|
.
Comment
> Greatest Hits: Family
by Michael
As Neighbours comes to an end (again),
we're taking a look back at some of the themes that have defined the show over the last 40 years. Firstly, let's take a look at how families have shaped
Ramsay Street across the decades...
|
|
Of all the changes that Neighbours has endured during its 40-year tenure, one thing has always remained lovingly consistent is the concept of family. From
the Ramsays to the Robinsons, the Scullys to the Kennedys, the Hoylands to the Rebecchis and the Timminses to the Bishops, Neighbours has managed to
create some memorable families. Of course, not every family unit introduced to the street has been a roaring success, having not gelled with viewers as
producers would have hoped (such as the disappointing Hancocks), but even so it has still been a privilege to witness the various comings and goings on
Ramsay Street as established families leave and new ones arrive.
There are two family units who, in my own viewing history, resonate the most in Neighbours folklore, and surprisingly it is not the Ramsays and Robinsons
who started such an enduring legacy in 1985, but the Kennedy and Scully families, introduced in 1994 and 1999 respectively. These two families have
packed in so much drama and humour and cliffhanger moments over the years that it is hard to remember a show without them in it.
|
|
The Scully family's
time on the street only stretched over a short few years (although of course Lyn and Steph kept the flag flying with various returns) but
they really were a revelation when they arrived to replace the Martins at no. 26, similar I suppose to the Battersby family rocking up in Coronation
Street during the late 90s. With Flick, Steph and Michelle creating their own memorable moments, Lyn and Joe constantly bickering and the later arrival
of wayward son Jack, they really were the family that kept giving. The rivalries and secrets that had been smouldering between family members eventually
came to a head as Flick betrayed her big sister in the most humiliating way possible and slept with her fiance, this one storyline cementing the enduring
legacy of the Scullys. It was a shame really that, as with many of the Ramsay Street clans, they all started to go their separate ways, first Flick, then
Michelle, then Joe (although not the actor's choice of course) leaving the street in quick succession. For me the Scullys were a family I would have happily
seen on screen for years or decades more, they were compelling viewing and helped make the 2002 to 2004 era of the show one of the finest in its storied history.
|
|
But of course, although the Scullys were memorable in their own way, it is the Kennedys who always come to mind when thinking about legendary family
units. It is quite remarkable, unfathomable really, that the Kennedys have been on screen for 31 years. Depleted in number with Mal, Billy and Libby having
all gone their separate ways, it is still astonishing that Karl and Susan continue to reside in the same house that Karl purchased in 1994, a house that
already had such a strong family history with the Clarkes and Willises' varying tenancies. And in terms of storylines, character arcs and memorable moments
there are so many areas you can delve into: Karl's tumultuous love affairs over the years, Susan's amnesia, their break-ups and reconciliations, Billy's teenage
romance with Anne Wilkinson, Libby's constant troubles... the list goes on.
I think, however, what has worked so well with the Kennedy arc over the years is the way the characters have evolved so naturally. When they first arrived on the
street the Kennedys were seen as a family of nerds(!), with Karl in particular taking flak for his buttoned up and serious nature, both with his parenting style,
constant family meetings and general humourless outlook on life. His character has changed the most over the years, becoming less of a family doctor and more
man about town, as seen with his kiss with Sarah and love affair with Izzy.
|
|
Since Libby's final departure from the regular cast in 2011 (brief return notwithstanding), the core Kennedy family has largely been a unit of two, although of
course they have had many a waif and stray keeping them company at the Tardis-like no. 28 over the years. From Rachel and Zeke to Toadie, Ringo, Hendrix, Ned and
Bea, with even the likes of Lou having stayed, no. 28 has never felt empty despite the departure of the three Kennedy children. With the
addition of Holly as a permanent fixture in the Kennedy household during the last two years, there has been an added spark and increased involvement in
ongoing storylines from Karl and Susan, who had sometimes felt isolated without their children around them. It's fitting then that the Kennedy family will see
out Neighbours' final few weeks still residing in Ramsay Street, as the street wouldn't be the same without them in it.
Of course, many other notable families have come and gone over the years. We started with the Ramsay and Robinson tribes, whose permanent fixture in the first
few years of the show helped provide a key focus and the grounding necessary to keep the viewer interested. The initial Ramsay family, comprising
cantankerous Max and the sons who always seemed to disappoint him, along with the frustrated Maria, were sadly short-lived, having all departed by 1987, with
Madge taking on the mantle left by her iconic brother. The Robinsons however had a bigger impact, with Paul's 21-year stint since his famous 2004 return
providing us with a strong link to the past (to the point where Jim made his notorious return in a Christmas bauble). Helen's role as the matriarch of the Robinson household
guided the show through its first 12 years, but let's not forget other classic characters, Scott, Julie and Lucy, all of whom have been on
screen or are mentioned to this day.
|
|
With the passing of time and the gradual exits of the Robinson clan, other families began to take prominence from the late nineties onwards, of which there
have been some hits and some misses. The Hancock and Parker families are notable for their short stints on the show, with their unpopularity necessitating a
quick departure despite some interesting storylines such as Maggie and Toadie's short romance and some dramatic stuff involving Bridget (or Didge as she was
unfortunately known). But then there were those families who I thought worked quite well but were inexplicably written out. It was disappointing to see
the Timmins clan leave during the 2007 revamp, but my main bugbear was the treatment of Harold's extended family. Brought in to spice things up in 2003,
they were killed off in the Bass Strait plane crash a couple of years later, much to viewers and my own displeasure. Although the plane crash storyline
itself was a fine piece of edge of your seat drama, losing Serena, Lil and David, all of whom were in the middle of some meaty storylines and had further
potential, left a bad taste in the mouth.
|
|
Of the recent families, it's quite interesting to see how well the Willis family worked and to a lesser extent the Turners, who were let down by
cardboard cutout Matt, whining Amber and some rather dull storylines. The Rebecchi clan, with both Toadie's children and the arrival of Shane and Dipi,
have also added some interesting new dynamics to the familial ties we have come to know so well, whilst the arrival of the Rodwells and the Varga-Murphys,
the most recent families of any note, have created their own dramas during the last couple of years. Whilst of course the traditional family set-up
is very much a long lost relic of the past (who can forget the classic Robinson family dinners of yonder
in which Jim would invariably be unhappy about one thing or another and Julie would throw a tantrum), it is still refreshing to see that family is still
at the heart of the show, particularly with the recent return of Elle to rejoin the Robinson fold.
It has been such a treat to witness the comings and goings of some very iconic families over the years, many of whom have lingered long in the mind and
made their own mark in the Ramsay Street History Book. From the early days of Max and his ongoing marital and parenting difficulties, to the golden era of
the early 2000s in which the Kennedys, Scullys, Bishops and Hoylands were ruling the roost, to the
recent dramas involving the Varga-Murphys and the Rodwells, it really has been a pleasure. It still makes the spine tingle to remember those magical days
when a delivery van would trundle its way into Ramsay Street to drop off a new family into one of the iconic houses!
Back |
