They can dress it up however they want, but that to be sounds like the beginning of the end. It's like the BBC relegating a show from BBC One to BBC Three and trying to claim to displayed the "faith" in that show and it's brand. Nonsense.

 

Neighbours has a lot of problems right now.

 

Having said that, I think that's true of ALL soaps. Home And Away doesn't get the viewers it did 15 years ago, Hollyoaks is desperately trying to recover from a near-disastrous slump, The Bill's been axed, and every day there's news of a long-running soap being axed in the US. The format's dying I think.

The three main British soaps are proof that if a soap can maintain quality over a period of time it needn't worry. It can be afforded dips in quality that might last a few months, even a year or so, because it's inevitable that it will get back on track. The viewers know this and so they stick with it.

 

Neighbours' problem (see also Hollyoaks) is that the people at the top aren't listening to what the fans are saying about why it's up shit creek. Really the networks are to blame for employing an exec producer and giving them free reign to damage the show's credibility beyond repair. At least with Hollyoaks, C4 uprooted Lucy Allan after barely a year (although the new guy doesn't look to be up to much either currently). Amazingly Ten have let Susan Bower stay on for what, three years now?, despite the fact that EVERYBODY is calling for her removal/a revamp. What can they expect is they don't tackle the problem head on?

Neighbours is definitly in trouble and has been for some time, which is sad really as years ago it was unmissable, but it just slipped and slipped and the channel never done alot about it. The UK audience for example audience is just around 1.5 million and even when it was on bbc it was about 3 million, in its hey day it had 17 million viewers a day, although all the soaps dont reach the audience they once did they still manage decent ratings.

 

Hollyoaks and Neighbours and Home and Away to an extent are all in some trouble, with Hollyoaks at the moment there seems to be huge work going into saving it, i dont think the same is happening with Neighbours.

Neighbours is definitly in trouble and has been for some time, which is sad really as years ago it was unmissable, but it just slipped and slipped and the channel never done alot about it. The UK audience for example audience is just around 1.5 million and even when it was on bbc it was about 3 million, in its hey day it had 17 million viewers a day, although all the soaps dont reach the audience they once did they still manage decent ratings.

 

Hollyoaks and Neighbours and Home and Away to an extent are all in some trouble, with Hollyoaks at the moment there seems to be huge work going into saving it, i dont think the same is happening with Neighbours.

 

Well no, because Susan Bower simply refuses to accept there are any problems. Having said that, Neighbours HAS got a little better recently with the Libby/Toadie/Steph and the Paul storylines hotting up. More focus away from the teen squad.

I'm loving Jane Badler as Diana in Neighbours, Jane Badler played Diana in the original series of V.

There are spoilers in this post but the spoiler button isn't working for me so don't read it if you don't want to know and if anyone could edit the spoilers in for me that would be appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the biggest problems is that there aren't enough characters to keep it interesting. By the end of the year we'll lose Steph, Ringo, Donna and Ben (presumably Charlie too and Diana won't stay forever) and we are only gaining Sonya as a regular leaving a main cast of 19 which is incredibly small and overfilled with boring teens. Lucas never has much to do these days and I got so annoyed that he's just been hanging out with Ringo and Donna the last couple of days because he seems a bit too old for hanging out with them (at least he talks to Mike these days though). And I find a lot of characters these days a bit 2 dimensional. Libby for example is too self righteous to the point where she never makes mistakes of her own and so I can't relate to her the way I used to. Andrew on the other hand can never do anything right, and acts so weirdly so that all the other characters have more reason to hate him. I've been particularly disappointed that Rebecca has had it in for him since day one with only sporadic half-hearted attempts to get on with him-and I had her in the running for the next Susan! And Paul treats him like an employee not a son, which is strange after the love he showed for Elle. Although I know the Paul stuff is going somewhere its still annoying.

 

We need a return to proper, well rounded characters like the very much missed ELLE ROBINSON.

 

 

 

end of spoilers.

 

 

 

There are spoilers in this post but the spoiler button isn't working for me so don't read it if you don't want to know and if anyone could edit the spoilers in for me that would be appreciated.

 

 

One of the biggest problems is that there aren't enough characters to keep it interesting. By the end of the year we'll lose Steph, Ringo, Donna and Ben (presumably Charlie too and Diana won't stay forever) and we are only gaining Sonya as a regular leaving a main cast of 19 which is incredibly small and overfilled with boring teens. Lucas never has much to do these days and I got so annoyed that he's just been hanging out with Ringo and Donna the last couple of days because he seems a bit too old for hanging out with them (at least he talks to Mike these days though). And I find a lot of characters these days a bit 2 dimensional. Libby for example is too self righteous to the point where she never makes mistakes of her own and so I can't relate to her the way I used to. Andrew on the other hand can never do anything right, and acts so weirdly so that all the other characters have more reason to hate him. I've been particularly disappointed that Rebecca has had it in for him since day one with only sporadic half-hearted attempts to get on with him-and I had her in the running for the next Susan! And Paul treats him like an employee not a son, which is strange after the love he showed for Elle. Although I know the Paul stuff is going somewhere its still annoying.

