Episode 6188

Last updated

Episode 6188
Neighbours episode
Episode no.Episode 6188
Directed by Jonathon Dutton
Written by Sarah Mayberry
Original air date22 June 2011 (2011-06-22)
Guest appearance
Episode chronology
← Previous
Episode 6187		Next →
Episode 6189
List of episodes

"Episode 6188" is the 6188th episode of the Australian soap opera Neighbours . It premiered on Eleven on 22 June 2011. The episode was written by Sarah Mayberry, directed by Jonathon Dutton, and executively produced by Susan Bower. Episode 6188 revolves around Mark Brennan's (Scott McGregor) departure from the soap. The storyline sees Mark tell his girlfriend, Kate Ramsay (Ashleigh Brewer), that he is going into witness protection. He reveals that she has just 30 minutes to decide whether to stay behind in Erinsborough or leave with him. However, when she makes the choice to leave, she has trouble convincing her younger sister to come too.

Contents

The soap's executive producer, Susan Bower, revealed that the team wanted Mark "to go out with a bang" and they took inspiration from the US drama 24 to create a special real-time episode. The show's script producer thought the technique was "the best way to do justice" to the character and his exit, although it proved to be a challenge for the crew as it was different from the normal storytelling process. Episode 6188 focused on a 30-minute timeframe between 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm, which is when Neighbours is broadcast in Australia. The episode was filmed over two nights and extra effort went into ensuring the continuity was right throughout.

The episode received generally positive attention. A TV Week writer stated that it was "unmissable". The Sydney Morning Herald's Andrew Murfett believed the real-time aspect was "a clever device" for fans of the show who may have fallen out of touch with it. Cameron Adams from the Herald Sun chose the episode for his feature on the best television programs being broadcast on 22 June. Channel 5 included the episode in their "Top 20 Aussie Soap Moments of 2011" program, while Inside Soap proclaimed the episode was one of "The Best Bits of July" in their annual yearbook. Dutton earned a nomination for Best Direction in a TV Drama at the 2012 Australian Directors' Guild Awards.

Plot

Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor) waits nervously for an answer from his girlfriend, Kate Ramsay (Ashleigh Brewer), about going into witness protection with him. He states that it is too dangerous for him to stay in Erinsborough and that she can bring her younger sister, Sophie (Kaiya Jones), with them. Kate tells Mark that she does not want to lose him and agrees to go. Mark reveals that they only have half an hour and heads over to his house to pack. Sophie returns home and Kate tells her that they are leaving town that night. An upset Sophie explains that she cannot pack her life up in a bag and refuses to go. Kate tells her the decision has already been made and they are leaving. As Mark is wondering whether to call his parents, his housemate, Jade Mitchell (Gemma Pranita), arrives home unexpectedly. When she enquires about his bag, he tells her he needs a change of clothes for a double shift. Kate finds Mark and asks for more time, but Mark tells her they do not have any. He gives her the details of the meeting point and they kiss, before Kate leaves him.

Mark's other housemate, Kyle Canning (Chris Milligan), gets in from work and realises Mark is leaving because of the harassment he has received due to exposing the corruption within the police force. Mark admits he is going into witness protection and he and Kyle say their goodbyes. Sophie decides to go with Kate and they hurry to meet Mark. At the meeting point, Mark's boss, Duncan Hayes (Paul Ireland), arrives and asks if Mark is ready. He replies that Kate is on her way, as he hands his wallet and phone over. Sophie struggles to keep up with her sister and tells her to go to Mark, as they can collect her on the way. Kate continues running, just as it starts to rain. Hayes tells Mark that they need to leave, but Mark asks him to wait for a few more minutes. When Kate reaches the meeting point, she finds no one there. Sophie questions whether Mark changed his mind and Kate runs home to Ramsay Street. She enters Mark's house calling his name and then receives a text message saying "I love you", which Mark sent from Hayes' phone. Kyle comforts Kate while she cries about Mark.

