Susan Bower
Encyclopedia
Susan Bower is an Australian television producer and television writer best known for her work on the soap opera Neighbours
.
for 20 years before getting her scriptwriting breakthrough on A Country Practice
, where she provided the show's medical information. She later progressed to trainee script editor where she wrote the episode "A Virtuous Woman" in 1992, eventually becoming the story editor of the show.
She also wrote for Big Sky
, for Neighbours
in 1994 and 1996, and for Home and Away
in the early 1990s.
Bower became an executive producer
in 2004, producing McLeod's Daughters
. From this she went on to produce various productions including Little Oberon
in 2005 and Sea Patrol
in 2007 before becoming executive producer of Neighbours
in 2008. On 25 October 2011, it was announced Bower would be leaving Neighbours in December 2011 to move into a new international role with FremantleMedia.
, portrayed by Korean Australian
actress Hany Lee
, on a temporary contract to Neighbours.
Bower also received criticism in 2008 for an incest
storyline between Riley Parker
and his aunt Nicola West
. The Australian Family Association accused Bower of using the news event of a South Australian father and daughter revealing they had a child between them to attract viewers. Bower has defended the storyline saying that "it is controversial but all our storylines are carefully handled".
In 2008, Kym Valentine
who had played Libby Kennedy
in Neighbours for over a decade, was taken seriously ill and had to take a break from filming for five weeks. Rather than writing Libby out of the series during that time, Susan Bower decided to recast her with Michala Banas
. Bower defended the decision by saying "A recast was the only option. The stories for her character were very big. It would have been ridiculous for the show to stop them."
Bower again attracted criticism in 2009 for Neighbours being "too white". Bower's response was that she was working to get more ethnic diversity into the cast. But she also stated that she was angry that Neighbours had been singled out as Australian advertising also had a lack of ethnic actors.
In March 2009 she was criticised over a teenage pregnancy storyline which saw the character of 17-year-old Bridget Parker
(Eloise Mignon
) give birth to India Napier. Critics said that it was inappropriate for a G-rated show to cover this type of storyline, Bower has defended the storyline saying that it did not glamourise teenage pregnancy.
As an April Fools' joke in 2010, Bower released a statement on the official Neighbours website, claiming that Ramsay Street would be renamed 25th Avenue to mark the 25th birthday of the soap. The joke was met with widespread hostility from fans.
In 2010 she was criticised for re-casting the part of Declan Napier
to Erin Mullally
when James Sorensen
announced that he was leaving Neighbours. The actor had been training to join the Australian army for over a year. Some fans called the move "daft", others called it "ridiculous" and "a really awful decision". This decision was defended by Neighbours saying that the character was recast because of storylines already planned.
In November 2010 Bower denied speculation that Neighbours would be "sexed up" when it moves to Eleven
in 2011. Of the speculation, she said "There's this bloody rumour going around that because we're on Eleven it's going to be raunchy. I'm not going to do that. Why would I do that? England loves us the way we are. Australia loves us the way we are. Yes, we've taken a hit in the ratings, but so has everybody else." She also denied that there was low cast morale
and denied that the recent batch of cast departures were related to the channel change.
had died from cancer. Bayonas was the producer of A Country Practice
when Bower got her scriptwriting breakthrough by providing the show with medical information. Neighbours paid tribute to her passing by displaying a title card as the credits rolled.
AFI Award
for 'Best Television Drama Series' for McLeod's Daughters. In 2005, she was nominated again for an AFI award, this time for 'Best Telefeature or Mini Series' for Little Oberon. Neither were won.
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
.
Career
Bower is a former nurse who worked at The Alfred HospitalThe Alfred Hospital
The Alfred, also known as Alfred Hospital or The Alfred Hospital, is a major hospital in Melbourne, Victoria. It is the second oldest hospital in Victoria, and the oldest Melbourne hospital still operating on its original site...
for 20 years before getting her scriptwriting breakthrough on A Country Practice
A Country Practice
A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,...
, where she provided the show's medical information. She later progressed to trainee script editor where she wrote the episode "A Virtuous Woman" in 1992, eventually becoming the story editor of the show.
She also wrote for Big Sky
Big Sky
-Places:* large expanses of flat land, such as** Montana, U.S. state** East Anglia, UK region*Big Sky, Montana-Television, film and books:*Big Sky , an Australian televised drama that ran from 1997-1999...
, for Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
in 1994 and 1996, and for Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
in the early 1990s.
Bower became an executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
in 2004, producing McLeod's Daughters
McLeod's Daughters
McLeod's Daughters is a Logie award-winning Australian drama series that aired on the Nine Network from 2001 to 2009. It tells the story of two sisters, Claire and Tess McLeod, who are reunited after they inherit the family farm...