 

We need a return to proper, well rounded characters like the very much missed ELLE ROBINSON.

 

end of spoilers.

 

 

 

Is Sonya definitely becoming a regular then? I hadn't heard about that. I'm glad though, she grew on me MASSIVELY through the whole Toadie/Steph debacle, having been a bit of a wet blanket until then.

I think the issues you mention with Libby and Lucas are being worked on - Libby does some not-particularly-nice things when she finds out about Steph/Dan, and also gets with Lucas which gives him a little more to do.

To be fair, Neighbours IS beginning to improve atm.

 

 

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree on Queen Elle.

The Sonya thing is definitely confirmed which I'm glad about too. And yes, Neighbours is getting better, but I still feel more characters are needed. Though, to me, getting rid of NuDeclan would help a lot.

I've seen the bit where Libby finds out the truth about Steph on YouTube, someone posted it on DS, I couldn't resist! It was a really good end, but it was only a small clip. I wish the full thing would air here, get this Steph/Toadie crap over and done with

EEEK! the secret's out!

Donna is leaving

:( :cry: Oh, and

so is Ringo! He's killed by Steph in a motorbike accident 4 weeks after him and Donna get married

Donna is leaving

:( :cry: Oh, and

so is Ringo! He's killed by Steph in a motorbike accident 4 weeks after him and Donna get married

 

 

Which then explains Steph's exit...I can't say I'll miss Ringo, but his death DOES sound like it will be absolutely EPIC.

 

Which then explains Steph's exit...I can't say I'll miss Ringo, but his death DOES sound like it will be absolutely EPIC.

 

 

True but they did this kind of storyline last year. Can't say I've been enjoying the fall out recently but it's certainly been good watching. And things are set to get even better towards the 6000th ep. Plus Neighbours is gaining a PG rating in 2011-so now characters will be able to say SEX!

I like the new look Libby, getting mean and tough :heart:

Oh dear. Now Neighbours has been shunted to a digital channel in Australia, it seems like it's sparked off a cast exodus!

 

Steph, Donna, Ringo, Zeke, Declan and Rebecca will all be leaving over the next few months.

 

It had been confirmed before that Carla Bonner (Steph), Sam Clark (Ringo) and Margot Robbie (Donna) had all quit. Now Jane Hall (Rebecca) has quit saying she wants new "acting adventures" and Matt Werkmeister (Zeke) has quit wanting to pursue a TV production career. It's not been stated as so, but implied that Erin Mullally (Nu Declan) was axed rather than quit, presumably after Jane Hall's resignation.

 

 

A little worrying.

Oh dear. Now Neighbours has been shunted to a digital channel in Australia, it seems like it's sparked off a cast exodus!

 

Steph, Donna, Ringo, Zeke, Declan and Rebecca will all be leaving over the next few months.

 

It had been confirmed before that Carla Bonner (Steph), Sam Clark (Ringo) and Margot Robbie (Donna) had all quit. Now Jane Hall (Rebecca) has quit saying she wants new "acting adventures" and Matt Werkmeister (Zeke) has quit wanting to pursue a TV production career. It's not been stated as so, but implied that Erin Mullally (Nu Declan) was axed rather than quit, presumably after Jane Hall's resignation.

 

 

A little worrying.

 

 

There's hardly anyone decent left. :o Home & Away is worst, its had a major cast reshuffle, everyone is practically new, apart from a few oldies.

:w00t: At

Rebecca

leaving, she's got to be the worst character in soap!

:w00t: At

Rebecca

leaving, she's got to be the worst character in soap!

 

I wouldn't have agreed with you a year ago but she has gone really downhill recently. And NuDeclan helps nothing. Awful, awful actor.

 

I just wonder

who Kate will hang around with now all her friends are leaving

 

Oh dear. Now Neighbours has been shunted to a digital channel in Australia, it seems like it's sparked off a cast exodus!

 

Steph, Donna, Ringo, Zeke, Declan and Rebecca will all be leaving over the next few months.

 

It had been confirmed before that Carla Bonner (Steph), Sam Clark (Ringo) and Margot Robbie (Donna) had all quit. Now Jane Hall (Rebecca) has quit saying she wants new "acting adventures" and Matt Werkmeister (Zeke) has quit wanting to pursue a TV production career. It's not been stated as so, but implied that Erin Mullally (Nu Declan) was axed rather than quit, presumably after Jane Hall's resignation.

 

 

A little worrying.

 

 

I can only asume that

paul

will have something to do with

rebecca and declan

leaving

I wouldn't have agreed with you a year ago but she has gone really downhill recently. And NuDeclan helps nothing. Awful, awful actor.

 

I just wonder

who Kate will hang around with now all her friends are leaving

 

Sophie?

:lol:

Maybe they'll bring in some new characters for her new group of friends?