j.laur5

"Somebody Up There Likes Me." (With acknowledgement to Rocky Graziano / Paul Newman.) Rather than go over the previously posted discussions on this j.laur5, here's my take on a character from Neighbours that is, I think, relevant. About 2 years ago, for about 9 months, I was a regular Neighbours viewer. I took an instant dislike to one character before I had even heard her speak. It was her walk - it was much too intense, attention seeking and well....actorly. She scampered everywhere on tip toes, a bit like you'd expect a vampire to do if they were hurrying around sucking the emotions out of the human actors. Amazing fact about this character - Bridget - I saw that a Neighbour's fan had compiled a character episode count, for 2008 I think it was, and guess what ? Bridget, a recently introduced teen had the highest count for the year. It got better for me every episode I watched her in. The camera (Somebody up there...) loved her. When she was speaking, it lingered on her. When she was being spoken to, it lingered on her again for her reaction shot. When she was in a group scene, she always seemed to be centre stage and got the most close ups. It wasn't as if she was photogenic either. Her best friend was Rachel (Caitlin Stasey,) I can safely say that no matter what Caitlin Stasey goes on to achieve, and she does seem set to achieve quite a bit, no one will get to know what the back of her head looks like better than the people who watched Neighbours during Bridget's time. Ironic and instructive really, that the director, or whoever favoured Bridget over Rachel, should have backed the wrong actor. They don't always get it right. That's one point to learn from this. So......imagine what happens when "Somebody Up There Doesn't Like Me." Less episodes, weak storylines, the camera leaves you before you've finished your line (not helpful when you've got a softer speaking voice than most) and doesn't return for your reaction shot when it should. You won't get many close ups, if any, even if you are photogenic. Group scenes ? Forget it - you'll be left out of shot if you're lucky, or worse, you'll be half / in half out of the shot. If you agree that even half of this is true, who would blame an actor for wanting to leave ? But I still don't think that Charlotte quit. But why do you think they axed her and i dont see what two Neighbours characters have go to do with it.

Does anyone know why the actress quit?.

Happy Birthday. Lyn Collingwood is now 74. She must be the oldest actor in the country.

Just wondering should we been up to 1990 season by end of year?. 1988 season seem to go on forever.

Is Tony's house gone off the scene for good?. Sorry if its the wrong place.

I don't like Bianca but I would like them to turn her into a villain like Amanda Vale.

I was hoping they would not get along.

I have to say my respect for Charlie is going away after she spoke to Irene and hasn't even said sorry yet. I was hoping for Bianca and Charlie to be enemies.

I actually think the character was worse off without those two and perhaps to a lesser extent Belle. They stuck her in a more conventional relationship which I found far less interesting than the sweet and quirky one she had with Jai.And without Geoff we didn't really see that affectionate, sarky side she used to show with him.If her last few months on the show are indicative of the direction they were planning to take her in, turning one of the few genuinely different characters into just another whiney teenager with only the occasional hint of the fun, caring character she was for her first two years, it's probably best she left when she did. I guess they gave her a "Everyone in the Bay turns up to say goodbye to her(except for her and Jai's best friends)" farewell when she left the first time so they didn't really need to do it again.At least she actually said goodbye to someone before she left town, that's more than at least one recent departure... But Annie and Jai were hardly ever going out like proper teens. They just seemed like 10 years olds going out. When Annie was with Romeo it seemed like they were proper boyfriend/girlfriend. I think Geoff was always bringing Annie down and she never could stand on her own two feet. I agree that Annie and Jai's relationship was badly neglected, although the implication seemed to be they did a lot of "proper" boyfriend/girlfriend stuff off screen.If they'd given them the sort of scenes they gave her and Romeo, they'd have been a lot more interesting.Instead they wasted it and then stuck her in a pointless and shallow relationship that was no different from all the other teen relationships on the show.I disagree about Geoff, Annie frequently made decisions on her own and went against him(when he was against Jai and over Belle's drug addiction for instance).She was 15, standing on her own two feet was kind of against the law. What I mean by standing on her own two feet is not being bossed around by her brother and knowing that if she had stayed with Irene as her foster mother, she would keep a close eye on her. But I think it would have been nice to see a more mature Annie. It's a shame the actress had quit.

What do you think about Tony’s relationship with Beth? Also, if Beth hadn’t died would her and Tony have still been together now? Do you want my honest opinion? I hated Tony with Beth. I think the only reason they were put together was because they were around the same age and I hate when a character's brought in just to be paired up with an existing character. He never had a chance to shine when he was with Beth and I found her really controlling and thought he never stuck up for himself; was always really timid around her. There was never any passion or chemistry with them they were just like an old married couple. Sorry any Tony fans I just thought Tony could do better than her. I'd hope they wouldn't still be together if she was alive because I think her death was the best thing that ever happened to him - he became a character in his own right. Plus the fact that he admitted he would never have proposed to Beth if she wasn't leaving combined with the fact that he didn't want to accompany her travelling whereas we saw him make those sacrifices with Rachel makes me think deep down he was just comfortable in the relationship - not really in love as such. I'm sure he loved her don't get me wrong but I never saw him look like he was in love. I think the problem with Beth and Tony was due to the fact they didn't have storylines that involved them as a couple. The main reason why Clarrissa House quit the show was because she felt the producers were not going to give her character any more storylines. If Beth had stayed on the show I could have seen her and Tony becoming a mainstay couple like Alf and Ailsa and taking in lost strays. But as much as I like Beth I am glad she left because then we probably would not have had Gina and I like Gina better.

