Well it was different even to the Australian Soaps which had gone before it which were either trying to be Dallas or Dynasty on a fraction of the budget (shows like Sons and Daughters or Return to Eden), very sexualised (No 96, The Box), very gritty and hard hitting drama but also quite camp (like Prisoner:Cell Block H) or slow and quite fluffy (like A Country Practice).
The BBC bought it for their daytime schedules rather than other options they had like Santa Barbara (a favourite of mine) simply because it was a bit different to everything else on UK TV soaps wise at the time and they liked the lighter, mundane, fluffier elements.
Ok when you put it like that it makes sense, I am surprised at its popularity though, usually people want more serious stuff in their soaps...but to each their own.
Its unfortunate that you happened to tune in for the teddy story. it was naf and silly and blue Peter fare, not typical of the show as a hole. But as others have said there has been great stuff this year like the devilish dr nick.
Its a bit slow at present but its much better than our dreary soaps. I did watch emmer dale all last week for the helicopter accident but I just couldn't stick with it and the same goes for corrie and Ee. neighbours is just more watchable for some reason.
I have been watching Neighbours since I was a little girl and I'm 23 years old now.
I remember it having explosions, fires and affairs. Exciting storylines.
I stopped watching 2 years ago due to it just being completely boring. It's like a soap opera for beginners. They can't even say the word abortion!
I tried turning it on today and the main storyline was a bear that got thrown out accidentally and everyone acting like it was the worst possible thing that could have been done. It must be offensive for the actors to even act out scenes like that.
Was I just unlucky turning it on today or is it getting any better?
Is there anyone who is actually enjoying this as much as they did 10-15 years ago?
Once upon a time, I could've probably created this thread myself. Now, I see Neighbours differently I reckon it is one of the better soaps going. It has the right balance at the moment, everything I look for in a soap. Such as, Humour, Light-heartedness, mixed with drama, family issues, relationships etc. IMO Neighbours does domesticated life better than any other soap (Emmerdale a close second). It does have it's loopholes such as the storyline you mentioned and it being a bit cheesy at times but in terms of a sense of 'realness' no Brit soap comes close atm. Neighbours is not OTT with sensationalism and violence like other soaps right now that's what I like.
Because the show moves along at a fast pace you end up with issues being resolved by the end of an episode.
Unfortunately that means the drama is killed instantly, storylines that could've been really good tend to be over in the space of a week or two when other soaps would take longer to develop them.
I prefer Home & Away, which everyone on here seems to hate. Although, I very rarely watch the two. Mostly when I'm on holiday, chilling out after the day and before going out of a night. :cool::D
I prefer Home & Away, which everyone on here seems to hate. Although, I very rarely watch the two. Mostly when I'm on holiday, chilling out after the day and before going out of a night. :cool::D
Isn't it a standard soap trick to run a silly light hearted storyline alongside a more serious one. The silly teddy story was offset against Tyler's distress at his Dad's return. It was also a device for Kyle to spend time with Paul's daughter outside of work resulting in the "slightly too long hug". In CS, they do it all the time with characters like Kirk and Norris to break up the drama.
I prefer Home & Away, which everyone on here seems to hate. Although, I very rarely watch the two. Mostly when I'm on holiday, chilling out after the day and before going out of a night. :cool::D
I prefer H&A too. Much more exciting and interesting.
I prefer H&A too. Much more exciting and interesting.
In Home and away the characters have no personality. It's just characters sleeping around and getting shot. Whenever someone is being written out of the show they'll be killed off by an explosion, a car accident or a tumour.
Neighbours is much more inventive with its storylines. It has more originality to it. Sure, it is gentle family viewing but they do well with the pg restriction they're given.
In Home and away the characters have no personality. It's just characters sleeping around and getting shot. Whenever someone is being written out of the show they'll be killed off by an explosion, a car accident or a tumour.
Neighbours is much more inventive with its storylines. It has more originality to it. Sure, it is gentle family viewing but they do well with the pg restriction they're given.
That's unfair to say that the characters in H&A have no personality, every single one has different personal traits. For example, yesterday's episode with Maddy, Evie, Josh, Matt and Oscar chilling, drinking and playing poker. I'm sure we've all come across an Oscar character who is a nerd that has a moment where they try to be 'cool' by doing things they wouldn't normally do e.g get drunk. I like both shows for different reasons now, Home and Away IMO does gripping drama better than Neighbours overall. However. Neighbours is a more complete show and has more range. Home and Away has become too repetitive involving someone collapsing or going to hospital, drugs, sex and violence.
I prefer Home & Away, which everyone on here seems to hate. Although, I very rarely watch the two. Mostly when I'm on holiday, chilling out after the day and before going out of a night. :cool::D
I think most people on here used to love H&A but hate what it's become. 3 years ago they said the same about Neighbours for different reasons before it turned itself around.
