235-607: Lou Carpenter is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours , played by Tom Oliver . He made his first screen appearance on 30 March 1988. Oliver appeared for a brief time, having been initially contracted for six months, before leaving and returning in January 1992 as a regular cast member. In 1996, Lou was written out of Neighbours , a move that shocked Oliver as his character had become popular with fans. Neighbours viewers created petitions calling for his return and
470-407: A "lovable rogue" and they said he has charmed the viewers over the years. David Balls of Digital Spy said Lou is "one of Erinsborough's most distinguished residents." A writer for Inside Soap said Lou has become known for his scams and quick one-liners. Lou's friendship with Harold Bishop ( Ian Smith ) has been an important element to his characterisation. They attended the same school and Lou
705-407: A 9:30 am daily time slot from 1 July to 30 August 1991. New York City station WWOR-TV showed Neighbours weekdays 5:30 pm from 17 June to 17 September 1991. Sixty-five selected episodes were aired from the beginning to where Charlene leaves Ramsay Street in 1988 in both markets. In April 2004, the show began broadcasting nationally on the television channel Oxygen . A spokeswomen from
940-418: A British-American comedy team during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo in the silent film era, they later successfully transitioned to " talkies ". From the late 1920s to the mid-1950s, they were internationally famous for their slapstick comedy, with Laurel playing
1175-419: A basis for multiple, ongoing gags without following a defined narrative. Stan Laurel was of average height and weight, but appeared comparatively small and slight next to Oliver Hardy, who was 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) and weighed about 280 lb (127 kg; 20 st 0 lb) in his prime. Details of their hair and clothing were used to enhance this natural contrast. Laurel kept his hair short on
1410-438: A break in at Number 32 and the robber pushes Lou to the ground during his escape. Lou learns that his grandson, Mason, was in juvenile detention for breaking and entering and is unhappy that his family have been trying to keep it from him. Lou continues to support his family when things get worse for them and Mason is arrested. When Lou injures his back, Sheila takes care of him and encourages him to get in contact with Ling Mai. Lou
1645-548: A car selling competition, Kyle quits his job again. Harold and Carolyn become concerned with Lou's workload, but he assures them he is fine. Lou collapses and is told that he suffered an electrolyte imbalance. Harold tells Lou to start taking his health seriously and Lou confesses that he cannot give up work as he is broke. Lou decides to sell the car yard stock and invests in Kyle's handyman business. Lou leaves for East Timor to help build schools for children. On his return, Lou notices there
1880-404: A check-up at the hospital. Lou is given a clean bill of health and he is delighted to find his family have gathered to celebrate his birthday when he returns home. Oliver said "At first Lou is a bit concerned about the party, but then he sees his daughter Lolly and everything changes. He's delighted, as he's been quite absent from her life in recent years." Oliver revealed that he was "thrilled" when
2115-449: A check-up to see if he has a medical condition that will get him out of the contract for the cruise. However, Rhys cannot find anything wrong and refuses to lie. A few weeks later, Lou returns from his cruise and reveals he hurt his neck playing shuffleboard, However, Lucas learns he is lying to claim compensation. Lou tries to convince an insurance assessor that his injury is real, but Toadie ruins his scam. Lou decides to help Kyle out with
2350-547: A check-up. During his birthday party, Lou is delighted to see Lolly. He also learns that his 70th birthday actually occurred the year before. Lou briefly leaves to spend sometime with Lolly. On his return, Lou starts working with Lauren at Harold's. Lou is surprised when his ex-wife, Kathy, comes to visit Lauren. After they clash, Bailey gets Lou and Kathy to sit down and clear the air. Soon after, Lou learns that Lauren gave birth to Brad Willis 's ( Kip Gamblin ) daughter twenty years ago, but Kathy adopted her out behind her back. Lou
2585-401: A couple of months, the show moved to 3:50 pm weekdays. The show eventually moved back to TV2, screening weeknights at 6:00 pm and, later, 6:30 pm before moving back to 6:00 pm. Its timeslot in 2022 was at 4:30 pm on TVNZ 1 . The finale aired, in its 90-minute iteration as Neighbours: The Final Farewell , in a primetime slot on TVNZ 1, on 2 September 2022. New episodes
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#17331373998272820-484: A dirty laugh." They also describe his most memorable moments over his duration as being: "Chasing childhood sweetheart Madge; his brief yet oft-referred-to time as mayor; discovering Lolly wasn't his daughter." Lou was placed at number seventeen on the Huffpost's "35 greatest Neighbours characters of all time" feature. Journalist Adam Beresford described him as a "loveable rogue" with "twinkly eyes and that dirty laugh" and he
3055-593: A drop of 300,000 from the BBC's average. However, the move boosted Channel 5's usual share for the 5.30 pm slot by three and a half times. UK viewers are able to catch up with episodes with Channel 5's video catch up service, My5 , similar to the catch up service in Australia. Channel 5 also had a deal with YouTube , allowing viewers to watch episodes for free on the video sharing site after they have been transmitted. From 4 January 2016, Channel 5 began broadcasting episodes on
3290-526: A fictional suburb of Melbourne, Victoria . The series centres on the residents of Ramsay Street , a dead end street , and its neighbouring area, the Lassiters complex, which includes a bar, hotel, café, police station, lawyers' office and park. Neighbours began with a focus on three households created by Watson – including the Ramsay and Robinson families, who have a long history and an ongoing rivalry. Over
3525-657: A filmed insert where they reminisced about their friends in British variety. They made their final appearance on camera in 1956 in a private home movie, shot by a family friend at the Reseda, California home of Stan Laurel's daughter, Lois. The three-minute film has no audio. In 1956, while following his doctor's orders to improve his health due to a heart condition, Hardy lost over 100 pounds (45 kg; 7.1 st), but nonetheless suffered several strokes causing reduced mobility and speech. Despite his long and successful career, Hardy's home
3760-511: A flattened brim. The characters' normal attire called for wing collar shirts, with Hardy wearing a necktie which he would twiddle when he was particularly self-conscious; and Laurel, a bow tie . Hardy's sports jacket was a little small and done up with one straining button, whereas Laurel's double-breasted jacket was loose-fitting. A popular routine was a " tit for tat " fight with an adversary. It could be with their wives—often played by Mae Busch , Anita Garvin , or Daphne Pollard —or with
3995-456: A half-hour NBC series, based on the skit, Driver’s License , and a 1944 NBC pilot for "The Laurel and Hardy Show," casting Stan and Ollie in different occupations each episode. The surviving audition record, "Mr. Slater's Poultry Market," has Stan and Ollie as meat-market butchers mistaken for vicious gangsters. A third attempt was commissioned by BBC Radio in 1953: "Laurel and Hardy Go to the Moon,"
4230-465: A heart attack, but he changes his mind. Lou briefly dates Carol Maitland (Helen Trenos), but realises he is not over Cheryl. Lou buys Number 30 as an investment, but angers the tenants – Toadfish Rebecchi, Sarah Beaumont ( Nicola Charles ) and Joel Samuels ( Daniel MacPherson ) – by putting up the rent. Lou falls in love with Merridy Jackson (Suzi Cato) and becomes addicted to painkillers, following back surgery. Madge dies from cancer and Lou turns to
4465-410: A late night pharmacy for more medication. When Toadfish Rebecchi ( Ryan Moloney ) expresses his concern over Lou's actions, Lou snaps and fires him from the pub. Lou eventually realises he needs help and begins attending Narcotics Anonymous . During an October 2012 interview with a What's on TV reporter, Oliver was asked if would like some of Lou's family to return. Oliver then revealed that there
4700-412: A little lamb. The humor of Laurel and Hardy was highly visual , with slapstick used for emphasis. They often had physical arguments (in character) which were quite complex and involved a cartoonish style of violence. Their ineptitude and misfortune precluded them from making any real progress, even in the simplest endeavors. Much of their comedy involves "milking" a joke, where a simple idea provides
4935-464: A lunchtime broadcast and then a morning broadcast repeat the following day. Michael Grade , the channel's then controller, was advised by his daughter to move the morning broadcast repeat to a late afternoon slot, as she and her friends kept missing it due to them being at school, which took place from 4 January 1988. The show then started attracting larger audiences, peaking at over 21 million viewers on 26 January 1990, an aggregated figure that combined
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#17331373998275170-456: A neighbor, often played by Charlie Hall or James Finlayson . Laurel and Hardy would accidentally damage someone's property, and the injured party would retaliate by ruining something belonging to Laurel or Hardy. After calmly surveying the damage, one or the other of the "offended" parties found something else to vandalize, and the conflict escalated until both sides were simultaneously destroying items in front of each other. An early example of
5405-431: A new current affairs show. They said "It's part of a re-branding of Ten's free-to-air channel, targeting the older demographic. The 'younger' shows, like Neighbours , will go on to one of Ten's digital channels". It was later confirmed that the show would be moving to digital channel, Eleven. Network Ten's programmer, David Mott said "We believe Neighbours is perfectly suited to Eleven's audience strategy and will find
5640-414: A new UK broadcaster. Dennis said of the cancellation, "Simply put, it is all about the quickly changing landscape in the way we view our favourite TV shows. Drama on free-to-air television is dying a rapid death because nowadays viewers are used to being able to watch what they want when they want. Ultimately, Neighbours is a product in the big business of film and television and like any other business, if
5875-446: A one-and-half-hour-long episode. It was broadcast on 29 July 2022 in the UK as a one-hour-long episode. A study conducted shortly after the final episode aired in Australia and the UK found that fans experienced considerable feelings of grief and loss at the conclusion of the series, with viewers having formed strong connections and bonds with their favorite characters. On 17 November 2022, it
6110-481: A perennial on American television during the Christmas season. When interviewed, Hal Roach spoke scathingly about the film and Laurel's behavior. Roach himself had written a treatment detailing the characters and storyline, only to find that Laurel considered Roach's effort totally unsuitable. Roach, affronted, tried to argue in favor of his treatment, but Laurel was adamant. Roach angrily gave up and allowed Laurel to make
6345-482: A piano up a long flight of steps, won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Subject. The Music Box remains one of the duo's most widely known films. Laurel and Hardy were favorites around the world, and Hal Roach catered to international audiences by filming many of their early talkies in other languages. They spoke their dialogue phonetically, in Spanish, Italian, French, or German. The plots remained similar to
6580-425: A pipe, again to Hardy's bemusement. This time, the joke ends when a match Laurel was using relights itself, Hardy throws it into the fireplace, and it explodes with a loud bang. Rather than showing Hardy suffering the pain of misfortunes, such as falling down stairs or being beaten by a thug, banging and crashing sound effects were often used so the audience could visualize the mayhem. The 1927 film Sailors, Beware!
