# Australian Soaps **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 12, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608 "2008-10-12T18:53:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4491bb/32.png) [@I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Have_Hippos_In_My_Garden)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608/1 "2008-10-12T18:53:31Z")
Here in the UK _Home and Away_ and _Neighbours_ are really popular with teenagers and university students (they are really big at universities-Karl Kennedy is held as a legend). I was wondering if they are shown in America? If not, why are they so popular in the UK and not America? Also, how popular are they in Australia? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608/2 "2008-10-12T18:58:01Z")
I never understood quite how Neighbours was so popular, but I watched it every single day. This is going back to when Kylie and Jason were on it. I don’t watch it any more. But I must have watched for a solid ten years or more. How long ago was ‘Dr Chase’ on it? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4491bb/32.png) [@I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Have_Hippos_In_My_Garden)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608/3 "2008-10-12T18:59:51Z")
Who is Dr Chase?!! I watch just Home and Away now, Neighbours seems a bit plastic and so haven’t watched that for about 6months. I’ve been watching them both for about 10years. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608/4 "2008-10-12T19:19:46Z")
> **[Robert Chase](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Chase)** > > Robert Chase, M.D. is a fictional character portrayed by Jesse Spencer on the Fox TV series House. Chase works a part of the team of diagnosticians who work under Gregory House until the end of the third season, when House fires him. Following season 3 Chase continues to work at the hospital as a surgeon, and returns to House's team in season 6. > Chase is the longest-serving member of House's staff. Chase is attracted to Allison Cameron through season 3 of the show and embarks on a romantic relat... Wiki has everything. > **[Billy Kennedy (Neighbours)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Kennedy_(Neighbours))** > > Billy Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jesse Spencer. He made his first appearance on 27 September 1994, arriving in Ramsay Street with his family. He departed on 5 April 2000, but made a small cameo for the show's 20th anniversary episode broadcast on 27 July 2005, and for the show's final episode on 28 July 2022. > In 1994, the Neighbours storyliners decided to introduce a new "solid" family called the Kennedys. The family, which consisted o... ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608/5 "2008-10-13T00:02:02Z")
> [@I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](#): > > Here in the UK _Home and Away_ and _Neighbours_ are really popular with teenagers and university students (they are really big at universities-Karl Kennedy is held as a legend). I was wondering if they are shown in America? If not, why are they so popular in the UK and not America? Also, how popular are they in Australia? I don’t think Australia’s tastes reflect America. I recall I loved the Aussie soap “Prisoner” (called “Prisoner: Cell Block H” in America). It actually lasted in Chicago longer than most place, till the Sandy Edwards era where she was killed. But in most areas of the US “Prisoner” only got to 50 or 100 episodes ---
**Author:** ![vintageloveletter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@vintageloveletter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vintageloveletter)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608/6 "2008-10-13T03:51:48Z")
I’m American and I’ve seen both those shows while living in Australia. They bored me, but so do American soap operas. I can’t get into the story-lines and I hate the fact that there’s no finality. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608/7 "2008-10-13T11:20:24Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I don’t think Australia’s tastes reflect America. I I’m not certain that they are hugely popular here and I would never say they are Australia’s tastes. I think it is the UK market that sustains them- I would not have seen either in 20 years. (In saying that every second teenager may be watching them for all I know. I loathe soaps). ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608/8 "2008-10-13T11:37:50Z")
_Home and Away_ seems to still be popular in AU, probably because it’s almost entirely centered around teenagers, and flamin’ mongrels, which the kids of today can relate to more than the wider age range of characters in _Neighbours_. I say this having never watched either shows. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608/9 "2008-10-13T13:24:26Z")
I once watched an episode of _Neighbours_ under false circumstances. It was about 3 years ago and my son and I were holidaying together, turned on the TV and saw the credits of a very old episode of _Neighbours_ with super young Kylie and Jason. We watched the whole episode and neither of them was in it for a second. Other than that I count them among the long list of Aussie shows that I have never watched. Neighbours 1 episode (tricked) Prisoner 0 Home and Away 0 McLeod’s Daughters 0 All Saints 1/2 an episode Blue Heelers 0 City Homicide 1/4 of an episode x 2 etc ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608/10 "2008-10-13T13:33:59Z")
Now if you had ever watched “Arcade” I would be impressed. And lets not forget “Number 96” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608/11 "2008-10-13T20:08:45Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > McLeod’s Daughters 0 My wife and daughter are giant fans of this, gobbling up the DVDs from NetFlix. I think they’ve finished the sixth season, all they’ve issued in the US, which is where it should be named McCleod’s Second Cousins once removed. My daughter is now in Germany, where it seems to be inexplicably popular also. They’re into it for the animals, and because it is an excellent way to make me move to the other side of the house. ---
**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-soaps/467608/12 "2008-10-17T00:20:05Z")
hee hee… saw part of an episode of “neighbours” a few years ago… something about a bbq and some kid stole a bike from a cancer patient. if i’m remembering right the girl i was with at the time said she never watches this rubbish, but that the last time she did, seeral months ago the bbq was supposed to be “next week” and the time had not changed since.