H&A need to fix there characters and break the cycle of repeat crime and love triangle stories which have been going on forever.
I think we love the Aussie soaps for the characters and the sunshine, mixed with a bit of drama and humour. Neighbours has a better balance now much like it did in the early days and H&A did too before it became about stalkers and the like.
I think most people on here used to love H&A but hate what it's become. 3 years ago they said the same about Neighbours for different reasons before it turned itself around.
H&A need to fix there characters and break the cycle of repeat crime and love triangle stories which have been going on forever.
I think we love the Aussie soaps for the characters and the sunshine, mixed with a bit of drama and humour. Neighbours has a better balance now much like it did in the early days and H&A did too before it became about stalkers and the like.
Yes, I'd agree with this.
I used to love Home and Away, much preferred it to Neighbours. I also thought Neighbours was pretty appalling for many years until about 18 months ago when it seemed to go back to its roots.
Home and Away had some success about 10 years ago with their first stalker /serial killer plot and it feels to me that they just kept repeating the same plot to diminishing returns and having it be dominated by the River Boys was a huge mistake.
I am really enjoying neighbours recently. Its nice to sit and watch something that has elements of seriousness with bits of silly thrown in.
The teddy bear memorial made me laugh. We considered a similar thing when our dog chewed my little sisters teddy, many years ago. After touch and go teddy surgery, he just about pulled through, minus his eyes, ears and nose.
Seriously?!!!:o:o Neighbours can't even compare to Hollyoaks. The acting is awful and the story lines are juvenile. The only thing it has on the UK soaps is the opening, now that opening and theme song is one of the best I've ever seen.
Neighbours is brilliant right now.
I've watched it since I was little and, apart from a couple of years off when things got silly (the Bower years...) I've always kept up. It's light hearted and escapism at its best.
As for Hollyoaks, I used to enjoy it. It was a decent soap until a few years ago. Nowadays it's a race to see who can get kidnapped / murdered next. Absolutely ridiculous. Another niggle is that the producers seem not to give a stuff about the setting of the show either - most of the cast are quite obviously not from the North West; or even the North. It sounds more like EastEnders sometimes.
I love Neighbours at the moment, it's just so enjoyable. Like today's episode with the teddy bear funeral. It's just so Neighbours, it's daft and sweet and they don't take themselves too seriously. I think the show should be so proud of finding original material for a young family.
It you want drama and car chases and guns and gangs, go to Home and Away, but I think Neighbours had struck the balance of drama and humour perfectly giving us a more classic family-friendly show.
I thought the teddy bear funeral was super sweet. Just right for family viewing if kids are watching.
What I really want to see happen is for Brad to get back together with Lauren. Therese melt down would be something else, I think. That'd bring some drama.
Neighbours found a niche focusing on different generations of families that talked to one another and worked out their problems together, in a suburban setting. The formula emphasised lightweight storylines and comedy.
It wasn't a typical Australian soap when it started. There wasn't really a previous soap like it. Bellbird had a rural setting but really didn't have teens or children (or families as far as I can make out). Number 96 was set in a block of flats and emphasised adult storylines and nudity (later moving more in the direction of Corrie style comedy). The Box was adult drama with nudity, Class of '74 (arguably a teen soap) was a school based drama mixing teenagers and their teachers, The Young Doctors a hospital set light weight romance, The Restless Years was a very dramatic teen soap that had a large number of teens/youngsters in the cast but with storylines including prostitution, serial killers, suicide, blackmail, abortion, marriage breakdown, adultery, murder. It had a few comedy characters but they were in the minority. Cop Shop was set in a police station and Skyways an airport. Both frequently dealt with crime and adult storylines. After Neighbours hit, it gave rise to many Aussie soap clones like Richmond Hill, Echo Point but all these flopped in the ratings. Only one, Home and Away, succeeded though it successfully transformed itself into more a crime drama.
Neighbours has at times moved away from its clean cut suburban style but then always moved back towards it again. Its Australian ratings have been very low for years but the evil twins, guns, bombs and plane crashes (or Susan Bower's teen overdose) have not reversed this trend and have arguably just alienated the show's diehard fans. It might be 'boring' but that's the show's premise, and it is kind of pointless and counterproductive trying to change that, like it or not.
Comments
Ok when you put it like that it makes sense, I am surprised at its popularity though, usually people want more serious stuff in their soaps...but to each their own.
Its a bit slow at present but its much better than our dreary soaps. I did watch emmer dale all last week for the helicopter accident but I just couldn't stick with it and the same goes for corrie and Ee. neighbours is just more watchable for some reason.