6815-407: A product isn't making money, it will make way for one that will. All TV shows come to an end – even the likes of long-time legends such as Coronation Street and Days of Our Lives will eventually cease. Survival of these shows is in the viewers' hands." Cast member Georgie Stone revealed that she discovered the cancellation on Twitter and was initially unsure whether to believe it, until she
7050-477: A relationship. Mishka is later forced to leave the country by immigration officers. Louise (now played by Adelaide Kane ) comes to stay with Lou and admits her stepmother has been abusing her. The situation is sorted out and Louise returns to John. Harold decides to leave and invites Lou to go travelling with him; Lou declines and he moves in with the Parker family, becoming a grandfather figure to Mickey Gannon. Lou sells
7285-631: A relationship. They move in together and Cheryl becomes pregnant. She gives birth to a daughter, who she and Lou name Louise ( Jiordan Anna Tolli ). Not long after, Lou learns he has another daughter, Ling Mai Chan ( Khym Lam ), from a previous relationship. Lou gets a radio show on a local station and becomes Mayor of Erinsborough. Lou and Cheryl get into debt and they sell the car yard, but retain The Waterhole pub. Lou and Cheryl break up when he learns she had an affair. Lou moves away, but when Cheryl writes to him, he returns to Erinsborough to try to mend
Lou Carpenter - Misplaced Pages Continue
7520-512: A residential cul-de-sac in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough . The street was named after the grandfather of original character Max Ramsay ( Francis Bell ). Other locations include Erinsborough High School, the garage (local mechanic), hospital , and the Lassiter's complex, which contains the Lassiter's Hotel , Waterhole bar, Harold's Café , the lawyers office Rebecchi Law , and
7755-728: A resort in Queensland. Filming locations outside of Australia have included Kenya , the United States and the United Kingdom, which has seen Neighbours episodes filmed there on a number of occasions. In February 1990, Lyme Park in Cheshire doubled as the Ledgerwood estate set in Yorkshire. Derek Nimmo guest-starred as the fictitious Lord Ledgerwood in two of the episodes. In November 1992,
7990-564: A rest during 1946, but 1947 saw their first European tour in 15 years. A film based in the charters of "Robin Hood" was planned during the tour, but not realized. In 1947, Laurel and Hardy famously attended the reopening of the Dungeness loop of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway , where they performed improvised routines with a steam locomotive for the benefit of local crowds and dignitaries. In 1948, on
8225-623: A result of his success with Karl's erotic novel. When their relationship gets too intense, he goes to Cambodia ahead of schedule. When Lou returns he begins a feud with Sheila after he poaches her new barman. They try to sabotage each other's businesses until Lauren intervenes and tells them Harold's Store and The Waterhole will team up for the upcoming Erinsborough Festival. Harold returns for Amber and Daniel 's ( Tim Phillipps ) wedding, and he suspects Lou has feelings for Sheila, which Lou denies. Lou's stepdaughter Nina Tucker ( Delta Goodrem ) also returns to Erinsborough and Lou encourages her to sing at
8460-913: A ride on the London Eye and being married on a boat on the River Thames . Three further storylines shot on location in London aired in March 2017, March 2018, and September 2019. The show was due to film in Ireland for the first time in March 2020, before the shoot was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following year, a sixth storyline was filmed on location in London, featuring Amanda Holden and Sophie Ellis-Bextor alongside regular cast member Jemma Donovan ( Harlow Robinson ). In early 2023, Annie Jones ( Jane Harris ) and Guy Pearce ( Mike Young ) filmed scenes in
8695-438: A room at Number 32 and he decides to sell his share of Dial-A-Kyle. He tries to find himself a hobby and takes up painting. He submits a piece to an exhibition at the community centre, but is disappointed when he does not win a prize. Lou's daughter, Lauren, and her family move to Erinsborough. Lou tries to keep his poor financial situation from them, but Sheila tells Lauren, who forgives Lou for keeping it from her. Lou interrupts
8930-404: A seamless transition to their first sound film, Unaccustomed As We Are (1929) (whose title was a play on the familiar phrase, "Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking"). In the opening dialogue, Laurel and Hardy began by spoofing the slow and self-conscious speech of the early talking actors which became a routine they would use regularly. The Music Box (1932), with the pair delivering
9165-478: A series of science-fiction comedies. A sample script was written by Tony Hawes and Denis Gifford , and the comedians staged a read-through, which was not recorded. The team was forced to withdraw due to Hardy's declining health, and the project was abandoned. Following the making of Atoll K , Laurel and Hardy took some months off to deal with health issues. On their return to the European stage in 1952, they undertook
9400-432: A show that would focus on more realistic stories and portray teens and adults who talk openly to each other and solve their problems together. He also wanted the show to appeal to both Australian and British audiences. Several titles were discussed, including People Like Us , One Way Street , No Through Road and Living Together , before Neighbours was chosen. Watson said "In the end it came down to being what it is,
9635-522: A small ceremonial vow renewal. They then leave Erinsborough in Lauren and Brad's wedding camper van. In 2007, Oliver was nominated for "Funniest Performance" at the Inside Soap Awards . Oliver was nominated for the same award the following year. In 2009, Lou came third in a poll by British men's magazine Loaded for "Top Soap Bloke". The BBC said Lou's most notable moment was "Looking after Lolly after
Lou Carpenter - Misplaced Pages Continue
9870-912: A story around neighbours." Reporters from the Herald Sun said that Watson took his idea to the Nine Network in 1982, but it was rejected. Former Nine executive Ian Johnson described the rejection as "one of the biggest 'missed opportunities'" during his time at the network. The show was then offered to the Seven Network , who commissioned the show in September 1984. The serial went into production that November with an $ 8 million budget. The show's initial premise focused on three households, made up of 12 core characters, living in Ramsay Street, dealing with everyday life with humour and drama. The first episode
10105-571: A stray dog which, after some lucky escapes, saves him from being blown up by dynamite. Hardy's character is a mugger attempting to rob Laurel. They later signed separate contracts with the Hal Roach Studios , and next appeared in the 1926 film 45 Minutes From Hollywood . Hal Roach is considered the most important person in the development of Laurel's and Hardy's film careers. He brought them together, and they worked for Roach for almost 20 years. Director Charley Rogers , who worked closely with
10340-402: A successful and enduring home on Eleven". Neighbours moved to Eleven on 11 January 2011, the channel's launch day. Throughout 2013, Eleven had broadcast repeat episodes of Neighbours from the 2007 period, titled Old School Neighbours , during weekday mornings. In 2015, Network Ten had broadcast an encore of the previous day's episode at 7:00 am weekdays. In 2018, for the first time in
10575-414: A team: Hardy was already working for Roach (and others) when Roach hired Laurel, whom he had seen in vaudeville. Laurel had very light blue eyes, and Roach discovered that, due to the technology of film at that time, Laurel's eyes would not photograph properly—blue photographed as white. This problem is apparent in their first silent film together, The Lucky Dog , where an attempt was made to compensate for
10810-452: A temporary departure on 1 May 2015, but a spokesperson confirmed that Oliver would return to film guest appearances, which he did until the end of 2016. Oliver joined the cast of Neighbours as Lou in 1988. He was initially contracted for six months. The character was written out in 1996 after the Neighbours producers decided to employ an "out with the old and in with the new" policy. Oliver
11045-474: A tornado hits Erinsborough, Lou waits it out in Harold's Store with Susan. When the roof collapses, Lou is trapped by a beam and he chokes on a piece of food. Susan is forced to perform an emergency tracheotomy on Lou when he falls unconscious. Lou begins breathing again and he is rushed to hospital. Lou spends time with Bailey's girlfriend Alice 's (Vivienne Awosoga) grandmother, Leyla (Carolyn Shakespeare-Allen), as
11280-481: A used car business. He also begins dating Madge and they get engaged. They break up when Lou realises Madge does not trust him around other women. Lou rents out some rooms in his home to Beth Brennan ( Natalie Imbruglia ), Cameron Hudson ( Benjamin Grant Mitchell ) and Annalise Hartman ( Kimberley Davies ). Lou and Annalise begin dating and they become engaged, but Lou ends the relationship when he learns Annalise
11515-458: A wealthy man due to his various businesses and he went on to marry Kathy ( Tina Bursill ). The couple had two children, Guy (Andrew Williams) and Lauren ( Sarah Vandenbergh ), but they later divorced. Madge eventually rekindles her relationship with Harold and the two become engaged, but after a disagreement Madge goes on a number of dates with Lou during a trip to Brisbane. Lou follows Madge back to Erinsborough and appears at her house while she
11750-489: A well-received series of public appearances, performing a short Laurel-written sketch, "A Spot of Trouble". The following year, Laurel wrote a routine entitled "Birds of a Feather". On September 9, 1953, their boat arrived in Cobh in Ireland. Laurel recounted their reception: The love and affection we found that day at Cobh was simply unbelievable. There were hundreds of boats blowing whistles and mobs and mobs of people screaming on
11985-678: A writer and director, while Hardy was in more than 250 productions. Both had appeared in The Lucky Dog (1921), but were not teamed at the time. They first appeared together in a short film in 1926, when they signed separate contracts with the Hal Roach film studio. They officially became a team in 1927 when they appeared in the silent short Putting Pants on Philip . They remained with Roach until 1940, and then appeared in eight B movie comedies for 20th Century Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1941 to 1945. After finishing their film commitments at
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#173313739982712220-578: A writer for the BBC 's Neighbours website that he does share some similarities with him. The actor revealed that he initially played Lou as an older version of Jack Sellars, a character he portrayed in the television series Number 96 . He also explained that he stole Lou's distinctive "dirty laugh" from Sid James , saying "The script said: 'Gives big dirty laugh.' I thought, who's got the dirtiest laugh I can think of? Sid James! I used to love his Carry On movies." A writer for television website, Throng, branded Lou
12455-407: Is a wonderful show and because of this I felt it was important that fresh eyes and brains take over to keep this Australian icon contemporary. Having said that, I'm really excited about the new role and thank FremantleMedia for this wonderful opportunity." Former City Homicide producer, Richard Jasek , took over Bower's role, while Alan Hardy took over the role of producer. On 4 December 2013, it
12690-484: Is busy with work. An Inside Soap columnist noted that there was more to his absence than meets the eye. Lou becomes worried about how Lauren will react when she learns about "his fall from grace", especially how he embezzled from his business partner and worked as a male escort. When "shamefaced" Lou confesses to Lauren that he is unemployed and broke, she tells him that she understands and is still proud of him. When Lauren and her family are invited to stay at Number 32, Lou
12925-526: Is by far the most critically acclaimed of the silents. Laurel and Hardy are Christmas tree salesmen who are drawn into a classic tit-for-tat battle, with a character played by James Finlayson , that eventually destroys his house and their car. Big Business was added to the United States National Film Registry as a national treasure in 1992. In 1929 the silent era of film was coming to an end. Many silent-film actors failed to make
13160-641: Is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video on 18 September 2023. In Canada, CFMT-TV in Toronto broadcast Neighbours on weeknights at 11:00 pm, starting in September 1990. From 20 May 1991, CFMT moved the show to 4:00 pm. After announcing its cancellation, CFMT decided to keep Neighbours on its schedule throughout September 1994, following numerous letters and telephone calls. From April 2017 to April 2019, Neighbours aired on OutTV . Episodes were broadcast on weekdays at 2:30 pm ET and 5:30 pm ET, with an omnibus on Saturdays. Episodes aired on
13395-407: Is delighted to be surrounded by his family again. Shortly after his family's arrival, Lou was attacked by a masked intruder in his house and knocked to the floor. Inside Soap's Sarah Ellis said it was "a horrifying ordeal" for Lou. Oliver explained that Lou reacts first and thinks later, so he does not have time to be frightened of the intruder. He continued "Before he knows it, he's struggling with
