Kissing Viewers Goodbye

[Nathan]

^ Thanks for changing the topic completely

As for what Emmasi said, I agree 100%. I really like Rosie as a character and things that happen on Ramsay Street are things that could happen to people in real life, just exaggerated a bit. I do think that Neighbours needs to improve a lot though. I still enjoy it though.

[Perry]

^ Thanks for changing the topic completely

I'm glad you said something and not me... Anyways I have watched Neighbours quite a bit lately as I love Natalie Saleeba from her All Saints days and I also had a bit of a crush on Will only he disapeared. Anyway I have been surprised with it this year though, some of the humour is priceless and I do agree about the Rosie and Pepper storyline, it wasn't a useless sexual plot device designed to attract ratings although it was advertised that way... I remember they did the same thing a few years ago when Sky kissed a girl.

Anyway to me Neighbours hasn't got that thing Home and Away has, that kind of keeps you interested, though Home and Away is starting to lose that at the moment. Maybe this revamp will be good for the show, a new family could be good but hopefully they choose great actors and have a variety of different characters that each bring something new to the show.

[Tasha]

Yeah, that's the same Dan Bennett And I can't believe he's with Neighbours now after bagging it out so much

:o

You're kidding me right????

So he makes HAA really good with great ratings, then leaves, and the ratings start dropping. And he moves on to Neighbours, dude you're supposed to be moving up, not down Well hopefully he can make Neighbours better, or he just made a stupid career change. Idiot!

Thanks Drew!!

[Dramaqueen]

When has Neighbours NOT been about family and friends?? When something gets blown up on Ramsey street, it's not some random stalker avenging some random psychotic (no offense Sarah, but I'm making a point here), it's a SON or the NEIGHBOUR of a regular character! And people of consequence actually get injured, tramatized, and even die!

I think I'm offended by the implication that the Rosie/Pepper kiss was solely for ratings. Maybe I missed it, but I don't remember channel ten flashing the kiss up onscreen over and over again, in slow-motion replay with gratuitous moans and whispers saying stuff like "ooohhh Ramsey street is getting some hot girl on girl action, don't miss it boys! Once they're done with each other, they want to give all their lovin' to you!" *shudder.* What I remember was some appropriately confused feelings stemming from two unique and entirely different storylines coming together (Rosie unsure of her sexuality and Pepper being forced to deal with her mother's) and it ended in a kiss. Perhaps the reason it wasn't a ratings block-buster was because it wasn't meant to be - it was just something that happened between two characters.

The writer of that article sounds like they have no knowledge, respect, or concept of what it is to create good believable characters in honest situations and not just exploit people for ratings and profit

As for Dan Bennett, if it is the same guy, I'd say that Neighbours offered him a pay hike to come and "fix" Neighbours the way he "fixed" H&A - if they're after less explosions and more heartfelt drama, they picked the wrong guy.

Quality over ratings, that's my preference, but I guess I'm not trying to sell my soul for a Coca-Cola commecial...

It might help if everyone re-read the artcicle. It is the same Dan Bennett and he is NOT with neighbours...he is with Channel 10 as a drama executive. It is his job to make Grundy's bring Neighbours up to scratch...otherwise the 10 network will cancel it.

[~Lynd~]

I agree wth Jem, if they're looking for a show with less explosions and more character driven stories i think they picked the wrong guy...And gave him one hell of a payrise to leave HAA.

[-Andrew-]

It might help if everyone re-read the artcicle. It is the same Dan Bennett and he is NOT with neighbours...he is with Channel 10 as a drama executive. It is his job to make Grundy's bring Neighbours up to scratch...otherwise the 10 network will cancel it.

Oh.... thanks for clearing that up

[Hellboy]

He is 'Ten drama executive Dan Bennett'. So technically it's not like he applied for a job with Neighbours. He got a job as Ten Drama Executive, and it just so happens he working about getting Neighbours sorted.

[claire29]

Kissing Viewers Goodbye

Neigbours' desperate ploy to salvage sinking ratings

By television editor RICHARD CLUNE

Taken from 'The Sunday Telegraph' March 18, 2007

A LESBIAN kiss and a series of dramatic explosions have gone unnoticed as the long-running Network Ten soap Neighbours wallows in one of its worst ratings slumps.

Although Ramsay St residents have been engaged in risque behaviour- actors Natalie Saleeba and Nicky Whelan locked lips less than a month ago, and Stefan Dennis was last week experimenting with explosives- their activities have failed to spark audience interest.

The soap is averaging less than 700,000 national viewers each night as Seven's Home and Away, pitched at the same demographic, boasts average nightly audience of one million-plus.

In a further attempt to engage viewers, Ten will this week air London-based episodes of the drama- filmed late last year- featuring cameos by interviewer Michael Parkinson. Spice Girl Emma Bunton, actor Neil Morrissey and former Ramsay St resident Natalie Bassingthwaighte.

The coming months will herald several other key changes, including a new family and guest appearances by Rowena Wallace and Penny Cook.

Ten has also confirmed that Razzle Dazzle actress Jane Hall will join the Neighbours cast.

Despite playing down the program's problems, Ten drama executive Dan Bennett agreed Neighbours was not performing as the network would like.

"Certainly, the figures we're getting now aren't a great basis for our night time schedule," Bennett told The Sunday Telegraph.

Several actors would soon be leaving the series, and new characters and storylines would be introduced, Bennett said.

"Storylines are going to be refocused on what has quintessentially been at the heart of Neighbours: relationships and family dynamics," he said.

"There can be the occasional bomb blast- no soap is complete without it- but at the end of the day, Neighbours began as a show about friends and families living on a street and all the problems people face every day. And that's what we'll be heading back to.

"We'll be saying goodbye to quite a few characters. It's important to bring new people on."

Neighbours' executive producer, Fremantle Media's Ric Pellizzeri, said the changes were part of the soap's "evolution".

"No, it's not broke," Pellizzeri said. "I think that's being a little over-dramatic.

"You're constantly trying to bring life to the program. It's a process of evolution, not a process of panic where we're trying to fix things up,"

Bennett and Pellizzeri cited the 6.30pm time slot as a factor in the poor ratings, saying Neighbours was pitted against Seven and Nine's flagship current affairs programs, Today Tinight and A Current Affair.

"That slot has become very tough, with a lot of money being pumped into those shows in content and promotion," Pellizzeri said.

He said he believed Neighbours was destined to remain on Australian television for the foreseeable future.

"[british Soap] Coronation Street's been going 40 years and we're looking at Neighbours as a shot that will run for 40 years and even longer."

But former E Street creator Forrest Redlich said Ten had been considering dropping Neighbours during a similar ratings slump in the early 1990s.

"They were going to axe Neighbours, give us their studio and strip us to five nights a week," Redlich said.

Is this Home and Away (former, I should add) Daniel Bennett ? I should add, DB, Corrie is still on UK TV after all this time because of good storylines and viewing figures of 10 /11 million.

[Ryan]

Yes, Judas!!!

[Ryan]

And is Razzle Dazzle's Jane Hall, Home and Away's Rebecca Fisher.