There’s nothing wrong with cameo appearances in one episode. People bump into celebrities in real life so why couldn’t the residents of a fictional suburban street?
Having Magda Szubanski make a guest appearance is not unusual. She’s an actress who appeared in a number of episodes and was woven into the storyline. She turned out to be a biological half sister of Karl Kennedy who he had been searching for. She has a connection to a main character and can return any time. Having a big name guest appear is good for the show. Kerry Armstrong was another good big name guest recently.
Where I will agree is the stunt casting like Tim Robards from The Bachelor. Home anx Away has also done it recently wigh Sam Frost from The Bachelorette. Not actors and it really shows on screen. Certainly a mistake to hire these inexperienced people in roles that should be filled by actors. They might create buzz on social media and that’s what producers seem to be looking for but it affects the quality of the show. That’s what affects ratings in my opinion.
I know it has been done before but I don’t think it works or there’s any evidence it leads to audience growth. There could be a view it harms the show.
If you’re looking for an example of how I think these issues should be incorporated, look no further than Grey’s Anatomy. It has had trans characters, people from across the sexual spectrum, dealt with complex issues like unconscious bias etc. All without sending characters to Folsom Street marches or women’s marches and without Rupaul or Hillary Clinton appearing as themselves.
Grey’s Anatomy has had its fair share of stunt casting with people like Mandy Moore and Demi Lovato and a variety of well known actors in guest roles. Hilary Clinton recently appeared in Murphy Brown. RuPaul has a long list of TV cameos and guest appearances in and out of drag.
If you are in Sydney this week you would see the event attracts tourists from all over Australia and the world. Why are you so against the gay characters in the show attending a gay pride parade?
But they’re playing patients aren’t they? Usually every episode has a patient in it, not a Mardi Gras. Just like the Neighbours dramatic world is Erinsborough. This isn’t a debate about the economic, cultural or community benefits of the Mardi Gras. That’s undisputed.
I’m just saying i don’t think soaps or any show should go down the route of taking characters out of their natural environments to attend major events that are real. And I think all women episodes are tokenistic. How about they employ an all women workforce on that day or ensure equal pay for equal work if they don’t already. Am always when stuff is done for the cameras. It often represents a genuine lack of action behind the scenes as we’ve seen in Hollywood with Me Too.
I have been watching this whole convo.
First thing I’ll say is I’m disappointed and the second is I wholeheartedly disagree with you.
I don’t think it has anything to do with “a ratings spike” Soaps are all about addressing topical issues that relate to the audience at home. Sure, gay people don’t run the world, but a part of the audience is represented and it’s important to be inclusive.
Exactly. Soaps are iconic and successful only because they keep the audiences connected with recent, topical issues. Whether we support it or not we have to face the reality of some things these days and it’s good that they’re being covered by soaps because it shows that they are connected to the audience, which let’s face it are the main driving force behind the drama.
People do venture outside their neighbourhoods so this is reflecting real life. I don’t know why anybody would be against them making the show more realistic and covering contemporary stories and issues. Keeping the characters stuck in a Ramsay Street bubble would not be realistic.
Of course they do. There was a long running story back in the day involving conservative voting Karl Kennedy and his obsession with then treasurer Peter Costello. He was desperate to meet him. It’s difficult to include current elections because they are called six weeks before they happen and the show films three months ahead and stories are plotted six months in advance. A joke was recently included in a hospital scene where a doctor was trying to work out whether a patient was lucid and was specifically not asked to name the prime minister because it was difficult for anyone to keep track of that.
A number of Ramsay Street have run for council and a few of them have been mayor Lou Carpenter and later Paul Robinson and Sonya Rebecchi tussled over the mayoral position.
They have often been seen going to the footy or returning. Toadie has been shown going to or returning from the footy. This happened a lot when his son was younger.
Ben Atkins was into car racing back in the day and quite a few characters got involved in his storyline as he pursued a career in driving race cars.
Local theatre productions have been storylines often over the years. Most recently was Dipi’s 1920s show Flapper.
Not specifically climate change but environmental protests and rallies have featured over the years. There were quite a few a couple of years ago when a number of characters were at uni together.
I’m not seeing the issue you claimed in your post to mine that it isn’t about the social issues I was talking about but in a way everything that you said previously is a social issue . So if I’m understanding you correctly and forgive me in paraphrasing you don’t want to see some of the social or all social issues in a television show ? Is that right?
It’s hard to be avoided to be honest and I wasn’t trying to put words in your mouth I’m trying to get the point of your opinion . I definetly disagree with it but I just want to understand why you think social real issues shouldn’t be talked about in neighbours ?
You’re missing the point. There needs to be storyline’s in the show that represent the Australian and even UK audience. Soaps are used even as CSA’s - stores about cancer, ms, etc. that help bring awareness and shine a light on certain situations. that’s what I mean as “topical”.
“Do they go to the theatre?” That’s not topical, but I’m sure there have been storyline’s around characters going to the theatre. There of also been numerous storylines around elections and Paul Robinson.
I think what this argument seems to be more based off, is because it’s a “equality” based scenario there’s an argument that there isn’t room for it in the show and I disagree. It would be like having a Chinese family on the show and saying “Why do they need to include Chinese New Year”
You mentioned the gay community is represented on the show… yes and a lot of the gay community go to Mardi Gras. So it fits in with the characters on the show? I don’t see why that’s a bad thing? Just like any other person who would have social events that they would attended.
Ed Sheeran did not cameo in Neighbours. He was on HAA, and that cameo was written into a storyline.
People aren’t watching these shows to get messages about gender equity and gay rights rammed down their throats.
^You can’t go around saying shit like Neighbours is shoving their agenda down our throats and then get defensive when forum members question “your agenda”
You’re on the Neighbours thread, you are going to get people calling you out. Put your big boy shoes on an accept that what Neighbours has been doing is progressive, positive and accepted by the community.
Neighbours going to Mardi Gras IS a real world event. Erinsborough may be fictional, but it’s still set in the real world. Mardi Gras exists in their world too.
You can’t compare Neighbours to Grey’s Anatomy. They are two different types of shows. Ones a medical drama, one is a soap opera about a community in everyday life. Yes it would be strange for characters from GA to go to a gay event when their primary set and storylines revolve around a hospital. Neighbours on the other hand has less restrictions on where their characters and storylines can go in terms of real world events.
I did not say social issues shouldn’t be covered — they should and Neighbours is a leader in this regard and I respect it for that.
I’ve reflected on the comments I have made and those occasionally rude and condescending ones that have been directed at me by sanctimonious individuals. I shouldn’t have passed judgement on the storyline because nobody knows how the event will be incorporated into the show. If it makes sense and fits with the characters development and journey then I think it will be fine, but if it doesn’t then I stand by remarks. As I said, I don’t know how it will be incorporated into the show though.
Continue to ignore the abysmal ratings and lack of support this drama now has in Australia. Rarely does it make the top 20 program ratings for multichannels, Australians find it irrelevant so the ‘tactics’ that arouse you (which you’ve outlined) clearly aren’t working. If you think characters going to mardi gras are the solution to that problem then think again.
I’m saying whatever approach they have now isn’t working. Mardi gras episodes may result in ratings spikes, I can’t predict the future but the trajectory ain’t good. Same with Home and Away, which has had its audience fragmented but to a much lesser extent. Look at consolidated and BVOD figures and the HAA audience is much higher than Neighbours on all platforms.