I do wonder. Do you think the producers stopped giving them storylines I think it's pretty obvious that they either couldn't be bothered or couldn't think of any storylines to give Tony & Rachel The last storyline before the one happening now that Rachel had was her post natal depression/going back to work storyline all the way back in late 2009. The writers seemingly gave up with them (or TPTB should I say...i can't exclusively blame the writers I do find Tony's reluctance to talk to her about her wanting to leave really strange and his sudden turn around from going "no Rachel, you really should consider this, they'd be lucky to have you; at least sleep on it" to "how dare you consider leaving, do you realise how selfish that is?" And I find it quite sad that he's being so accusatory about Rachel 'taking Harry away from him' when all he has to do is go with them and he doesn't have to lose Harry. Rachel wants him to go, it's not like she's asking for a divorce and moving away so that he can't see him. I hope there's another explanation for Tony's behaviour because if there isn't then I think it's really poor writing from a character point of view. Tony has never been this moody. You'd think the producers would find storylines for them because that's their job but then the producers are only human. And I guess most of the mainstay cast are just there to support other characters in their storylines. So I think that if the producers are just going to have Tony and Rachel be like Alf, Irene, Colleen, Leah, Marilynl then think it's best if they leave while the going is good because I think 5 mainstay characters are enough.

Does anyone think it's funny how Tony and Rachel had pretty much been in the background all year I do wonder. Do you think the producers stopped giving them storylines

Oh sorry. Have been very forgetful lately and don't come on the character's pages that much.

No surprise that Floss beat Neville because Neville only ever seems to be in scenes with Floss. Whenever you see him he's hardly ever on his own. I think Floss works better alone.

^I know. I would understand if it was Xavier on his own, but he's got his mother and Gina is big, strong lady who can take care of herself and Xavier and whoever else is living with her. Gina is older than Tony anyway. There's something else that puzzles me. How old is Tony because I remember seeing on Jack's grave that he was born in 1982 and then that would mean that Tony is coming up to 48 at least. So can anyone help me out on this?

I really don't get all the Gina dislike as I think she is the best new character in the last four years. Red Ranger, I think you are being hard on Gina because first off all Gina was dead set against Brendan moving into the home and it was only until she realised how happy he would be there. I think she did a good job towards Mink and I think it's good how Gina showed her tough love a bit more as I think it works, like with Xavier the other night. I hope Gina stays on the show for a long time and I have a feeling she will and she will be a good mainstay character.

I think the main problem with Pippa was that her storylines kept repeating. She lost two husbands and had two babies. I think ten years was a good run for Pippa and seeing her departure episode recently it was so badly written. I wish they had shown a bit more emotion in her leaving. I would have liked a phone call at the end of the episode from the foster service asking if Pippa could take in a new child and Sally saying she can't . It would have been the first time ever Pippa has turned down taking in a child. But I guess something happened to Sally and Leah. Their storylines repeating a couple of times. But at least Leah was the sort of character that didn't need to be in full storylines because she runs the diner which is one of the main venues in the show.

I actually think the character was worse off without those two and perhaps to a lesser extent Belle. They stuck her in a more conventional relationship which I found far less interesting than the sweet and quirky one she had with Jai.And without Geoff we didn't really see that affectionate, sarky side she used to show with him.If her last few months on the show are indicative of the direction they were planning to take her in, turning one of the few genuinely different characters into just another whiney teenager with only the occasional hint of the fun, caring character she was for her first two years, it's probably best she left when she did. I guess they gave her a "Everyone in the Bay turns up to say goodbye to her(except for her and Jai's best friends)" farewell when she left the first time so they didn't really need to do it again.At least she actually said goodbye to someone before she left town, that's more than at least one recent departure... But Annie and Jai were hardly ever going out like proper teens. They just seemed like 10 years olds going out. When Annie was with Romeo it seemed like they were proper boyfriend/girlfriend. I think Geoff was always bringing Annie down and she never could stand on her own two feet.

It's a shame that just when Annie looked like she was going to get proper storylines she left. l really thought her character was better without Geoff and Jai. Does anyone feel a little let down there wasn't a proper goodbye scene for Annie?

I think they have made the wrong choice to get married. I really wanted Leah to wait at least another year until she got married.

Does that include both Vanessa Downing and Debra Lawrence episodes? But I thought Leah would have overtaken her by now because didn't Pippa leave at the start of 1998? Also why did Pippa decide to leave Summer Bay after ten years? Thanks a lot in advance.

Really like having Colleen in the early years, she has such great sense of community and really is the biggest busybody ever and gives Celia a run for her money. Celia is a good character, but I think it would have been better if they had written her out in 1988 when she went overseas, and made Colleen a regular.

Does anyone know the age gap between Tony and Rachel? Because Jack's gravestone said he was born in 1982 so Tony must have been born at the least in the early 60s and I doubt he would have had Jack at 16 or 17. Friday's episode was funny I guess, but I do think it was childish for two middle-age characters going outside for a punch up. I can't believe it's been over a year since they got married.

Happy brithday loving Esther !.

It's a shame the producers made Hugo into a bad character. I mean, ok he loved Martha but he also did a lot of bad stuff. Did he kiss Xavier's ex-girlfriend (I can't remember her name) or did she throw herself at him?