Whats What on Ramsay Street
Neighbours went through a huge overhaul earlier this year, because the old format for the show was tired and pretty boring. They got rid of old families and moved in the new. But the stories didn't seem to get any better. Same stories, different cast. Just changing the opening credits and reshuffling the cast does not necessarily make for a great television show.
The latest in Ramsay Street goss is that one of the best characters has quit the show to ease himself into retirement. Ian Smith, who is best known for his long time portrayal of Neighbours resident fuddy duddy Harold Bishop, has announced that he will retire after filming his last scenes at the end of this month.
Moving into Ramsey Street is another Australian Idol finalist. This time around it's Dean Geyer who joins the cast as permanent neighbour, Ty Harper, a university drop out. It's funny because pretty much everyone else uses Neighbours as a platform to launch their careers, not the other way around. Delta Goodrem, Kylie Minogue, Natalie Bassingwaithe, Stephanie Macintosh, Holly Valance, they all did it, ok so the last two are maybe not so impressive, but their names make my list longer and my point somewhat stronger. The only one to sing first was Dan O'Connor, another Idol reject, and he isn't singing anymore, well, not that we know of anyway.
So is the addition of the spunky South African going to raise the ratings of the struggling soap? Me thinks not. As sad as it is, I think that the days of this show are numbered unless they can make the show more then the car crash it is currently whose viewers tune in not for the storylines and the stellar acting, but for the addictive cringe-worthiness mindless drivel that is nothing more then a time waster between The Simpsons and Futurama.
The latest in Ramsay Street goss is that one of the best characters has quit the show to ease himself into retirement. Ian Smith, who is best known for his long time portrayal of Neighbours resident fuddy duddy Harold Bishop, has announced that he will retire after filming his last scenes at the end of this month.
Bye Bye Harold
Moving into Ramsey Street is another Australian Idol finalist. This time around it's Dean Geyer who joins the cast as permanent neighbour, Ty Harper, a university drop out. It's funny because pretty much everyone else uses Neighbours as a platform to launch their careers, not the other way around. Delta Goodrem, Kylie Minogue, Natalie Bassingwaithe, Stephanie Macintosh, Holly Valance, they all did it, ok so the last two are maybe not so impressive, but their names make my list longer and my point somewhat stronger. The only one to sing first was Dan O'Connor, another Idol reject, and he isn't singing anymore, well, not that we know of anyway.
Dean Geyer
So is the addition of the spunky South African going to raise the ratings of the struggling soap? Me thinks not. As sad as it is, I think that the days of this show are numbered unless they can make the show more then the car crash it is currently whose viewers tune in not for the storylines and the stellar acting, but for the addictive cringe-worthiness mindless drivel that is nothing more then a time waster between The Simpsons and Futurama.
Clean Green Neen
I think the day the Neighbours music will die for me will be the day Toady leaves. He makes the show. Indeed the "addictive cringe-worthiness mindless drivel" is my excuse for 30 minutes of brain dead time a day, but to switch to Today Tonight and A Current Affair would render my brain, and my soul, even more brain dead than before.
Perhaps Neighbours is Australia's answer to Absurdist theatre. There is many a "play within a play" storylines that occur. Perhaps the constant car-crashes and burning buildings are metaphors.
Kudos to the writers for their digs at the Right over the last year. Lines such as Susan's disparaging, "I hope that's a Right-Wing Christian Fundamentalist come to convert you", to Karl as he answered the door after bagging her out, was gold. The deconstruction of the political process when Steph ran for council, and particularly the Toad's lefty quips made me feel all was not lost for th show.
Thankfully Pepper and her tits in the face of her students have left, if I read Friday's process correctly (leaving in the car, with many Neighbours surrounding you, with current love interest, is an exit construct of the show... she was too vacuous to warrant a farewell party and speeches) was a relief. Now, if we can just get a teacher who doesn't shag/hug/cry in front of/hit students, we might be onto something. Perhaps Dean Geyer could become a teacher? A male teacher on Ramsay St? But he dropped out of Uni, didn't he... Still, if you can sleep with a student and be a teacher at Erinsborough High, surely a drop-out can teach?