Soap

(rant)

Published on May 13, 2004 By trina_p In Movies & TV & Books

I was thinking about Teegs eyebrow thing and Harold Holt was brought up - and I described him incorrectly - i said something about him being slightly balding and pudgy. In the photo I have in front of me from the March AWW he's quite slender - no skinny but you know muscular - and I couldnt see his hair it was under a snorkel - but his eyebrows are very non-distinct.

So then I said I was thinking of a different Harold who drowned. Harold Bishop (Neighbours) back in like 1992 (???) went to England on his honeymoon with his wife Madge went swimming one day and didn't come back. (until 1997 (???) when he just turned up in Ramsey St - but he didn't know he was Harold Bishop at the time - he does now though - and he's still hanging around Erinsborough but Madge died of Cancer like 2-3 years ago now

I wonder if Harold Holt is somewhere like that - or was he really stolen by aliens? Was there really this government conspiracy to cover up his murder - he was under pressure from Canberra for his support of the US and the war in Vietnam.
(other conspiracy theories were : he was a Communist spy spirited away by a Chinese sub, assinated by the CIA or commited suicide --- and the Australian Government fuelled all these stories by refusing to hold an inquest.)
[Victoria's state coroner will actually be holding an inquest into his disappearence later this year.]

ANYWAY - this got me thinking about the soap opera formula - Australian Soap fans - have you ever noticed that if something big happens on one program then like a week later the same thing happens on the other (do thye send each other the scripts because they're both like 3months behind the actual viewing [ie what's being filmed on the sets today won't be shown HERE until August and in the UK November]0

Examples - Libby off Neighbours has a motorcycle accident with Steph leaving her supposedly incapable of having children -so she pushes Drew away until she realises she actually loves him and they get married and she has Ben.

compare this to Sally on Home & Away - she finds out she has some form of Cancer leaving her incapable of having Children so she pushes Flynn away until she realises she actually loves him and they get married and well Leah is having their baby (maybe - big scandal there)

ALSO (H&A Colleen has cancer loses her hair goes into remission and meets Norman and they're engaged (but Colleen is in her 60's so she won't be having anymore children)
And Steph on Neighbours finds a lump on her breast and finds out is cancer so she *shock horror* pushes Max away because she doesn't want him to get close if she's going to die and be incapable of having children but then she realises that he actually loves her and so they get back together and then she goes into remission and they will be getting married sometime this year and will probably have children.

OH - Home & Away Sally (again pre flynn) was getting married to this guy she met and she gets to her wedding day when Gypsie stands up and says that her fiance' was cheating on her with Gypsie. So Sally doesn't get married that day.
Neighbours Steph (AGAIN) is about to get married to this guy (plus she just found out she's pregnent but she miscarries) but her sister Flick (Holly Valance) who's actually her bridesmaid says He's been cheating on you with me and so they don't get married and Flick ends up continuing their ffair for a couple weeks and then they break up and she goes out with Stu (Blair from Big Brother)

OH and I can't count the number of accidents that have left someone paralysed and unable to walk and yet they're walking now. Angel (Melissa Geoge from ALias) was told she'd never walk again after Alf ran her over and she walked down the aisle to meet Shane. Kane was told he wouldn't walk after Dani ran him over and a week later he was...

And someone always seems to be having a baby or getting married or dying. Izzy this week found out she was pregnant on Neighbours, Leah and Kirsty are both pregnant on Home & Away
Noah & Hayley just got engaged

OH OH OH and the misleading ads are driving me nuts -- In the next two weeks someone WON"T survive. "Who will die!" Will they survive?"
I swear theres one character on H&A who's had like 5 near death experiences just in the last 3 years (2 in the last 5months) Bushfires, Floods, Boat accidents, Mine shaft caveins and Cars over cliffs and they've lived everytime - finally they just Leave - to go live in the city (oh and the same character was also a murder suspect, turned to God, turned to drugs, was cheated on by her boyfriend and found out she wasn't a twin and that she was switched at birth.