Production

Conception and development

Scott McGregor called the episode "really intense and dark" and believed viewers would be on the edge of their seats waiting to find out what happens. Scott McGregor 2.jpg
Scott McGregor called the episode "really intense and dark" and believed viewers would be on the edge of their seats waiting to find out what happens.

In February 2011, McGregor announced his departure from Neighbours and a Herald Sun reporter stated that he would film his final scenes in April. [2] On screen, his character was seen exposing corruption within the local police force and then receiving threats from some of his colleagues. [1] McGregor later explained to a Press Association reporter that Mark's exit storyline would not be a happy one, as he is forced out of Ramsay Street. [3] Mark is asked to enter a witness protection program and the night before he leaves, he realises he is still in love with his ex-girlfriend, Kate (Brewer). McGregor told Sarah Ellis of Inside Soap "He hasn't been able to tell Kate that he's leaving before now – but he just can't say goodbye, and asks her to come along with him. It's such a very big ask, so of course she has to give it a lot of thought." [1]

Mark's departure was shown during a special real-time episode, which focused on a 30-minute timeframe. [4] [5] Executive producer Susan Bower revealed that the team wanted Mark "to go out with a bang" and commented that while the episode features about half a dozen people, it is mostly about Mark and Kate. [5] The show's script producer, Emma Gordon, agreed that the real-time episode was "the best way to do justice" to the character and his exit. [6] McGregor explained that while the producers were planning his character's exit, they took inspiration from the US drama 24 . [4] Gordon admitted to Tiffany Fox from The West Australian that the technique was a real challenge for Neighbours. [6] She said "It is a bit different and a bit out of our normal storytelling process but it gives such a sense of tension which is exactly the feeling we wanted to create. When you have half an hour to make a decision that will affect the rest of your life, every excruciating minute counts." [6]

Filming

The episode sees Mark reveal that he only has 30 minutes before he has to leave for witness protection. He then tries to convince Kate to come with him. [6] The storyline takes place between 6:30pm and 7:00pm, which is when Neighbours airs in Australia. [6] The episode was filmed over two nights and Gordon told Fox that extra effort went into ensuring the continuity was "perfect." [6] Every minute had to be accounted for, including the commercial breaks and the time taken up by the actors walking from one house to another. Gordon commented that clocks and watches are used throughout the episode to keep the tension high. [6] During an interview with a Channel 5 website reporter, Brewer said that filming the episode was similar to filming a regular episode of the soap, as the scenes were still shot out of order. [7] She thought it was nice working in a short time period that did not jump from day to day. [7] During the filming of the final scenes on location, the weather took a turn for the worse and it began to rain. However, Gordon added that it looked "spectacular and adds such an atmosphere." [6]

Brewer told a Channel 5 website writer that the rain was the biggest challenge of the night shoot, as it was "beyond freezing". [8] She also revealed that she ran in shoes that she had not broken in and they made her feet bleed. [9] The actress added "It was incredibly stressful but I guess it was stress in a good way. There were months of preparation involved so that it could run like clockwork. So I guess it was stressful in the sense the emotional stakes were heightened for a two-week period. It was exhausting and I think we can all say we were happy once it was over. But the final result was worth it." [9] McGregor filmed his final scene out of sequence at the Melbourne studios. [1] He explained that they had already shot Mark's last scene on location, then went back inside to do the studio shots. [1] He revealed "The final thing I filmed was a conversation between Mark and Kyle, where they're saying goodbye. It was a bit sad, but it was basically just these two guys hugging each other – with the cast and crew watching!" [1]

