Helen Daniels

Last updated

Helen Daniels
Neighbours character
Helend1997.jpg
Portrayed by Anne Haddy
Duration1985–1997
First appearance18 March 1985 (1985-03-18)
Last appearance17 October 1997 (1997-10-17)
Classification Former; regular
Created by Reg Watson
Introduced byReg Watson
In-universe information
OccupationArtist
Home James director
MotherGloria Simpson
Sisters Laura Dennison
Gwen Simpson
Husband
DaughtersAnne Robinson
Adoptive daughters Rosemary Daniels
Grandsons Paul Robinson
Scott Robinson
Granddaughters Julie Martin
Jill Ramsay
Lucy Robinson
Nieces Nikki Dennison
First cousinsThelma Duncan
Other relatives

Helen Daniels is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours , portrayed by Anne Haddy. Following the death of Jim Robinson (Alan Dale) in 1993, she remained the only original character played continuously by the same actor until her own death in 1997, making her the second longest-serving original character after her grandson Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis).

Contents

Creation and casting

Helen is one of the twelve original characters conceived by the creator and then executive producer of Neighbours, Reg Watson. [1] Watson invited Haddy to play Helen in a bid to portray a mother-in-law out of conjunction with the battleaxe stereotype. [2] The role required Haddy and her husband James Condon to relocate from Sydney to Melbourne for filming. Haddy admitted that it was a big decision. [3] As the couple were settling into their new home, Haddy learned Seven Network had cancelled Neighbours. She said "My heart fell to the floor. Jim and I had moved all our furniture from Sydney to Melbourne and the thought of packing up again was too much." [1] The serial was soon picked up by Network Ten and Condon joined the cast alongside his wife. Haddy commented that she was "working like a dog and loving every minute of it." [1] She also liked that she was not treated "like an old crock" on set. [1]

Development

Helen's character outline, detailing her fictional backstory, appeared in James Oram's 1988 book Neighbours: Behind the Scenes:

When her daughter died, Helen's heart went out to Jim and his four children and she took over the running of the house. Helen has been widowed for fifteen years. She is an avid reader with a strong interest in world affairs and politics, and is an accomplished amateur artist. However, the core of her life is the well-being and happiness of the Robinson family. [4]

Haddy thought Helen was similar to herself, saying that she was "very supportive, downright, earthy and very modern in her ideas. She wasn't when she was younger but she's developed that way through her experiences." [3]

Helen is a caring woman, often being portrayed as "a shoulder to cry on" for her friends and family, She has a sympathetic nature and offers motherly advice to anyone who needs it. [5] Helen's storylines have sometimes been tragic, but she always remains the voice of reason and helps those around her. [5]

In the Neighbours twentieth anniversary book she is described as being the serial's matriarch for over 12 years. [6] Also described as "having a heart of gold" and "not only being the linchpin of the Ramsay Street community, but she opened her heart and home to anyone in need of care and attention." [6]

In 1997, Haddy was forced to quit the serial due to her own ill health. [7] Producer Peter Dodds admitted that the crew were worried about the gap her departure would leave in the show, as she was still a core cast member. [8] He said that Haddy was "fiercely loyal" to Neighbours, but he thought it was not fair for her to stay on while she was so ill. After discussing it with Haddy, producers decided the best thing to do with Helen was kill her off, as it had "good dramatic potential" and gave her a definite end. [8]

Storylines

She married her first husband Bill Daniels at age seventeen and remained married to him for over thirty years until his death in 1969. Years after she was devastated to find out he had an affair with her best friend Grace Barnett (Marijke Mann). [6] The couple had a biological daughter, Anne, and an adopted daughter, Rosemary (Joy Chambers). Anne married Jim Robinson (Alan Dale) and had three children with him – Paul (Stefan Dennis), Scott (Darius Perkins; Jason Donovan) and Julie (Vikki Blanche; Julie Mullins) – before dying while giving birth to Lucy. After Anne's death, Helen moved into the Robinsons' home at 26 Ramsay Street, to help Jim with the family.

