The Kennedys have pretty much become the centre of the show since they toned down Evil Paul a couple of years ago, and I don't mind too much. Karl and Susan I still think are great - the actors really do work wonderfully together, by far one of the best partnerships in soap.

Libby and Zeke are both decent characters aswell, but unfortunately they've both been partnered with utter DULLARDS in Dan and Sunny, and it really drags them down.

 

 

 

 

Although Neighbours is going through a good patch at the moment, I still think the cast could be improved upon. It's very much a case of two extremes.

Half of the characters are genuinely wonderful like Paul, Elle, Susan and Karl - I'd also throw in the likes of Toadie, Steph, Rebecca, Declan, Lucas, Donna, and Callum (who is the best child star they've had in YONKS if not ever).

But the other half is simply DREADFUL, populated by personality-free blandfests - see Dan, Sunny, Ringo and the Ramsays. The Ramsays I guess probably just need time to settle in, but I think the main issue is that the show is becoming massively dominated by the teens. Having snuck a peek at some of the Aussie episodes,

there are quite a few coming up that COMPLETELY focus on teens with no adult characters appearing

.

We have 10 characters who are teens or children - which is pretty much half of the entire cast, and that's completely out of proportion. The producers seem to be steering the show down the Grange Hill route, and that's NOT good.

You're right, Neighbours has definitely come along way in the last year or so. Some characters they brought in a couple of years ago (Parkers, Dan,etc.) I wasn't too happy with but Lucas, Donna and Callum all debuted about a year and a bit ago and have all brought life back.

 

I wouldn't put Steph up with the great characters at the moment (admittedly I've quite liked her recently) but she was pretty awful for the first half of the year and I haven't been as keen with Libby as I used to be. I think a lot of this has to do with the storylines they're being given and how they're being written. Steph at least needs a GOOD storyline not just a lastest boyfriend she has no chemistry with.

Steph has been through a bit of a slump - the AWFULNESS that was Greg really damaged her character I think - not only was she behaving in a most out-of-character way, but Greg was a bland knobcheese with no redeeming features - I don't find it believable at all that Steph would even have contemplated it.

 

I can't help but feel Steph has regressed as a character. A couple of years back she was the owner of the new posh bar, she was a councillor, she'd just got with Toadie, was playing the doting stepmum to Boyd and Janae, she had ber best friend back, she was punching Paul in the gob... And now she's a single apprentice mechanic working for peanuts

who will soon be seen living back with her mum.

It's like they moved her into becoming the central figure in the show, then changed their minds and have now pushed her into the sidelines.

 

I do think they can pull it back though - when they do it right Steph IS great. My guess is that when

Elle leaves, Lucas will be paired up with Steph, which could be a nice little pairing.

 

Question: not sure if its much of a spoiler though, Is Dan's character going to be killed off, or a replacement actor as it seems odd Libby is going to be husband less again

Question: not sure if its much of a spoiler though, Is Dan's character going to be killed off, or a replacement actor as it seems odd Libby is going to be husband less again

 

 

Spoilers suggest not. He and Libby will break up; things start going wrong soon when he goes off to visit Sam, and he then falls out with the entire Kennedy clan, and Lucas/Elle. He eventually tries to make Libby choose between them and moving away with him! Bit of a character transplant it seems.

 

So Lyn Scully's return? what did everyone think. I love having her back but wasn't so happy with the Rebecca feud. I mean, we need a good feud but this one didn't make much sense since the two characters seemed to get on 18 months ago. Still wish Oscar could be back.

Did they get on though? Was the last time they met not when Lyn was using Paul's cheating on Rebecca as blackmail material?

 

I think I like this new mad nutter Lyn, but it's difficult at the moment to reconcile her with the bubbly housewife she was only a few years ago. Perhaps they need to bring back JOE.

Did they get on though? Was the last time they met not when Lyn was using Paul's cheating on Rebecca as blackmail material?

 

I think I like this new mad nutter Lyn, but it's difficult at the moment to reconcile her with the bubbly housewife she was only a few years ago. Perhaps they need to bring back JOE.

