A trip down Memory Lane (Ramsay Street)
Jul. 31st, 2022 01:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessI’m one of those people who returned to catch the last week of Neighbours. I felt obliged, I was really into it as a kid, so I must have caught it towards the end of the Scott and Charlene (Mike and Jane) years, watching it more avidly during my teens, through uni and my twenties. I always had a soft spot for Farscape’s Sikhozu because the actress had played Ren in Neighbours! And of course Alan Dale was always Jim Robinson randomly turning up on American TV. I even had a tag for it on LJ, although I barely used it.
Its appeal - because it was massive here in the UK back in the day - was that it was a sunnier, idealised depiction of communal life. It had enough young characters to hook the post children's TV audience, and kept on being cult viewing for students because of the daft, shonky bits too. The mix of the humdrum, almost relatable and big soapy dramatics made it escapist daytime TV. And remember, when it first aired, there were only four channels, there were a lot of other Aussie shows around. It's been running for most of my life!
But I just stopped being bothered enough to keep up. It would have meant watching the whole lot on omnibus as there became more demands on my time. Even when the rumours that Dee (who had been presumed dead after Toadie’s car had driven off a cliff on their honeymoon, but given the return of Harold Bishop from a watery grave…plausible for Neighbours) was returning didn’t bring me back to watch it, even though I had been totally invested in Toadie and Dee, it was clear I was over it. [Although I did learn that it wasn't really Dee, despite it being the same acress. On a show that is notorious for having different actors play the same character.] But Neighbours remains the soap I have watched most avidly in my life.
So, back I came, knowing that part of the deal would be that this would be it (and Scott and Charlene were returning!) I was mainly confused, albeit reassured that Susan, Karl and Toadie were still there, but it took me a while to realise that those were your actual Jane and Melanie and that I should recognise assorted Ramsays and Robinsons. Although you can’t blame me for not recognising Lucy Robinson. So, I was very grateful for the flashbacks as old characters shared memories for some book some current residents were writing about the street. [ETA: Apparently it was a memory book for Harold or something.] Otherwise people whose relationships with each other I couldn’t make out seemed to be either planning to move to New York or bidding for a house in Ramsay Street or talking about something called Riverbend. It didn’t help that I couldn’t work out which house some of them were in any more down to remodelling and my eyesight. But there was some good old empty mug acting and smelling the fart to end scenes. As some characters totted up how long they’d been living there or had to admit that the current love of their life was their Xth spouse (it was confirmed that Paul had had six wives a la Henry the Eighth. Was Terese AKA her off Home and Away one of them?) or how many loves of their lives had died…that’s my problem with soaps right there.
Still, we had the big wedding and everyone bar the Kennedys selling their house, break ups and make ups. And then I got spoiled for this, but it’s fine, because I was thoroughly charmed by the Jane and Mike plot. Good on Guy Pearce for coming back and doing a respectful job. I particularly appreciated Jane taking him on a tour of the empty houses. I can’t believe that the writers planted Sammie being Mike’s daughter – I have a sense that I read about the actress, who has Down’s, I think, joining the show a few years ago. On the other hand, I hadn’t realised Jane had been back for a few years, so what do I know? And it all helped that Anne Jones and Guy Pearce have aged well.
Anyway, having Mike adore and be so proud of his daughter was exquisite. My ovaries had already sided with the ex on a motorbike versus a gorillagram (I have no idea what Clive had done wrong, I didn’t realise he was Clive from back before I started watching until it was spelled out on the show.) And it was quintessential Neighbours that Mike was trying to wrest a manky old lamp that a drunk Clive was brandishing as a weapon until Harold (<3 HAROLD!) hosed them down with a water pipe. If the whole literally bumping into each other and each picking up a big red heart was overwrought, the callbacks and the listening to what she said worked for me. The whole 'first love', nicely set up in a previous episode where an unsettled Jane couldn't talk about Mike for the book - poor woman, still grappling with whether she was turning into Mrs Mangel, but honestly, how do you respond to learning that your son is a male escort??? But seriously, yes, the first love/one who got away, how both of them had been haunted by 'what if' was genuinely moving, played straight, and touched a nerve, I think, with all of us returning to Neighbours for nostalgic reasons. If you're old enough to remember Mike and Jane etc, you're old enough to recognise that emotion and to be rooting for the romance of your youth.
The Scott and Charlene cameo was also game and fun. I loved the Natalie ‘Beth’ Imbruglia meets Holly ‘Flick’ Valance to shake their heads over Karl’s terrible singing scene. Toadie and Mel’s wedding was giddy froth and surely the latest Mrs Rebecchi has a better chance of survival because the show is ending, although some actresses will rue what they wore in five minutes’ time. The video messages ranged from the valid: Libby, Steph, Tad and JOE MANGEL! to the ‘Hi I’m X.’ with Margot ‘Donna’ Robbie graciously rubbing some salt in some career-related wounds.) Susan’s final voiceover was terrible and awesome, [ETA: and I've since learned that I didn't imagine seeing Doug Willis! His ghost was there, with Madge and Sonya's, sitting with Harold!]and as perfect as hearing all the versions of the theme song.
