I gave up smoking in January. Every now and again, though, I do indulge in a nasty, filthy death-stick. Because it's there, and it's easy, and it's familiar, and damnit, I know this is wrong (SO wrong) but I actually enjoy it.
I mention this only because I've been following the digital evolution plans for Neighbours for a while, and recently became aware that BBC3 was not only: a) Planning to show the episodes screened on BBC1 later in the evening, or the evening of the day before to attract a different audience, but also b) That they were in conversation with the producers Grundy to produce Neighbours specials.
While the former point is the one that's got me really worried - is it possible to get re-addicted to Ramsay Street? Because cigarettes were bad, but Neighbours was the crack of my youth. I may say I'm older and wiser, and split up with the Neighbours a good few years hence - but then, even though everybody knows it's a bad idea to sleep with your ex, everyone still ends up doing it.
The latter point, though, is a concern. Are these going to be like the Hollyoaks specials? All plot-free nudity and stand-alone storylines careful not to damage the continuity of the primetime version of the show? Surely in it's 20th year on UK screens the beloved Aussie bland-blenders can be spared the indignity. I can picture it now: a sudden jaunt to some far-off exotic city (Perth, most probably), Harold gets naked, Lou gets kidnapped for half-an-hour, and a bunch of other young beauties I no longer know the name of share contentious kisses on the great landmarks of Perth (whatever those may be).
What BBC3 should really do, of course, as a warm up, is instead of all those re-runs of Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (and hell, while you're at it, instead of all the new episodes too), show classic Neighbours episodes. Scott and Charlene's wedding. Bouncer's Dream. The one where Harold died (but actually didn't). The tragic death of Daphne. That plane crash recently. Alright, let's be honest, those are the only ones I can think of right now - but surely there are more...
The danger is that if more classic episodes don't present themselves, Neighbours could become to BBC3 what the inescapable Friends is to E4.
And no matter what anyone says, good Neighbours don't always make good Friends.