13630-429: Is delighted to learn that his daughter wants to see him and he goes to Cambodia. When he returns he reveals that Sheila has been sending him messages on his blog and believes she fancies him. He prepares to let her down gently, but Bailey admits to sending the messages. As Lou approaches his 70th birthday, he realises that none of his male relatives have lived over 70 and believes that he may die. He panics and asks Karl for
13865-578: Is forced to give the money back. Vera then explains that she would have been happy to pay for his company. Lou then decides to become a male escort and accompanies Dawn Ballantyne (Marita Wilcox) to England for two months. Upon his return, Lou finds the Kapoor family have moved into Number 24. Feeling guilty, Lou tells Kyle about taking his money. Kyle forgives Lou, but Sheila has a go at him for ripping off her grandson. Vanessa Villante ( Alin Sumarwata ) offers Lou
14100-697: Is imprisoned after a case of mistaken identity. Harold later donates a kidney to Lou and they go into business together, founding the General Store. Harold and Lou both fall for Rosie Hoyland ( Maggie Millar ), which leads to some arguments and Harold destroying a love letter from Lou to Rosie. Peter Mattessi of The Age said the writers decided to tweak the "standard love triangle story" when Gino Esposito ( Shane McNamara ) moves in with Harold. Lou becomes jealous of Gino and Harold's friendship. Of this, Mattessi said "The tension this created between Lou and Harold ("same-sex platonic life-partners", according to Toadie)
14335-558: Is not aware that anything untoward has happened with his family, but he would be upset if they had something to do with the incident. Oliver expressed his delight at having Lou's on-screen family back, saying "Lou's like a new man – for the first time in ages, he really belongs somewhere. He's not the 'stand-in' father or grandfather anymore – this is his real family." Oliver told Ellis that there would be lots coming up for Lou as he spends time working out what his family are trying to cover up, noting that they were full of secrets. Following all
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#173313739982714570-603: Is not quite so pleased that Harold has a new lady in his life. Lou starts taking painkillers to ease his chronic back pain and he slowly becomes addicted to them. When Madge dies, Lou comes to rely on painkillers and sleeping tablets to numb his despair. A writer for Inside Soap said Lou goes to extreme lengths to maintain a supply of pills, including lying to his friends. Lou's attitude becomes "darker" and in his desperation for more pills he lies to Karl Kennedy ( Alan Fletcher ) that he lost his previous prescription. Lou also begs Harold for any pills he might have, and he also visits
14805-426: Is now airs from 19 September 2023 at 5.30pm Tuesdays to Fridays on TVNZ 2. Episodes is to be then available to stream on Amazon Prime Video . In Iceland, Neighbours has been aired on Stöð 2 since 1986 with Icelandic subtitles. The show is currently on weeknights at 5.25 pm. In Belgium, Neighbours has aired since 1988 as Buren , with Dutch subtitles on Één (previously known as TV1, in 2024 known as VRT1),
15040-404: Is now streaming on Amazon Freevee from 18 September 2023 in the United Kingdom. In Ireland, RTÉ began broadcasting Neighbours on 2 January 2001. The show aired weekdays at 2:00 pm on RTÉ One and was repeated at 6:00 pm on RTÉ Two . Episodes were also available via catch-up on RTÉ Player . Prior to the move from BBC One to Channel 5 in the UK, RTÉ broadcast Neighbours at the same pace as
15275-454: Is on her way to Erinsborough to be with Lou. Lou is horrified, as he did not intend his affair with Rochelle to lead to a fully-fledged relationship, and tries to trick her into thinking he is also involved with Sheila. Rochelle sees through this and breaks up with him. When Amber and her daughter Matilda (Eloise Simbert) move to Queensland, Lou returns with them. Lou helps Doug complete a bucket list with Karl's help. He also considers trekking
15510-533: Is one of our all-time favourites and in Lou Carpenter has created one of Australian TV's most iconic characters. And, as with all things Ramsay Street, we try to keep our storylines unpredictable and surprising. Watch this space." While he was in high school, Lou met and fell in love with Madge Ramsay; however, he had a rival for her affections in the form of Harold Bishop. Madge eventually chose to marry Fred Mitchell (Nick Waters) and moved away with him. Lou became
15745-480: Is only seventeen. Benito Alessi ( George Spartels ) becomes Lou's partner at the car yard, but he sells his shares to Jim Robinson ( Alan Dale ). Following Jim's death, Lou is displeased to discover Julie Martin (Julie Mullins) is his new partner. However, Julie increases sales and Lou is grateful. Lauren comes to stay and Rick Alessi ( Dan Falzon ) also moves in, becoming a surrogate son to Lou. Lou meets Cheryl Stark ( Caroline Gillmer ) and they eventually begin
15980-406: Is shocked and tries to force Kathy out of Erinsborough for what she has done. Lauren and Brad decide to search for their long-lost daughter and Lou supports Lauren, who struggles with the emotional strain of the search. Lou is delighted when his old friend Doug Willis ( Terence Donovan ) returns to Erinsborough and they make ginger beer together and run Dial-A-Kyle, while Kyle is away. When Doug, who
16215-691: Is stronger than usual for a Laurel & Hardy comedy. Stan and Ollie are henpecked husbands who want to attend a convention held by the Sons of the Desert fraternal lodge. They tell their wives that Ollie requires an ocean voyage to Honolulu for his health, and they sneak off to the convention. They are unaware that the Honolulu-bound ship they were supposedly aboard is sinking, and the wives confront their errant husbands when they get home. Babes in Toyland (1934) remains
16450-418: Is suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's, mixes up an order costing the business money, he blames Lou, but the mistake is later rectified. After returning home from Cambodia, Lou learns that Lauren found her daughter, Paige ( Olympia Valance ), and he introduces himself to her. Lou agrees to say that he wrote Karl's erotic novel, to take the pressure off him, and he is interviewed by a journalist. When
16685-550: Is telling Harold of her infidelity. Lou continues to try to stop the wedding and asks Madge to marry him instead. Madge eventually turns Lou down and he returns to Brisbane, where he marries a younger woman named Linda (Gina Gaigalas). The marriage does not last. After Harold is swept out to sea and presumed dead, Lou comforts Madge. He follows her to Erinsborough, on the pretence of visiting his sister, Brenda Riley ( Genevieve Lemon ). Lou decides to stay in Erinsborough and he opens
16920-404: Is tension between Kate and Sophie. Kate tells him Sophie has a crush on an older boy and has been acting out. When Toadie reveals a development company wants to buy out Dial-A-Kyle, Lou decides to accept the offer. Lucas tells Lou he will not be accepting the offer for his garage and Lou urges him to change his mind, as he has just purchased a cruise. Lou asks Rhys Lawson ( Ben Barber ) to give him
17155-487: Is the film's best-known version. After Atoll K wrapped in April 1951, Laurel and Hardy returned to America and used the remainder of the year to rest. Stan appeared, in character, in a silent TV newsreel, Swim Meet , judging a local California swimming contest. Most Laurel and Hardy films have survived and are still in circulation. Only three of their 107 films are considered lost and have not been seen in complete form since
17390-497: Is the real cul-de-sac that doubles for Ramsay Street. All of the houses featured in the show are real and the residents allow Neighbours to shoot external scenes in their front and back yards and on occasions, in their garages. Neighbours has been filmed in Pin Oak Court since the series began in 1985 and it has since become popular with tourists. Tours to the cul-de-sac run throughout the year. The interior scenes are filmed at
17625-482: The Galaxy of Stars promotional film of 1936. On December 1, 1954, they made their sole American television appearance, when they were surprised and interviewed by Ralph Edwards on his live NBC-TV program This Is Your Life . Since the 1930s, their works have been released in numerous theatrical reissues, television revivals, 8-mm and 16-mm home movies, feature-film compilations, and home videos. In 2005, they were voted
17860-570: The Great Barrier Reef region. Two storylines were filmed in Geelong and the Gold Coast in 2016. In March 2019, Neighbours filmed scenes at the 2019 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras for an episode airing in 2020. The serial also had its own float during the parade. Later that year, scenes for Paul Robinson ( Stefan Dennis ) and Terese Willis ' ( Rebekah Elmaloglou ) wedding were filmed at
18095-491: The Kokoda Track , but his family talk him out of it. He then decides to return to Cambodia. Lou returns to Erinsborough shortly after Kathy. They are initially hostile towards one another and Kathy reveals that they had a one-night stand. Lou explains to Brad that they had been getting on well, so he was surprised when Kathy ordered him to leave the room straight after. They soon learn that they have their wires crossed and Kathy
18330-519: The Morrison government to step in and help. After the decision to cut the show's funding by British broadcaster Channel 5, an online campaign was launched trying to get Barry Crocker 's version of the Neighbours theme song to number one in the UK charts. This success had the tune at number one on the iTunes chart for almost 24 hours. An article in the Sydney Morning Herald noted that following
18565-556: The Republic of Ireland on 3 August 2022. To mark the ending of the show, RTÉ had made several classic episodes available to viewers in Ireland on the RTÉ Player. Neighbours returned to RTÉ and debuted on Amazon Prime Video on 18 September 2023. In New Zealand, Neighbours was broadcast primarily on the TVNZ network. The show was initially broadcast by TVNZ on 25 July 1988, but by 1996 it
18800-598: The Sydney market and was cancelled by Seven four months after it began airing. It was immediately commissioned by rival Network Ten for a second production season, which began screening on 20 January 1986. Neighbours became the longest-running drama series in Australian television history. In 2005, it was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame . The storylines concern the lives of the people who live and work in Erinsborough ,
19035-531: The TV Tonight website reported Neighbours was to reduce crew operations in 2011 so production could be upgraded. The changes meant that the location manager and catering team were no longer required, studio shoots would be reduced from three cameras to two, and location shooting would be restricted. Of the changes, FremantleMedia said " Neighbours is undergoing a work flow upgrade to accommodate advances in technology and production techniques to ensure we are at
19270-451: The merger of Viacom and CBS , Channel 5 in the UK and Channel 10 in Australia became owned by the same corporate umbrella. Despite the soap being the 4th most popular in the UK (behind the country's traditional top 3 soaps), the funding arrangements meant that one part of ViacomCBS was cross-subsidising another. On 3 March 2022, it was confirmed that the show would end after 37 years on air, after production company Fremantle could not obtain
19505-595: The 1930s. The silent film Hats Off from 1927 has vanished completely. The first half of Now I'll Tell One (1927) is lost, and the second half has yet to be released on video. The Battle of the Century (1927), after years of obscurity, is now almost complete but a few minutes are missing. In the 1930 operatic Technicolor musical The Rogue Song , Laurel and Hardy appeared as comedy relief in 10 sequences; only one exists. The complete soundtrack has survived. Laurel and Hardy made at least two audition recordings for radio,
19740-454: The 1937 film Way Out West , Laurel flicks his thumb upward as if working a lighter . His thumb ignites and he matter-of-factly lights Hardy's pipe. Amazed at seeing this, Hardy unsuccessfully attempts to duplicate it throughout the film. Much later he finally succeeds, only to be terrified when his thumb catches fire. Laurel expands the joke in the 1938 film Block-Heads by pouring tobacco into his clenched fist and smoking it as though it were
19975-515: The 2000s, rival soap opera Home and Away emerged as more popular than Neighbours in Australia. As of 2004, Neighbours was regularly attracting just under a million viewers per episode. In 2007, Home and Away was averaging 1.4 million viewers in Australia to Neighbours ' 700,000. During the revamp of 2007, the episode broadcast on 23 July 2007 saw the introduction of a new family, updated sets, new theme music and graphics. Ratings for that episode averaged 1.05 million viewers in
20210-455: The 6:30 pm. slot. It was the first time the programme's viewing figures had topped 1 million in 2007. By the end of 2007 it was reported that producers had hoped the Neighbours revamp would push the ratings up to between 900,000 to 1 million an episode. It had, however, resulted in a more modest boost, with ratings hovering at about 800,000 a night. The same viewing period had shown an increase in ratings for Home and Away , which
