Reviving Ramsay Street spoiler news

[simmins]

http://www.neighboursboard.co.uk/

Reviving Ramsay Street

TV WEEK finds out how Network Ten plans to put the bubble back into Australia’s longest-running soap

Despite celebrating 20 years on TV and being inducted into the TV WEEK Logies Hall of Fame, Neighbours has recently suffered low ratings and criticism over its storylines. We ask new Network Ten drama executive Dan Bennett what’s being done to entice viewers back to the show.

Obviously the ratings haven’t been good lately.

No, they haven’t. It’s been a bit of a slide over the past six months, or so. It’s not performing as well as we’d like, but the show is not in any danger of being axed.

Why do you think people haven’t been tuning in?

Firstly, the show has perhaps lost its way in terms of storylines. Not all of them, but in a general sense it has drifted away from what has fundamentally been heartland Neighbours. We’ve tried to do more risqué storylines, and Paul’s shenanigans, while very entertaining, at times have pushed the credibility a bit far.

How will you get back to “heartland” Neighbours?

If you had to say what Neighbours is about, it’s a show about friends and family living on a street and dealing with the problems that people face every day. We’re going to make sure from now on that it all comes back to that premise.

Will you change the look of the show?

The simple reality is that Neighbours hasn’t been holding up. It looks very dated. The sets are being revamped, we’ll have new opening titles, we’ve got a new version of the theme… We’re looking at changing the way we shoot and having more location time.

Some big names are leaving soon, like Stephanie McIntosh…

It’s always hard when characters leave, but it’s also important to have a turnover in the cast. Each character has a certain story to tell and there comes a point when those stories have been told.

What can you tell us about the new family set to move in?

There’ll be a mum, dad and kids, and an extended family to join them later. I can’t say exactly who they are, but they are linked to one of the existing residents.

It’d be great if you could introduce Scott and Charlene’s kids!

Scott and Charlene are never very far from anyone’s consciousness, so I’m sure it’s been discussed. That’s a benefit of Neighbours – it has such a rich history. In fact, we’ve just reintroduced a former resident who’s coming back to stick around, so we’ll tell you a little more about that in the coming months.

Will there be another super couple?

Indeed! In fact, there will be more than one super couple.

Some readers have complained that romances don’t last long on the show.

That’s been a really significant problem – the chopping and changing of relationships. The audience hasn’t had time to become invested in any of the pairings before they’ve flitted off with someone else. That’s absolutely being addressed.

New Neighbours

Some of Australia’s most beloved actresses will be joining Neighbours over the next few months, but Dan denies it’s just a ratings stunt. “It’s part of always looking for the best people for the roles,” he insists. “But the added side effect of having such brilliant people is that hopefully the audience will be rushing to switch on as well.”

Keep an eye out for:

Jane Hall “Jane’s just signed on as a series regular,” Dan says. “She’ll play a character with connections to several Ramsay Street residents. And her bombshell will rock the street.”

Penny Cook The former A Country Practice and E Street star will play the guest role of Frazer and Ringo’s mum, Prue, for a few months.

Rachel Gordon “Rachel is playing a role totally different to anything else she’s played and she’s fantastic,” Dan says.

Rowena Wallace Rowena plays “scary” Mary Casey, who has been living in the suburb for a long time. When she appears she “causes trouble for just about everyone,” laughs Rowena. “But, in a way, you feel very sorry for her.”

Hit and miss

Dan gives his verdict on the recent Neighbours storylines.

The plane crash

“That’s an example of one of the heightened stories that really did work. Apart from delivering a spike in ratings, the effects are still being felt on air!”

Rosie and Pepper’s kiss

“I’ll let the audience decide about that. But it’d be fair to say it was probably a less successful attempt to deal with the issue than the Sky/Lana story a few years ago.”

Paul’s return

“Paul has really breathed new life into the show, but he’s been pushed just about as far as he can be. It’s important to have characters like Paul, but there needs to be a comeuppance.”

Baby Kerry’s leukaemia fight

“That was heartbreaking and worked a treat. The feedback we’ve been getting is great.”

