The Tribal Mind: Neighbours turns 30 and stamps its place in Aussie TV historyIt's too easy to be cynical about Neighbours, to dismiss it as a daggy throwback to a simpler time in Australia's history, memorable mainly as a launching pad for the likes of Russell Crowe, Margot Robbie, Guy Pearce, and Kylie Minogue.
When the Post Office announced recently that it was issuing a set of stamps to honour the 30th anniversary of Neighbours, Australia Post's philatelic manager, Michael Zsolt, said: "We trust that the public and especially Neighbours enthusiasts will jump at the opportunity to collect the stamp pack. The trifold stamp pack is a great gift and a highly-collectable memento in this 30th anniversary year."
I must admit my first reaction was, "Do people still collect stamps?" My second reaction was, "Do people still watch Neighbours?" (answer to second question is about 350,000 every weeknight in the mainland capitals of Australia and about two million every weeknight on Channel 5 in Britain and several more millions every weekday in 40 other countries).
As Daffy Duck might say, sometimes we should set aside cynicism and simply celebrate – a 70 cent stamp seems a suitable start.
Jackie Woodburne is not cynical. She's starred in Neighbours for 20 years, playing a character called Susan Kennedy. I confessed to her last week that I had not watched Neighbours for a few years, and asked her to fill us in on what Susan Kennedy has been doing. This was her response:
"She's the principal at the high school, she's been in a plane crash, she's married Dr Karl three times, she's been a surrogate mother to her daughter's baby that she miscarried, she's developed multiple sclerosis, she's been involved in fire and flood … I don't think pestilence, but you know, the night is young."
In recent weeks Susan Kennedy has been organising the Erinsborough Festival, which is the vehicle by which the writers of Neighbours will be able to bring back a dozen characters (and familiar actors) to help celebrate the big anniversary. I asked if Woodburne regretted not joining her colleagues who had left to find fame and fortune overseas.
"I have no regrets about anything to do with that. I truly love this job. I look forward to coming here every day. When you've had 20 years to have a crack at a character, you do get to layer it up a bit."
And how does she respond to the notion that the ratings decline of Neighbours in recent years is because some Australians see it as a bit tame, a bit too Anglo and a bit old-fashioned.
"Our challenge is to try and tell stories that are current, that our audience can engage with, but remain within the confines of the 6.30 timeslot. The characters are as diverse as we can make them. We have a character currently who is gay, Nate, who is a returned Afghani war veteran. It's not a big coming-out story or anything, that's who he is. He is played by an indigenous actor (Meyne Wyatt), but that's not made a big deal of, either.
"I really think you should turn on and start watching again, especially the episodes leading up to the 30th anniversary specials (March 16). I think you'll be surprised at what you see. It may give you a different slant on it."
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