Reception

The real-time episode was broadcast on 22 June 2011 in Australia and on 20 July in the UK. [10] [11] It was watched by 408,000 Australian viewers upon its first airing, making Neighbours the highest rated show on digital multi-channels that night. [12] In the UK, an audience of 1.30 million watched the episode. [13] For his work on Episode 6188, Dutton earned a nomination for Best Direction in a TV Drama at the 2012 Australian Directors' Guild Awards. [14] A TV Week website writer called the episode "an edge-of-your-seat special", which was "unmissable". [15] The Sydney Morning Herald's readers gave the episode three out of five stars, while the paper's television critic, Andrew Murfett, commented "The clock is omnipresent in tonight's 'real-time' Neighbours episode. The gimmick of the formatting – the episode unfolds in real time over an action-packed 30 minutes on Ramsay Street – means the clock appears almost every minute to remind us of what is a pressing deadline. It's a clever device for fans who have perhaps fallen out of touch with the folks at Erinsborough. In fact it's almost impossible not be at least mildly interested about the future prospects of Scott McGregor and Ashleigh Brewer in the aftermath of this 24-style ep." [10]

A reporter for PopSugar Australia said "We love it when our favourite, long-running TV soapies surprise us with something new and a little different." [16] Cameron Adams from the Herald Sun included the episode in his feature on the best television programs being broadcast on 22 June, saying "Brooding cop Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor) has 30 minutes to leave Erinsborough before the poop goes down with the dodgy police investigation that's been dragging on for months. Girlfriend Kate plans to leave with him, but her sister Sophie's not so keen on a life change." [17] Channel 5 included the episode in their "Top 20 Aussie Soap Moments of 2011" program, where it came second overall. [18] A writer for the channel's website believed that it was clear from the start that Mark would be worthy of a memorable send-off, during a feature on the character's "best bits". [19] A writer for the Inside Soap Yearbook, which was published at the end of 2011, proclaimed the episode was one of "The Best Bits of July". [20] A reporter for the Daily Record stated "Goodbye Brennan – we enjoyed having you and your hunky good looks around, but all good things must come to an end." [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramsay Street</span> Fictional cul-de-sac in the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Ramsay Street is the fictional cul-de-sac in which the characters of the Australian soap opera Neighbours live. The street is set in the equally fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. Neighbours storylines primarily centre on the residents of the street, which was named after Jack Ramsay, the grandfather of original character Max Ramsay. A blackjack game between Jack and Sam Robinson determined whose name the street would be named after. Only six houses on the street are featured on a regular basis; numbers 22 to 32. Number 34 was featured for the only time in 2018. The cul-de-sac is at the end of a long street and the rest of the houses are on the other side of the main road which bisects it. The street behind Ramsay Street is named Mirrabooka Drive. A storyline within the show saw the name of the street nearly changed to Ramsbottom Street. Harold Bishop led a protest against it and won.

<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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Izzy Hoyland</span> Australian soap opera character

Isabelle "Izzy" Hoyland is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Natalie Bassingthwaighte. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 1 September 2003. Izzy was introduced as Max Hoyland's younger sister. The character departed in 2006, following Bassingthwaighte's decision to focus on her music career. However, in March 2007, Bassingthwaighte made a brief return to film a few episodes set in London. The character was well received by critics and viewers and Bassingthwaighte earned three Logie Award nominations for her role. In October 2017, Bassingthwaighte reprised the role for a guest appearance and she returned on 12 February 2018 until 20 March 2018. She reprised the role again on 21 July 2022 for the serial's then final episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott McGregor (actor)</span> Model and actor

Scott McGregor is an Australian model, television presenter and actor. McGregor worked as a model on the game show Temptation. He has also appeared in television commercials and print advertisements. From 2008, McGregor hosted the motoring show Blood, Sweat and Gears. As an actor, he has appeared in Underbelly, Winners & Losers and Offspring. McGregor joined the cast of Neighbours as Detective Mark Brennan in 2010. He departed the show the following year to pursue other career opportunities, before returning in 2013 for a guest stint. He returned in 2014 in a regular capacity, until his departure in 2019. He reprised the role once more the following year.

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

Sophie Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kaiya Jones. The actress was cast in the role following a competitive audition process. Jones began filming her first scenes in February 2009. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 18 May 2009. The character was created as part of a new generation of the Ramsay family, along with her brother Harry and sister Kate. Sophie is the youngest of three siblings introduced to the show. Sophie departed on 29 March 2013, after Jones decided to leave to concentrate on her schooling. The actress briefly reprised the role for two episodes on 7 and 8 April 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Ramsay</span> Fictional character

Kate Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ashleigh Brewer. The actress successfully auditioned for the role and relocated to Melbourne for filming. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 15 May 2009. Kate was introduced along with her siblings Harry and Sophie as a new generation of the Ramsay family. Her storylines have included dealing with the death of her mother, becoming the legal guardian of her siblings, her relationships with Declan Napier and Mark Brennan and kissing a student. For her portrayal of Kate, Brewer earned a nomination for Most Popular New Female Talent at the 2010 Logie Awards. In November 2013, it was announced Brewer had quit Neighbours and Kate was killed off during the episode broadcast on 8 April 2014.

"Who Pushed P.R.?" is a storyline from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, which began on 23 August 2010 with a special week of episodes. The week culminated in the soap's 6000th episode, where the character Paul Robinson is pushed from the Lassiter's Hotel mezzanine by an unseen assailant. The storyline aired as part of the show's 25th anniversary and Dennis's character was made the focus of the storyline as he was the only remaining member of the original cast. The storyline was initially going to see Paul being shot, but the show's G rating prevented the production team from going ahead with it. Events leading up to and following the attempted murder put several characters in the frame, in the style of a whodunit mystery.

Mark Brennan (<i>Neighbours</i>) Fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours

Mark Brennan is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Scott McGregor. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 30 August 2010. McGregor initially had a four-week guest contract, but this was increased to six months. Shortly after, it was announced that McGregor's contract had been extended again to twelve months and that he would become a regular cast member. McGregor departed the serial on 22 June 2011, after his contract was not renewed. He reprised his role for a brief return from 20 May 2013, before rejoining the regular cast on 5 February 2014. McGregor departed Neighbours for a second time on 15 October 2019, but returned for a guest stint as part of the show's 35th anniversary celebrations on 17 February 2020.

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

Jade Mitchell is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Gemma Pranita. Pranita's casting was announced on 7 September 2010 and she began filming her first scenes the day before. The actress was in Russia when she received a call from her agent about the audition for Neighbours. She returned to Australia and her agent managed to get her in on the last day. Pranita won the part of Jade and she was given a twelve-month contract with the show. She relocated to Melbourne for filming and she made her first screen appearance as Jade during the episode broadcast on 10 December 2010. In June 2012, Pranita announced her departure from Neighbours. She filmed her final scenes in August and departed on 29 October 2012.

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

Kyle Canning is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Chris Milligan. The actor successfully auditioned for the six-week recurring role of Kyle and he made his first on screen appearance on 26 November 2008. Milligan was later asked back every couple of months to do a few weeks filming. After eighteen months of playing Kyle on a part-time basis, Milligan was given a full-time contract deal and he and his character were promoted to the regular cast. Milligan said he was ecstatic about his promotion and looked forward to developing his character further. In August 2011, Milligan had to be written out of Neighbours temporarily so he could recover from an injury he sustained off screen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhys Lawson</span> Character from Australian soap opera "Neighbours"

Rhys Lawson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ben Barber. The actor's casting was announced on 18 May 2011 and he began filming his first scenes the week before opposite established cast members Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne. Barber said he loved his character and was looking forward to what was ahead. He made his debut screen appearance on 13 July 2011. In November 2012, it was announced that Barber would be leaving Neighbours and Rhys made his last screen appearance on 20 March 2013.

"Episode 6646", also known as "The Eclipse", is the 6646th episode of the Australian soap opera Neighbours. It premiered on Eleven on 20 May 2013. The episode was written by Jason Herbison and directed by Laurence Wilson. Episode 6646 revolves around an annular eclipse, which changes the lives of several Ramsay Street residents. It was first teased by executive producer Richard Jasek in January 2013. The episode saw several storylines play out with Kyle Canning sustaining serious damage to his eyesight, a child kidnapping, the introduction of a new family and the return of two former characters; Mark Brennan and Brad Willis.

