Are we supposed to be psychic or something? What on earth is supposed to have happened to Xanthe? Rape? Sexual assault? Instead of being vague and hinting at it wouldnt it be easier to just say?

I thought Neighbours had moved on from this childishness?

Assault.

In actual fact that word was used in an extended scene that Channel5 viewers never got to see from last nigths episode.

Gary Canning threatening to "flatten the Bastard" i.e. cooper and I think Ellie used the word Assuault.

So i think on this occasion it's not Neighbours fault but Channel5 for taking those few seconds out. But even so, a show like Neighbours only as a certain amount of Leeway for what they can show.

Thank you!!!! it takes me back to the days when they couldn't say the word 'period' when they decided to portray a very young Lucy Robinson,I think it was,dealing with hers! They really are appallingly bad aren't they and still now

Assault is hardly a naughty or offesnive word though is it?

There have been a couple of times when I have wondered if I have missed an episode - viz Charlie's sudden residence in Ramsey Street - so maybe I missed Xanthe's assault as well?

It could have been done without any overt nastiness with a suggestion of the boy doing something against her will but it is difficult to sympathise with the character when you don't really know what you are sympathising about!

Sounds like something from Corrie in the 70s when Deirdre was 'assaulted' under the viaduct but nobody ever actually said what had happened.

Neighbours is rated U so there are some limitations, it covers quite a lot of ground despite it though

Remember years ago in Home and Away when Kane raped Dani Sutherland, but instead of saying rape it was always referred to as "what Kane did to Dani." When Neighbours first started fancying someone was always "liked" or "got the hots".
To be fair both soaps have got better in recent years with their use of language.

I think he held her,hostage with his snake

Gary refered to it as assault in today's episode.

I don't understand why they aren't being more clearer. They can't say the word 'rape', but there are other alternatives that they could use to convey the same message. Surely they can say 'assault' more frequently?

Channel 5 have things they can't include but this was key - the rating in Australia is lower than home and away so they have to be careful and related subject changed did notice that even though Elly and Gary are in the titles they were also identified in the guest artists section of the credits as well as most as if the person responsible for the end credits was aware they had also been added to the opening titles

No, that was just a casualty is the reason that part of the scene was cut.

I've only seen Monday's and Tuesday's episodes but I think Cooper tried to rape her. To me, if she had been raped, her family wouldn't be so casual about it, even though they are being protective.

I just think Cooper tried to touch Xanthe but she managed to get away. Well I hope she got away. I think she would be more traumatised if she had been raped.

I hate storylines like that (even in fiction), even though they are ubiquitous nowadays + I quite like Xanthe. Always think the courts should allow us to take a pair of scissors to such offenders! [And I'm usually quite liberal too! ]

Remember when Jack Scully was on drugs, but mostly it just looked like he was late night partying because they couldn't say it was drugs? Fun times...

Well Australians in that context in the 1980s didn't really say "fancy" but they did say "liked". So if that's what they said in Neighbours they were simply using the standard terms used in Australia.

To me "fancy" in this context sounds very English and quite old fashioned, like something Sid might say in a Carry On... film, as in "fancy a roll?". Even in early Neighbours it would have sounded terribly quaint and anachronistic.

'Got the hots' sounds a lot more overtly sexual than 'fancy', and a bit tacky.

Neighbours needs to go back to PG and they shouldn't do these types of storylines if they can't say certain words.

Or.... They can do and write whatever story they like, within reason.

I watch Neigjbours for what it is. I don't want it to pretend to he anything else.

WAs that in the script or for real? I have a hazy memory of him being fired for something.

Remember when Stingray drank half a can of lager and became an alcoholic?