20445-406: The Australian broadcast. All episodes of Neighbours were later removed from Hulu. From 18 September 2023, new episodes along with archive episodes, is now streaming on Amazon Freevee . Neighbours initially aired on Seven Network. It struggled to attract high ratings, leading to its cancellation by the network four months after it premiered. The series was then picked up by Network Ten. After
20680-553: The BBC. From the move to Channel 5, RTÉ sat one episode behind the UK broadcast. In 2007, RTÉ secured a long-term deal with FremantleMedia to continue broadcasting the show in Ireland after it moved from the BBC to Channel 5. While RTÉ had only broadcast Neighbours since 2001, it had already been popular with Irish viewers since it debuted on BBC One in October 1986. The finale was broadcast in Northern Ireland on 29 July 2022 and
20915-407: The Christmas and New Year period. From 2018 until 2020, the show aired all year round, although a three-week Christmas break occurred in 2021–2022. All aired episodes shown during the week are available to watch on Network 10's 10Play app, as part of their catch up TV service. 10 Peach also broadcast the last four aired episodes shown in an omnibus edition each Sunday. When the show began in 1985,
21150-517: The English versions, although the supporting actors were often changed to those who were fluent in the native language. Pardon Us (1931) was reshot in all four foreign languages. Blotto , Hog Wild and Be Big! were remade in French and Spanish versions. Night Owls was remade in both Spanish and Italian, and Below Zero and Chickens Come Home in Spanish. Just as Laurel and Hardy's teaming
21385-459: The General Store to Marco Silvani ( Jesse Rosenfeld ) and Frazer Yeats ( Ben Lawson ), who keep him on as an employee. Frazer goes to Italy and Marco dies, leaving the store in the hands of Carmella Cammeniti ( Natalie Blair ) and Lou. Harold returns and is diagnosed with cancer; he also suffers a heart attack. Lou helps his friend through the recovery process and joins him on his journey to Queensland. A few months later, Lou returns and becomes
21620-580: The Global Television studios in Forest Hill , the adjoining suburb in which Pin Oak Court is located. Under the contract for filming to take place on the street, the residents of Pin Oak Court require permission to alter the exterior of their properties; between the series' cancellation and revival in 2022 and 2023, some residents took the opportunity to make renovations without hindrance. Through much of
21855-533: The Knickerbocker Hotel under the pretense of a business meeting with producer Bernard Delfont , the doors opened to their suite, #205, flooding the room with light and Edwards' voice. The telecast was preserved on a kinescope and later released on home video. Partly due to the broadcast's positive response, the team began renegotiating with Hal Roach Jr. for a series of color NBC Television specials, to be called Laurel and Hardy's Fabulous Fables . However,
22090-473: The Laurel and Hardy set, no matter who was in the director's chair, but never asserted his authority. Roach remarked: "Laurel bossed the production. With any director, if Laurel said 'I don't like this idea,' the director didn't say 'Well, you're going to do it anyway.' That was understood." As Laurel made so many suggestions, there was not much left for the credited director to do. Their 1929 release Big Business
22325-625: The Lubin company mimicked this, and Hardy was billed as "Babe Hardy" in his early films. Seeing film comedies inspired him to take up comedy himself and, in 1913, he began working with Lubin Motion Pictures in Jacksonville. He started by helping around the studio with lights, props, and other duties, gradually learning the craft as a script-clerk for the company. It was around this time that Hardy married his first wife, Madelyn Saloshin. In 1914, Hardy
22560-567: The Palace Theater, financed in part by his mother. For his stage name he took his father's first name, calling himself "Oliver Norvell Hardy", while offscreen his nicknames were "Ollie" and "Babe". The nickname "Babe" originated from an Italian barber near the Lubin Studios in Jacksonville, Florida , who would rub Hardy's face with talcum powder and say "That's nice-a baby!" Other actors in
22795-499: The Roach Comedy All Stars, a stock company of actors who took part in a series of films. Laurel's and Hardy's parts gradually grew larger, while those of their fellow stars diminished, because Laurel and Hardy had superior pantomime skills. Their teaming was suggested by Leo McCarey , their supervising director from 1927 and 1930. During that period, McCarey and Laurel jointly devised the team's format. McCarey also influenced
23030-609: The Seven Network. Repeat episodes of Neighbours episodes from the 1988–1991 period were broadcast between 2000 and 30 June 2003 on Network Ten. These episodes were seen at 3:30 pm, before moving to 11:30 am. During 2008, Ten HD broadcast the previous week's episodes in an omnibus edition each Sunday. These omnibus editions did not return in 2009, as Ten HD was replaced by One HD from March 2009. In August 2010, Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported that Neighbours would be moving to Ten's new digital channel, to make way for
23265-636: The UK after Channel 5 pulled its funding for budget reasons. In an official statement, a channel spokesperson said " Neighbours will no longer air on Channel 5 beyond this summer. It's been a much-loved part of our schedule for more than a decade, and we'd like to thank the cast, Fremantle and all of the production team for their fantastic work on this iconic series." Neighbours concluded on Channel 5 in July 2022. The channel's spokesperson confirmed that 5 wants to increase its investment in original UK dramas. New episodes of Neighbours , along with archive episodes,
23500-482: The UK broadcast, which had fallen behind due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The move caused some viewers to speculate that the soap was on the verge of being cancelled, but April Rose Pengilly (who plays Chloe Brennan ) confirmed that the rumours were not true. On 23 November 2021, a spokesperson from Channel 5 confirmed that Neighbours episodes would continue airing five times a week in 2022, while 10 Peach would be keeping
23735-581: The UK episode airing on the same day as the wedding. The episode, which had already aired in Australia, marked the first time an Australian show recorded extra scenes for a UK broadcaster. On 25 October 2011, it was announced Bower would leave Neighbours in December 2011 to move into a new international role with FremantleMedia. Of her departure, Bower told Colin Vickery of the Herald Sun , "I love Neighbours , it
23970-400: The UK for the show's most recent overseas storyline, which aired in the first few weeks of the show's revival. Neighbours currently airs from Monday to Thursday weekly at 4:00pm on Network 10 and is replayed at 6:30pm on 10 Peach . Until 2018, Neighbours was broadcast from early January to early December for approximately 48–49 weeks each year, going off-air for four to five weeks during
24205-483: The UK launched a search to find a female actress to play the part of Poppy Rogers . The search was similar to the Dolly magazine competition in Australia. August saw Neighbours air its 6,000th episode. Digital Spy revealed that the week-long 6,000th episode celebrations would see the wedding of regular characters, Donna Freedman ( Margot Robbie ) and Ringo Brown ( Sam Clark ). It was later announced that an attempt on
24440-649: The UK. A writer for Inside Soap said "So they began to reconsider the situation, especially when Caroline Gillmer, who plays Cheryl, chose to leave. And soon the decision was made - Lou was returning to Ramsay Street full time." Oliver commented that he was "totally overwhelmed" by the public support for him. In April 2009, it was announced that Oliver would cut back on filming with Neighbours . Oliver reduced his hours and appeared part-time, like his former co-star Ian Smith . His new contract meant he alternated between four months of filming and four-month breaks. This later became two months on and two months off. By 2012, Oliver
24675-405: The United Kingdom, where it was first screened on 27 October 1986 on BBC One , and achieved huge popularity among British audiences in the late 1980s and 1990s. In 2008, it moved in the UK to Channel 5 ; since 2008 it had been largely paid for by the UK broadcaster as it was no longer commercially viable for Ten to fund it alone. In 2018, after a new deal was secured with Channel 5, the show became
24910-495: The United States. Laurel had expected the tour to be merely a pleasant interval before returning to London; however, he decided to remain in the U.S. In 1917, Laurel was teamed with Mae Dahlberg as a double act for stage and film; they were living as common-law husband and wife. The same year, Laurel made his film debut with Dahlberg in Nuts in May . While working with Mae, he began using
25145-419: The affections of Rosie Hoyland and move in together. Rosie admits she would like to pursue a relationship with Lou and they begin dating. Lou and Rosie later break up and decide to remain friends. Lou develops kidney failure and Harold offers to donate one of his kidneys to him. Lou initially rejects the offer, but later changes his mind. Lou becomes friends with Valda Sheergold ( Joan Sydney ) and employs her at
25380-529: The air in the world. In 2005, Neighbours celebrated its 20th anniversary and over twenty former cast members returned for a special episode , which saw the characters sitting down to watch a documentary about Ramsay Street and its residents. At the Logie Award ceremony that year, the show was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame . In 2007, the show underwent a revamp, which included a switch to recording in HDTV ,
25615-413: The anniversary episodes that revolved around an Erinsborough Festival. Network Ten and Channel 5 aired a documentary special titled Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite , which featured interviews with current and former cast members, including Kylie Minogue , Jason Donovan and Guy Pearce , reflecting on their time on the show. Natalie Lynch succeeded Wilson as producer in early 2016. In 2017, there
25850-426: The announcement that this would be Laurel and Hardy's farewell film. Stan Laurel's contract with Roach then expired, and Roach did not renew it. Oliver Hardy's contract was still in force, however, and Roach starred Hardy solo in the antebellum comedy Zenobia (1939), with Harry Langdon as Hardy's comic foil. This fueled rumors that Laurel and Hardy had split on bad terms. After Zenobia , Laurel rejoined Hardy and
26085-415: The bush and he almost dies after slipping down a slope, but he is rescued. Lou sells his properties and begins fixing horse races for Rocco. He is arrested and sent to prison, but is later released following an appeal led by Toadie. Lou goes into business with Harold and they open the General Store. He also meets Mishka Schneiderova ( Deborah Kennedy ) online and when she comes to Australia, they enter into
26320-471: The business accounts and he takes $ 8000 from Kyle. Kate discovers what Lou has done and she decides to keep the truth from Kyle, while Lou looks for a part-time job to pay him back. Lou meets Vera Munro (Marie-Therese Byrne), a rich widow, who invites him to accompany her to a wedding. Lou later tells Vera that he lost his wallet and his rent money, so she offers to replace it. However, Sheila Canning ( Colette Mann ) reveals that Lou still has his wallet and he
26555-522: The car yard next to Carpenter's Mechanics and uses Karl Kennedy's pet galah , Dahl, in his advertisements. Karl and Lou then begin competing with each other for Dahl and Karl wins his pet back. Lou, Kate and Sophie invite Lucas Fitzgerald ( Scott Major ) to move in. Lou wins the Citizen of the Year Award after competing against Karl and Susan ( Jackie Woodburne ). Lou hires Kyle Canning ( Chris Milligan ) at
26790-444: The car yard, but when Kyle realises Lou does not trust him to close a sale, he quits. Lou apologises and gives Kyle a pay rise. Harold returns with his fiancée, Carolyn ( Paula Duncan ). Lou initially thinks Carolyn is stuck up, especially when she disagrees with his idea for Harold's buck's night. Harold manages to get them to compromise on a joint party and Lou tells Susan he would like to meet someone. After losing out to Lou during
27025-684: The cast and crew to improvise, then meticulously reviewed the footage during editing. By 1929, he was the pair's head writer, and it was reported that the writing sessions were gleefully chaotic. Stan had three or four writers who competed with him in a perpetual game of 'Can You Top This?' Hardy was quite happy to leave the writing to his partner. He said, "After all, just doing the gags was hard enough work, especially if you have taken as many falls and been dumped in as many mudholes as I have. I think I earned my money." Laurel eventually became so involved in their films' productions, many film historians and aficionados consider him an uncredited director. He ran
27260-479: The cast, all of whom were informed of the revival when Herbison visited their houses and told them in-person. Fletcher, Woodburne and Moloney all expressed their pleasure of the revival either during interviews or on social media. Other cast members were not informed prior to the announcement of the show's return. It has been revealed that Neighbours will be produced for at least the next two years, with 200 new episodes being released per year. In February 2023,
