having been an avid neighbours fan i lost interest when the entire show seemed to be taken over by sculley storylines - one of these days ill try and get back into it and i certainly think that a sunday morning omnibus would be a great start. as someone else has mentioned it would prove a fantastic alternative to the pretty-fest which is channel 4s hollyoaks marathon.

mind you thats another one i used to love - but i found that as soon as the theme changed (a sure sign of success = money = 'improvements') it went downhill. bring back the original crowd *please please please* (even if lewis is dead!) and id watch it again in a shot.

its just a shame that so many of these shows seem to become a victim of their own success; ER, friends, frasier... nobody can say that they are as good as they used to be.

little off topic i know, but i started rambling

Sunday morning on BBC 1 ain't gonna happen.

Breakfast, - Religious Content - possibly 30min commedy, -Country File - Politics.

BBC 1 Sunday mornings are tied up with them, and I believe there would be too much outcry if that were to change (you've only really got 30 mins of room in that lineup, now I know breakfast with frost is supposed to be coming to an end, but I can only see that being replaced with a similar version.)

The only chance for it to be available on a sunday morning to match Holyoaks is for it to be on BBC 2, (although it could just about pass off on CBBC channel).

From perfectblend.net:

Episode Titles Introduced
August 10 2004

As of tomorrow's episode, number 4501, episode titles will be used for the first time on Neighbours. When speaking to executive producer, Ric Pellizzeri about this development, he had the following to say:

"We want our children (episodes) that we send out into the world to have names and not numbers. It has been too impersonal for too long. How can you say "go out into the world 4503 and knock 'em dead". That is so cold, it's just setting the little runt up for failure. We want to have fun coming up with the 240 odd title names a year. We obviously don't have enough to do and this should keep delinquent writers and editors off the mean streets of Melbourne. We are different to other soaps and want to continue to be different to other soaps. This is a way to celebrate our difference. We want to stress out our editors and writers in coming up with witty titles, that have double meanings with a double pike and half twist. We want to stress out the webbies with the controversy and debate it will generate on Neighbours sites. I can see RSI making a comeback. And finally we thought, WHY NOT. At last word count there were approximately 616,500 word forms in the English language. We shouldn't run out of titles in the near future. After all there are only 7 musical notes and Justin Timberlake still doesn't sound like Beethoven."


DP

I agree. Many shows are so successful they slog them to death. Look at OFAH, that had a perfect ending at a perfect time, but they just couldn't resist bringing it back. And personally, i think Neighbours should've been axed years ago with dignity when it started going downhill, but due to it's past success they wouldn't dare. Old Aussie soaps like Sons and Daughters and The Young Doctors only lasted for no more than 10 years or so, it's a pity broadcasters these days don't know when to leave off.

I personally think Sons and Daughters could be reincarnated at some point but it would be risky.

Neighbours will go on for at least another five years I think.

You can't really compare S&D with Neighbours as S&D was almost a drama carefully devised beforehand...
Neighbours was made to last for ever.
S&D lasted 5 years. Neighbours was under no obligation to stop at its 'peak' the program-makers have the right to do whatever they want with their show.

The legless lizard is 60cm in length and likes to wash its eyes with its tongue -> that was another classic, see Neighbours is forever

So come on then, if people think Neighbours is going downhill, what could be done to improve it?

Some of the best actors have died sadly, so there would be no Fiona or Gordon which is a shame. Pat has changed a lot too. Is the guy who played Spider still alive ?
Still it would be nice to see Wayne and David again. And some of the younger cast.

I do like the idea though, how would you call it 'The (brand) new S&D' ?
S&D the next wave, Grandsons & daughters ? or 'The best soap ever is back' ?

axe all the Scullies and all the Hoylands (especially Izzie and Max), Connor and Stuart.
Get all the Kennedies and Joe Scully back.

Hire some ex-S&D actors : Wayne, Caroline, Tim...

I also would bring Dee back Seriously.

Move the focus away from all the relationship storylines which would become secondary.
Less kids. Tell the BBC to 'rack off' whenever they try to butt in.

Diss Kylie Minogue all the time, but say only good things about Dannii.

Mention H&A regularly or do crossovers with them if they agreed.

Change the awful camp cheesy theme tune to being more "alive" like it was around 1992. Make the charactors slightly stronger (1989 - 1995 they had very strong charactors but they have all been changed into silly little mice which was one of the reasons madge left)

Bringing back Sky, and Toadies mum was good - lets see more visits from the past

Once a fortnight, a dramitic cliffhanger.

