Helen Daniels
Encyclopedia
Helen Daniels is a fictional character
from the Australian soap opera Neighbours
, portrayed by Anne Haddy
. Following the death of Jim Robinson
in 1993, she remained the only original character left in the series until her own death in 1997, making her the second longest-serving original character after her recently returned grandson Paul
.
to play Helen Daniels in a bid to portray a mother-in-law out of conjunction with the battleaxe stereotype. In 1997, Haddy was forced to quit the serial due to her own ill health.
Helen is a caring woman, often being portrayed as "a shoulder to cry on" for her friends and family, Helen has a sympathetic nature and offers motherly advice to anyone who needs it. Helen's storylines have sometimes been tragic, but she always remains the voice of reason and helps those around her.
In the Neighbours twentieth anniversary book she is described as being the serial's matriach for over 12 years. 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."
(Joy Chambers
). Anne married Jim Robinson
(Alan Dale
) and had three children with him – Paul
(Stefan Dennis
), Scott
(Jason Donovan
) and Julie (Julie Mullins) – before dying whilst giving birth to Lucy
. After Anne's death, Helen moved into the Robinsons' home at 26 Ramsay Street, to help Jim with the family.
(Ian Rawlings
) and his children, Debbie
(Marnie Reece-Wilmore
) and Hannah Martin
(Rebecca Ritters
) moved-in to 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 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. A memorial service was held at Lassiter's lake where her ashes were laid. 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. 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.
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." He also branded her "the most glamorous granny on television". 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". Deller called Helen "The most respected elder of the Robinson clan". 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".
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. 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." Editor of MSN TV
, Lorna Cooper branded Helen a 'kindly matriach' for caring for many of the shows teenagers.
ATV News labeled Helen one of their icons, 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. 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 in Helen's time in the serial. 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.
In her book "Soap opera", Dorothy Hobson describes Helen as breaking a 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 completley independent life, whilst still providing stability within the family."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Australian soap opera 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...
, portrayed by Anne Haddy
Anne Haddy
Anne Haddy was an Australian film and television actress, best known for her role in the long-running soap opera, Neighbours.-Early and personal life:...
. Following the death of Jim Robinson
Jim Robinson (Neighbours)
James "Jim" Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Alan Dale. He made his first on-screen appearance on 18 March 1985, which was the shows first episode. Jim was the patriarch of the Robinson family. Dale departed the show in 1993 after...
in 1993, she remained the only original character left in the series until her own death in 1997, making her the second longest-serving original character after her recently returned grandson Paul
Paul Robinson (Neighbours)
Paul Stewart Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, a long-running serial drama about social life in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. He is played by Stefan Dennis. Paul debuted in the serial's first episode in 1985 and appeared on a...
.
Character casting and development
In 1985, Haddy was invited by Neighbours creator Reg WatsonReg Watson
Reginald James "Reg" Watson AM is an Australian television producer, best known for creating soap operas like Prisoner and Neighbours.-Career:...
to play Helen Daniels in a bid to portray a mother-in-law out of conjunction with the battleaxe stereotype. In 1997, Haddy was forced to quit the serial due to her own ill health.
Helen is a caring woman, often being portrayed as "a shoulder to cry on" for her friends and family, Helen has a sympathetic nature and offers motherly advice to anyone who needs it. Helen's storylines have sometimes been tragic, but she always remains the voice of reason and helps those around her.
In the Neighbours twentieth anniversary book she is described as being the serial's matriach for over 12 years. 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."
Backstory
She married her first husband Bill Daniels at age seventeen and remained married to him for over forty years until his death in 1969. Years after she was devastated to find out he had an affair with her best friend Grace. The couple had a biological daughter, Anne, and an adopted daughter, RosemaryRosemary Daniels
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....
(Joy Chambers
Joy Chambers
Joy Chambers is an Australian actress and author. She is best known for such television soap opera roles as Rita Merrick in The Restless Years, Dr Robyn Porter in The Young Doctors, and Rosemary Daniels in Neighbours. Chambers has played Rosemary since 1986. Rosemary is the only character who has...
). Anne married Jim Robinson
Jim Robinson (Neighbours)
James "Jim" Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Alan Dale. He made his first on-screen appearance on 18 March 1985, which was the shows first episode. Jim was the patriarch of the Robinson family. Dale departed the show in 1993 after...
(Alan Dale
Alan Dale
Alan Hugh Dale is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale developed a love of theatre and also became a rugby player. After retiring from the sport he took on a number of professions to support his family, before deciding to become a professional actor at the age of 27. With work limited in New...
) and had three children with him – Paul
Paul Robinson (Neighbours)
Paul Stewart Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, a long-running serial drama about social life in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. He is played by Stefan Dennis. Paul debuted in the serial's first episode in 1985 and appeared on a...
(Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis is an Australian actor, best known for playing the role of Paul Robinson in the soap opera, Neighbours, from its first episode in March 1985 to the present day...
