Harold Bishop
| Harold Bishop | |||||||||||||||||
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| Neighbours character | |||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Ian Smith | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1987–1991, 1996–2009, 2011, 2015 | ||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 30 January 1987 | ||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 20 March 2015 | ||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Reg Watson | ||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Reg Watson (1987) Stanley Walsh (1996) Susan Bower (2011) Jason Herbison (2015) |
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| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||
| Other names | Ted | ||||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
Health food shop manager (1987) Newspaper columnist (1988) Coffee shop owner (1989–91, 1997–2005) Salvation Army volunteer (1991–) Grease Monkeys manager (2000) The General Store co-owner (2008–09) |
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| Home | Port Douglas | ||||||||||||||||
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| Father | Frank Bishop |
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| Wife | Mavis Bishop Madge Ramsay (1988–2001) Carolyn Johnstone (2011–15) |
| Sons | David Bishop |
| Daughters | Kerry Bishop |
| Stepsons | Henry Ramsay |
| Stepdaughters | Charlene Mitchell |
| Granddaughters |
Sky Mangel Serena Bishop |
| Other relatives |
Kerry Mangel Scotty |
Harold Wayne Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Smith. The actor 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.
Smith announced his departure from Neighbours in August 2008. Following a cancer storyline, Harold made his final appearance on 27 February 2009. In December 2010, Smith revealed that he would be reprising his role and Harold returned on 9 May 2011. During his brief return stint, Harold married Carolyn Johnstone (Paula Duncan), a storyline that was suggested by Smith. The character of Harold has been well received by critics and Smith earned various award nominations for his performance, including the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television Logie Award. Harold returned again in February 2015, ahead of the show's 30th anniversary.
Reg Watson offered Smith a role in Neighbours following the end of his television drama, Prisoner, with which Smith had been a script editor. Smith agreed to join Neighbours and asked if he could write for the show too. Smith was given the role of Harold, a part that was only supposed to last for five weeks. A couple of weeks after he had finished filming, Smith was asked back. Comedian Peter Moon revealed in 2009 that he had originally auditioned for the role of Harold. Moon said "Ian Smith beat me to it, so it is kind of weird thinking about the life I could have had. When I auditioned, I went into wardrobe and they gave me a pair of shoes to wear that had Harold written on them". Moon was eventually given a role with the soap twenty years later. Smith was written out in 1991, before making a return in 1996. Harold later became the second longest-running character in the show's history.
Smith decided to go part-time on the show in 2007. He had been ready to depart Neighbours for good, but the producers did not want him to leave. They then offered him a compromise, which would see Smith film for six weeks and then have a four-month break. Smith said that he was "awfully glad" that the producers talked him into coming back and explained, "I'm not retiring, but I am walking away from having to work 13-hour days, day after day." Smith began appearing intermittently during 2008 and this forced the writers to take Harold in a new direction. Harold's first departure saw him leave Ramsay Street for a tour around Australia.
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