Paging ‘Dr. Karl Kennedy’

For 19 years Alan Fletcher has been playing Dr. Karl Kennedy on Australia’s longest-running soap, Neighbours.

In an industry where many like to move on for fear of becoming stale, that makes him one of the show’s longest-serving actors. And there’s no sign of him ending anytime soon.

“I’d just like to get to my 20^th year and say ‘I’ve done that!’”he laughs.  “But it’s flown by.

“I don’t think about it in terms of longevity or time. I measure it in terms of enjoyment. If I can come to work in the morning and think ‘I’m excited about what I’m going to do today,’ then I could come forever.

“But my character has been evolving for 20 years. I don’t play the same guy I was in 1994 and if I was here in a couple of years I wouldn’t be playing the same guy I’m playing now. I’d probably be playing Harold!”

At Fletcher’s side is actress Jackie Woodburne, who also joined in 1994, as his wife Susan. He described working with her as ‘a godsend.’

“Working with her is so different to a lot of other people I’ve worked with in the past, so a lot of what we do is in shorthand. It makes life very easy, very quick, and helps us to find enjoyment in the material that we might have to go digging into a lot deeper for if we didn’t know each other so well,” he says.

“I have to say to you this is a pretty magnificent job. People like to talk about how much hard work it is but it’s actually just a magnificent job. You have an enormous amount of fun. We’re like a bunch of kids in the Green Room.

“If anybody saw us they’d think ‘Gee, you’re not taking yourselves very seriously.’ But in fact that’s how we keep the ball in the air –to keep the energy up. Our relationship with the crew is closer than you’d imagine. It’s not ‘us and them.’ We’re all making the programme together, we all joke together, we all know each other really, really well. The word ‘family’ is bandied about easily, but it’s only because it’s true.”

Fletcher says new producers have spruced up both the storylines and the production.

“There have been quite a few medical stories of late which have been good to do. So I get the serious medical side, and for Jackie and I there are new young family in the street and we’re helping them to discover Ramsay Street. We’re like a conduit for them to find out about the past.”

The Kennedys have had three teenagers: Malcolm (Benjamin McNair), Libby (Kym Valentine) and Billy (Jesse Spencer).

Spencer has since gone onto international fame, but despite making some noises about his desire to re-appear, it’s yet to happen.

“I wish he could!” Fletcher admits.

“He went straight from House to Chicago Fire. So I don’t know, but maybe.

“Maybe he could come back as a 50 year old for my funeral! Who knows?

“It would be truly lovely if he did.”

Kym Valentine took indefinite leave in 2011 to address health issues.

“I saw Kym the other day. She has a very young daughter ….and she’s very focused on being a mum,” Fletcher suggests.

Neither TEN nor FremantleMedia have clarified if she will ever return.

Nevertheless, recently the ELEVEN series got a shot in the arm when producers built new backyards on its Nunawading backlot, to enable the show to have permanent access to locations which had previously been hired but restricted. Having new backyards allows the writers to construct more diverse storylines.

“FremantleMedia came to the cast a couple of years ago and announced they were going to be embarking on this massive expenditure and growth program, which took us aback because it seemed a big endeavor. But their commitment to the brand is so big,” Fletcher explained.

“It’s very easy to forget just how widespread the brand is throughout the world and how many territories we play in and how many millions of people see it every day. With modern technologies those numbers are now expanding, they’re not contracting. People are watching it on phones and websites and all sorts of things.

“Channel 5 (UK) are out here all the time. We’re in constant contact with them as a cast. They email us all the time about episodes they love. It’s complete hands-on interaction. It’s not just ‘we make it, they show it.’”

5 offers UK fans two screenings a day, online catch-up screenings and weekend marathons.

“There was a little resistance to Channel Five when it first started because it was a digital station and not a lot of people could get it but its Reach changed very quickly,” says Fletcher.

“But it’s a natural fit with a very young station.”

As he looks ahead with a 20th anniversary looming ever-closer, Fletcher remains optimistic about the show and hints at some promising storylines for Dr. Karl Kennedy.

“They’ve briefed us about upcoming storylines and there’s one I can’t talk about but it will be an absolute cracker.”

Neighbours airs 6:30pm weeknights on ELEVEN.