we need more. If they're not going to develop the character (i.e. not JUST have him in scenes with his parents) then there doesn't seem any point to him. I get that Susan Bower likes returning characters to return based on the fact that they're involved in a storyline, but that doesn't mean they stop being a character and everything has to revolve around that sole storyline. He's had I think one scene with Toadie, I'm not sure if he even shared a scene with Lou, and he told Summer that she should be careful getting involved with Andrew's schemes to set up No.22 as a hostel. I would have liked him and Toadie to have a night out at Charlie's catching up. Just character building stuff, a few laughs. Actually, Mal had a scene with Lucas taking Karl's car to the garage and the acting from Benjie seemed quite stiff, which was picked up by members on NFans. But to be honest I don't really blame the actor, he must wonder what the purpose of his return is and it must be quite hard to act natural when you don't know where you fit in. It's almost like Susan Bower's arm was twisted and she's brought back the character gritting her teeth, determined to ruin him so that viewers think it's best for characters to remain in the past and don't ask for them to return in the future. I was less than happy with Harold's return, and Oliver and Carm's didn't work out either. Right, rant over. Phew...sorry about that

I haven't really missed Libby that much, but that's not to say that I don't want her back. I felt the same about Alf from Home and Away...I didn't really miss him when Ray Meagher was doing Priscilla in London, but it was nice to have him back when he returned. I think they've lost their way with Libby's character a bit. I do wonder what they'll have planned for her when she does eventually return. I think the show has hit a creative stride with its current cast and I worry that when Libby returns, they're going to struggle to find things for her to do again.

As for bringing back past characters and what I'd do with Sky...well if I was EP, I think I'd want to leave it another few years before I brought back Sky as I think it would be difficult to write for her now with two such young children, but...I would find it difficult not to sign Steph McIntosh up to a ten year deal as I love Sky so much and would love to see her back at any time. I think if I were to bring her back now, I'd bring her back with a half-sister she's met since leaving Erinsborough, who is the result of an affair between her natural father and an unknown mother. I would cast the girl who is currently playing Tegan in Home and Away, as I think her and Steph share a physical resemblance. I'd bring Sky and Dylan back and simply say they've missed their time away and wanted Kerry (and unnamed neutral-gender child) to grow up in a nice neighbourhood and be schooled at EH. To be fair instead of casting anyone new to bring back with Sky and Dylan, they could bring back any number of characters including any of the Timmins. Once they've settled down I would bring back Sky's dad trying to mend bridges with the pair of his daughters who he fell out with off-screen. Right, I'm getting tired now and drifting, so perhaps I should leave it at that. God, this ended up being a long post. Sorry I took so long to reply!

Edited August 18, 2011 by Edward Skylover

[DRW50]

I'm not really tuned into the more recent stuff - the last I saw was probably 2-3 years ago. I think reading about the story with Susan and the surrogacy and losing the baby and the war with Dan, etc. kind of turned me off.

I keep meaning to watch more. It's tough for me to get into the soaps now because of what Corrie and Emmerdale and Eastenders and Hollyoaks have become over the last year or two.

[Skylover]

I don't think you'd be as disappointed if you tuned back into Neighbours. It's got a real positive vibe at the moment and the storylines do seem like traditional Neighbours storylines. I know what you mean about the British soaps. The show has definitely recovered from that dark patch in 2009 revolving around the surrogacy too. Let us know if you have any questions about the current show. Do you ever watch Home and Away these days?

[DRW50]

Not very often, no. I mean to, as I like Emily Symons. I am wary mostly because they seem to kill so many people off.

Did you have any thoughts on my comments?

[Skylover]

Yep, I'm now going to bed, but will post my thoughts tomorrow. It's like climbing a mountain replying to the posts in this thread Nice to see some more interest in the thread though!

[DRW50]

I only post a few paragraphs - you and Ben post War and Peace

[Skylover]

Ok, my thoughts on what you posted...

