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05-01-2011, 12:56
We've barely recovered from the festivities of 2010, and already the start of a new year holds the promise of being an exciting time in soapland - not least for fans of Neighbours, with the news that Ramsay Street stalwart Harold Bishop is set to make a return to our screens.
As he gets set to step back into the role he made famous, we recently caught up with soap icon Ian Smith to find out what we can expect from Harold's latest adventure, how it felt to be invited back to the show and what finally convinced him to go home to his Neighbours.
Were you surprised when you were asked to return to Neighbours?
I was a little more than surprised. Well, I was flattered. I'm still a jobbing actor as far as I'm concerned. Let's face it, Neighbours has made a place for itself in the world - not just Australia and not just England - and, to be asked to go back into it when I really was very happily retired, I surprised myself.
Can you talk us through your initial reaction?
I was a bit surprised, very surprised as a matter of fact, because I really thought – and it's mainly to do with the way that I felt when I left the show – I thought that Harold had had his run. Although people kept coming up to me on the street and saying, 'Please go back, please go back', which I appreciated them saying, I in all honesty said to them, 'No, I won’t be going back.' I think that the silent bubble in my head was saying, 'Because I don’t want to damage the show', but now that feeling's gone away and, to be quite honest, I can't wait to go back.
Who or what persuaded you to accept the offer?
Well, I sat down with my wife Gail, who is the best critic of my work plus the best person for me to take advice from, because if anything goes bad at the studio she has to live with it when I get home. If I get too big headed, she's the one that smacks me over the head and brings me back down to earth. We just sat down and talked about it, and we said 'Okay, but not for a long time.' We came to that decision, and I thought, 'Well, that’s a damn good idea. I hadn't even thought of that. How stupid!' I don’t know what I'd do without her.
Is there anything you can tell us about your return?
Well, I'd have to kill you if I told you too much! Harold is called back to Ramsay Street to help a friend, and of course you all think you know who that friend is, and you're all wrong. And of course there's human pathos, there's laughs – lots of laughs – [and] a little bit of romance, but I'm not saying who for, because I don't think she/he would like me to let it out. Look, there's a little bit of everything, but the thing is it's all a happy ending and it couldn't be better, and I loved it.
We heard you were involved in pitching the story of Harold’s return.
I put in one idea. When you become old, people listen to you. They would never have listened to me when I was a younger actor. I was very happy that they were very happy with what I suggested, so yes, there was only one part of it – the rest of it is up to the storyliners on the show, and they're very good.
How does it feel to be revisiting the character of Harold?
It's going to be interesting to see what happens. I think I will walk into the studio and onto the set, and I think [Harold] will just take over, which is a bit worrying. But I think the minute I double my chins up and wobble my face a few times, the rest will just follow naturally.
Which characters does Harold mainly work with?
Well, there wouldn't be a show if Lou and Harold didn't end up punching up, would there? There'd be no show there! All his favourite friends. And, as Harold does, he ends up being a father figure or a grandfather figure to the youngsters, and a lot of them take him on board as an adviser. I've been assured that he gets lots of interaction with the younger members of the cast, which I'm very happy about because I love those scenes. They've always worked well, since Kylie’s days.
Who of the current cast are you most looking forward to working with again?
You know, Tom (Lou) and Jackie (Susan). They are my two friends in the show, always have been. Tom I knew well before Neighbours because we worked in different shows together, and Jackie I met on the show. Well, that's quite a while back now, and we’ve become firm, really good friends.
For how long can we expect to see Harold back in Erinsborough?
Not sure about that, but I think a couple of months – maybe six weeks to a couple of months.
Will this be your final appearance on Neighbours?
Well, I said never before! I did, I quite honestly said never before, and I quite honestly meant never before. So I'll say never again and leave the rest up to fate. I don't know the answer to that. I've learnt never to say never.
(c) Holy Soap
As he gets set to step back into the role he made famous, we recently caught up with soap icon Ian Smith to find out what we can expect from Harold's latest adventure, how it felt to be invited back to the show and what finally convinced him to go home to his Neighbours.
Were you surprised when you were asked to return to Neighbours?
I was a little more than surprised. Well, I was flattered. I'm still a jobbing actor as far as I'm concerned. Let's face it, Neighbours has made a place for itself in the world - not just Australia and not just England - and, to be asked to go back into it when I really was very happily retired, I surprised myself.
Can you talk us through your initial reaction?
I was a bit surprised, very surprised as a matter of fact, because I really thought – and it's mainly to do with the way that I felt when I left the show – I thought that Harold had had his run. Although people kept coming up to me on the street and saying, 'Please go back, please go back', which I appreciated them saying, I in all honesty said to them, 'No, I won’t be going back.' I think that the silent bubble in my head was saying, 'Because I don’t want to damage the show', but now that feeling's gone away and, to be quite honest, I can't wait to go back.
Who or what persuaded you to accept the offer?
Well, I sat down with my wife Gail, who is the best critic of my work plus the best person for me to take advice from, because if anything goes bad at the studio she has to live with it when I get home. If I get too big headed, she's the one that smacks me over the head and brings me back down to earth. We just sat down and talked about it, and we said 'Okay, but not for a long time.' We came to that decision, and I thought, 'Well, that’s a damn good idea. I hadn't even thought of that. How stupid!' I don’t know what I'd do without her.
Is there anything you can tell us about your return?
Well, I'd have to kill you if I told you too much! Harold is called back to Ramsay Street to help a friend, and of course you all think you know who that friend is, and you're all wrong. And of course there's human pathos, there's laughs – lots of laughs – [and] a little bit of romance, but I'm not saying who for, because I don't think she/he would like me to let it out. Look, there's a little bit of everything, but the thing is it's all a happy ending and it couldn't be better, and I loved it.
We heard you were involved in pitching the story of Harold’s return.
I put in one idea. When you become old, people listen to you. They would never have listened to me when I was a younger actor. I was very happy that they were very happy with what I suggested, so yes, there was only one part of it – the rest of it is up to the storyliners on the show, and they're very good.
How does it feel to be revisiting the character of Harold?
It's going to be interesting to see what happens. I think I will walk into the studio and onto the set, and I think [Harold] will just take over, which is a bit worrying. But I think the minute I double my chins up and wobble my face a few times, the rest will just follow naturally.
Which characters does Harold mainly work with?
Well, there wouldn't be a show if Lou and Harold didn't end up punching up, would there? There'd be no show there! All his favourite friends. And, as Harold does, he ends up being a father figure or a grandfather figure to the youngsters, and a lot of them take him on board as an adviser. I've been assured that he gets lots of interaction with the younger members of the cast, which I'm very happy about because I love those scenes. They've always worked well, since Kylie’s days.
Who of the current cast are you most looking forward to working with again?
You know, Tom (Lou) and Jackie (Susan). They are my two friends in the show, always have been. Tom I knew well before Neighbours because we worked in different shows together, and Jackie I met on the show. Well, that's quite a while back now, and we’ve become firm, really good friends.
For how long can we expect to see Harold back in Erinsborough?
Not sure about that, but I think a couple of months – maybe six weeks to a couple of months.
Will this be your final appearance on Neighbours?
Well, I said never before! I did, I quite honestly said never before, and I quite honestly meant never before. So I'll say never again and leave the rest up to fate. I don't know the answer to that. I've learnt never to say never.
(c) Holy Soap