Noone's actually died - Like Scott (H&A) - they told us he was dead - but it was a prank by this guy who's stalking Dani WHAT THE?
And what's with killing Dee (Neighbours) off by going over a cliff on her wedding day and her body never being found - is she going to turn up again in 5 years too?

Okay I'm over it.

Comments

dharmagrl

on May 13, 2004

I haven't watched Neighbors or Home and Away in freakin' years. Like almost 10 years. I recognized 2 characters - Madge and Harold Bishop.

Just another reason I'm looking forward to getting back to England.

trina_p

on May 13, 2004

Dharma if you haven't watched in 10years - then you haven't missed much - the storylines these days are so crap!!

Neighbours - the Kennedy's are getting divorced (the moved into the Willises house) and Karl is having an affair with Izzy who just found out she's pregnant with Gus's baby (Gus is stalking the Hoyland family tried to poison Max, stole his credit card and ordered cable - weird stuff)
Do you remember Kerry Bishop - Harold's daughter who got shot by the duck hunter - well her 3 year old daughter is now like 16 and living with Harold and so is his son and his wife/daughter.
The Robinson House is home to the Scullys but theres only 2 left because Flick and Michelle are in New York and Steph lives with Max --- trust me it's all crap

it's more like Days of Our Lives or Bold & the Beautiful these days

werewolf

on May 13, 2004

The soaps here in the US are EXACTLY the same way. The great plot lines get passed around to the different programs. After awhile it really sucks. I was such an avid soaper that I scheduled my college classes around them. after 15-20 years, it's all the same stuff coming around again. Phhhtttt.

dharmagrl

on May 13, 2004

Yes, I remember Kerry. I miss Neighbors! Do they still have that sappy theme song?

"Neiiigghbors...evr'ybody needs good neighbors....just a little understanding...helps to make a better day! Neighbors, should be there for one another....that's when good neighbors be-come good friends" Or something like that.

Keo Lin

on May 13, 2004

Ahh soaps of the telly... I have to agree with you, trina, on the aussie soaps. Neighbours has a fire, H&A ooo shock horror a fire or similar castrophe. But you mention Bold and the Beautiful (B&

the scary part about that show: It's based entirely on two characters. Strangely enough it's supposedly just about the perils of Brooke and Ridge. So everyone else are just fillers. I used to think my family was a bit munted, but since trying to figure out the relationship between Brooke's four children it boggles the mind. Let me try to get this straight. Rick and Brigdet (who they have got a new actress in to play who looks nothing like the previous bridget) are brother and sister. there father is eric. Ok, seems normal. Next Hope the baby who doesnt seem to be there. Her mother is also her ex-grandmother, because the father is her daughter's ex-husband. Bridget is hope's sister and step-daughter (so to speak, esp if they have bridget and her ex get back together). Which makes Eric, ex-grandfather-in-law and ex-dad (if you take into account the marriage of brooke and eric)... Now! The new baby son, is son to a man who is brother to who used to be seen as the brother of bridget. SO we have nick the dad, ridge the uncle and the baby (the poor thing) being born into a family who used to hate the mother and wanted to get rid of her not three-four months ago... This is just one woman's children!!! All in all a rather festy family gathering I say. Just to add some more spice... The ex of bridget has a son who Rick (bridget's brother) is the "father" of. SO that makes her the mum/aunty figure? Mmm yes bizarre!! My family looks quite normal compared to this lot! lol Should I be scared that I know this much about the program?

Don't worry lets just call it mother daughter bonding from a young age that hasnt stopped!

trina_p

on May 13, 2004

Kareen - it gets worse!!!!!!!!! - Ridge used to be married to Brooke (like 5 times) so he was the Step-father of Rick & Bridget
AND then around the time Brooke & Ridge were about to get married again Bridgit falls in love with Ridge and kisses him - her ex step-father/brother who infact is no relation because Eric isn't Ridge's real biological dad

WEIRD

Also does anyone else find it weird that Amber - Rick's ex-wife used to be rick & bridgits nanny when they were like 12 and then he marries her and they're roughly the same age.........

Keo Lin

on May 14, 2004

Mmm you have a weird point there... I liked how one episode they are 5 and 4, then next day they are teenagers and finishing high school!! They really did grow up quick

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