. From this she went on to produce various productions including Little Oberon
Little Oberon
Little Oberon, directed by Kevin Carlin, is a 2005 Australian telemovie starring Sigrid Thornton.The movie was filmed during 2004 in and around the town of Marysville, Victoria, Australia....
in 2005 and Sea Patrol
Sea Patrol (TV series)
Sea Patrol is an Australian television drama, set on board HMAS Hammersley, a fictional patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy . The series focuses on the ship and the lives of its crew members....
in 2007 before becoming executive producer of Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
in 2008. On 25 October 2011, it was announced Bower would be leaving Neighbours in December 2011 to move into a new international role with FremantleMedia.
Criticism and controversy
In 2008, Bower attracted criticism when Neighbours, among other television programmes, was accused of being "too white". In defence, Bower said that the core cast were from a variety of ethnic backgrounds including French, Italian, South African, Maltese, Danish, Portuguese and Swedish (despite all the actors originating from those nationalities being ethnically white). She said that the soap's characters have a wide variety of backgrounds, including Tibetan and Belarusian (the Kinski siblings) and that a Greek character would be joining the cast. She also stated she would like more ethnic characters in the main cast. Around the time of this criticism, Bower introduced the character of Sunny LeeSunny Lee
Sunny Lee is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Hany Lee. She made her first on-screen appearance on 8 April 2009. Sunny was created by executive producer Susan Bower in response to criticism that Neighbours was "too white"...
, portrayed by Korean Australian
Korean Australian
Korean Australians are people of South Korean descent living in Australia, and identifies him or herself as such.At the 2006 census 150,873 persons resident in Australia identified themselves as being of Korean ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry. 52,760 persons resident in Australia...
actress Hany Lee
Hany Lee
Hany Lee Choi is a Korean Australian actress best known for playing the role of Sunny Lee on the Australian soap opera, Neighbours.-Early and personal life:...
, on a temporary contract to Neighbours.
Bower also received criticism in 2008 for an incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
storyline between Riley Parker
Riley Parker
Riley Parker is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Sweeney Young. He made his first on-screen appearance on 17 August 2007. He was involved in various storylines most notably a incest plot...
and his aunt Nicola West
Nicola West
Nicola West is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Imogen Bailey. She made her on-screen debut on 5 May 2008. She departed the show on 8 October 2008...
. The Australian Family Association accused Bower of using the news event of a South Australian father and daughter revealing they had a child between them to attract viewers. Bower has defended the storyline saying that "it is controversial but all our storylines are carefully handled".
In 2008, Kym Valentine
Kym Valentine
Kym Valentine is a Maltese Australian actress best known for her portrayal of Libby Kennedy in the soap opera Neighbours.-Early and personal life:...
who had played Libby Kennedy
Libby Kennedy
Elizabeth Grace "Libby" Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kym Valentine. She made her first on-screen appearance on 3 October 1994 and departed in 2004, before returning on 12 November 2007. Libby is the only daughter of Karl and Susan Kennedy...
in Neighbours for over a decade, was taken seriously ill and had to take a break from filming for five weeks. Rather than writing Libby out of the series during that time, Susan Bower decided to recast her with Michala Banas
Michala Banas
Michala Elizabeth Laurinda Banas is a New Zealand television actress, and singer now living in Australia.-Career:Born in Wellington, New Zealand, she starred in her first commercial at only 18 months of age....
. Bower defended the decision by saying "A recast was the only option. The stories for her character were very big. It would have been ridiculous for the show to stop them."
Bower again attracted criticism in 2009 for Neighbours being "too white". Bower's response was that she was working to get more ethnic diversity into the cast. But she also stated that she was angry that Neighbours had been singled out as Australian advertising also had a lack of ethnic actors.
In March 2009 she was criticised over a teenage pregnancy storyline which saw the character of 17-year-old Bridget Parker
Bridget Parker
Bridget Louise "Didge" Parker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Eloise Mignon. In 2007 the show was revamped to boost falling ratings in Australia. As part of this, the show's focus returned to family dynamics and the character of Bridget and her family...
(Eloise Mignon
Eloise Mignon
Eloise Mignon is an Australian actress born in Kuwait.-Career:Mignon was educated at Melbourne Girls College, Wesley College and St Michael's Grammar School her screen credits include a role in Legacy of the Silver Shadow and a main character Mara Lomax in children's sci-fi series Silversun. She...
) give birth to India Napier. Critics said that it was inappropriate for a G-rated show to cover this type of storyline, Bower has defended the storyline saying that it did not glamourise teenage pregnancy.
As an April Fools' joke in 2010, Bower released a statement on the official Neighbours website, claiming that Ramsay Street would be renamed 25th Avenue to mark the 25th birthday of the soap. The joke was met with widespread hostility from fans.