[Edited the day after to correct/add some things after wallowing in responses to the finale. Also edited on 29/1/25 for typos.]
Its appeal - because it was massive here in the UK back in the day - was that it was a sunnier, idealised depiction of communal life. It had enough young characters to hook the post children's TV audience, and kept on being cult viewing for students because of the daft, shonky bits too. The mix of the humdrum, almost relatable and big soapy dramatics made it escapist daytime TV. And remember, when it first aired, there were only four channels, there were a lot of other Aussie shows around. It's been running for most of my life!
But I just stopped being bothered enough to keep up. It would have meant watching the whole lot on omnibus as there became more demands on my time. Even when the rumours that Dee (who had been presumed dead after Toadie’s car had driven off a cliff on their honeymoon, but given the return of Harold Bishop from a watery grave…plausible for Neighbours) was returning didn’t bring me back to watch it, even though I had been totally invested in Toadie and Dee, it was clear I was over it. [Although I did learn that it wasn't really Dee, despite it being the same acress. On a show that is notorious for having different actors play the same character.] But Neighbours remains the soap I have watched most avidly in my life.
So, back I came, knowing that part of the deal would be that this would be it (and Scott and Charlene were returning!) I was mainly confused, albeit reassured that Susan, Karl and Toadie were still there, but it took me a while to realise that those were your actual Jane and Melanie and that I should recognise assorted Ramsays and Robinsons. Although you can’t blame me for not recognising Lucy Robinson. So, I was very grateful for the flashbacks as old characters shared memories for some book some current residents were writing about the street. [ETA: Apparently it was a memory book for Harold or something.] Otherwise people whose relationships with each other I couldn’t make out seemed to be either planning to move to New York or bidding for a house in Ramsay Street or talking about something called Riverbend. It didn’t help that I couldn’t work out which house some of them were in any more down to remodelling and my eyesight. But there was some good old empty mug acting and smelling the fart to end scenes. As some characters totted up how long they’d been living there or had to admit that the current love of their life was their Xth spouse (it was confirmed that Paul had had six wives a la Henry the Eighth. Was Terese AKA her off Home and Away one of them?) or how many loves of their lives had died…that’s my problem with soaps right there.
Still, we had the big wedding and everyone bar the Kennedys selling their house, break ups and make ups. And then I got spoiled for this, but it’s fine, because I was thoroughly charmed by the Jane and Mike plot. Good on Guy Pearce for coming back and doing a respectful job. I particularly appreciated Jane taking him on a tour of the empty houses. I can’t believe that the writers planted Sammie being Mike’s daughter – I have a sense that I read about the actress, who has Down’s, I think, joining the show a few years ago. On the other hand, I hadn’t realised Jane had been back for a few years, so what do I know? And it all helped that Anne Jones and Guy Pearce have aged well.
Anyway, having Mike adore and be so proud of his daughter was exquisite. My ovaries had already sided with the ex on a motorbike versus a gorillagram (I have no idea what Clive had done wrong, I didn’t realise he was Clive from back before I started watching until it was spelled out on the show.) And it was quintessential Neighbours that Mike was trying to wrest a manky old lamp that a drunk Clive was brandishing as a weapon until Harold (<3 HAROLD!) hosed them down with a water pipe. If the whole literally bumping into each other and each picking up a big red heart was overwrought, the callbacks and the listening to what she said worked for me. The whole 'first love', nicely set up in a previous episode where an unsettled Jane couldn't talk about Mike for the book - poor woman, still grappling with whether she was turning into Mrs Mangel, but honestly, how do you respond to learning that your son is a male escort??? But seriously, yes, the first love/one who got away, how both of them had been haunted by 'what if' was genuinely moving, played straight, and touched a nerve, I think, with all of us returning to Neighbours for nostalgic reasons. If you're old enough to remember Mike and Jane etc, you're old enough to recognise that emotion and to be rooting for the romance of your youth.
The Scott and Charlene cameo was also game and fun. I loved the Natalie ‘Beth’ Imbruglia meets Holly ‘Flick’ Valance to shake their heads over Karl’s terrible singing scene. Toadie and Mel’s wedding was giddy froth and surely the latest Mrs Rebecchi has a better chance of survival because the show is ending, although some actresses will rue what they wore in five minutes’ time. The video messages ranged from the valid: Libby, Steph, Tad and JOE MANGEL! to the ‘Hi I’m X.’ with Margot ‘Donna’ Robbie graciously rubbing some salt in some career-related wounds.) Susan’s final voiceover was terrible and awesome, [ETA: and I've since learned that I didn't imagine seeing Doug Willis! His ghost was there, with Madge and Sonya's, sitting with Harold!]and as perfect as hearing all the versions of the theme song.
[Edited the day after to correct/add some things after wallowing in responses to the finale. Also edited on 29/1/25 for typos.]