27495-557: The change on the week it was due to be implemented. "Audience feedback" was cited as the reason for the reversal. Neighbours has been sold to over 60 countries and is one of Australia's most successful media exports. Neighbours has been very successful in the United Kingdom, and has proved to be more popular there than in Australia. It was broadcast on BBC One for over 21 years from October 1986 until February 2008. The series started airing on 27 October 1986, as part of BBC One's revamped daytime schedules. Neighbours went out with
27730-470: The changes were an attempt to return to the show's original concept. In 1994, Network Ten told TV Week that they would be introducing a "younger, livelier look with six regular characters under the age of 18" in a bid to generate interest. It was then that they introduced the characters of Stonefish Rebecchi , played by Anthony Engelman, and Serendipity Gottlieb , played by Raelee Hill . In 1996, Kimberley Davies , who played Annalise Hartman , quit
27965-456: The channel said "Now our viewers can join in on the good, the bad and the endlessly entertaining lives of our Aussie neighbours." The episodes started from the Scully family's arrival in 1999 and were aired for a six-week trial basis. The show was broadcast in the afternoon with two episodes being shown back to back at 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm. After a couple of weeks, and only 65 episodes aired,
28200-408: The characters Rick Alessi ( Dan Falzon ) and Debbie Martin ( Marnie Reece-Wilmore ) visit London to attend a Michael Jackson concert. However, producers could not film at the concert after negotiations with Jackson's tour management failed. The second London-based storyline was broadcast in late March 2007. Susan Kennedy ( Jackie Woodburne ) and Karl Kennedy ( Alan Fletcher ) are shown taking
28435-515: The clumsy, childlike friend to Hardy's pompous bully. Their signature theme song, known as "The Cuckoo Song", "Ku-Ku", or "The Dance of the Cuckoos" (by Hollywood composer T. Marvin Hatley ) was heard over their films' opening credits, and became as emblematic of them as their bowler hats . Prior to emerging as a team, both had well-established film careers. Laurel had acted in over 50 films, and worked as
28670-547: The comedies of Jimmy Aubrey , Larry Semon , and Charley Chase . In total, Hardy starred or co-starred in more than 250 silent shorts, of which roughly 150 have been lost. He was rejected for enlistment by the Army during World War I due to his large size. In 1917, following the collapse of the Florida film industry, Hardy and his wife Madelyn moved to California to seek new opportunities. Hal Roach recounted how Laurel and Hardy became
28905-480: The country, where he is an ambassador for the Elephant Nature Park . Louise (played by Jiordan Tolli ) was reintroduced to Neighbours for one episode in October 2013 to help celebrate Lou's 70th birthday. As his family organise a birthday party, Lou becomes concerned that three generations of Carpenter men have died the week they turned 70. Oliver commented Lou was taking that very seriously and decides to get
29140-662: The death of Cheryl, then losing her after discovering that he wasn't her natural father." While Holy Soap said Lou's relationship with Annalise Hartman (Kimberley Davies) was his most memorable moment. Diana Hollingsworth of Soaplife included Lou in her feature on wide boys and she said "Not so much a wideboy as a widepensioner, 'Honest' Lou has tried many ways to earn a crust, including selling cars and running his own radio show. He's got more fingers in more pies than Little Jack Horner." In 2010, to celebrate Neighbours' 25th anniversary British satellite broadcasting company Sky profiled twenty-five characters who they believed were
29375-749: The docks. We just couldn't understand what it was all about. And then something happened that I can never forget. All the church bells in Cobh started to ring out our theme song "Dance of the Cuckoos" and Babe (Oliver Hardy) looked at me and we cried. I'll never forget that day. Never. On May 17, 1954, Laurel and Hardy made their last live stage performance in Plymouth, UK at the Palace Theatre . On December 1, 1954, they made their only American television appearance when they were surprised and interviewed by Ralph Edwards on his live NBC-TV program This Is Your Life . Lured to
29610-464: The emphasis on family relations and suburban reality. Executive producer Ric Pellizzeri said new writers, actors and sets would bring the soap back to its glory days. He added "We moved too far into event-driven stories rather than the character-driven stories that made Neighbours what it is". The relaunch failed to attract more viewers in Australia. Pellizzeri left the series at the end of 2007 and former Neighbours scriptwriter, Susan Bower , became
29845-475: The end of 1944, they concentrated on performing stage shows, and embarked on a music hall tour of England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. They made their last film in 1950, a French–Italian co-production called Atoll K . Afterward, they resumed their stage appearances until 1954. They appeared as a team in 107 films, starring in 32 short silent films, 40 short sound films, and 23 full-length feature films. They also made 12 guest or cameo appearances, including in
30080-460: The end of each year, usually averaging around 700,000. On 17 July 2009, during the aftermath of the Parker family's car accident and the dramatic death of Bridget Parker ( Eloise Mignon ), Neighbours achieved higher ratings than Home and Away . Neighbours achieved 998,000 viewers and placed 6th for the night, while Home And Away placed 7th. In January 2010, Neighbours returned to Australian screens to an audience of 563,000. On 20 January,
30315-402: The episodes at four, putting the UK ahead of Australia. On 28 July 2022, Neighbours aired the 90-minute Series Finale on Thursday at 7:30 pm on Network 10 and simulcast on 10 Peach . When Neighbours returned on 18 September 2023, episodes airs on Network 10 every Monday to Thursday at 4:00 pm with a second airing on the same day in the former 6:30 pm timeslot on 10 Peach . and repeated
30550-412: The festival's closing concert. Lou supports Lauren and the children when Matt is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Karl, Toadie, Lou, Kyle and Nate ( Meyne Wyatt ) form a cycling group, but Lou slows the others down and they ask him to drop out. Bailey starts drinking and when Lou tries to confront him, he pushes him into the kitchen counter. He later tells Lou that he wants to get away from the sadness in
30785-488: The film his way. The rift damaged Roach-Laurel relations to the point that Roach said that after Toyland , he did not want to produce for Laurel and Hardy. Although their association continued for another six years, Roach no longer took an active hand in Laurel and Hardy films. Way Out West (1937) was a personal favorite of both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. A satire of the Gene Autry musical westerns sweeping America at
31020-449: The fires and a charity event Sheila is organising. Channel 5 directed its viewers to a dedicated information page on their website at the end of the episode. Neighbours suspended production for two days amid the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, after a crew member came into contact with someone who had the virus. Production shut down early for the scheduled Easter break before resuming after four weeks on 27 April 2020, making Neighbours
31255-417: The first Australian drama to air all year round. In February 2022, Channel 5 announced that it would be dropping Neighbours from its schedule; the cancellation of the show was confirmed the following month. The show's finale was broadcast as a 90-minute episode in Australia on 28 July 2022 on Network 10 and 10 Peach, while the finale in the United Kingdom aired on 29 July 2022 as a normal 30-minute episode in
31490-428: The first mainstream scripted show to resume production during the pandemic. In order to adhere to government guidelines and social-distancing, Neighbours created separate areas to spread out the cast and crew. They removed intimate scenes between characters and editing allows producers to give the illusion of large crowds and groups. Daily temperature checks for cast and crew will also be carried out. Herbison said that
31725-617: The first season was broadcast on the Seven Network , at 5:30 pm in Sydney, at 6:00 pm in Melbourne and Adelaide and at 7:00 pm in Brisbane . The show's transmission in other areas was varied and many regional channels declined to purchase the series. When the show debuted on Network Ten in 1986 it screened at 7:00 pm. On 9 March 1992 the show moved to 6:30 pm to avoid direct competition from rival soap opera Home and Away on
31960-413: The forefront of professionalism and efficiency." They added that the show's production model had been in place since 1985 and that it was time to evolve it. On 14 March 2011, The Australian reported that Neighbours has become the first television show available to watch on a free iPhone application. Viewers are able to watch whole episodes within three hours of them airing on Eleven. Nick Spooner,
32195-425: The full year for the first time in its history, including over December and January. Herbison stated, "We value our global audiences and are delighted to stay on this journey together. Come the end of 2018 we will also make history by becoming the first Australian drama series to screen all year round." Following the departure of Sonya Rebecchi in 2019, actor Eve Morey stated that the killing off of her character
32430-490: The guardian of Kate Ramsay ( Ashleigh Brewer ) and her siblings, Harry (Will Moore) and Sophie ( Kaiya Jones ). Lou tries internet dating and almost goes on a date with Lyn Scully ( Janet Andrewartha ). Kate tries to get Lou and Terry Kearney ( Peter Moon ) to be friends, but when they meet, they instantly dislike each other. Lou plays mediator when a feud occurs between the Kennedy and Scully families. He decides to purchase
32665-437: The guy and ends up in a heap on the floor." Nothing is taken during the incident, so Lou believes that he has interrupted the guy just in time. When Lauren finds out what has happened, she is concerned for her father and insists that he gets his head looked at. Lou's only concern is how something like this could happen in the "close-knit" neighbourhood and Ellis wondered if the culprit could be closer to home. Oliver stated that Lou
32900-425: The head of Ten digital media said "This is part of what we call our 'three-screen approach' – broadcast, online and mobile – and it is intended to build viewer engagement with a show and our brand. This is a way for us to stay in touch with our audience and to keep them coming back." To celebrate the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton , Neighbours filmed a specially commissioned scene for
33135-474: The house and Lou asks him to move to Queensland with him, so they can be closer to Kathy and Guy. Lou tells Lauren that he will be back to visit her, and he and Bailey leave after a farewell party. A few months later, Lou returns after going on the run from drug dealers in Cambodia. He hides out at Number 32, while Stanley Neve (Alex Pinder) follows him to Erinsborough. After Lou receives a smashed Buddha statue in
33370-452: The idea, but, having instantly forgotten it, babble utter nonsense. Hardy, who had difficulty understanding Laurel's idea when expressed clearly, would then understand the jumbled version perfectly. While much of their comedy remained visual, humorous dialogue often occurred in Laurel and Hardy's talking films as well. Examples include: In some cases, their comedy bordered on the surreal, in a style Laurel called "white magic". For example, in
33605-419: The introduction of a new family, the departure of several existing characters and a new version of the show's theme song and opening titles. In addition, episode titles were abandoned, having been in use for the previous three years. Daniel Bennett, the new head of drama at Network Ten, announced that the crux of the Ramsay Street story would go "back to basics" and follow a less sensational path than of late with
33840-473: The juvenile theatrical company of Levy and Cardwell, which specialized in Christmas pantomimes . In 1909, Laurel was employed by Britain's leading comedy impresario Fred Karno as a supporting actor, and as an understudy for Charlie Chaplin . Laurel said of Karno, "There was no one like him. He had no equal. His name was box-office." In 1912, Laurel left England with the Fred Karno Troupe to tour
34075-464: The life of long term regular, Paul Robinson ( Stefan Dennis ) would be the focus of the actual 6,000th episode. Bower said "Last week I saw episode 6,000. This marks Australian television history. The 6,000th episode falls on a Friday so the whole week is a special one. As Stefan Dennis – Paul Robinson – was in the first episode 25 years ago, it was decided that his character play a most important role in this very special event". In late 2010,
34310-489: The long-running animated comedy The Simpsons . Laurel's and Hardy's first film pairing, although as separate performers, was in the silent The Lucky Dog . Its production details have not survived, but film historian Bo Berglund has placed it between September 1920 and January 1921. According to interviews they gave in the 1930s, the pair's acquaintance at the time was casual, and both had forgotten their initial film entirely. The plot sees Laurel's character befriended by
34545-431: The low ratings. And Ten needs the show to score the Australian content and drama points required for it to hold on to a broadcasting licence". On 29 October 2010, Neighbours' ratings dropped to a low figure of 386,000 viewers. Viewing numbers for Network Ten that night were down across all programmes. The show's highest figure of the week was 590,000 on 25 October 2010. Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were
34780-424: The lunchtime debut and the teatime repeat. Towards the late 2000s, Neighbours was normally attracting an average of 3 million viewers for its lunchtime showing and 2.6 million viewers for its early-evening repeat. It was frequently the highest-rating daytime program in the UK, outside of news bulletins. In 2008, the UK broadcast moved to rival channel Channel 5 following the BBC's decision not to keep
35015-501: The main TV network of VRT , the Flemish public broadcaster. On 14 June 2021, after more than 30 years on Eén, commercial broadcaster VTM 2 began broadcasting the series. On 1 February 2024, VTM 2 will broadcast episode 8903 of Neighbours , which was the last episode when the program was stopped in the summer of 2022. From 5 February 2024, Neighbours will move to Play 5 and GoPlay will continue
35250-628: The most memorable in the show's history. Lou is included in the list and Sky said "Lou and Paul are the last remaining links back to proper old school Neighbours (unless Rosemary Daniels, the Belinda Slater of Ramsay Street, makes another appearance), and strangely are both most memorable for working in 'business'. Whether running Chez Chez with awesome wife Cheryl or bickering at the Coffee Shop with fellow soap elder statesman Harold, you can count on Lou to cast his twinkly eye over proceedings and let out
35485-660: The name "Stan Laurel" and changed his name legally in 1931. Dahlberg demanded roles in his films, but her tempestuous nature made her difficult to work with. Dressing room arguments were common between the two; it was reported that producer Joe Rock paid her to leave Laurel and to return to her native Australia. In 1925, Laurel joined the Hal Roach film studio as a director and writer. From May 1925 to September 1926, he received credit in at least 22 films. Laurel appeared in over 50 films for various producers before teaming up with Hardy. Prior to that, he experienced only modest success. It
35720-606: The new executive producer. In 2008, Neighbours was branded "too white" by black and Asian viewers in Britain and in Australia there was talk of a " White Australia policy " when it came to casting actors for soaps. In response to the criticism, Bower made a decision to add more ethnically diverse extras, small walk-on roles and speaking parts, as well as introducing the character of Sunny Lee (played by Hany Lee), an exchange student from South Korea. On 18 March 2010, Neighbours celebrated its 25th anniversary. In April, Channel 5 in
35955-465: The next day at 9:30 am on 10 and catch up on the weekly episodes on 10 Peach on Saturday mornings between 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Episodes were then available to stream Amazon Prime Video on a week delay from 10's broadcast from 25 September 2023. Network 10 scheduled a reduction in episodes per week to three between October and December 2024, which would have caused the Australian broadcast to fall behind international releases of new episodes, but reversed
36190-442: The painkillers to numb his grief. He later gets help for his addiction and attends Narcotics Anonymous. Lou is shocked when John Allen (Adrian Mulraney) claims to have had an affair with Cheryl and fathered Louise. Lou has a DNA test done, but the results confirmed John is Louise's father, devastating Lou. Following a custody hearing, John is given full custody of Louise, with Lou getting visitation rights. Lou and Harold compete for
36425-609: The pair starred in The Battle of the Century , a classic pie-throwing short involving over 3,000 real pies; only a fragment of the film was known to exist until the first half resurfaced in the 1970s; a more complete print was discovered in 2015 by historian Jon Mirsalis. Laurel said to the duo's biographer John McCabe : "Of all the questions we're asked, the most frequent is, how did we come together? I always explain that we came together naturally." Laurel and Hardy were joined by accident and grew by indirection. In 1926, both were part of
36660-399: The pandemic would not be included in storylines. He stated, "We are currently plotting episodes that won't air until much later in the year, so anything we write now might feel very outdated. Further to this, there's a creative question: will our viewers want to switch on Neighbours and relive it again, or is our job to provide escapism? I tend to feel it's the latter." In February 2022, it
36895-492: The phrase "Well, here's another nice kettle of fish you've pickled me in!" In Saps at Sea , the phrase becomes "Well, here's another nice bucket of suds you've gotten me into!" The catchphrase, in its original form, was used as the last line of dialogue in the duo's last film, Atoll K (1951) . In moments of particular distress or frustration, Hardy often exclaims, "Why don't you do something to help me?", as Laurel stands helplessly by. "OH!" (or drawn out as "Ohhhhh-OH!")
37130-481: The phrase, Laurel's frequent, iconic response was to start to cry, pull his hair up, exclaim "Well, I couldn't help it...", then whimper and speak gibberish. Some variations on the phrase occurred. For example, in Chickens Come Home , Ollie impatiently says to Stan, "Well...", and Stan continues for him: "Here's another nice mess I've gotten you into." The films Thicker than Water and The Fixer Uppers use
37365-527: The plans had to be shelved as the aging comedians continued to suffer from declining health. In 1955, America's magazine TV Guide ran a color spread on the team with current photos. That year, they made their final public appearance together while taking part in This Is Music Hall , a BBC Television program about the Grand Order of Water Rats , a British variety organization. Laurel and Hardy provided
37600-503: The police station. Ahead of the 25th anniversary the Erinsborough village set underwent a makeover. The café and bar remained the same, but the centre of the complex was upgraded. Lassiter's Hotel was given a new logo and gained a second floor with outdoor seating area. The hospital and police station received new facades, a used car lot was created near the garage and a new university set was created. Pin Oak Court, in Vermont South ,
37835-402: The post, he believes his life is under threat. He decides to fake his own death, but when Sheila delivers an unflattering eulogy, Lou reveals himself. Stanley then explains that Lou had an affair with his wife, so he planted baking powder in his bag in the hope that he would get stopped at customs. Stanley also explains that there is no drug cartel and that his wife, Rochelle (Carmen Warrington),
38070-458: The power of streaming, we're able to offer a catalogue of thousands of Neighbours episodes for new audiences to discover this legendary series and current fans to relive their favourite moments. We look forward to immersing the audience in new Ramsay Street experiences when we relaunch the show next year for Amazon Freevee and Prime Video customers." Herbison will continue as executive producer, with Dennis, Fletcher, Woodburne and Moloney returning to
38305-444: The problem by applying heavy makeup to Laurel's eyes. For about a year, Roach had Laurel work at the studio as a writer. Then panchromatic film was developed; they tested Laurel, and found the problem was solved. Laurel and Hardy were then put together in a film, and they seemed to complement each other. Comedy teams were usually composed of a straight man and a funny man, but these two were both comedians; however, each knew how to play
38540-450: The producers told him Tolli was going to reprise the role of Louise. The actor added that Lou is also happy to learn that he actually turned 70 the previous year, thus breaking the family curse . In May 2015, it was announced that Oliver had cut back further on his filming commitments and would not appear as regularly as he had. Lou departed on 1 May 2015 after he was seen moving to Queensland with his grandson Bailey. Following his exit, Lou
38775-459: The pub. Lou develops feeling for Valda, but nothing happens as Valda leaves town. Max Hoyland ( Stephen Lovatt ) becomes a partner in the pub and Lou meets and marries Trixie Tucker ( Wendy Stapleton ). Lou invests in a production of Hello Dolly for Trixie, but the show is cancelled due to poor ticket sales and Lou loses his money and his wife. Lou gets into debt to Rocco Cammeniti (Robert Forza) and decides to flee town. His car breaks down in
39010-428: The ratings fell to a low of 426,000, making it one of the program's lowest ever ratings in Australia. A July 2010 report showed figures had dropped 20%, from having 1.2 million viewers in 1991 to a low of 618,000 in 2010. A Network Ten spokesperson commented "Most of the show's budget is covered by its UK deal with Channel 5 and the 50-odd other countries it is seen in, so it's not a financial problem for Ten despite
39245-540: The regular daytime schedule followed by an hour-long prime-time episode. Due to timing, some scenes were cut from the UK showing. The finale was broadcast in Ireland on 3 August 2022 and in New Zealand on 2 September 2022. In November 2022, it was announced that Amazon Freevee and Fremantle had agreed to a deal that would restart the series. The series also returned to Network 10 on a permanent basis, after 11 years on 10 Peach. Regular production resumed on 17 April 2023, and
39480-461: The relationship. However, he is devastated to learn Cheryl has died after being hit by a car. Lou moves back to Ramsay Street to care for Louise and run the pub. Harold turns up alive and Madge decides to return to Ramsay Street. Lou opens a restaurant and goes into partnership with Ben Atkins (Brett Cousins) at a garage, which is named Carpenters Mechanics. Ben leaves and Lou hires Drew Kirk ( Dan Paris ). Lou decides to sell up and retire when he has
39715-516: The remaining eight years of his life, Stan Laurel refused to perform, and declined Stanley Kramer 's offer of a cameo in his landmark 1963 film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World . In 1960, Laurel was given a special Academy Award for his contributions to film comedy, but was unable to attend the ceremony due to poor health. Actor Danny Kaye accepted the award on his behalf. Despite not appearing on screen after Hardy's death, Laurel did contribute gags to several comedy filmmakers. His favorite TV comedy
39950-409: The returns of Rebekah Elmaloglou , Jones, Tim Kano and Stone as series regulars were announced; Melissa Bell , April Rose Pengilly and Ian Smith were also announced to returning in guest capacities. Regular production recommenced on 17 April, though scenes featuring Annie Jones and Guy Pearce were filmed in the UK earlier in the year. Neighbours' focus is the fictional Ramsay Street ,
40185-412: The rival network obtaining them. Ten began screening the series with episode 171 on 20 January 1986. In 1986, the series was bought by the BBC as part of their new daytime schedule in the United Kingdom. Neighbours made its debut on BBC1 on 27 October 1986 starting with the pilot episode. It soon gained a loyal audience and the show became particularly popular with younger viewers, and before long
40420-510: The routine occurs in their classic short Big Business (1929), which was added to the National Film Registry in 1992. Another short film which revolves around such an altercation was titled Tit for Tat (1935). One of their best-remembered dialogue devices was the "Tell me that again" routine. Laurel would tell Hardy a genuinely smart idea he came up with, and Hardy would reply, "Tell me that again." Laurel would then try to repeat
40655-412: The same day as Australia. Channel 5's commissioning editor Greg Barnett explained that closing the transmission gap would reduce spoilers and the number of viewers watching the show illegally online. From mid-2016, the show also began airing every week-night on Nickelodeon as part of their Nick at Nite programming block, broadcasting the same episode that was seen earlier on Channel 5. In March 2017, it
40890-480: The same day as the Australian broadcast and were also available for streaming. From 18 September 2023, new episodes along with archive episodes, is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video . In the United States, Neighbours premiered on KCOP-TV in Los Angeles on 3 June 1991 at 5:30 pm weekdays. KCOP planned to cancel the show by the end of the month due to low ratings, but brought it back due to viewer demand at
41125-524: The scripts or improvise, as they had always done. When their films proved popular, the studios allowed them more input, and they starred in eight features until the end of 1944. These films, while far from their best work, were still very successful. Budgeted between $ 300,000 and $ 450,000 each, they earned millions at the box office for Fox and MGM. The Fox films were so profitable that the studio kept making Laurel and Hardy comedies after it discontinued its other "B" series films. The busy team decided to take
41360-465: The serial's early years, three additional houses on the street were introduced as regular settings. Pin Oak Court, in Vermont South , is the real cul-de-sac that has doubled for Ramsay Street. The houses featured are real and the residents allow the production to shoot external scenes in their yards. The interior scenes are filmed at the FremantleMedia studios in Forest Hill . Until 2022, Neighbours
41595-536: The series from episode 8904. Because the broadcasts will continue immediately, there will only be a 5-month delay compared to Australia instead of 1.5 years as was previously the case. In Kenya, Neighbours is broadcast on the KTN network Monday to Friday at 12:30 pm with an omnibus on Sunday mornings. In Barbados, Neighbours is broadcast on the CBC8 channel at 1:00 pm Monday to Friday. In South Africa, Neighbours
41830-439: The series' history, the show's classification became PG , due to the series' increasingly adult subject matter. On 15 July 2021, David Knox of TV Tonight confirmed that from 26 July Neighbours would begin airing four times a week. This marked the first time in the show's history that it had not aired five episodes per week. Knox said the new schedule was likely an attempt at getting the Australian episodes to synchronise with
42065-411: The series. Then Caroline Gillmer fell ill and her character Cheryl Stark was temporarily recast with former Prisoner actress Colette Mann . This made producers nervous that viewing figures might decrease, so they implemented a series of plots to keep viewers interested. These included a cameo from Clive James and an explosion, which destroyed the doctor's surgery in the Lassiter's complex. In
42300-470: The seventh-greatest comedy act of all time by a UK poll of professional comedians. The official Laurel and Hardy appreciation society is The Sons of the Desert , after a fictional fraternal society in the film of the same name . Stan Laurel (June 16, 1890 – February 23, 1965) was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Ulverston , Lancashire, England, into a theatrical family. His father, Arthur Joseph Jefferson,
42535-468: The show after being asked to pay £300m over eight years by FremantleMedia (three times the show's usual fee). Both Channel 5 and FremantleMedia were owned at that time by the German RTL Group . The last Neighbours episode to be shown on BBC One aired on 8 February 2008. The first episode to be shown on Channel 5 was watched by 2.4 million viewers on 11 February 2008 (an audience share of 14.2%),
42770-504: The show in a star -focused campaign recalling that of the Hollywood star system where stars were packaged to feed into a fan culture. This paid off, and by the end of 1987, ratings had improved for the show. The episode featuring Scott and Charlene's wedding achieved the highest ever ratings for Neighbours , and it became one of the highest rating soap episodes ever in Australia. The same episode attracted 19.6 million viewers when it
43005-410: The show returned on 18 September 2023. Neighbours was created by Australian TV executive Reg Watson . Watson got the idea for Neighbours during his time working on Crossroads and watching fellow soap Coronation Street in Britain. He had already created successful Australian made soap operas The Young Doctors , Prisoner and Sons and Daughters . Watson proposed the idea of making
43240-460: The show was moved to a late-night time slot and it eventually left the air. On 7 July 2014, Todd Spangler from Variety reported that FremantleMedia International had signed a deal with U.S. subscription service Hulu giving it exclusive rights to the most recent season of Neighbours . The soap began airing from 14 July, with new episodes airing daily from Monday through to Friday, on Hulu and Hulu Plus services. The episodes were four weeks behind
43475-485: The show's run, it was not stated in which Australian city Erinsborough was located. The rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne meant that scripts did not mention that Erinsborough was a suburb of the latter city until 1994. Since 2016, the show has begun filming more scenes in and around the city. Other Australian locations mentioned and sometimes seen in the series include the fictitious suburbs of West Waratah , Eden Hills , and Ansons Corner . Real-life Australian towns in
43710-460: The sides and back, growing it long on top to create a natural "fright wig". Typically, at times of shock, he simultaneously screwed up his face to appear as if crying while pulling up his hair. In contrast, Hardy's thinning hair was pasted on his forehead in spit curls and he sported a toothbrush moustache . To achieve a flat-footed walk, Laurel removed the heels from his shoes. Both wore bowler hats , with Laurel's being narrower than Hardy's, and with
43945-482: The slowing of their comedy action from the silent era's typically frantic pace to a more natural one. The formula worked so well that Laurel and Hardy played the same characters for the next 30 years. Although Roach employed writers and directors such as H. M. Walker , Leo McCarey , James Parrott , and James W. Horne on the Laurel and Hardy films, Laurel, who had a considerable background in comedy writing, often rewrote entire sequences and scripts. He also encouraged
44180-487: The soap on Twitter . Neighbours actor Jackie Woodburne said in an interview with The Project that the cast were "in shock" upon hearing the news, while Alan Fletcher said the soap needs "a hero" to save it and Cowden explained that "the idea of no longer playing Mel is devastating." Numerous current and former cast members, such as Annie Jones , Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Geoff Paine , expressed their sadness online, specifically Rob Mills , who called on
44415-551: The state of Victoria such as Colac , Frankston and Shepparton are sometimes referred to. Oakey in Queensland is also mentioned and sometimes seen. On 27 August 2010, Neighbours filmed scenes in Sydney's Darling Harbour and on board a cruise ship. The episodes marked only the third time that the show has filmed scenes outside of Victoria. In October 2011, Neighbours filmed scenes in Port Douglas , Queensland and around
44650-401: The storyline, English dubbing, and Laurel's sickly physical appearance. The film was not commercially successful on its first release, and brought an end to Laurel and Hardy's film careers. Atoll K did finally turn a profit when it was rereleased in other countries. In 1954, an American distributor removed 18 minutes of footage and released it as Utopia ; widely released on film and video, it
44885-447: The straight man when the script required it. Roach said, "You could always cut to a close-up of either one, and their reaction was good for another laugh." Screenwriter, director and producer for Hal Roach Studios, Leo McCarey recounted a story on the NBC television program This Is Your Life on December 1, 1954 of how a leg of lamb brought Laurel and Hardy together. Babe (Oliver Hardy)
45120-524: The strength of their reaction caused the producers to reconsider their decision and reinstate Oliver. Lou became one of the longest-serving continuous characters in the serial's history, having played the role for 24 years. From March 2009, Lou became a part-time regular character, with Oliver alternating between two-month blocks of filming and two-month breaks. In 2015, it was announced that Oliver had cut back his filming commitments even more, and would no longer be appearing as regularly as he once had. Lou made
45355-964: The team signed with independent producer Boris Morros for the comedy feature The Flying Deuces (1939). Meanwhile, Hal Roach wanted to demonstrate his new idea of making four-reel, 40-minute featurettes—twice the length of standard two-reel, 20-minute comedies—which Roach felt could fit more conveniently into double-feature programs. He referred to these extended films as "streamliners" . To test his theory, Roach rehired Laurel and Hardy. The resulting films, A Chump at Oxford and Saps at Sea (both 1940), were prepared as featurettes. United Artists overruled Roach and insisted that they be released as full-length features. Hoping for greater artistic freedom, Laurel and Hardy split with Roach, and signed with 20th Century-Fox in 1941 and MGM in 1942. However, their working conditions were now completely different: they were simply hired actors, relegated to both studios’ B-film units, and not initially allowed to contribute to
45590-594: The team's return to America, Laurel was sidelined by illness and temporarily unable to work. He encouraged Hardy to take movie roles on his own. Hardy's friend John Wayne hired him to co-star in The Fighting Kentuckian for Republic Pictures , and Bing Crosby got him a small part in Frank Capra 's Riding High . In 1950–51, Laurel and Hardy made their final feature-length film together, Atoll K . A French-Italian co-production directed by Léo Joannon , it
45825-470: The three men for many years, said, "It could not have happened if Laurel, Hardy, and Roach had not met at the right place and the right time." Their first "official" film together was Putting Pants on Philip , released December 3, 1927. The plot involves Laurel as Philip, a young Scotsman who arrives in the United States in full kilted splendor, and suffers mishaps involving the kilts. His uncle, played by Hardy, tries to put trousers on him. Also in 1927,
46060-423: The time, the film combines Laurel and Hardy's slapstick routines with songs and dances performed by the stars. It appeared that the team would split permanently in 1938. Hal Roach had become dissatisfied with his distribution arrangement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , and had begun releasing his films through United Artists . He still owed MGM one last feature, and made the Laurel and Hardy comedy Block-Heads , with
46295-484: The transition to " talkies "—some, because they felt sound was irrelevant to their craft of conveying stories with body language; and others, because their spoken voices were considered inadequate for the new medium. However, the addition of spoken dialogue only enhanced Laurel's and Hardy's performances; both had extensive theatrical experience, and could use their voices to great comic effect. Their films also continued to feature much visual comedy. In these ways, they made
46530-406: The trouble with Mason, Lou is reminded that nothing is more important than family. He is then persuaded to get in contact with his estranged daughter, Ling Mai Chan ( Khym Lam ) by Sheila Canning ( Colette Mann ). He sends Ling Mai an email, which she replies to, asking him to visit her. Lou then takes a couple months off to go to Cambodia . The storyline was inspired by Oliver's real life trip to
46765-472: The usual break in broadcast over the summer non-ratings period, the series made its debut on Ten in 1986. Ten revamped the show, adding several new, younger cast members including Jason Donovan as Scott Robinson and Kylie Minogue as Charlene Mitchell . When the show began on Ten it initially attracted low ratings, so the Network worked hard to publicise the series. Ten's publicity drive was designed to promote
47000-409: The writers could have enough time to give Lou a respectable send-off rather than have him killed in a car accident or explosion. When the news of Oliver's sacking was revealed, Neighbours viewers called for his return and created petitions asking for him to be reinstated. The strength of the public's reaction took the producers by surprise, as they were not aware of how popular he was in Australia and
47235-623: Was Leonard B. Stern 's I'm Dickens, He's Fenster , co-starring John Astin and Marty Ingels as carpenters. Laurel enjoyed the Astin-Ingels chemistry and sent two-man gags to Stern. During this period, most of his communication was in the form of written correspondence, and he insisted on personally answering every fan letter. Late in life, he welcomed visitors from the new generation of comedians and celebrities, including Dick Cavett , Jerry Lewis , Peter Sellers , Marcel Marceau , Johnny Carson , and Dick Van Dyke . Jerry Lewis offered Laurel
47470-634: Was Harold's "nemesis" and rival for Madge Ramsay 's ( Anne Charleston ) affections. Oliver told David Balls of Digital Spy that Lou had always had a huge crush on Madge and he decides to go to Ramsay Street to steal her from Harold on their wedding day. However, Lou fails to stop the wedding and he leaves. Lou returns four years later, after Harold has disappeared and ends up living with Madge. Harold returns and he and Lou become friends. Oliver said some reviewers had likened Lou and Harold's relationship to Laurel and Hardy and The Odd Couple . Erica Thompson of The Courier-Mail said Harold and Lou's friendship
47705-471: Was a measure to reduce production costs for the program as part of its new negotiations. When the cast and crew returned from their annual production break on 13 January 2020, they filmed a scene addressing the Australian bushfires for the episode airing on 15 January. The scene features the characters Sheila Canning ( Colette Mann ), David Tanaka ( Takaya Honda ) and Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) discussing
47940-573: Was a possibility that Lou's daughter, Lauren , would be coming back. He also expressed his desire to see Lou's adopted daughter, Louise "Lolly" Allen , return as an adult. The following month it was announced that Lauren would be returning to the serial, now played by Kate Kendall . Lauren returns to Erinsborough with her husband Matt ( Josef Brown ), and their three children – Mason (Taylor Glockner), Amber (Jenna Rosenow) and Bailey (Calen Mackenzie). However, when Lauren initially arrives, only Amber and Bailey are with her and she tells Lou that Mason
48175-486: Was a significant one for Hardy because two of his enduring trademarks were developed. The first was his "tie twiddle" to demonstrate embarrassment. Hardy, while acting, had received a pail of water in the face. He said, "I had been expecting it, but I didn't expect it at that particular moment. It threw me mentally and I couldn't think what to do next, so I waved the tie in a kind of tiddly-widdly fashion to show embarrassment while trying to look friendly." His second trademark
48410-608: Was a theatrical entrepreneur and theater owner in northern England and Scotland who, with his wife, was a major force in the industry. In 1905, the Jefferson family moved to Glasgow to be closer to their business mainstay of the Metropole Theatre , and Laurel made his stage debut in a Glasgow hall called the Britannia Panopticon one month short of his 16th birthday. Arthur Jefferson secured Laurel his first acting job with
48645-490: Was a wonderful storytelling twist." After Smith announced his departure in 2008, Oliver was asked if Lou would be sad about his best friend's exit and he said "Oh yes, definitely, but the old rascals keep in touch all the time. It was a sad farewell. Not just in character, but for me and Ian [Smith] too". Smith returned in May 2011 and Harold and Lou were reunited. Harold reveals he is engaged to Carolyn Johnstone ( Paula Duncan ) and while most of his friends are happy for him, Lou
48880-461: Was accidental, so was their entry into the field of feature films. In the words of biographer John McCabe, "Roach planned to use the MGM set [built for The Big House ] for a simple prison-break two-reeler but MGM suddenly added a proviso: Laurel and Hardy would have to do a picture for them in exchange. Roach would not agree so he built his own prison set, a very expensive item for a two-reeler. So expensive
49115-519: Was aired in the United Kingdom - more than the entire population of Australia at the time. By the early 1990s, Australian audiences had decreased, although viewing figures had recovered slightly by the end of the decade. In 1992, due to the decline in ratings, producers began to overhaul the show to win back viewers. They brought in more "fresh-faced teens", moved out older characters and gave some of their parent characters "un-neighborly [ sic ] subplots". Executive producer Ian Bradley said
49350-399: Was announced Fremantle and Amazon Freevee had reached a deal that would allow Neighbours production to restart in 2023. New episodes will be free to stream from the UK and US from the second half of 2023, and Network 10 will retain the rights to broadcast the serial first in Australia. Archive episodes will also be released prior to the relaunch. Lauren Anderson of Amazon Studios said, "With
49585-631: Was announced that Channel 5 would be dropping the serial from its schedule later that year, and that production would cease if an alternative British broadcaster was not secured. In response to the threat to the series' future, a fan-run petition on Change.org asking Channel 5 to reconsider its decision was launched, which was signed by over 50,000 people, including cast member Lucinda Cowden . The petition reached 50,000 signatures after one week. This also sparked #saveneighbours to trend on social media. Former star Jason Donovan and Home and Away actor Shane Withington also expressed their support for
49820-428: Was announced that Jasek would be leaving Neighbours and Jason Herbison would replace him, initially with the title of series producer. FremantleMedia's head of drama Jo Porter became executive producer, while Laurence Wilson became the associate producer. The show celebrated its 7,000th episode on 24 October 2014. In March 2015, Neighbours celebrated its 30th anniversary and twelve former cast members returned for
50055-460: Was another catchphrase used by Hardy. He uses the expression in the duo's first sound film, Unaccustomed As We Are (1929) when his character's wife smashes a record over his head. Mustachioed Scottish actor James Finlayson , who appeared in 33 Laurel and Hardy films, used a variation: "D'oh!" The phrase, expressing surprise, impatience, or incredulity, inspired the trademark " D'oh! " of character Homer Simpson (voiced by Dan Castellaneta ) in
50290-530: Was billed as "Babe Hardy" in his first film, Outwitting Dad . Between 1914 and 1916 Hardy made 177 shorts as Babe with the Vim Comedy Company , which were released up to the end of 1917. Exhibiting a versatility in playing heroes, villains and even female characters, Hardy was in demand for roles as a supporting actor, comic villain or second banana . For 10 years he memorably assisted star comic and Charlie Chaplin imitator Billy West , and appeared in
50525-475: Was broadcast on 18 March 1985 and reviews for the show were favourable. However, the Melbourne-produced program underperformed in the Sydney market and Seven announced on 12 July 1985 that it was cancelling the show. Neighbours was immediately bought by Seven's rival Network Ten . The new network had to build replica sets when it took over production after Seven destroyed the original sets to prevent
50760-490: Was contacted by a producer who told her it was true. Fans reported significant upset at the announcement of the end of the series. The final episode was initially intended to be aired on 1 August 2022 in both the UK and Australia, after 10 Peach decided to close the broadcasting gap between the two countries by airing double episodes from 13 June. It was later announced that the finale would air on 28 July at 7:30 pm on Network 10 and 10 Peach simultaneously in Australia as
50995-420: Was cooking a leg of lamb and for some reason he left his arm in the oven too long or something and he got it so badly blistered that we had to cut down his part in the next picture. So we decided to put Stan in the picture to bolster up the comedy; and so when we saw the two of them on the screen together we decided: "There's a real team." And from that time on they really went places. All on account of - Hardy had
51230-506: Was difficult for producers, writers, and directors to write for his character, with American audiences knowing him either as a "nutty burglar" or as a Charlie Chaplin imitator. Oliver Hardy (January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was born Norvell Hardy in Harlem, Georgia , United States. By his late teens, Hardy was a popular stage singer and he operated a movie house in Milledgeville, Georgia ,
51465-484: Was earlier used by W. S. Gilbert in both The Mikado (1885) and The Grand Duke (1896). It was first used by Hardy in The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case in 1930. In popular culture, the catchphrase is often misquoted as "Well, here's another fine mess you've gotten me into", which was never spoken by Hardy—a misunderstanding that stems from the title of their film Another Fine Mess . When Hardy said
51700-482: Was it indeed that he added four more reels to bring it into the feature category and, it was hoped, the bigger market." The experiment was successful, and the team continued to make features along with their established short subjects until 1935, when they converted to features exclusively. Sons of the Desert (1933) is often cited as Laurel and Hardy's best feature-length film. The situation-comedy script by actor-playwright Frank Craven and screenwriter Byron Morgan
51935-565: Was never "averse to a dodgy deal". Beresford was fond of his "most enduring" partnership with Harold, adding "their odd couple double act gave us plenty of laughs." Neighbours Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson . The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap Sons and Daughters . Although successful in Melbourne , Neighbours underperformed in
52170-415: Was now averaging 1.4 million viewers every night. In February 2008, new executive producer Susan Bower announced that she would be implementing further changes to the program. Bower promised to retain the return to traditional Neighbours values, but with an injection of drama that remains recognisable and relevant. Ratings rose to almost 900,000 in mid-2008, but generally ratings begin to fall towards
52405-425: Was one of her favourite "bromances" on television. She said their most bromantic moment was "When Harold returned to Erinsborough, after being feared drowned for many years, he had no memory of his old life. But when Lou served him jelly one night Harold suddenly remembered how Lou used to tease him at school by calling him "Jelly Belly" and, presto, his memory was restored." Lou raises money for Harold's bail, when he
52640-566: Was plagued by problems with language barriers, production issues, and both actors' serious health issues. When Laurel received the script's final draft, he felt its heavy political content overshadowed the comedy. He quickly rewrote it, with screen comic Monte Collins contributing visual gags, and hired old friend Alfred Goulding to direct the Laurel and Hardy scenes. During filming, Hardy developed an irregular heartbeat, while Laurel experienced painful prostate complications that caused his weight to drop to 114 pounds. Critics were disappointed with
52875-401: Was removed from the schedule. TV4 (now Bravo) picked the show up and began broadcasting it from 1997. They dropped it in 2000 and it returned to TVNZ in 2002. Repeats of the previous day's episode of Neighbours were formerly shown at 2:30 pm weekdays, and later on TVNZ 2 at around 4:30 am Tuesdays to Fridays. The show moved to 5:25 pm weeknights on TV One in early 2007. After
53110-515: Was removed from the show's opening titles. A spokesperson confirmed that Oliver would continue to film guest appearances. They added that he would be returning later in the year to shoot "a significant storyline." On 26 October 2016, David Knox of TV Tonight reported that Oliver would be officially leaving the cast after 28 years, following his latest guest stint, which began from 4 November. Producers refused to rule out future return appearances, and executive producer Jason Herbison stated, "Tom Oliver
53345-462: Was reported that negotiations to continue Neighbours on Channel 5 had become "very fraught", and it was possible that the show could stop airing in Britain. In late 2021, Channel 5 moved Neighbours to a 6 pm timeslot, as it extended its news coverage to a one-hour-long broadcast from 5 pm. The 1:45 pm showing was unchanged. On 5 February 2022, a report from The Sun , later confirmed by Digital Spy , stated that Neighbours had been cancelled in
53580-444: Was screened in Australia as a 22-minute episode on weeknights, in an early-evening slot. It moved to Ten's digital channel, Eleven (later rebranded 10 Peach ) on 11 January 2011, and was broadcast each weeknight at 6:30 pm. The show was produced by Fremantle Australia and has been sold to over sixty countries around the world, making it one of Australia's most successful media exports. Neighbours had been especially successful in
53815-422: Was shocked and angry over the decision to axe his character and he said he was not offered an explanation as to why his contract was not going to be renewed. He told Inside Soap "I don't understand it at all, Lou is very popular with everyone, especially the kids, who even come up to me in the street and say: I wish my dad was more like Lou." Oliver agreed to stay with the show past his original departure date, so
54050-487: Was sold to help cover his medical expenses. He died of a stroke on August 7, 1957, and longtime friend Bob Chatterton said Hardy weighed just 138 pounds (63 kg; 9.9 st) at the time of his death. Hardy was laid to rest at Pierce Brothers' Valhalla Memorial Park , North Hollywood. Following Hardy's death, scenes from Laurel and Hardy's early films were seen once again in theaters, featured in Robert Youngson 's silent-film compilation The Golden Age of Comedy . For
54285-519: Was speaking to the cat. Kathy decides that they should not get back together and returns to Brisbane. Lou begins looking for a date to Lauren's wedding and he manages to scare off Lauren's wedding caterer with his advances. Lou begins thinking about his past relationships, and he meets with Trixie to see if there is a chance of a reconciliation, but she leaves when Sheila tells her Lou is on the rebound. At Lauren and Brad's wedding, Lou and Kathy realise that they still have feelings for each other and they hold
54520-457: Was speculation that Neighbours would cease production following the breakdown of its deals in the United Kingdom, and Network Ten entering voluntary administration. On 9 October 2017, Stewart Clarke of Variety reported that Channel 5 and FremantleMedia had agreed a new deal that would see the yearly episode count increased from 240 to 258, as well as plans for new primetime specials. The deal meant that from 2018, Neighbours would run across
54755-480: Was the "camera look", where he breaks the fourth wall and, in frustration, stares directly at the audience. Hardy said: "I had to become exasperated, so I just stared right into the camera and registered my disgust." Offscreen, Laurel and Hardy were quite the opposite of their movie characters: Laurel was the industrious "idea man", while Hardy was more easygoing. Laurel and Hardy's best-known catchphrase is, "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!" It
54990-482: Was the show's longest-serving male cast member. Lou is often a positive person, even when things fail. He is loyal and enthusiastic about each new challenge. Tony Johnston, author of Neighbours: 20 years of Ramsay Street , said Oliver has pulled off the remarkable task of imbuing a "dodgy character with some irresistibly likable qualities." He described Lou as being a ready confidant and an eternal dreamer. Oliver described Lou as "Mischievous, humorous and honest" and told
55225-435: Was watched by up to 16 million viewers – more than the entire population of Australia at the time. In 1988, Neighbours became the only television show to have its entire cast flown over to the UK to make an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance in front of the Queen . Neighbours has since become the longest running drama series in Australian television and the seventh longest running serial drama still on
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