In 2010 she was criticised for re-casting the part of Declan Napier
Declan Napier
Declan Napier is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Erin Mullally. The character first appeared on-screen on 25 July 2007. In January 2010 it was announced that original actor James Sorensen had quit the role of Declan and the decision to recast...
to Erin Mullally
Erin Mullally
Erin Mullally is an Australian actor and model best known for playing the role of Declan Napier in Neighbours. Mullally was cast in the role after original actor, James Sorensen, left the show. The character of Declan is Mullally's first major television role...
when James Sorensen
James Sorensen
James Sorensen is a professional model and actor. He is of Danish, British and Portuguese descent. He has a twin sister and a brother who is 6 years younger.-Biography:...
announced that he was leaving Neighbours. The actor had been training to join the Australian army for over a year. Some fans called the move "daft", others called it "ridiculous" and "a really awful decision". This decision was defended by Neighbours saying that the character was recast because of storylines already planned.
In November 2010 Bower denied speculation that Neighbours would be "sexed up" when it moves to Eleven
Eleven (TV channel)
Eleven is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel, which was launched by ElevenCo, on 11 January 2011.-Joint venture:...
in 2011. Of the speculation, she said "There's this bloody rumour going around that because we're on Eleven it's going to be raunchy. I'm not going to do that. Why would I do that? England loves us the way we are. Australia loves us the way we are. Yes, we've taken a hit in the ratings, but so has everybody else." She also denied that there was low cast morale
Morale
Morale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group, is an intangible term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others...
and denied that the recent batch of cast departures were related to the channel change.
Personal life
On 25 January 2010, it was announced that Bower's sister Lynn BayonasLynn Bayonas
Lynn Bayonas was an Australian television producer and writer. Her sister is Neighbours executive producer Susan Bower.-Personal life:...
had died from cancer. Bayonas was the producer of A Country Practice
A Country Practice
A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,...
when Bower got her scriptwriting breakthrough by providing the show with medical information. Neighbours paid tribute to her passing by displaying a title card as the credits rolled.
Television
| Role | Production | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Writer | A Country Practice A Country Practice A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,... |
1992 |
| Writer | A Country Practice A Country Practice A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,... |
1994 |
| Writer | Home and Away Home and Away Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television... |
1994 |
| Writer | Neighbours Neighbours Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems... |
1994 |
| Producer/Script Editor/Writer | Echo Point Echo Point Echo Point was an Australian television soap opera produced by Southern Star Productions for Network Ten in 1995.The series was devised as an attempt by the Ten Network to rival the opposition soap Home and Away on the Seven Network... |
1994–95 |
| Writer | Mirror Mirror 2 | 1996 |
| Script Editor | Sweat SWEAT SWEAT is an OLN/TSN show hosted by Julie Zwillich that aired in 2003-2004.Each of the 13 half-hour episodes of SWEAT features a different outdoor sport: kayaking, mountain biking, ice hockey, beach volleyball, soccer, windsurfing, rowing, Ultimate, triathlon, wakeboarding, snowboarding, telemark... |
1996 |
| Writer | Neighbours Neighbours Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems... |
1996 |
| Writer | Big Sky | 1997 |
| Storyliner | Crocadoo | 1997 |
| Writer | All Saints All Saints (TV series) All Saints is an Australian medical drama which first screened on the Seven Network. The series debuted on 24 February 1998 and concluded its run on 27 October 2009... |
1998 |
| Script Producer/Story Editor | All Saints All Saints (TV series) All Saints is an Australian medical drama which first screened on the Seven Network. The series debuted on 24 February 1998 and concluded its run on 27 October 2009... |
1998 |
| Producer/Writer | McLeod's Daughters McLeod's Daughters McLeod's Daughters is a Logie award-winning Australian drama series that aired on the Nine Network from 2001 to 2009. It tells the story of two sisters, Claire and Tess McLeod, who are reunited after they inherit the family farm... |
2000–05 |
| Story Producer | Sea Patrol Sea Patrol (TV series) Sea Patrol is an Australian television drama, set on board HMAS Hammersley, a fictional patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy . The series focuses on the ship and the lives of its crew members.... |
2007–08 |
| Co-Producer | Canal Road Canal Road (TV series) Canal Road is an Australian television drama series on the Nine Network. The series was produced in-house, under producer Susan Bower, in collaboration with writers Sarah Smith, John Ridley and Dave Warner, and directed by Kevin Carlin. It was filmed at Channel Nine’s GTV Studio 11 and on location... |
2008 |
| Executive Producer | Neighbours Neighbours Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems... |
2008–11 |
Film
| Role | Production | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Producer | Little Oberon Little Oberon Little Oberon, directed by Kevin Carlin, is a 2005 Australian telemovie starring Sigrid Thornton.The movie was filmed during 2004 in and around the town of Marysville, Victoria, Australia.... |
2005 |
Awards
Bower has been nominated for two awards. In 2004, she was nominated for anAFI Award
Australian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
for 'Best Television Drama Series' for McLeod's Daughters. In 2005, she was nominated again for an AFI award, this time for 'Best Telefeature or Mini Series' for Little Oberon. Neither were won.