Parallels between H&A and Neigbours

[adam436]

There has been a number of similarities in storylines between H&A and Neighbours over the years that have been extremely close in timing, do we think it's possible that one influenced or inspired the other or are they just coindience? 

These events happened quite quickly together, it's hard to argue they were "copied", but some of them are quite big coincidences: 

• Vinnie and Leah/Dan and Libby - both men wore kilts at their ceremonies. They were too close togetheher to say that one copied the other though, but it's an interesting coincidience. Both also then had "against the odds" pregnancies and gave birth in the finales. 
• The Sutherlands and the Scullys - both families consisted of three girls and arrived within months of each other. I don't know how far ahead H&A plot their characters, but the gap was big enough that H&A might have been inspired by the Scullys? Interestingly, actor Kevin Sumner said he unsuccessfully auditioned for Neighbours' Joe Scully, having just missed out on a similar role on H&A. Kevin seemed too old to play the Sutherland dad (unless the parents were made youngers when they found the right actors?) and it seems unlikely the H&A producers would have been casting the Sutherlands as early as 12 months out, so I wonder if it could have been Ken Smith. It would have been a similar role in terms of being the patriarch of the Smith family/husband of Irene. 
• The deaths of Oscar and Josh - both characters died in explosions just a few weeks apart and both left behind a female twin. In both cases, another member of the same family also died in the respective stunts. 
• Episode 4000 vs Neighbours 20th anniversary - both reunions occured onscreen at the same time. Neighbours' reunion was talked about for months, so maybe H&A tried their own thing with a milestone episode happening that year, or again, it could have been a coincidence since there had been a few reunion events in the years earlier. 
• The deaths of Ailsa and Madge - both died a few months apart and were both the longest-running characters in the cast at that point. That one is just an interesting paralell more than anything else. 
• Both shows became darker at the same time - the 2005 season marked new eras for both shows. Both became darker and had more heightened plots including stalkers, plane crashes, kidnappings etc. H&A certainly adapted to the new era much better than Neighbours, but it's another interesting trend they both jumped on board this trend at the exact same time. 

 

 

Characters that were potentially inspired by the other soap: 

• Amanda Vale/Izzy Hoyland - was Amanda inspired by Neighbours' Izzy Hoyland? Izzy had been around for a few years at this point, you could certainly argue it's possible. You could even argue the writers tried to recreate the Izzy/Susan feud with Amanda and Beth, with Amanda's fling with Scott and then married Beth's dad. 
• The Braxtons/the Brennans - were the Brennans Neighbours' attempt to create a hunky male sibling family to try and capture some of that magic? The Braxtons had been around for a few years by the time Mark joined as a regular.

 

[j.laur5]

6 minutes ago, adam436 said:

There has been a number of similarities in storylines between H&A and Neighbours over the years that have been extremely close in timing, do we think it's possible that one influenced or inspired the other or are they just coindience? 

These events happened quite quickly together, it's hard to argue they were "copied", but some of them are quite big coincidences: 

• Vinnie and Leah/Dan and Libby - both men wore kilts at their ceremonies. They were too close togetheher to say that one copied the other though, but it's an interesting coincidience. Both also then had "against the odds" pregnancies and gave birth in the finales. 
• The Sutherlands and the Scullys - both families consisted of three girls and arrived within months of each other. I don't know how far ahead H&A plot their characters, but the gap was big enough that H&A might have been inspired by the Scullys? Interestingly, actor Kevin Sumner said he unsuccessfully auditioned for Neighbours' Joe Scully, having just missed out on a similar role on H&A. Kevin seemed too old to play the Sutherland dad (unless the parents were made youngers when they found the right actors?) and it seems unlikely the H&A producers would have been casting the Sutherlands as early as 12 months out, so I wonder if it could have been Ken Smith. It would have been a similar role in terms of being the patriarch of the Smith family/husband of Irene. 
• The deaths of Oscar and Josh - both characters died in explosions just a few weeks apart and both left behind a female twin. In both cases, another member of the same family also died in the respective stunts. 
• Episode 4000 vs Neighbours 20th anniversary - both reunions occured onscreen at the same time. Neighbours' reunion was talked about for months, so maybe H&A tried their own thing with a milestone episode happening that year, or again, it could have been a coincidence since there had been a few reunion events in the years earlier. 
• The deaths of Ailsa and Madge - both died a few months apart and were both the longest-running characters in the cast at that point. That one is just an interesting paralell more than anything else. 
• Both shows became darker at the same time - the 2005 season marked new eras for both shows. Both became darker and had more heightened plots including stalkers, plane crashes, kidnappings etc. H&A certainly adapted to the new era much better than Neighbours, but it's another interesting trend they both jumped on board this trend at the exact same time. 

 

 

Characters that were potentially inspired by the other soap: 

• Amanda Vale/Izzy Hoyland - was Amanda inspired by Neighbours' Izzy Hoyland? Izzy had been around for a few years at this point, you could certainly argue it's possible. You could even argue the writers tried to recreate the Izzy/Susan feud with Amanda and Beth, with Amanda's fling with Scott and then married Beth's dad. 
• The Braxtons/the Brennans - were the Brennans Neighbours' attempt to create a hunky male sibling family to try and capture some of that magic? The Braxtons had been around for a few years by the time Mark joined as a regular.