Once upon a time, I could've probably created this thread myself. Now, I see Neighbours differently I reckon it is one of the better soaps going. It has the right balance at the moment, everything I look for in a soap. Such as, Humour, Light-heartedness, mixed with drama, family issues, relationships etc. IMO Neighbours does domesticated life better than any other soap (Emmerdale a close second). It does have it's loopholes such as the storyline you mentioned and it being a bit cheesy at times but in terms of a sense of 'realness' no Brit soap comes close atm. Neighbours is not OTT with sensationalism and violence like other soaps right now that's what I like.
Unfortunately that means the drama is killed instantly, storylines that could've been really good tend to be over in the space of a week or two when other soaps would take longer to develop them.
I like Home and Away too
Probably always will be.
I prefer H&A too. Much more exciting and interesting.
In Home and away the characters have no personality. It's just characters sleeping around and getting shot. Whenever someone is being written out of the show they'll be killed off by an explosion, a car accident or a tumour.
Neighbours is much more inventive with its storylines. It has more originality to it. Sure, it is gentle family viewing but they do well with the pg restriction they're given.
That's unfair to say that the characters in H&A have no personality, every single one has different personal traits. For example, yesterday's episode with Maddy, Evie, Josh, Matt and Oscar chilling, drinking and playing poker. I'm sure we've all come across an Oscar character who is a nerd that has a moment where they try to be 'cool' by doing things they wouldn't normally do e.g get drunk. I like both shows for different reasons now, Home and Away IMO does gripping drama better than Neighbours overall. However. Neighbours is a more complete show and has more range. Home and Away has become too repetitive involving someone collapsing or going to hospital, drugs, sex and violence.
Everyday to be precise
I think most people on here used to love H&A but hate what it's become. 3 years ago they said the same about Neighbours for different reasons before it turned itself around.
H&A need to fix there characters and break the cycle of repeat crime and love triangle stories which have been going on forever.
I think we love the Aussie soaps for the characters and the sunshine, mixed with a bit of drama and humour. Neighbours has a better balance now much like it did in the early days and H&A did too before it became about stalkers and the like.
Yes, I'd agree with this.
I used to love Home and Away, much preferred it to Neighbours. I also thought Neighbours was pretty appalling for many years until about 18 months ago when it seemed to go back to its roots.
Home and Away had some success about 10 years ago with their first stalker /serial killer plot and it feels to me that they just kept repeating the same plot to diminishing returns and having it be dominated by the River Boys was a huge mistake.
The teddy bear memorial made me laugh. We considered a similar thing when our dog chewed my little sisters teddy, many years ago. After touch and go teddy surgery, he just about pulled through, minus his eyes, ears and nose.
Neighbours is brilliant right now.
I've watched it since I was little and, apart from a couple of years off when things got silly (the Bower years...) I've always kept up. It's light hearted and escapism at its best.
As for Hollyoaks, I used to enjoy it. It was a decent soap until a few years ago. Nowadays it's a race to see who can get kidnapped / murdered next. Absolutely ridiculous. Another niggle is that the producers seem not to give a stuff about the setting of the show either - most of the cast are quite obviously not from the North West; or even the North. It sounds more like EastEnders sometimes.
I thought the teddy bear funeral was super sweet. Just right for family viewing if kids are watching.
What I really want to see happen is for Brad to get back together with Lauren. Therese melt down would be something else, I think. That'd bring some drama.
It wasn't a typical Australian soap when it started. There wasn't really a previous soap like it. Bellbird had a rural setting but really didn't have teens or children (or families as far as I can make out). Number 96 was set in a block of flats and emphasised adult storylines and nudity (later moving more in the direction of Corrie style comedy). The Box was adult drama with nudity, Class of '74 (arguably a teen soap) was a school based drama mixing teenagers and their teachers, The Young Doctors a hospital set light weight romance, The Restless Years was a very dramatic teen soap that had a large number of teens/youngsters in the cast but with storylines including prostitution, serial killers, suicide, blackmail, abortion, marriage breakdown, adultery, murder. It had a few comedy characters but they were in the minority. Cop Shop was set in a police station and Skyways an airport. Both frequently dealt with crime and adult storylines. After Neighbours hit, it gave rise to many Aussie soap clones like Richmond Hill, Echo Point but all these flopped in the ratings. Only one, Home and Away, succeeded though it successfully transformed itself into more a crime drama.
Neighbours has at times moved away from its clean cut suburban style but then always moved back towards it again. Its Australian ratings have been very low for years but the evil twins, guns, bombs and plane crashes (or Susan Bower's teen overdose) have not reversed this trend and have arguably just alienated the show's diehard fans. It might be 'boring' but that's the show's premise, and it is kind of pointless and counterproductive trying to change that, like it or not.