Page 1 of 18 12311 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 176

Thread: Neighbours General News Thread

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Birmingham
    Posts
    12,376
    Thanked: 337

    Neighbours General News Thread

    A news thread for all general peices of news regarding the show and the cast. I.e Digitial Spy news reports etc.

    For big news stories, please feel free to set up a thread of it's own.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    At Home
    Posts
    49,167
    Thanked: 39534
    First appearing on Ramsay Street in 1988 and returning full time in January 1992, Lou Carpenter became one of Erinsborough's most distinguished residents after years spent running the general store with best mate Harold Bishop. Along the way, he's flogged cheap vodka, knit-infested Russian hats and is now teaching those Apprentice-winning entrepreneurial skills to the younger generations. We caught up with actor Tom Oliver to find out how Lou is coping after Harold's departure and what we can expect from him next.

    The big storyline at the moment is Harold's departure. That must be sad for Lou?
    "Oh yes, definitely, but the old rascals keep in touch all the time. It was a sad farewell. Not just in character, but for me and Ian [Smith] too. We worked together for so long and were both on the same wavelength. We had as much fun off camera as we did on. He was a great actor to work with and it has left a great hole there - particularly comedy wise."

    They were quite a double act weren't they?
    "Some reviewers said we were like Laurel & Hardy or a cross between the two Grumpy Old Men and The Odd Couple. That just about sums us up on a good day I suppose!"

    You started out as rivals at the start though?
    "Yes, we had always been bitter rivals because Madge, Harold and Lou had all been at school together. Lou arrived in Ramsay Street to stop Harold from marrying her, but he won the day and Lou returned to Queensland. He came back four years later after Harold had disappeared and finished up living with her. He'd always had this huge crush on her."

    Mickey and Lou do seem to have a very strong bond. How is that to act?
    "We handle it carefully, because you know what that sort of question could lead to from some idiots about old men and young boys. I've made it very clear with the scriptwriters that nothing must have any hint of that sort of suggestions. Not that they would have done that to Lou in the first place, don't get me wrong. I do some work for an organisation called ChildWise and travel a lot to Thailand and Vietnam and am very strong on that score."

    Lou seems to have been really taken in by the Parkers of late...
    "Well he needed somewhere to live and was in a caravan outside their house. After they bought the house Steve told Miranda that they should invite Lou as he was always there anyway. It does seem like a bit of a fall from grace sometimes, but that's soap opera for you. At once stage I owned the garage, the pub, two houses in the street and I was mayor of Erinsborough, then they twist and turn it and suddenly one day I'm living in a caravan in the street."

    Lou's always had very vivacious ladies. Any chance of him settling down?
    "I don't think so. Deborah Kennedy, who plays Mischka, is doing very well in theatre at the moment. Legally, Lou is still married to Trixie Ticker, but she is in Hong Kong living off her Hello Dolly money, which is one of the reasons that Lou started going broke!"

    What can we expect from Lou over the coming year?
    "Well, I'm going to be taking a three-month break, so Lou will be off your screens for a bit. But when he comes back the Parkers will have gone, so who knows where Lou will even live. So long as it's not that bloody caravan!"

    Would Paul Robinson put him up?
    "Oh no, Lou would punch him in the nose any day of the week! It was rough when they made Paul a goody-goody after his brain damage. He's much better when he's evil. I came up with a joke storyline the other day where Lou injects woodworm into Paul's false leg when he is asleep, so when he runs for a bus he falls over. I think they thought that was even a bit too much - even for Neighbours."

    A lot of characters seem to move to Bendigo, Colack and Perth after Neighbours. Where would Lou go?
    "Yeah, Bendigo seems to be choice number one, some couples have gone to Perth too. I don't think Lou will ever retire. Just for fun I wrote half a dozen ideas of how Lou could leave the show. Choice number six was that he drops dead of a heart attack in the general store, holding a beer with a beautiful woman on his knee and a smile on his face. That would be Lou's perfect exit!"

    Neighbours airs weekdays on Five at 5.30pm. It is repeated on Fiver at 7pm.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    At Home
    Posts
    49,167
    Thanked: 39534
    Neighbours executive producer Susan Bower has responded to claims that the soap lacks cultural diversity, admitting that it is still an issue for the long-running series.

    Last year, the show was criticised for its lack of non-white characters and failure to represent a multicultural Australia.

    "Cultural diversity is still an issue in Neighbours," Bower told fansite The Perfect Blend. "We are getting there in 'background characters', that is extras, but I would still like to mix it up with larger roles."