Neighbours is a long-running Australian television soap opera created by television executive Reg Watson. It was first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985 and currently airs on digital channel 10 Peach. Since its inception, several spin-offs have been produced, including books, music, DVDs and internet webisodes. Several annuals and books by pulp fiction writer Carl Ruhen were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Barry Crocker's version of the theme tune was the first music release from the show, which also has included a Christmas album and the show's love theme. Two potential television spin-offs have reached the pilot stage, while five DVD box sets of Neighbours episodes from the beginning have been released. In 2013, Neighbours launched their first webisode series Steph in Prison. Several other webisode series' has since been released, with the most recent series SheilaTV becoming available from December 2018. Other merchandise includes official video and board games, stationary and clothing.

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

Paige Carpenter-Smith is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Olympia Valance. The actress was cast in February 2014 after a lengthy audition process, which included four call-backs. Series producer Jason Herbison said Valance was cast in the role as she was "the perfect fit" for the character. Valance had been a successful model prior to her casting and Paige marked her first acting role. Valance's half-sister Holly Valance previously appeared in the show as Felicity Scully. Valance was initially contracted for three years. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 2 June 2014. Valance filmed her final scenes in November 2017 and Paige's departure aired on 30 March 2018. Valance returned on 24 February 2020, as part of the serial's 35th anniversary celebrations. On 4 May 2022, Valance confirmed that she was returning for the show's final episodes and Paige returned on 20 July 2022 until the show's final episode on 28 July 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ellis, Sarah (16–22 July 2011). "I would've stayed for more money!". Inside Soap (28). Hachette Filipacchi UK: 38.
  2. ↑ "Model neighbour leaving Ramsay St". Herald Sun . The Herald and Weekly Times. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  3. ↑ "Scott heading out of Neighbours". Press Association. 17 March 2011. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  4. 1 2 Kilkelly, Daniel (8 June 2011). "'Neighbours' to air special real-time episode". Digital Spy . Hachette Filipacchi UK . Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  5. 1 2 Kilkelly, Daniel (13 June 2011). "'Neighbours' Brennan 'to go out with a bang'". Hachette Filipacchi UK . Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Fox, Tiffany (17 June 2011). "Neighbours gets real..." The West Australian . Seven West Media. Archived from the original on 15 December 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Ashleigh: Kate followed her instincts". Channel 5 . Northern & Shell. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  8. ↑ "Ashleigh teases real-time episode". Channel 5 . Northern & Shell. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  9. 1 2 Kilkelly, Daniel (20 June 2011). "'Neighbours' star: 'Real-time episode was stressful'". Digital Spy . Hachette Filipacchi UK . Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  10. 1 2 Murfett, Andrew (22 June 2011). "Neighbours, Wednesday, June 22". The Sydney Morning Herald . Fairfax Media . Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  11. ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (9 July 2011). "6188: Kate faces a race against time". Digital Spy . Hachette Filipacchi UK . Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  12. ↑ Knox, David (20 June 2011). "Week 26". TV Tonight . Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  13. ↑ "Channel 5 w/e 24 Jul 2011". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  14. ↑ "Nominees for the ADG Awards 2012". Australian Directors' Guild Awards. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  15. ↑ "Coming soon on Neighbours". TV Week . Ninemsn. 5 June 2011. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  16. ↑ "Neighbours channels 24 with a real-time episode tonight". PopSugar Australia . Sugar Publishing. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  17. ↑ Adams, Cameron (22 June 2011). "Tonight's TV: A full-on Neighbours". Herald Sun . The Herald and Weekly Times . Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  18. ↑ "Brennan and Kate's goodbye". Channel 5 . Northern & Shell . Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  19. ↑ "Mark Brennan's best bits". Channel 5 . Northern & Shell. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  20. ↑ "The best bits of July". Inside Soap Yearbook 2012 (6). Hearst Magazines UK: 61. November 2011.
  21. ↑ "Soap stories". Daily Record . Trinity Mirror. 16 July 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2012.

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.