Better writing. less "people floating around scenes" that never used to happen. I know soaps have changed and they cant go back in time but it was a huge sucess back then, its the writing, scripts, charactors, and music. Actually some of the sets look cheaper these days, maybe that will change though in the 2004 xmas cliffhanger (which looks good - no spoilers in this thread tho)

MSF, I haven't seen the finale but I know Wayne calls the police after he kills somebody so lets say he got a lengthy jail sentence!

He would be getting out of jail during the first episode of 21st century S&D.

The main family would be The Palmers. Alison Palmer (nee Carr) would be coping with the death of David - we're saying she married him after they got together at the end of the 80s show and their offspring would live elsewhere in Melbourne! Dural would be Beryl and Gordon Hamilton's son's residence.

Robert Hamilton would be the Wayne type bad guy.

The opening title sequence would still have the faces of the cast but would be in glorious colour and the music would be given the Emmerdale treatment!

I'm happy with Neighbours as it is, thanks :P

Harold does mention his stroke and there was concern that his amnesia might return recently when he first suffered the stroke. Its kind of an inside joke to reference it once in a blue moon, and also the odd reference to Prisoner:cell block h (which Ian Smith was in and wrote). The show got a new producer last year and personally I believe the show is on the up. An omnibus edition on BBC3 would be excellent. Remember, when neighbours first started it was only shown at 1.30pm and repeated after 11 in the morning until viewers wanted more then it was moved to early evening

Neighbours need to improve the characters and storylines a lot. The teenagers in it are about 14, lets bring in some older teenagers like Brad Willis and Scott Robinson - they were at least 18. Storylines involving really young teenagers are just too difficult to take seriously and they definitely need to axe Toadie's new cousin - he is so annoying! And axe the Kennedys - how long have this family been there? I agree with a lot of things that have been said. There isn't enough strong characters like there was in the 80s, early 90s, they need a character revamp and perhaps bring in a new family, some new blood and some funny characters. And the storylines need to get more exciting. The only time anything exciting happens is the end of season finale. In the old days there used to be cliffhangers, exciting storylines and humour a lot, so Neighbours really needs to go back to its roots.

I think what Neighbours is missing is a very tough matriarch character, like Mrs Mangel or Dorothy Burke.

It seems that Neighbours has taken its "teenage" ethos too far and the show lacks a more developed older cast, which for many, many years always underpinned the actual fabric of the show, but now there's only really Lou, Harold and Valda.

CORRECTION: I meant to type 1.25pm for the new episodes 10am next morning for the repeat! They eventually did move it to 1.30pm and some time after 11. Getting old and senile! Being off school sick had its advantages.

I think there are more houses in that street than those being currently used, is there any house sets which haven't been used for a while and which could be brought back into play?

In terms of old characters, how hard would it be to bring Phil and Ruth Martin back? Solid characters who shouldn't have been axed, say his job in Darwin got axed and they drifted back to Melbourne. I really think the gradual axing of Lyn and Oscar Scully with a new couple/family moving in there and maybe Ruth and Phil moving in to Lou and Valdas would be cool. Also it'd be cool if Darren Stark came back after this current stint, really likeable character and could be developed more!

And can anyone explain why we never see the street round the corner from Ramsay Street?!?

Any diehard fans in the know on any of the above?

Becuase if we started focusing on the lifes of people round the corner, in another street - it wouldn't be Ramsay street. Neighbours without Ramsay street as its main location would be like coronation street without coronation street. Also the people who live in those houses in real life may not want filming going on, or bringing them unnessesary attention.

Phil and Ruth were dull dull dull. Philip was far better when he had Julie to contend with. Although it would be nice to see them, even if they pop back for a weekend in Lassaters to visit old friends Lou and Harold.

the show isn't even called Ramsay Street, and we do see Dr Karl's flat which is situated somewhere else

now you don't see that every day........

OK, point out where I said why don't they stop making Ramsay Street the focal point ray and msf?

I was just wondering why we never see the characters walking up the street around the corner from the entrance to Ramsay Street because it is a cul-de-sac after all!

Don't be rude, it's a court.
And what I said is the program isn't called Ramsay St so there's no reason why we shouldn't see the street around the corner.

Lol. Lighten up msf, I wasn't being rude mate, I would use harsher more insulting tones if I was being rude!

OK, what you meant by saying the show isn't called Ramsay Street meant there is no reason why we shouldn't see other areas, cool, I just scanned it! Sorry..........

just scanned this one too then ?
I meant don't be rude as 'cul' is French for 'arse'.