You chose a good era of episodes to watch. When I compare that era (late 2003-late 2005) to the current era (2011-) I don’t know which I prefer. During the era you’re currently watching many characters had a tendency to be OTT. I do think many of the characters from that time were very well-defined but it was almost as if you didn’t fit in if you weren’t theatrical. From the current era, the cast is much smaller and more intimate. I think you could currently describe the relationship between any of the characters, and that is working in the show’s favour. It feels more like a community. In 2005 though, it was very focused on families which the current show lacks. There were many big families around that time such as the Timmins and Bishops, and that’s where the show really excels IMO.

I also will never understand the decision to get rid of David. He wasn’t excellent to start with, but they had basically created a mini-Harold and Harold’s spirit could have lived in on David long after he’d left the show. I think TPTB really shot themselves in the foot. I think I mentioned earlier in this thread, Home and Away was getting massive ratings at the time on Seven in Australia, and even though there was nothing wrong with the ratings for Neighbours, the execs weren’t happy that H&A was doing so much better. Realistically Ten was/is a much lesser channel in terms of ratings overall but Ten got greedy and I think the producers felt pressure to bring about radical change and in the process they made some stupid decisions, like getting rid of David and the Bishops. They were fairly normal characters but they were very relatable because they were a normal family. There was no reason to get rid of them.

Janelle Timmins is one of the greatest characters of the last decade. Shouting was part of the character. She was very much common as much, and liked her own voice to be heard. She ultimately was a failure as a mother but as her story progressed we got to see her learn how to be a mother and it was clear she cared deeply for her kids. I think this was shown when it was found out that Bree was swapped at birth. On a show like Neighbours it’s very uncommon to have a mother who isn’t nurturing and a matriarch of the show. But Janelle became a legend in the end. She was great in the comedic plots, and calling Sindi ‘Wendy’

I agree that Darcy and Izzy were great characters. I loved it when Darcy fell/was pushed down the stairs by Izzy and she framed him. At that time the show really pushed the boat out and had a lot of courage to tackle more gritty and dark stories. But the comedy and humour were still there so it really had the perfect balance. If you like Izzy, you would like Natasha Williams, the current resident bitch of Ramsay Street, who is basically a teenage Izzy.

By the character at the bikini shop, you mean Connor. He was a great character IMO but I know Ben disliked him. Perhaps he was rather two-dimensional as he seemed to only ever be involved in comedic plots but I loved his silliness. I didn’t like the story with Boyd/Steph/Max/Kayla. As you say it was very obvious. Everybody knew that Max and Steph would get a baby eventually, but they just dragged it out for so long. As for what happened to Kayla and her son – Boyd said at first (don’t know if you’ve watched up to this point) that he wanted to be with Kayla and would be there for the baby, but eventually Kayla got back with its father (played for one episode by the guy who went on to play psycho Robert Robinson/Cam) and Boyd never heard from her again. Oh, how I miss Boyd.

Sorry, I know you only wrote a few points, but I knew once I started I wouldn't be able to stop so that's why I left it till this morning.

[Ben]

It was. I liked their relationship a lot. I think Paul saw Dylan as a bit of a surrogate son, and in some ways, saw a part of himself in Dylan.

I can only assume you're talking about Sky. I wouldn't exactly describe her as chubby - Ed will not be happy! Just to be clear, Sky was Harold's granddaughter - is she the sullen girl you refer to?

I wasn't that taken with the story. I thought it was quite predictable, and I never really bought Boyd's sudden devotion to her and that baby. Plus, Kayla wasn't that interesting. And it wasn't a surrogacy story, as the baby was Kayla's bio child, who she ended up raising with her baby daddy, anyway. It was all pointless in the grand scheme of things.

You can't say you don't learn anything!

I just wish I could write actual essays as easily as I write these mammoth posts.

[Skylover]

I certainly would not describe Sky as the chubby, sullen girl. She was absolutely beautiful. I loved her so much... The only girl who could ever turn me

[DRW50]

I will have to watch more and see if they say her name. It doesn't sound like the same character...

[Skylover]

Sky who we're suggesting it could be had colours in her hair!

This could be the girl, second character down in this list.

Edited August 19, 2011 by Edward Skylover

[DRW50]

Could you redo the link?