In the show's storyline Helen helped run the Robinson household. During her time in Erinsborough she endured the deaths of her son-in-law Jim, as well as her grandchild Julie. Her other grandchildren gradually departed, and Julie's widower Philip Martin (Ian Rawlings) and his children, Debbie (Marnie Reece-Wilmore) and Hannah Martin (Rebecca Ritters) moved into the Robinson house. During her 12 and a half years on the show, Helen was charged with drink driving, buried a granddaughter, had an affair with her daughter's fiancé, was kidnapped, was evicted, was widowed, told her daughter she was adopted and had a bout of depression after son in law Jim Robinson died. In the storyline Helen remarried twice, first in 1991 to Michael Daniels (Brian Blain), her first husband's cousin. Michael was soon revealed as a bigamist who was still married to his first wife Louise (Maggie Payne) and so the marriage was annulled. She later married Reuben White (James Condon) in 1995; however, he died soon afterwards.

After becoming increasingly frail and spending a long time in hospital, Helen returned home on her birthday in 1997. After watching a ten-year-old video of Scott and Charlene's wedding, with Philip, Debbie, Hannah and her friends Harold (Ian Smith) and Madge Bishop (Anne Charleston) around her, she fell asleep on the sofa and died. At the end of the episode, Helen became the third character to have her death marked by the sad piano theme tune and tribute stills. [9] However, for the first, and so far only time, there were no actual credits shown, given her exceptionally important and long-standing role in the show. A memorial service was later held at Lassiter's lake where her ashes were laid.

Reception

For her portrayal of Helen, Haddy won the Sustained Performance by an Actress in a Series accolade at the 1987 Penguin Awards. [10] In 1995, Haddy was nominated for Most Popular Actress at the 1st National Television Awards. [11] The following year, Haddy received an Inside Soap Award nomination for Best Single Performance by a Female, as Helen grieved for Reuben. [12] At the two subsequent ceremonies, Haddy won Best Soap Veteran, [13] and Helen was nominated for Most Missed Character. [14]

Anthony Hayward of The Independent described Helen for Anne Haddy's obituary, he stated: "When the serial started, Helen was the widowed mother-in-law of Jim Robinson, and to the Robinson family she was known as "The Rock of Gibraltar". She was the diplomat and voice of reason to whom residents of Ramsay Street, in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough, turned for advice." [2] He also branded her "the most glamorous granny on television". [2] Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture gave Helen a 5 out of 5 for her contribution to Neighbours, during a feature called "A guide to recognising your Ramsays and Robinsons". [15] Deller called Helen "The most respected elder of the Robinson clan". [15] She added "Helen was a local artist renowned for her 'interesting' paintings of the locals and her tendency to take in waifs and strays. She also had an unfortunate habit of marrying conmen, bigamists or men who died shortly after their wedding. Helen was always the voice of reason, and when she died (sadly followed closely by Anne Haddy, who played her), the street lost perhaps its most beloved character ever". [15]

In 2010 to celebrate Neighbours' 25th anniversary Sky , a British satellite broadcasting company profiled 25 characters of which they believed were the most memorable in the series history. [16] Helen is in the list and describing her they state: "According to the mid-nineties joke, what will be left at the end of the world? Cockroaches and Helen Daniels. Well, you could guarantee that in such an event, Helen would take in the waifier, strayier cockroaches and rehabilitate them off the path to juvenile centre. Helen was a far gentler matriarch than her British equivalents, dealing with the problems of all the neighbourhood teens, which presumably revolved around waxing for her own grandkids Debbie and Hannah. Her name lives on in her eponymous charity foundation, and as the painter of that dreadful portrait of the Kennedy children in Karl and Susan's front room." [16] Editor of MSN TV, Lorna Cooper branded Helen a 'kindly matriarch' for caring for many of the show's teenagers. [17]

ATV News labeled Helen one of their icons, [5] describing her capacity to love as great, even after all the tragic events she had lived through, subsequently branded her as a shoulder to cry on for all of her neighbours. [5] They also compared her to Meg Richardson, a fellow fictional character from UK serial drama Crossroads , which was also created by Reg Watson, stating they are well-known to be similar and often drew these comparisons during Helen's time in the serial. [5] Josephine Monroe in her book Neighbours: The first 10 Years, describes Helen as being the "linchpin of Neighbours", adding that everyone wanted to be her friend and would turn to her for help and that she is universally loved. [18]

In her book Soap opera, Dorothy Hobson describes Helen as breaking the stereotype for older women stating: "She was a very attractive woman, probably in her sixties, who had a successful career as an artist a number of romances and led a completely independent life, whilst still providing stability within the family." [19]

Helen was placed at number ten on the Huffpost's "35 greatest Neighbours characters of all time" feature. [20] Journalist Adam Beresford believed Helen was so famous that you could "ask any 80s or 90s kid to name their favourite fictional granny, and Helen would top the list." [20] He described Helen as "firm but fair, she was the voice of wisdom, providing a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on." [20] Beresford thought she "brought a touch of class to Erinsborough", viewed her relationship with son-in-law Jim as "refreshing" but concluded that she painted the "worst portraits ever known to man". [20] In a feature profiling the "top 12 iconic Neighbours characters", critic Sheena McGinley of the Irish Independent placed Helen as her twelfth choice. [21] She called Helen the Australian answer to the iconic British soap opera characters Dot Cotton (June Brown) and Edna Birch (Shirley Stelfox). [21] McGinley claimed that Helen will always be "the antithesis to the cretinous Mrs Mangel". She concluded that Helen was the show's "doting, glamorous granny, who always lent an ear to anyone who needed to offload a worry." [21] Sam Strutt of The Guardian compiled a feature counting down the top ten most memorable moments from history of Neighbours. Strutt included Helen's death as the third most memorable, adding "there wasn't a dry eye" in viewers' homes. [22] A Herald Sun reporter included Helen's death in their "Neighbours' 30 most memorable moments" feature. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Bishop</span> Fictional character in the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Harold Wayne Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Smith. The character was loosely based on the UK’s Jon, and to a lesser extent his younger brother, Jim White. Smith was offered the role by the show's creator and executive producer Reg Watson. Smith made his first screen appearance as Harold during the episode broadcast on 30 January 1987. He departed in September 1991, but returned five years later in October 1996. Harold remained on screen for over twelve years, making him one of the longest-running characters in the show's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erinsborough</span> Fictional location from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Erinsborough is a fictional suburb of Melbourne, Australia, where the soap opera Neighbours is set, focusing on the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work there. Neighbours primarily centers on the residents of Ramsay Street and other Erinsborough locations, most prominently those situated within the Lassiters complex. Erinsborough is a loose anagram of Neighbours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madge Bishop</span> Fictional character from an Australian soap opera

Madge Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Anne Charleston. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 January 1986. Madge was introduced as the sister of original character Max Ramsay. She soon becomes the main matriarch of the Ramsay family. Madge arrives with her marriage in tatters, following a brief but passionate affair with Raymond Philips, her son in prison, and her daughter a runaway teen; she rolled up her sleeves and got a job in The Waterhole to support the family as a single mother. She departed on 27 November 1992, before making a return on 7 November 1996. Madge died on 6 April 2001 from terminal pancreatic cancer. Charleston reprised the role for the show's 30th anniversary celebrations from 4–20 March 2015, and for the intended finale on 28 July 2022.

Lucy Robinson (<i>Neighbours</i>) Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Lucy Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Melissa Bell. The character has previously been portrayed by Kylie Flinker and Sasha Close. She was created by producer Reg Watson as one of the serial's original characters. Lucy was a prominent figure during the early 1990s of Neighbours, with Bell playing her on and off for five years. Portrayed originally as being clever, a recast was implemented to fit the character's transformation and she became the stereotype of a ditzy blonde female. She has been involved in storylines including battling a brain tumour, coping with blindness, incest, modelling and addictions to drugs, alcohol and spending. She has also been positively and negatively received by critics for her "busty blonde" image while played by Bell. After making a brief return on 6 May 2013, Lucy made subsequent return visits until 2016. She was reintroduced as part of the serial's 35th anniversary in 2020, before returning briefly in late 2021 as part of the reintroduction of her half-brother, Glen Donnelly, and twice in 2022, appearing in the show's finale episode. Bell returned on 18 September 2023 following the show's renewal, but departed again on 21 September 2023. Bell returned again on 13 February 2024 for three episode centered around David Tanaka's death and left again on 15 February 2024.

The Robinson family are a fictional family from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours. The family were created by Reg Watson and introduced in the first episode of the serial, broadcast on 18 March 1985. The family initially consisted of Jim Robinson, his mother-in-law Helen Daniels, and his four children Paul Robinson, Julie Martin, Scott Robinson, and Lucy Robinson. The Robinsons have one of the largest and most complex family trees in the show's history.

Jim Robinson (<i>Neighbours</i>) Australian soap opera character

Jim Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Alan Dale. Jim was created by Reg Watson as one of Neighbours' twelve original characters. He made his on-screen debut in the soap's first episode, which was broadcast on 18 March 1985. Jim was the patriarch of the Robinson family. Dale departed the show in 1993 after falling out with the producers over pay and his character was killed off on 29 April 1993. Dale filmed some scenes for the serial in September 2018, which aired on 25 December 2018 and 25 March 2019.

Scott Robinson (<i>Neighbours</i>) Fictional character from the soap opera Neighbours

Scott Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours. He was created by Reg Watson as one of the serial's twelve original characters. Originally played by Darius Perkins, he made his debut during the first episode broadcast on 18 March 1985. Perkins was 20 years old when he received the role of teenager Scott. He felt some anxiety about his audition performance and did not think anything was going to come from it, until the production company contacted him a month later to sign on as Scott. When production moved to Network Ten in 1986, producers wanted "a more upfront" Scott and the role was recast to Jason Donovan, who joined the cast following his graduation from school. He made his debut on 12 February 1986, and producers hoped Donovan's blond hair and blue eyes would increase the character's appeal. Perkins later said that he had been physically and mentally exhausted after filming for nine months, and felt unable to continue in the role of Scott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Landers</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Todd Landers is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kristian Schmid. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 15 February 1988. Todd was introduced along with his younger sister Katie Landers. They were given an instant connection to the show through their aunt, Beverly Marshall. After choosing to leave the serial in 1991, Schmid suggested to the producers that his character should be killed off, and Todd died in the episode broadcast on 13 July 1992. He reappeared as a spirit in the following episode.

Julie Martin (<i>Neighbours</i>) Fictional character

Julie Martin is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours. Originally played by Vikki Blanche, she made her first screen appearance during the show's first episode broadcast on 18 March 1985. The character departed in the same year. When she returned in 1992, Julie Mullins took over the role. Julie married Philip Martin and became his children's stepmother. Julie and Philip also had a daughter, Hannah. Julie's storylines have included struggling to befriend her stepson, her crumbling marriage and the discovery that she is a product of rape. Julie was portrayed as a busybody and gossip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosemary Daniels</span> Soap opera character

Rosemary Daniels is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Joy Chambers. She made her first on-screen appearance on 20 February 1986 and appeared intermittently. Rosemary is the adoptive daughter of Helen Daniels and the sister of Anne Robinson. Rosemary was the first character to discover Jim Robinson's body, following his death. Rosemary has been portrayed as a tough businesswoman who runs the Daniels Corporation. Chambers reprised the role in 2005 and returned for several episodes to help celebrate the show's 20th anniversary. Rosemary returned in 2010 for four episodes to celebrate the 25th anniversary. She made the first of her appearances on 6 July 2010 and the last on 20 August 2010. Following Chambers' death, Rosemary was killed off-screen in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlene Kratz</span> Soap opera character

Marlene Kratz is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Moya O'Sullivan. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 5 July 1994. She was introduced as the estranged mother of Cheryl Stark. The pair often argued and Marlene constantly interferes in other people's business, but O'Sullivan believed Marlene meant well. She also described her as enormously caring, but Cheryl struggles to forgive Marlene for leaving her and her father. As she settles in, Marlene opens a bric-a-brac store and is often up for a scam or a bet. She also has a brief romance with Colin Taylor. The character was written out in mid-1997 and exited the serial on 14 October 1997, when she went on a three-month cruise and never returned. O'Sullivan reprised her role for the show's 20th anniversary episode, which was broadcast on 27 July 2005. Marlene revealed that she is still sailing the seas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Landers</span> Fictional characther

Katie Landers is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Sally Jensen. She made her first on screen appearance on 15 February 1988. Katie is the niece of Beverly Marshall and sister to Todd Landers. During her time in the show, she became close friends with Toby Mangel. Katie departed on 6 September 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Burke</span> Soap opera character

Dorothy Burke is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Maggie Dence. The actress accepted the role after being approached by a representative from the show's production company. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 7 March 1990. Dorothy is portrayed as an eccentric. She is well travelled and speaks several languages. She often wears black clothing, which a writer for the official show website said gives her "a witch-like appearance." During her time in the show, Dorothy was the principal of Erinsborough High School. Dence did not have much in common with Dorothy, and a reporter noted that she was barely recognisable out of character, especially without her iconic hairstyle. Dence filmed her final scenes for Neighbours in November 1992. She confirmed that Dorothy would not be killed-off. Her final scenes aired on 3 February 1993, as Dorothy leaves Erinsborough with her love interest Tom Merrick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Marshall</span> Soap opera character