), Scott
Scott Robinson (Neighbours)
Scott James Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Jason Donovan. He made his first on-screen appearance on 18 March 1985, in the show's first episode. Scott was originally played by Darius Perkins until he was recast.-Casting:Darius...
(Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989...
) and Julie (Julie Mullins) – before dying whilst giving birth to Lucy
Lucy Robinson
Lucy Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Melissa Bell. She had previously been portrayed by Kylie Flinker and Sasha Close. She was created by producer Reg Watson as one of Neighbours' original characters. Lucy was a prominent figure...
. After Anne's death, Helen moved into the Robinsons' home at 26 Ramsay Street, to help Jim with the family.
1985–1997
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 MartinPhilip Martin (Neighbours)
Philip Gordon Martin is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Rawlings. Originally played by Christopher Milne during the character's first appearance in 1985, Rawlings took over the role when the character returned to the show in 1992 and...
(Ian Rawlings
Ian Rawlings
Ian Rawlings is an Australian actor. He had two long-running roles in Australian soap operas.-Television Work:He started out playing the role of the spiteful and scheming Wayne Hamilton in Sons and Daughters...
) and his children, Debbie
Debbie Martin
Deborah "Debbie" Martin is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Marnie Reece-Wilmore. She made her first on-screen appearance on 27 July 1985. Debbie was initially played by Mandy Storvik and later Katrina McEwan. Reece-Wilmore was cast in the role in 1992...
(Marnie Reece-Wilmore
Marnie Reece-Wilmore
Marnie Reece-Wilmore is an Australian actor from Sydney. She is best known for her role in Neighbours during the 1990s.-Early work:...
) and Hannah Martin
Hannah Martin
Hannah Martin is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Rebecca Ritters. She made her first on-screen appearance on 20 July 1992. Hannah is the only child of Philip and Julie Martin and the younger sister to Michael and Debbie. The Martin family were written out...
(Rebecca Ritters
Rebecca Ritters
Rebecca Ritters is an Australian actress, mostly known for her role as Hannah Martin in the soap opera Neighbours. She first appeared in the show in 1992 when she was eight years old and remained in the show for a further seven years...
) moved-in to 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
Brian Blain
Brian Blain was an Australian film and television actor. He is best remembered for his role as Gordon Hamilton in the Seven Network soap opera Sons and Daughters from 1981 to 1987 when the series was cancelled, and his role as Captain Jacob Hilliard in the film sequel Return to the Blue Lagoon...
), her first husband's cousin. Michael was soon revealed as a bigamist and so the marriage was annulled. She later married Reuben White (James Condon
James Condon
James Condon is an Australian actor.He has made many appearances on television, including The Story Of Peter Grey, Homicide, Matlock Police, Number 96 , Bellamy, The Young Doctors, Carson's Law, Sons and Daughters, Prisoner, The Flying...
) 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
Harold Bishop
Harold Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Smith. He made his first on-screen appearance on 30 January 1987. Smith was offered a role by Neighbours creator and executive producer Reg Watson...
(Ian Smith
Ian Smith (actor)
Ian Smith is an Australian soap opera character actor and television screenwriter, best known today for his long-running role as the caring, kindly coffee shop owner Harold Bishop in the soap opera Neighbours....
) and Madge Bishop
Madge Bishop
Margaret Mary "Madge" Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Anne Charleston. She made her first on-screen appearance on 20 January 1986. Madge was one of the matriarchs of the Ramsay family. She departed in 1992, before making a return in 1996...
(Anne Charleston
Anne Charleston
Anne Charleston is an Australian actress currently based in Galway, Ireland and the UK. She is known for her roles as Madge Bishop in the Australian soap opera Neighbours and Lily Butterfield in Emmerdale.-Early career:...
) around her, she fell asleep on the sofa and died. A memorial service was held at Lassiter's lake where her ashes were laid. 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. 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.
Reception
Anthony HaywardAnthony Hayward
Anthony Hayward is a British journalist and author. He is a regular contributor to The Independent and The Guardian, and has written more than 20 books about television and film...
of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
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." He also branded her "the most glamorous granny on television". Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture
Lowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of Doctor Who Adventures.-Purpose:...
gave Helen a 5 out of 5 for her contribution to Neighbours, during a feature called "A guide to recognising your Ramsays and Robinsons". Deller called Helen "The most respected elder of the Robinson clan". 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".
In 2010 to celebrate Neighbours' 25th anniversary Sky
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
, a British satellite broadcasting company profiled 25 characters of which they believed were the most memorable in the series history. 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." Editor of MSN TV
MSN
MSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
, Lorna Cooper branded Helen a 'kindly matriach' for caring for many of the shows teenagers.
ATV News labeled Helen one of their icons, 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. 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 in Helen's time in the serial. 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.
In her book "Soap opera", Dorothy Hobson describes Helen as breaking a 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 completley independent life, whilst still providing stability within the family."