The Timmins family

“It’s been on extreme or the other. As we know, both the boys have finished and Nell (Feeney) and Sianoa (Smit McPhee) finished on set last week. But there’ll always be a Timmins because Janae (Eliza Taylor-Cotter) is sticking around.”

Source: http://www.neighboursboard.co.uk/

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[claire_louise]

Janae isn't leaving? Hurrah! They have some sense at least.

[Ryan]

TBH, I don't think the TPTB decide if a couple is going to be a super couple or not, the audience decides that.

[ste]

^Agreed, that was a bit presumptious.

I laughed at Daniel Bennett complaining about the chopping and changing of relationships in Neighbours, after what he did to the teens in H&A throughout 2006.

[victim-ofthenight]

Very hypocritical to say the least. Im assuming he is related to the "Paul Bennett" credited throughout last season

[alexx]

Yeah I think it was a learning ground for him with H&A in that regard, he knows what the audience want now, what works/what doesnt.

[charmed_s]

i think loosing the timmins family (exception of stingray...hehe), and the adding of all the new characters (especially pepper and rosie) was a bad move. The thing with neighbours at the moment seems to be that they hire people based on looks and who can't ask and wonder why the audience doesn't take them it could be because we're not all as superficial as the creators!! my other problem with neighbours is that seeeing as theres to be this major re-vamp now would be an excellent time to get some real real feedback from the fan's but theres been lil attempt to do so. for example the only thing i've noticed was the questionnaire on the official sie...which only asked comparison to home and away questions...and was multiple choice....leaving no rooom for a lil rant like this. lol

i know most ppl might think this is all stupid....so plz dnt be too harsh....i'm just getting frustrated with the way neighbours has started to head as it's my fav show and i'm now struggling to find reasons to keep watching.

[victim-ofthenight]

I like Rosie but Pepper i could give or take i think they are relying too heavily on Stefan Dennis and Jackie woodburne (Paul and Susan) to keep this season going and pinning hopes on the fact

Legendary actress Rowena Wallace and the return of an old character yet to be annouced to save the day

[alexx]

i think loosing the timmins family (exception of stingray...hehe), and the adding of all the new characters (especially pepper and rosie) was a bad move. The thing with neighbours at the moment seems to be that they hire people based on looks and who can't ask and wonder why the audience doesn't take them it could be because we're not all as superficial as the creators!! my other problem with neighbours is that seeeing as theres to be this major re-vamp now would be an excellent time to get some real real feedback from the fan's but theres been lil attempt to do so. for example the only thing i've noticed was the questionnaire on the official sie...which only asked comparison to home and away questions...and was multiple choice....leaving no rooom for a lil rant like this. lol

i know most ppl might think this is all stupid....so plz dnt be too harsh....i'm just getting frustrated with the way neighbours has started to head as it's my fav show and i'm now struggling to find reasons to keep watching.

No I get frustrated by the same kind of things with shows. I’m aware they need to take new and fresh directions to keep it alive, but sometimes I do wonder where the producer’s heads are with some of the decisions they make.

[emmasi]

First of all, I liked the Pepper and Rosie kiss. Screw everyone, including Dan, who thought it "didn't work." Okay, if it was a ratings grab, I guess it didn't, but if it was supposed to be a valid lapse in judgement of two grown women who care for each other, one who's never slept with a man and one who's mother has recently come out to her, then damn it all if I'm not on board with that logic. I'm so sick of any hint of a gay experience on TV having to have some stupid alterior motive. Can't it just be one of those everyday things that Dan's so desperate to get back to?? HELLO!! GAY AND LESBIAN PEOPLE ARE NOT FICTIONAL OR UNBELIEVABLE, JACKASSES!! THEY DO EXIST!! Why was there no backlash for Pepper's mum kissing her girlfriend? Or is it just young, beautiful, non-mechanic women who aren't allowed to kiss each other ?

And the other thing that got me worried about that article, did it seem to anyone else like Dan was blaming Paul for a ratings decline?? Wow, if that's what they plan on "fixing"... I hope they're not taking Paul out, because that'll pretty much be the end of me.