While the soap moved from the BBC to Channel 5 and lost British viewers over the years, for those who grew up in the 1980s and ’90s it was always more than just a TV show. From Paul’s bond with his wife’s twin sister – immortalized by baby monitor! – and Todd was killed on his way to stop Phoebe from having an abortion, in the tornado and plane crash in recent years, the Neighbors brought typical soap opera, tragedy and sexy affairs, but as the sunniest, brightest Australian cousin of its British counterparts. Picture: How many first-time residents of Ramsay Street can you name? Photo: Fremantle Media / Shutterstock While the big screen and polished dramas are gaining acceptance from critics, the vast majority will never see the love that soaps build with their audience. The characters are a constant in our lives, the (mostly) friendly people inviting us up and down and providing hot topics for the school playground and, let’s be honest, office chat. And nothing more than Dr Karl Kennedy, played by Alan Fletcher. After 28 years in Erinsborough, he and his wife on screen Susan (played by Jackie Woodburn) are officially the longest-lived residents of Ramsay Street. Despite Dr. Carl’s assumptions – who can forget Susan’s slap? – and a naughty kid and a recent questionable investment, he and Susan stay together and are arguably the Neighbors’s favorite star. Not only beloved on screen, he has also formed a fan base as a musician – first with the Waiting Room band and now as he prepares to release his debut solo album. So as we prepare for the end (sobs), who better to say goodbye to on Ramsay Street? “We’re going to finish filming the final scenes on June 10,” says Fletcher (you have to remember to call him that, Dr Karl’s urge to write is strong). “I’m on a break from Neighbors now until mid-May, so I’ll be back and do the last four weeks of the show, which they promise to be – that’s a big statement – probably the best Neighbors episodes ever. because we have a lot of visitors coming back. “It will be a complete hurricane on set and I think the fans will love it.” So far, Harold Bishop (played by Ian Smith) has been confirmed to return, he says, and there are many others. Can we expect Kylie and Jason to bring back Scott and Charlene, maybe Margot Robbie or even Russell Crowe? And can Fletcher reveal anything about how it will end? Surely it could not have been all a dream, in the style of Dallas? Or could it end with a T-Rex attack like Byker Grove? (Yes really). Picture: The latest episode of The Neighbors airs this summer – could a Scott and Charlene comeback be on the horizon? “It simply came to our notice then [give a spoiler]”If I only knew,” says Fletcher. “Here’s the issue… I can not tell you something I do not know. The ink is still drying in that last episode, they were waiting to write it as much as possible because they did not know who would return … and now they are keeping it so guarded. “These are such top secret things, I do not know when I will find out. I guess … three weeks before it happens and my script reaches my inbox. So I could be cunning and call you then.” (Obviously Sky News keeps him in it). “I guess whatever this last scene is, everyone will show up and fill the studio,” he says. “This has happened in the past when the actors left the show, where they are shooting their last scene and there may be only two people on the set, you know, discussing their love, and there are 150 people in the studio, in the dark. , waiting for the scene to end. “This will be great, I know it will be. It will be so emotional. I think a lot of people just will not know what to say. They will not know what to do. It will be like, what do we do now?” Will Carl and Susan move to the UK? Picture: Carl and Susan are the longest-lived residents of Ramsay Street. Photo: FremantleMedia LTD As such a popular character, have you ever considered a spin-off of Carl and Susan? “What would be fun would be for Carl and Susan to travel to the UK and accidentally show up in every British soap as tourists,” he suggests. “We could be in EastEnders and go for a pint in the pub and I could go to the Doctors set and be asked to help save a life on the road. We would have a great time. Go to Corey and then across to Emerdale. Brilliant “. What if he could keep a Neighbors souvenir? “There is a piece of souvenir that will be absolutely capital to get your hands on,” he says. “It’s the portrait of the three Kennedy children painted by Ellen Daniels sitting over our fireplace. He has been there for literally 27 years. This is a cracker. “There’s also a photo of me from the ’70s when I had a mustache and a bit of semi-long hair, which was actually from a play I owned. So the first thing I do on the last day of filming is hurry up and grab whatever belongs to me. “But I do not know that there will be any opportunity to viciously try to pinch anything because I think it will be stored as history. Basically, it’s history, everything will go to a museum, I think.” “I’m not looking for a pop star” Image: Fletcher releases his debut solo album Dispatches later in 2022. Photo: Courtesy of Alan Fletcher After Neighbors, Fletcher acknowledged that acting could be “a bit difficult, because of course everyone associates me with Dr Karl”. For now, he has decided to focus on music. After playing with the rock band Waiting Room since 2004 – releasing two albums and touring the UK 10 times in eight years, as well as a weekly stay in Melbourne for 12 years – he began to realize his passion for Americana and popular music in 2020. The resulting album, Dispatches, is set to be released later this year, with the first single – Sorry Is The Word, a duet with former Neighbors star Alyce Platt (Jen Handley and later Olivia Bell allowed to exchange soap characters) – earlier in April. “The music I really want to work hard for and I can’t wait to take a short break so I can write music and record it,” says Fletcher. “Right now, I have 10 songs, but you know what? I’m very likely to write another one that I like more and some things will end up getting booted. Well, yes, I’m looking forward to the future.” He later added: “I’m not looking for any kind of pop star or anything. I’m just looking to play my music as honestly as I can and I do not care if 10 people are watching.” Inspired by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton and Keith Urban, Fletcher says his solo appearances will be very different from his Waiting Room appearances in the 2000s – which often took place in university nights. as the students watched Dr. Carl on stage. “It was time for a party,” he says. “There are a lot of jumps around being silly, but this music is a little more restrained. And when I play in the UK, I’m going to play a three-pointer, so it’s more about the words and more. antics “. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:58 “Dr Karl” sent this lockdown message to Sky News readers in 2020 What’s in the blue box? Fletcher also has the show “The Night With Me”, The Doctor Will See You Now, which after the cancellations of COVID will finally tour the United Kingdom in September. And of all the questions people want to ask about Dr. Carl, one is about his sex life coming the most. “Everyone wants to know what’s in Carl and Susan’s blue box that they keep under their bed, because that’s their marital aid,” she says with a laugh. “It’s basically meant to be a pretty big part of their love life – but no one knows what’s in it.” Like the end of the Neighbors, Fletcher stays closed to it. You will need to tune in at the end to see if a blue revelation box is part of the final queue. Unbelievable, maybe – but stranger things have happened to the soap. Read more: “No kisses, only distant, loving looks”: Social distance from the soap weed Kylie Minogue pays tribute as the soap is beaten after 37 years The latest episode of Neighbors is set to air in August. Alan Fletcher’s duet Sorry Is The Word has now been released, with the album Dispatches to follow later in 2022