 

 

That was what happened but iirc, Rebecca was grateful to learn of the affair and stop her making a mistake, and Lyn also said she didn't think Rebecca deserved Paul cheating on her.

 

No chance they'll ever get Joe back. He would have to be recast. I'm quite loving new insane Lyn. I just love that I'm getting my fill of 'Stephyyyy' again.

When was Lyn such a bitch? I was quite looking forward to seeing her back but now im like go away.

Bitch Lyn is growing on me - it's nice continuity I guess that they didn't completely forget how Lyn was in her last few months before she left first time around - the relationship with Paul had made her a bit more sneaky and ruthless.

I quite like it. She's properly shaking things up, its reminiscent of when Sam returned.

 

Not liking Donna atm (can't believe I'm saying this!) I had a bad feeling about the 'trying to find her dad' storyline and its just so obvious this 'brother' is a faker. Why are the writers doing this to her?

Lily Allen :o :cheer:

My goodness I can't stand hearing anymore more about this stupid Deb! Hopefully it'll all be over tomorrow!

The Deb malarky is easily the WORST storyline if recent years. Not because it's bad as such, but because SO much time has been given over to it.

 

It's something that should have been little more than a comedy sub-plot in a couple of episodes, but they've stretched it out over WEEKS, and even devoted ENTIRE episodes to it in the run-up. And some of the plot developments were GOD-AWFUL - the Sunny's-being-a-cow-because-she-can't-dance was a particular lowpoint.

It doesn't help that in the teen group, the only ones I have even a passing interest in are Donna, Declan and Zeke. The others are either bland or plain rubbish.

 

 

There's apparantly a growing dissatisfaction amongst fans with the producer, Susan Bower, because she has placed such emphasis on the teen group at the expense of the older (and more talented) cast.

I completely agree, I was thinking the same thing myself earlier :o why the hell has so much time been wasted on this utter mediocrity?

How annoying has Declan become, hes a complete tit, i really cant stand those Ramsay kids either especially Kate shes even more annoying than the late dire Didge!

Donna has grown on me again (I was VERY disappointed with her 'brother' storyline). Any scene with her or Lyn at the moment is great. I'm loving the Lyn/Lou banter.

 

The Deb is over thank goodness. So annoyed with Dan. Whose he to say Lucas and Elle are rushing their relationship, he who was engaged to Libby about a week or two after they actually got together?

I now LOVE Bitch Lyn - with

Elle off soon

, Lyn will have to be the show's new saviour. I didn't think I'd be saying that 5 years ago when she was a dull housewife with bad fashion sense.

Elle's gone :cry: its mad to think she's been around for 4 years, she has definitely improved a lot in this time. It feels too soon, but thats probably cos they took their time giving her something useful to do instead of fawn over Oliver. Lucas and Donna really brought something out of the character. She'll definitely be missed.

 

At least I still have Bitch Lyn.

Elle's gone :cry: its mad to think she's been around for 4 years, she has definitely improved a lot in this time. It feels too soon, but thats probably cos they took their time giving her something useful to do instead of fawn over Oliver. Lucas and Donna really brought something out of the character. She'll definitely be missed.

 

At least I still have Bitch Lyn.

 

Elle was utterly abysmal in her first couple of years - the writers could never decide what they wanted her to be - one minute she was Queen Bitch, then she was poor lost little girl, then she was blowing up fruit vans, then she was a $l*t, then she was sweetness and light, then sharp-minded businesswoman. It was all over the place. It didn't help that she kept changing her partner every two months. The love triangle with Oliver and Carmella was also rather dull.

 

But Elle benefited more than anyone after the 2007 revamp. They finally settled on a character (bitch with a heart), started giving her some great comedy lines, got her settled in an interesting job with plenty of scope for plots, and gave her a couple of interesting relationships; Riley and then Lucas which REALLY worked wonders. Adopting Donna was a masterstroke aswell.

 

I will miss her.