Beverly Marshall is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours. Upon her introduction on 6 July 1987, the character was played by Lisa Armytage. Following Armytage's decision to quit the role in 1988, producers chose to recast the role to Shaunna O'Grady. O'Grady relocated from Sydney to Melbourne for filming and her first scenes as Beverly aired on 16 March 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annalise Hartman</span> Soap opera character

Annalise Hartman is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kimberley Davies. She made her debut during the episode broadcast on 15 January 1993 and departed on 31 January 1996. Davies reprised the role in July 2005. Annalise has often been portrayed as having a conniving persona. Her notable storylines have included a cancer scare, surviving a plane crash and being jilted at the altar on her wedding day. The character has been noted for her many relationships, which also saw her dubbed by media sources as a "man-magnet" and a "blonde bombshell."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Davis</span> Soap opera character

Zoe Davis is a fictional character from the Australia soap opera Neighbours, portrayed by Ally Fowler. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 January 1986.

"Episode 523" is the 523rd episode of the Australian soap opera Neighbours. It premiered on Network Ten on 1 July 1987. The episode was written by Ray Harding, directed by Rod Hardy, and executively produced by the serial's creator Reg Watson. Episode 523 focuses on the wedding of popular couple Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell. The storyline was devised by the producers after some viewers became outraged by the idea of an unwed couple moving in together. They also believed that the wedding would be "the perfect climax" to the character's long-running relationship and an instant ratings hit.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Oram 1988, p.116.
  2. 1 2 3 Hayward, Anthony (8 June 1999). "Obituary: Anne Haddy". The Independent . UK. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  3. 1 2 Lee Lewis, Jacqueline (24 February 1985). "Seven goes for the big three with Neighbours". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 10 July 2020– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  4. ↑ Oram 1988, p.114.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Shaun Linden (15 March 2010). "ATV Icons: Helen Daniels". ATV News Network. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 Johnston, Tony (2005). Neighbours: 20 years of Ramsay Street. News Custom Publishing. p. 40. ISBN   978-1-876176-78-5.
  7. ↑ "Neighbours hits 15 years of success". BBC. 26 October 2001. Archived from the original on 9 July 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Make sure you stay tuned!". Inside Soap . No. 110. 19 September – 2 October 1998. pp. 30–31.
  9. ↑ Nunn, Gary (3 September 2018). "Neighbours' first same-sex wedding reflects Australia's glorious new reality". The Guardian . Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  10. ↑ Hooks, Barbara (2 November 1987). "No yawns at the '87 Penguins". The Age . p. 19. Retrieved 31 January 2020– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  11. ↑ "Vote! Vote! Vote!". Inside Soap . No. 35. July 1995. pp. 35–36.
  12. ↑ "The 1996 Inside Soap Awards". Inside Soap . No. 50. 1–14 June 1996. pp. 32–33.
  13. ↑ "We're award winners too!". Inside Soap . No. 81. 9–22 August 1997. p. 37.
  14. ↑ "Vote in the 1998 Inside Soap Awards!". Inside Soap . No. 104. 27 June – 10 July 1998. pp. 22–24.
  15. 1 2 3 Deller, Ruth (23 July 2009). "A guide to recognising your Ramsays and Robinsons". Lowculture. Archived from the original on 14 August 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
  16. 1 2 "Neighbours: 25 Top Characters". Sky.com . British Sky Broadcasting. 2010. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  17. ↑ Cooper, Lorna (17 March 2010). "TV's Neighbours: where are they now?". MSN. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  18. ↑ Monroe, Josephine (1996). Neighbours: the first 10 years. Michael Joseph LTD (Penguin Group). pp.  44. ISBN   978-0-7181-4212-4 . Retrieved 29 May 2010.
  19. ↑ Hobson, Dorothy (2003). Soap opera. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. p. 16. ISBN   978-0-7456-2655-0.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Beresford, Adam (16 March 2020). "The Definitive Ranking Of The 35 Greatest Neighbours Characters Of All Time: #10-1". HuffPost . Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  21. 1 2 3 McGinley, Sheena (22 February 2022). "Top 12: Iconic Neighbours characters". Irish Independent . (Independent News & Media). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  22. ↑ Strutt, Sam (3 March 2022). "Neighbours: the 10 best memories, from Scott and Charlene to Madge's ghost". The Guardian . Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  23. ↑ "Neighbours' 30 most memorable moments" . Herald Sun . 7 March 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2024– via Gale.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.