An unNeighbourly attack
The Australian Family Association is at it again, this time over a storyline in Neighbours in which Nicola West (Imogen Bailey) and nephew Riley Parker (Sweeney Young) have ‘a secret intimate relationship.’
The Courier Mail even manages to squeeze both arrested Austrian Josef Fritzl (puh-lease!) and of course, that South Australian ‘incestgate’ couple, as seen in 60 Minutes, into the story.
It says the AFA has accused producers of using the recent news events to try to attract viewers.
Newsflash: it’s a good four months turnaround from storylining to screen in any major Aussie soap. Neither of those stories was news in January.
The article goes on to quote an AFA spokesperson who has clearly given a free publicity kick for Neighbours’ stories, and at the same time furthering the agenda of the AFA. Ahh, media spin…it must be a slow news Sunday.
Come to think of it, where was the AFA applauding characters who were caught up in storylines that saw them cling to the ideal of a nuclear family? Where were they when Harold Bishop’s Salvation Army morals was dishing out some tough love to wayward adolescents?
The Courier Mail also claims the acting industry is “outraged” at Neighbours’ recent casting of models and reality stars (yes Sigrid Thornton and Garry McDonald are probably preparing placards as we speak). It quotes one Brisbane actor’s agent.
It highlights Brissy model Erin McNaught’s role on the show, but neglects to note she finishes shooting next month. Alan Fletcher (’Karl Kennedy’) is also a former president of the Victorian branch of the MEAA. I haven’t heard of any protests from ‘Dr. Karl.’
And it singles out Wednesday’s viewing figures of 785,000 as being “down 15,000 since the end of last year.” What’s the ‘end of last year’ mean? It’s 2007 finale was actually a lowly 600,000 -that means it’s UP by 185,000.
See? You can blur statistics to mean anything you like when you are creative enough. Ratings also topped 937,000 one night last month too, but nobody is writing that their figures are booming. Weekly averages are a better indicator.
Nobody is suggesting the state of the soap is perfect, or reaching its best potential. Last year I criticised the re-launch for its overhype, and I believe time has proven me right on this front.
The show was last at its peak when there were emotional stories ricocheting between Karl, Susan and Izzy. It was classic, fundamental soap that didn’t require any set reconstructions. I live in hope that with some of its stronger performers like Jackie Woodburne, Carla Bonner and Ryan Moloney that it will surprise me again.
Disclaimer: David Knox has previously served on the writing team of Neighbours.
Source: Courier Mail
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Wow I didn’t know you used to be a writer for Neighbours! What other stuff have you done?
I wish that the family groups would stop complaining about TV shows thanks to their constant whinging we lost the great big brother uncut now they are after neighbors blood I don’t watch neighbors but I still wish that family groups would keep their noses out of TV it is up to parents to decide what their children watch and not family groups to decide what we have to watch
I wish the media would stop giving airtime and publicity to right-wing religious extremists masquerading as “family groups.”
These are the same nuts that publish reports claiming “gays commit more crimes than non-gays” (seriously) and went into hysterics when Playschool showed to Lesbian mothers.
Since when do we in Australia have to obey someone else’s (very intolerant) god?
God’s not intolerant. It’s those narrow-minded morons who think they have the right to judge others just because they have “God on [their] side.”
Besides, what the HELL happened to Australia being a secular country that we have all these so-called religious/family groups telling us what we can and can’t watch? Have these people NOT heard of a remote control? :/
On topic though, I think it’s time Neighbours was slapped with a PG rating (along with Bold and the Beautiful). I don’t think the storylines are an issue exactly. It’s just that incest, adultery, murder, bereavement and all these sorts of sensitive themes are being passed under the G rating when this sort of content should be given a higher rating (and I think the PG classifications of the Iconic Episodes DVDs are a testament to that).
In regard to the quality (or lack of) of the show itself, I haven’t been watching Neighbours at all this year as the show has absolutely NOTHING going for it in its current state. None of the characters are even remotely likeable anymore (not even Susan et al.), and the pool of COMPLETELY unskilled/talentless actors have rendered the show unwatchable.
Oh, and Ben… 1989 called, they want their Gameboy back.
Do you AFA (Australian Fruitcake Association) realise that he isn’t actually his nephew? These people don’t represent families they represent right wing religious insanity!
At least on Neighbours they acknowlelage the family relationships, betweeen Riley and the delitful Nicola. ON B&B they ignored the fact that Rick & Pheobie would have grown up as Uncle and Neice. The fact that they wern’t blood relatated was a mere technicality, they were both Forresters. Days has also had relationships between members of the same family.
This is not even the first incest storyline on Neighbours . Jim Robinson’s daughter Lucy tried to get it on with her half brother ,Glen(I think that was his name ) .
I must admit I can’t remember if she knew they were related at the time.
well said David Knox! Good article, The new Vixen in Neighbours is proving to be good. Imongen Bailey’s character Nicola West is an interesting character.
Bloody AFA. I’m so sick to death of the press not calling the AFA what it is: an ultra-right-wing group of Christian fundamentalists. They once tried to get Charmed taken off the air because it “promoted witchcraft”! They also have issues with Harry Potter, of course.
One of their leaders, American-born Baptist preacher Bill Muhelenbeg frequently writes into the Herald Sun, raving about Hollywood’s “conspiracy” to pervert the morals of the young, but never discloses his affiliation with AFA in these letters.
These people are the Christian Taliban, pure and simple.