Here's a report from
The Sydney Morning Herald that should by rights surprise no one who has watched an episode of
Neighbours in the entire history of the soap opera's, er, history, but which is nonetheless disappointing considering the world we live in (i.e. one that isn't solely populated by WASPs and the occasional swarthy Italian):
Neighbours is
too white:
Australian TV soap Neighbours in which Kylie Minogue first found fame has been branded "too white" by black and Asian viewers in Britain. A report by the nation's racial equality chief found many ethnic viewers felt were under-represented in some of Britain's most popular shows.
Neighbours, which is screened on the Five network, and the BBC comedy The Vicar of Dibley starring Dawn French were singled out for being "all white".
Other popular soaps including the BBC's Eastenders and ITV's Coronation Street also came under attack for including stereotypical characters such as Asian shopkeepers and black single mums.
They're pretty much on the money - the only non-white characters I can remember on
Neighbours (and I've only recently given it up after years of faithful viewing) were a single Asian mother giving birth on the side of the road one time, Conor's ex-stripper Asian babymama, and, er, anyone else got anything?
Oh and there was Lil and her family, who were what, Serbian? And they went down in a plane crash. Good track record, Neighbours!
- By Clem Bastow for Defamer.
Check out the gallery of special Harold Bishop moments above.