Neighbours producer: “We should have killed off Harold”
Neighbours producer, Susan Bower, now reckons the soapie should have killed off Harold Bishop.
- Published by David Knox
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It might have been the clincher that got him the Gold Logie…
Speaking to the UK’s Digital Spy, Neighbours‘ producer Susan Bowers says the show should have killed off its beloved Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) rather than head off to travel the country.
Were you sad to see such an icon as Harold leave the series?
“Yes, of course. My only reaction is yes. To be honest I just wish that with the amount of discussion that happened, and I have to say that it is ultimately my decision, I think we should’ve killed the character off.”
How would you have killed him off?
“I think through the cancer storyline. But I’m delighted that he is alive and well and enjoying himself and the fact that we’ve got a lovely photograph of him in the store and we named the store after Harold, at least means that his spirit will always live on.”
Would you ever consider bringing him back?
“You never say never. I just think that if you do it too many times, though, the audience just gets p*ssed off.”
Is Lou lost without Harold or will he come into his own?
“With the plans that we have, Lou will not be lost. However, the actor Tom [Oliver] is on a similar deal to what Ian [Smith] was on where he spends a fair amount of time away from the show and then he comes back. He’s not full time. That’s his choice and those sorts of decisions are made because you don’t want to lose the character or that type of character. Tom Oliver and Lou are as much an icon as Harold in a way.”
Meanwhile, actor Brett Tucker is also quitting the series with plans to move to the US in September.
“My contract was always two years and that was planned from day one,” Tucker said. “I have loved the opportunity, it has been fantastic to be on the show.
Source: Digital Spy
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- Tagged with Logie Awards, Neighbours
13 Responses
Can someone remove Susan from this series. Whoever is responsible for the girl playing Sunny should be sacked. This show is full of holes, and it would be so easy to fix. Susan needs to understand the show she is working on, rather than stuffing it big time as she is doing.
The show has been pathetic under Susan. Somebody should kill her contract pronto.
didnt they kill him years ago. their ratings would still be terrible if they did that. they have lost the plot at neighbours. cut your losses 10 and taje it off the air
Margot Robbie (Donna) would have been a dead cert to win if PTTR hadn’t become such a phenomenon. Margot has what it takes to become extremely popular (and accomplished), but unfortunately, she’s always going to be up against Jessica Marais. It’s kind of like the difference between a single that peaks at #2 and a #1 hit – it’s all about timing.
I’m just looking back at some old Neighbours articles (I arrived at this one via several articles linked to the December 2020 article about Nathan Borg joining the show as its first hard of hearing character). I’ve always been a huge fan of Margot Robbie’s, but I had no idea when I wrote what I did back in 2009 that she would become as big as she has. She’s a phenomenal talent.
I think Dan will have to die I dont see there is any other option.
Writing Libby out just because he is leaving would be an utterly ridiculous thing to do as she is a great asset to the show and at times the reason I am a veiwer.
The only way Dan wont die is if Sam returns and lures him back into being with her, if Libby feels she cant be with Dan as she dosen’t love him as much as she did Drew or if Darren Stalk returns and sleeps with Libby.
As to Harold, his death would have been really sad and I still dont think it would have won him Gold Logie. To be honest; Gold Logie, most popular actress/actor Neighbours haven’t won since the 80’s and with ratings the way they are they are not likely too any time soon. Plus the fact those awards are normally property of PTTR or H&A. But if they want a Logie win they should be aiming to get some really, good likeable, attractive and well acted teenage characters who could possiably help them win the new talent awards- these awards are in Neighbours reach still I’d like to think. They have done well with the Ramsay kids, Kate Ramsay in paticular but who knows how the awards will go.
That’s ridiculous that Libby has to lose another husband.
Although I’d rather her lose a husband than see her not grace Ramsay Street.
Sacrilege. She has done more to wreck this show than to help it. She should be sacked.
Poor Harold! Though it does surprise me about Brett Tucker. I wonder how he will leave and what will happen with Libby? Dan Paris who played Drew, her previous husband got killed off.
so how are they getting rid of tucker!?? libby will have no husband then??
I’m glad they didn’t kill him off, they’d already killed him once before so it was nice to see him go out on top this time. Plus, Neighbours has always been a bit hit and miss when it comes to bringing people back for weddings/funerals etc. so they probably would have ended up showing a funeral with none of Harold’s family in attendance (like they did with Madge).
Wow that’s a rather cynical comment. I’m glad they didn’t kill him off as i hate it when any soap character is killed off. As much as I liked Harold and the iconoc Neighbours characters of the 80s, I don’t think he deserved to win the Logie over Rebecca Gibney or any of the other Neighbours cast for that matter. He was a jobbing actor that gave no more or less than any of the other long running characters in the show.
I have to agree, plus if they had done a funeral episode they might have got some past actors to come back for it, Harold did not get the sign off he deserved as he left 3 or 4 times, and his final exit was no different to the last two.