Everybody Needs Good Neighbours!

Today is the day that I have to get out the tissues and prepare for some weeping. My favourite TV soap opera is finishing after 37 amazing years. ‘Neighbours’ has been with me ever since I was 8 years old and I originally watched every day with my nan. Now we are about to see the final episode with some returning famous faces.

The original cast from 1986.

I used to love coming home from school and checking in on the Erinsborough neighbours as they went through drama after drama. It had an optimistic way of presenting Australian life and soon became incredibly popular.

After a failed run in 1985, Channel 10 decided to start afresh with Neighbours and introduce new characters. It was this second run that was publicised in the UK and established the Robinson and Ramsay families that included Charlene and Scott and introduced us to Madge, Paul and Mrs Mangel.

In the school holidays I lapped up the early afternoon showing and sometimes watched it twice in the same day. When Kylie and Jason’s characters got married 20 million UK viewers tuned in. Kylie went on to be a popstar and Jason starred in West End shows such as Joseph and the amazing technicolour dreamcoat.

Although I lost touch with the show while I was at university I did reconnect and soon got back into it, following the stories as they moved from BBC 1 to Channel 5 in Britain. Sadly in April this year Channel 5 decided to drop the show and another funding company wasn’t found so the show had to reach a conclusion.

Neighbours should be proud of tackling difficult subjects such as cancer, sexuality and celebrating diversity in a way that felt natural and totally inclusive. The story team are excellent and ground breaking and its narratives will be surely missed.

And Sadly..

Tonight we see some of those superstars return for a much anticipated finale. Neighbours was a breeding ground for talent such as:

Margot Robbie, Jason Donovan, Annie Jones, Guy Pearce, Thor himself – Chris Hemsworth and his brother Liam, Kylie Minogue, Jesse Spencer and Felix Mallard.

So I hope some of you will check out the Neighbours Finale online. It will be a celebration of wonderful characters, including my favourites, Jane and Madge. I will be crying my eyes out and looking forward to when the cast do a UK tour next spring. Thank you for reading my article and If you enjoyed it please consider following my blog.

Harry Potter – A Reunion To Watch

Today I noticed that the well publicised onscreen reunion of the Harry Potter cast was already showing on NowTV (HBO Max in the US). Straight away, I turned it on and was keen to see what it involved. Beginning with a cute opening sequence involving some of the big stars, I was totally ready to go down Diagonal Alley again and be completely absorbed in the world of Hogwarts and wizardry.

Without giving anything away, I can say that this programme was largely filmed at the Harry Potter Tour location in Watford. Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint were joined by various other actors and directors to sit around and chat about the experience of making these fantastic movies. For me it was a reminder of my own visit to the studio tour back in 2012, making me want to go once again.

Some of the insights into the filming of all eight films were fascinating and quite revealing. Many recollections were emotional too. Sadly some important cast members have passed away since filming. In particular, Richard Harris (Dumbledore) and Alan Rickman (Snape).

Worth Watching

Seeing Chris Columbus talk about how he started the movie franchise off and seeing snippets of the auditions from the main cast was intriguing for me as an avid viewer. Each director gave a different piece of magic to the films and guest actors added sparkle and energy. The first films were very light and as the movies developed the material got darker, as Emma, Rupert and Daniel grew up.

I was moved to tears by this lovely programme. It was really well put together and brought back so many memories from the incredible books and the magical movies. I was sad that Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton and Michael Gambon didn’t appear in this reunion, as they were very important to the franchise and were among my personal favourites.

I totally recommend checking out this TV show as it really brings back the wonder of the characters and storylines which J K Rowling initially created in 1996. The actors provide interesting recollections and funny anecdotes. It is a visual treat and made me want to start watching the movies over again (for the umpteenth time).

Hopefully this review was useful and if you want to read another of my TV posts, click this. Perhaps consider following my blog for similar future content.

Autumn TV Shows

Every now and then I like to share some of the brilliant TV shows that I am currently enjoying. This month I am playing catch up as I have a lot of series to get through before some of my favourites come back. I am especially looking forward to some feel-good Christmas movies and shows as well as the forthcoming return of Stranger Things.

Love and Anarchy

These two actors are incredibly talented.

I had forgotten to mention this Swedish TV show which has 8 episodes of about half an hour in length. I found it randomly and it caught my eye because it came across as a funny concept. I often watch programmes with subtitles and, for me, this doesn’t detract from the story and my enjoyment of it.

Sofia is an executive who comes into a publishing firm to modernise them as they are stuck in the past and have no social media presence. Max is a young guy who works in IT support. They find each other amusing and start to initiate pranks to make the time pass more quickly. Taking it in turns to set ridiculous but hilarious challenges for each other, they also notice an attraction burning.

I laughed out loud at many of the predicaments they got into. I particularly loved it when Max insisted that Sofie walked backwards all day, including when entering and leaving meetings. If she walked normally at any point she would have lost the bet. It can sometimes get a bit racy so this one is definitely for adults only.

Locke and Key

Netflix at its best – a thrilling ride.

Netflix has just produced the second YA series of Locke and Key which features the Locke family who moved into their ancestral home after the husband died. The three kids discover a cloudy past that hangs over the mansion, with special keys that only they can use to access specific skills.

By turning a key into the back of your head, you can come out of your body and go somewhere else, memorise a book or transform into someone else. By using a certain key, you can change any door into an escape route into another place that you can visualise.

Connor Jessop stars in this entertaining, fun and often thrilling series which has continued to maintain the pace and lock us all in as viewers. I haven’t quite finished season two but wanted to suggest you all have a look.

Today’s shows are both on Netflix and are highly recommended by me. Love and Anarchy has just wrapped a second season so get watching the first one. Locke and Key has just secured a third season. Both are very popular and wonderful. For my previous TV suggestions, click here.