 

Rhys always look and seemed so much older to me and when had his 40th birthday in 2002 I thought he look old enough for it to be his 50th.

[Homeandawayfan.]

Both shows have always been pretty similar since, forever, as they have always focused more on younger people, even though Neighbours and H&A did cater more for older people as well in their early years - such as Floss and Mrs Mangel, Helen Daniels and Neville McPhee. Both set in sunny exotic locations, but H&A was more sunnier due to more outdoor scenes and the fabulous beach setting. 

When H&A began in Jan 1988, it did make Neighbours look a bit outdated, as Neighbours was running out of steam a bit by then, and did not pick up again until c1991. Comparing 1988 H&A vs 1988 Neighbours, well H&A was more fun and feisty. It was like an Australian EastEnders to a degree, full of life, not as gritty as EE though. 

Several of the older characters are around the same age such as Harold Bishop and Colleen Smart, or Jim Robinson and Don Fisher. I think Floss is the same age as Eileen Clarke, and Helen Daniels the same age range as Neville McPhee and Mrs Mangel.

I think both shows have often lived off one another and copied one another at times.

 

Edited August 3 by Homeandawayfan.

[Irishbraxton]

Libby Kennedy was the Sally Fletcher of Neighbours.

I like to think also Neighbours and H&A were part of the same universe too, one character I’d love to see in H&A is Paul Robinson opening up Lassiters Hotel in Summer Bay .

[adam436]

5 hours ago, Irishbraxton said:

Libby Kennedy was the Sally Fletcher of Neighbours.

Both essentially came of age onscreen, both went on to have teaching careers, both lost husbands and had trouble concieving. Their journies are quite similar, but that's to be expected since they are both typical soap arcs for long-term characters. I guess another paralell is the chalk-and-cheese friendship between Alf and Don and Harold and Lou. Harold and Donald are both the straught-laced moral ones, whereas Alf and Lou are more larrikan types, and both have owned mutliple businesses in the neighbourhood. In both friendships, there was also Ailsa/Madge who had been romantically involved with Donald/Lou before marrying Alf/Harold. 

I guess another paralell is the Macklin Corporation in the early years, as an attempt to mirror Neighbours' Daniels/Robinson Corporation. Corporate business was quite a thing in 80s soaps though, so I'd say that's more of a general trend than anything else. 

[Revealed]

I stopped watching Neighbours around the turn of the century so can't comment on the newer era.

The most obvious thing was off the back of the popularity of Kylie & Jason, Home & Away got Kylie's sister and Jason's dad on the show. They also poached Craig McLachlan to play someone who just felt like Henry Ramsay on another show. In the UK Neighbours was further behind than Home & Away so we were watching him on both shows at the same time.

[Irishbraxton]

The Bayside Diner and The Coffee Shop.

[adam436]

11 hours ago, Revealed said:

The most obvious thing was off the back of the popularity of Kylie & Jason, Home & Away got Kylie's sister and Jason's dad on the show.

I never actually made that connection with Terence Donovan's H&A appearance before. I've read the producers saw Emma and Adam as the "Scott and Charlene", but other than Dannii being Kylie's sister, I really don't see any comparison between the two couples. 

Frank with Roo or Bobby were the teen "power couple" of the eighties so probably the most Scott and Charlene vibes in my opinion, especially since Frank had a wedding day to both of them.

 

 

11 hours ago, Revealed said:

They also poached Craig McLachlan to play someone who just felt like Henry Ramsay on another show. In the UK Neighbours was further behind than Home & Away so we were watching him on both shows at the same time.

H&A also signed up short-lived Neighbours regular Richard Norton after Neighbours axed him too. His H&A character Simon was probably just as forgettable as his Neighbours one. Was he ever appearing in both soaps simulatenously in the UK as well? 

Didn't Craig McLachlan get in a say in the type of character he wanted to play? If so, you would think he have opted for a completely different type of character to move on from Henry (if that makes sense!) since those peak Neighbours cast were so synonymous with their characters. 

[Homeandawayfan.]

Also in Neighbours and H&A, in their first year, Lassiters and the Bayside Diner did not exist. I know they started to bring in the Diner in late 1988 when it was being built, but it was not open until early 1989 I think. 

Until then, in both shows, the coffee shop owned by Daphne, and Ailsa's store cafe area were the usual meeting holes.

Also in just over a year, H&A will be the only other Australia soap to hit 40. H&A will likely outlive the now defunct Neighbours for years. 

Why are Neighbours and H&A the only 2 Australian soaps to last for decades? I guess it was their focus on younger characters, more modern storylines and locations, and both launch pads for stars.

[Irishbraxton]

I don’t think Neighbours will ever return, even after Amazon cancelled it second time around the cast knew it was done and there was mostly radio silence from them and the media too, it was a very different reaction from the 2022 cancellation. I do watch classic Neighbours on YT so I still get my Neighbours fix, for H&A however I hope it lasts many more years to come and that they at least reintroduce teens / foster kids on a permanent basis down the line.

Edited August 6 by Irishbraxton