    She added: "What makes it difficult is that most of our families are white so if a relative comes to visit or to stay they will usually be from the same cultural background.
    Spoiler:
    You will soon see a delightful (and feisty) new character arrive when the Kennedy house accepts an exchange student from Korea."

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Staffordshire
    Posts
    9,774
    Thanked: 1485

    'Neighbours' star gutted over Harold exit

    Neighbours actor Tom Oliver has admitted that he was 'gutted' when Ian Smith decided to quit the Australian soap.

    The star described the pair, who first appeared together on screen in 1988, as "old rascals" and claimed that they keep in touch all the time.

    "It was a sad farewell. Not just in character, but for me and Ian too. We worked together for so long and were both on the same wavelength," he told DS.

    "We had as much fun off camera as we did on. He was a great actor to work with and it has left a great hole there - particularly comedy-wise."

    Oliver revealed that the duo's on-screen chemistry has been compared to other double acts over the years.

    "Some reviewers said we were like Laurel & Hardy or a cross between the two Grumpy Old Men and The Odd Couple. That just about sums us up on a good day, I suppose!"

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    At Home
    Posts
    49,167
    Thanked: 39534
    Neighbours is going back to its roots to concentrate on more family drama, says the series' script editor Pete McTighe.

    In July 2007, the 24-year-old series launched a much-hyped revamp to curb dwindling viewing figures in Australia and move away from its sensationalised plots. Despite an initial spike of over 1 million viewers, ratings returned to an average of around 800,000 and have fluctuated ever since.

    Speaking to fan site The Perfect Blend, McTighe said: "We're really taking the show back to its roots and concentrating on families.

    "The Ramsay name is synonymous with the show, and when we were discussing our new family, from very early on we decided to tie them to the street in a very practical way.

    "We’ve seen 3 or 4 blocks with the Ramsays now, and they’re fantastic. And I’m not just saying that."

    As for any future Ramsay/Robinson family feuds, McTighe said: "It’s too early to say.We need to give these characters time to settle in."

    It has always been about families in my opinion.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    At Home
    Posts
    49,167
    Thanked: 39534
    Neighbours will air a controversial storyline later this year, script editor Pete McTighe has said.

    Speaking to website The Perfect Blend, McTighe promised that the upcoming storyline is likely to be the focus of debate when it airs.

    "We have controversy-central coming up on air in 2009," he teased. "It’s a huge story, and is likely to stir up quite a bit of debate.

    "I honestly reckon the stuff we’re producing now is the best we’ve ever done. Just you wait til July 20!"

    News of the controversial plot follows McTighe's claim that the show is going "back to its roots and concentrating on families".


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    At Home
    Posts
    49,167
    Thanked: 39534
    Neighbours star Tom Oliver will cut back on filming with the soap and only appear part-time, reports The Perfect Blend.

    The actor, who first appeared in Ramsay Street as Lou Carpenter in 1988, will follow the lead of former co-star Ian Smith and reduce his hours. However, unlike Smith, Oliver has no plans to permanently leave the series.

    As part of his new contract, he will alternate between four-month blocks of filming and four-month breaks.

    Oliver recently revealed his ideal exit for Lou should he ever leave Ramsay Street.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    At Home
    Posts
    49,167
    Thanked: 39534

    'Neighbours' casting exec's future in doubt

    Neighbours longtime casting director Jan Russ is currently in discussions about her future role with the soap it has been confirmed.

    In March, Russ's future with the series was called into question after it was announced that FremantleMedia, the makers of Neighbours, were planning to bring in an external casting agency.

    A Neighbours spokesperson today told DS: "FremantleMedia are currently in discussions with Jan Russ about her involvement in a number of projects for Neighbours, including the Dolly magazine Search for the Next Neighbours Star and the 25th Anniversary."

    Russ, who previously worked as casting director for Prisoner: Cell Block H, has been with Neighbours since its inception in 1985.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    At Home
    Posts
    49,167
    Thanked: 39534
    Neighbours star Stefan Dennis is to appear in a Christmas panto in Wolverhampton.

    The actor, who plays Ramsay Street's resident villain Paul Robinson, has signed on to star in Cinderella at the Grand Theatre from December 12 to January 31.

    Meanwhile, Home and Away stalwart Ray Meagher has been cast in Peter Pan at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells from December 12 to January 3.

    Meagher, 64, previously starred as Abanazar in a production of Aladdin at Basingstoke's Anvil Theatre.

    Do they not have pantos in Australia that they come to the UK?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    19,544
    Thanked: 548
    they always come over here to do panto

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •