[nats18]

Drew from H+A he's gonna be way older than Chris but who cares he's good looking. Interestig to see if they treat them like a couple or just mates.

[summer_ste]

Originally Posted by Rain

It will be like watching Drew go gay.. what on earth would Jazz say.

LOL Jazz was camp as Christmas, she would love it!

[ravensborough]

Originally Posted by summer_ste

LOL Jazz was camp as Christmas, she would love it!

Wasn't Jazz in Neighbours as well at one point?

[LemonadeMan]

Originally Posted by ravensborough

Wasn't Jazz in Neighbours as well at one point?

Yeah, she was a com-artist doctor who murdered her partner and set up Sky for the crime.

[Jaymitch1]

Originally Posted by Vodka_Drinka

I can't believe how old fashioned and conservative as a country Australia is. All this not mentioning certain words like rape, sex and abortion before a certain time in the evening is pathetic and insulting to the viewers intelligence. To think in the UK kids shows like Grange Hill and Byker Grove were dealing with this kind of stuff 15 years ago! Andrews dance party is the most recent example, his friend the promoter was obviously involved in drug dealing, but they couldn't say that so it was all nudge, nudge wink wink and we were told they were doing something "illegal" but never really told what. Australia seems to be like the UK was 40 odd years ago.

this is precisly the reason viewing figures have declined hugely over the last few years in the UK for the Aussie soaps.
in the 90s i would say our soaps and aussie soaps were about the same in terms of content and storytelling. but whilst we have moved forward with time, they seem to of stood still! they dont break any barriers, the censorship is ridiculous, and the fact its 2011 and this is the first gay couple in an aussie soap speaks volumes!

though i just do not understand why, i dont really see them as a nation of prudes because 'wynter gordens' current hit 'dirty talk' was a massive number 1 over there this year, just listen to the lyrics

[MrSuper]

Originally Posted by nats18

Drew from H+A he's gonna be way older than Chris but who cares he's good looking. Interestig to see if they treat them like a couple or just mates.

Which was one was Drew from Home and Away? My mind's gone blank. What was his character at the time?

[Rain]

Originally Posted by MrSuper

Which was one was Drew from Home and Away? My mind's gone blank. What was his character at the time?

He was Peter and Jazz' son, curly hair, went out with Belle Taylor.

Originally Posted by ravensborough

Wasn't Jazz in Neighbours as well at one point?

Originally Posted by summer_ste

LOL Jazz was camp as Christmas, she would love it!

Yeah she was Charlotte and gave Paul and Carmella too many drugs they didn't need. lol

I was gload she left Neighbours though, Jazz was a legend, her fight with Amanda!

On the other note, I am interested to see if there will be kissing between the two.. I hope so. Neighbours have the potential to nail this storyline, they have a good eye for heart warming stories... so fingers crossed!

[nats18]

As said above he was peters son he also slept with amanda while dating belle. Nothing like keeping it in the family in H&A.

[Keeki]

Originally Posted by Vodka_Drinka

I can't believe how old fashioned and conservative as a country Australia is. All this not mentioning certain words like rape, sex and abortion before a certain time in the evening is pathetic and insulting to the viewers intelligence. To think in the UK kids shows like Grange Hill and Byker Grove were dealing with this kind of stuff 15 years ago! Andrews dance party is the most recent example, his friend the promoter was obviously involved in drug dealing, but they couldn't say that so it was all nudge, nudge wink wink and we were told they were doing something "illegal" but never really told what. Australia seems to be like the UK was 40 odd years ago.

We are not old fashioned and conservative. You're calling us 40 years backward based on a teen soap opera? That's hardly fair. What is so horrible about not featuring rape and abortion on a show that is mainly watched here by preteens and teenagers?

[Rain]

Originally Posted by Keeki

We are not old fashioned and conservative. You're calling us 40 years backward based on a teen soap opera? That's hardly fair. What is so horrible about not featuring rape and abortion on a show that is mainly watched here by preteens and teenagers?

You do realise you contradicted yourself - No Abortion on TV? Certainly forty years back in the time machine.

Face it thousands stopped watching H&A in Aus when Charlie went Bi - this was shown in the ratings dip and the sudden rise afterward.

[miles19740]

Originally Posted by Keeki

We are not old fashioned and conservative. You're calling us 40 years backward based on a teen soap opera? That's hardly fair. What is so horrible about not featuring rape and abortion on a show that is mainly watched here by preteens and teenagers?

We aren't talking criminal offences here...we are talking sexuality!

I love Neighbours...have done since I was 12... (I am now 36) but this is a golden opportunity for Neighbours to prove that it is current, relevant and up to date. If the upcoming Neighbours story line provokes a positive debate in Australian society, then surely that can only be a good thing.

Neighbours producers...avoid cheesy and stereotype. Do the story in a sensitive and mature way.

Love you 'Chris'!

[Deschanel]

Originally Posted by Keeki

We are not old fashionedand conservative. You're calling us 40 years backward based on a teen soap opera? That's hardly fair. What is so horrible about not featuring rape and abortion on a show that is mainly watched here by preteens and teenagers?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertai...-1226077652852 Check out the comments, and you'll see just how conservative a lot of Aussie's are. The Bigots pounced on this. And if you make it all the way to the end, it's a pretty negative read.

Isn't abortion relevant to teens? So, shouldn't the word be allowed to educate teens on an issue that effects teens on what you call a teen soap?

[David0056]

I'm happy for both Neighbours and Chris, he's one of my favourite characters at the moment and it's time he had a boyfriend. Although I hope Neighbours do it properly and don't just suggest that they are going out and have them acting more like friends. They have a habit of dancing around these kind of topics in a way where they don't actually mention what's going on but suggest it so I will be really disappointed if this goes the same way.

[nats18]

To be fair to Australians we are almost as bad just becase we have gay couples we seem slightly better but to be honest or gay couples are almost mates with the lack of any intimacy from them and didn't people make a big deal about syed and christian kissing the other week.

[Keeki]

Originally Posted by Rain

You do realise you contradicted yourself - No Abortion on TV? Certainly forty years back in the time machine.

Face it thousands stopped watching H&A in Aus when Charlie went Bi - this was shown in the ratings dip and the sudden rise afterward.

I never once said abortion has never been on Australian TV. I can think of at least two popular shows (I don't watch much TV so there is undoubtedly more) where characters have had abortions and another where it was considered with no social uproar afterwards so we are not '40 years back in the time machine' thank you. And what is it I should face? Ratings rise and fall for all sorts of reasons.

Originally Posted by Deschanel

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertai...-1226077652852 Check out the comments, and you'll see just how conservative a lot of Aussie's are. The Bigots pounced on this. And if you make it all the way to the end, it's a pretty negative read.

Isn't abortion relevant to teens? So, shouldn't the word be allowed to educate teens on an issue that effects teens on what you call a teen soap?

Yes abortion is relevant to teens. However, my argument is that it is not a required storyline on every single drama aimed at the teen demographic. Not every drama has to teach people lessons. Keeping things light can be boring but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Also, just because one soap does not feature it as a storyline does not reflect the values of the nation as a whole.There have been other Australian dramas where characters have had abortions so Australians teenagers aren't being shielded from it. I did see those comments but a bunch of bigots responding to an article (there were also positive comments) does not prove 'just how conservative a lot of Aussies are'. Often those who are most outraged by something are the ones most driven to comment. The people who don't care (the non-bigots) would be less motivated so that comment page is not illustrative of the values of the majority of Australians.

[miles19740]

Ok Keeki...a lot of fair comment there. I think the non-bigots should stand up and be counted. They have a crucial role to play. I hope they stand up and shout loud in support of the up-coming story line in Neighbours.

[ravensborough]

Originally Posted by Deschanel

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertai...-1226077652852 Check out the comments, and you'll see just how conservative a lot of Aussie's are. The Bigots pounced on this. And if you make it all the way to the end, it's a pretty negative read.

Isn't abortion relevant to teens? So, shouldn't the word be allowed to educate teens on an issue that effects teens on what you call a teen soap?

Those comments are just shocking. I've just picked my jaw off the floor. Sad that people in the 21st century still think like that.

[M. Tourette]

Originally Posted by miles19740

Hey, the whole world is going gay...Neighbours, Eastenders, Holby City, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Corrie...OMG!

Corrie has always been gay,
it's just come out of the closet, that's all

[mimi123456]

Originally Posted by MrSuper

Now they have a gay couple perhaps they can now start introducing some black characters into the soap.

Totally agree. The only black characters they seem to have is the woman who cleans and serves coffee at Harold's, which I think is just plain wrong! Is that the only thing they think a black person can do?

Chris is not a good actor, I know he is young but he is so wooden and has no emotion, it's only Tash's sarcasm that carries him. So not too sure about this gay couple storyline. I doubt it will last more than a week or two. Did Donna not get all lesbo with someone once and it got dropped soon after? Also, Buckton from Home and Away went all lesbo for a while and that got canned because of the compaints. So not sure how long this will go on for. At the moment Chris is just gay and though reference is made to it, he doesn't actually do anything gay other than hang around with his fag hags Summern and Tash.

And finally, Chris is 17, the nurse will be older no doubt. But what the hell, Tash and scary Ivan is just wrong. They want us to believe Ivan is 28, but he is actually in his late 30's and looks really old which is just wrong. If they can do that with Tash, they can do that with Chris too.

[Jadelyn09]

I'm really looking to seeing this storyline unfold, I loved Chris' coming out one.

Chris and Aidan won't technically be Neighbours' first gay couple as Gino and Aaron were, but I don't think we ever saw them kiss or anything though.

[Gulftastic]

Originally Posted by mimi123456

Did Donna not get all lesbo with someone once and it got dropped soon after?

Donna once answered the question about her first time with 'With a boy or a girl?' and another time gave gave Sunny a peck on the lips. That's the extent of her lesbianism on Neighbours.

Unless you count her realtionship with Elle, which was as gay as heck in the early days, just layered in subtext.

[Deschanel]

Originally Posted by Keeki

Yes abortion is relevant to teens. However, my argument is that it is not a required storyline on every single drama aimed at the teen demographic. Not every drama has to teach people lessons. Keeping things light can be boring but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Also, just because one soap does not feature it as a storyline does not reflect the values of the nation as a whole.

Good response, Keeki. My main point is though, Neighbours has featured stories about abortion in the past, so surely they should be allowed to use the terms 'abortion' and 'termination' instead of the silly 'not a family friendly doctor'. And I agree that not all shows need to feature storylines on abortion, even thought I never said they should. And Neighbours shouldn't feel they have to, just when the story warrants it, they should be able to use the appropriate language.

I did see those comments but a bunch of bigots responding to an article (there were also positive comments) does not prove 'just how conservative a lot of Aussies are'. Often those who are most outraged by something are the ones most driven to comment. The people who don't care (the non-bigots) would be less motivated so that comment page is not illustrative of the values of the majority of Australians.

I shouldn't have generalized. And it's true that those who aren't bothered won't raise their voice, so it's difficult to tell ratio between positive and negative.

I think the reason why there is this negative view of Australia is b/c of the TV classification system, and silly restrictions it places on a show like Neighbours. Neighbours never used to be like this in the 80s and 90s, it's only something that happened in 2000, which must have been born out of conservatism. Granted, times may have changed, and TV may just be dragging behind painting a false representation, but it's quite jarring when 90s Neighbours used the words abortion, sex and condoms, and now they can't even say contraceptive pill or protection, and instead it's "stuff".

[LemonadeMan]

The most jarring thing is that Neighbours airs at the same time as Hollyoaks. Compare the two. Not in acting or tone or style, but in the way they can cover issues.

Neighbours isn't only conservative but it's alarmingly twee in recent years. Even as late as 2003/2004, we had Lori talking about going on the pill. Nowadays they'd probably refer to it as their 'special medication that prevents things.'

Remember the amount of threads that popped up on DS when Rebecca arrived, asking what exactly her ex-husband did to her? He raped her, conceiving Declan, but you had to do a lot of piecing together because it never went beyond the phrases 'he was a bad man, you stay away from him!' and 'he attacked me!'

[miles19740]

Originally Posted by Deschanel

Good response, Keeki. My main point is though, Neighbours has featured stories about abortion in the past, so surely they should be allowed to use the terms 'abortion' and 'termination' instead of the silly 'not a family friendly doctor'. And I agree that not all shows need to feature storylines on abortion, even thought I never said they should. And Neighbours shouldn't feel they have to, just when the story warrants it, they should be able to use the appropriate language.


I shouldn't have generalized. And it's true that those who aren't bothered won't raise their voice, so it's difficult to tell ratio between positive and negative.

I think the reason why there is this negative view of Australia is b/c of the TV classification system, and silly restrictions it places on a show like Neighbours. Neighbours never used to be like this in the 80s and 90s, it's only something that happened in 2000, which must have been born out of conservatism. Granted, times may have changed, and TV may just be dragging behind painting a false representation, but it's quite jarring when 90s Neighbours used the words abortion, sex and condoms, and now they can't even say contraceptive pill or protection, and instead it's "stuff".

You are right...look back at 'The Golden Era' of '85 - '92! The fights, "rack off"...Charlene seeing Clive because she wants to go on the pill , Scott and Charlene seen in a hotel bedroom... her and Warren going out drinking ...are just some examples.

The 'post-Golden Era' suffered because of the regulation that came in. If Neighbours is slowly tapping back into the 80s period in terms of what it deals with and how it is dealt with, then I say, "good on ya!" It will benefit the show, big time. See it as Neighbours maturing and growing up!

Neighbours, my favourite show since 1987!

[Vodka_Drinka]

Originally Posted by Keeki

We are not old fashioned and conservative. You're calling us 40 years backward based on a teen soap opera? That's hardly fair. What is so horrible about not featuring rape and abortion on a show that is mainly watched here by preteens and teenagers?

It's mainly watched by younger people here as well, pretending kids don't already know about things like rape and abortion is really silly imo.

I also do think it's fair to say they are 40 years behind us, after all you'd never catch white people blacking up and pretending to be the Jackson's on UK TV these days. But in Australia, as of two years ago, that was still considered acceptable.