Features > Neighbours Goes Fourth by Ryan

Perfect Blend has reached the grand old age of four (we know, we don’t look a day over three and a half.) But what ‘big four’ milestones could be coming up for Neighbours? Join us as we take a look four-ward…

A fourth... Mrs Robinson?
After three marriages and an astounding six wedding ceremonies, Paul Robinson has gone wild in the aisles more often than Dale Winton. Wife number one shot him, number two couldn’t face playing second fiddle to his career, and the third didn’t tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree; but despite these disasters, Paul refuses to give up on matrimony. Somewhere underneath that hard-nosed businessman there’s obviously an incurable romantic… At the time of writing, Paul is just a few days away from marrying his unlikeliest bride yet – Catholic mum-of-five Lyn Scully.

Will it happen? At the moment the wedding plans are going full steam ahead, but given Paul’s erratic behaviour in recent months, we’ll believe it when we see it. A better bet for the fourth Mrs Robinson could be lawyer Rosetta, who's been sharing some emotionally-charged moments in the office with Paul, or even Gail, who seems to view marrying Paul as something to do when there’s nowt on telly. Okay, so maybe she wouldn’t count as she’s already his second wife, but it would be their fourth wedding ceremony; could that be an omen? It’s certainly handy for this feature at any rate…

A fourth... Mrs Carpenter?
He’s been a successful car salesman, publican and mayor, but one thing Lou just can’t get right is romance. It’s not that he struggles to find women; it’s just keeping them that’s the problem. Lou was already divorced from wife Kathy when he visited Erinsborough in 1988, and by the time he returned four years later, bride number two Linda had gone the same way. After failing to get Madge or Cheryl up the aisle, and a disastrous brief engagement to Annalise, Lou finally tied the knot again with Trixie Tucker in 2003, only to be left penniless and single after the failure of her musical. It didn’t put him off though; Lou simply found new ways to look for love, meeting current squeeze Mishka online.

Will it happen? To most people, a sixty-something living in a shared house wouldn’t be much of a catch. But they obviously think differently in Erinsborough, with Janelle and Mishka at loggerheads over the lovely Lou. On this evidence he’ll have no trouble snaring a fourth Mrs Carpenter; and as much as we love Janelle, here at PB our money is firmly on Mishka.

A fourth... Lucy Robinson?
They say trauma can change a person, but Lucy Robinson took it a bit literally. Every time luckless Lucy went blind or developed a brain tumour and was packed off somewhere to recuperate, she’d return with a brand new head. Sweet Kylie Flinker morphed into tantrum-throwing teen Sasha Close, who was subsequently replaced by minx Melissa Bell. For years the number of different Lucys in Neighbours was a standing joke, until something very strange happened in 2005, when Lucy returned after ten years – with the same face she’d left with!

Will it happen? After all too long a break, the Robinsons are firmly ensconced back in Ramsay Street, but since Cam popped his clogs, the clan’s been a bit on the thin side. What better time for Paul’s beloved baby sister to pop back home? After three different incarnations, would we even notice if the part was recast again? However, given that the show’s producers have successfully tempted Erinsborough alumni Mark Little and Fiona Corke back for guest stints in recent years, we reckon Melissa Bell could easily be persuaded to step back into Lucy’s shoes.

A fourth... Kennedy baby?
After years of ‘will they, won’t they?’ Doctor Karl and Susie Q have finally delighted Neighbours fans by getting back together. And what better way to seal their reunion than another baby? Yes, we know Susan’s not exactly in the first flush of youth, but that didn’t stop Lyn Scully. And yes, we also remember a storyline a few years back when Susan was told she couldn’t have any more children – her daughter Libby and friend Steph Hoyland were told the same thing, and now they’re both proud parents.

Will it happen? What we viewers know, but Karl doesn’t, is that there’s already a fourth Kennedy child on the way – it just isn’t courtesy of Susan… The father of Izzy Hoyland’s unborn baby may be a secret at the moment but secrets rarely last long in soapland. Of course Susan is one of the few Ramsay Street residents who knows there even is a baby, and as much as she wants to believe that story about the Lassiter’s security guard, there must be doubts in her mind. Can her renewed relationship with Karl survive the fallout?

A fourth... Robinson child recast?
Losing his wife must have been hard enough, but how Jim Robinson coped with his ever-changing children we’ll never know. Back in the eighties he couldn’t send one of them to the shops without them coming back with a new face. To date, three of the five Robinson siblings have been played by at least two actors – a total of nine altogether. So far only eldest son Paul and long-lost son Glen Donnelly have managed to keep the same mush for their entire tenure on Neighbours, and as Glen was only in the show for a year, that’s hardly an achievement.

Will it happen? The thought of anyone other than Stefan Dennis playing Paul is unthinkable, but Glen is a far more likely candidate for a recast. Paul’s past offers a rich resource for the show’s scriptwriters, and given that he and his half-brother parted on less than friendly terms (to put it very mildly), Glen’s return could be dynamite stuff. If Richard Huggett isn’t interested in reprising the role, maybe it’s time for another Robinson recast…

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