Friends for Twenty Years
"Friends for Twenty Years" is the 4773rd episode of the Australian television soap opera Neighbours. The episode was written by Ben Marshall, directed by Jovita O'Shaughnessy, and executively produced by Ric Pellizzeri. It first aired on 27 July 2005 on Network Ten in Australia, as part of the soap's 20th anniversary. Planning for the episode began in March 2004, twelve months before the anniversary. Producers decided to celebrate the 20th anniversary on-screen in July, as winter ratings are usually higher.
Many former Neighbours cast members were invited back for the episode. Producer Peter Dodds said the biggest challenge was getting the returning characters and the anniversary episodes to relate to what was going on in the show at the time, but he believed he had found a good way to combine both the past and the present. "Friends for Twenty Years" was shot in early 2005. Most of the returning actors filmed their scenes at the show's studios in Nunawading, while the others shot their appearance wherever they were based in the world.
The episode centres on Annalise Hartman's (Kimberley Davies) return to Erinsborough to screen her BBC documentary about Ramsay Street and its former residents, some of whom returned to town to view the documentary along with the current residents. More than 6 million viewers tuned in for the episode in the UK, while the critical response for the episode was mixed. Most critics bemoaned Annalise's new career as a film maker, while others were disappointed with the returning characters and thought the episode would only appeal to fans of the show.
At the General Store, Boyd Hoyland (Kyal Marsh) and Sky Mangel (Stephanie McIntosh) discuss his new role as a father to Kayla Thomas's (Virginia Ryan) daughter. They are interrupted when Sky's father, Joe (Mark Little), suddenly arrives to see Sky. Joe explains that he had to come to town when he heard about Annalise Hartman's (Kimberley Davies) Ramsay Street documentary and he asks Sky all about Boyd and Kayla. Joe is also reunited with his former father-in-law, Harold Bishop (Ian Smith). At Karl Kennedy's (Alan Fletcher) flat, Toadfish Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney), Lance Wilkinson (Andrew Bibby), Annalise, Doug Willis (Terence Donovan) and Philip Martin (Ian Rawlings) gather to reminisce and film more scenes for Annalise's documentary. The following morning, all of the locals gather in Ramsay Street for a party and the screening of the documentary. Joe reminisces about his time on the street, while Max (Stephen Lovatt) and Stephanie Hoyland (Carla Bonner) learn that they are no longer allowed to adopt Kayla's daughter or any other child. At the hospital, where Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) is recovering from having his leg amputated, his sister, Lucy (Melissa Bell), visits and tries to encourage him to wear his false leg.
...
Wikipedia