When Scott and Charlene (also known as Jason and Kylie) got married in 1988, TV soap opera fans may have witnessed the greatest fictitious wedding of all time.
After 37 years on television, Neighbours is tragically coming to an end, and fans are remembering some of the show’s most memorable moments.
We couldn’t help but reflect on the show’s apex in 1987 as Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan made their return to Ramsay Street as soap power couple Scott and Charlene for its climactic finale.
35 years later, let’s take a look back at one of the best TV moments from the 1980s.
What transpired at Scott and Charlene’s wedding? When did it air?
Scott and Charlene’s wedding debuted on Network Ten on July 1, 1987, under the simple title “Episode 523.”
The programme was created by Reg Watson, executive produced by director Rod Hardy, and written by Ray Harding.
It appears that the plot was developed by the creators in response to certain viewers’ displeasure with the notion of an unmarried couple relocating together. Horror, horror.
The wait for fresh episodes was then quite long for UK fans. The BBC didn’t broadcast it until November 8, 1988.
In the episode, Scott (Jason Donovan), who is getting married, is stressed out as his father Jim (Alan Dale) and best friend Mike Young (Guy Pearce) prepare the reception tables.
Scott’s fiancee Charlene (Kylie Minogue) is getting dressed in the meantime. Henry (Craig McLachlan) is asked not to rush to the altar by his mother Madge (Anne Charleston).
Scott starts to worry that Charlene won’t turn up after the guests have taken their places, but Paul and Mike reassure him that she will be there.
After that, Charlene and Henry proceed up the aisle. After exchanging vows, Scott and Charlene are pronounced man and wife. Jim congratulates Scott and welcomes Charlene to the family at the reception.
All the guests assemble on the street to send the newlyweds off on their honeymoon after a number of disasters (including one involving a mouse, don’t worry too much about it).
As the pair exits Ramsay Street in their vehicle, Mrs. Mangel snags Charlene’s bouquet.
Chills.
Where and how was it shot?
Rod Hardy has a lot of experience directing other TV weddings, so the soap opera’s producers requested him to helm the episode.
Three months before it aired, the programme was filmed “under great secrecy,” but it was initially postponed because of inclement weather. A tiny budget meant that there weren’t many extras on the set, so the crew was requested to fill in at the church.
As she had to walk up and down the aisle 20 times, and she felt constrained by the wedding gown, Kylie found the session to be “extremely exhausting.” “I don’t remember that specific day clearly,” Jason later admitted, “but it takes a long, long time to put things together when you do setups like weddings.”
In Australia’s Doncaster, inside The Holy Trinity Church, the wedding was captured on camera. The church’s historic nave was used to film the sequences.
Later, Hardy claimed that two close-up pictures of Scott and Charlene best depict “the magic of the show.” The close-up of Kylie when she comes and then the close-up of Jason’s face, according to the director, perfectly captured the essence of the entire moment.
Who created Kylie’s bridal gown?
Local bridal salon Isis of Melbourne created and manufactured Charlene’s romantic-style wedding gown.
Organza, chantilly lace, and ivory silk were used to make the outfit. The skirt of the satin dress includes a cream silk overlay and a “slightly” lowered waist. Lace trims the edges of the skirt and bodice.
Apricot chiffon with apricot and pink rosettes “highlight” the waist. Rhinestones are used as decoration on the organza puffed sleeves and the high collar of the dress. A half-length veil completes the outfit.
Alex Perry, a fashion designer, said the following regarding the dress: “There are so many things happening that it’s difficult to forget about them. The shoulders, which have a romantic feel to them, the see-through sleeves with a hint of lace, and the high neckline and hem.”
What song was performed at the wedding of Scott and Charlene?
The producers asked Kylie Minogue to pick a love song for the programme, and she decided on Angry Anderson’s “Suddenly.”
Angry is an Australian singer-songwriter, TV host, and actor with the full name Gary Stephen Anderson. He performs as the band Rose Tattoo’s lead singer. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993.
Many years prior to its inclusion in the episode, he had penned the song. According to him, it is about a man realising at some time in his life that he does not mind being vulnerable.
Kylie expressed her admiration for the song and how much the words meant to her to Anderson. Later, she stated that she desired to have the song performed at her own wedding.
When Suddenly was ultimately broadcast in the UK, it peaked at number three on the Singles Chart.
A Phil Collins-like power ballad from the 1980s, “Suddenly” has a drum break and a shift in key.
When the fictional characters Nessa and Dave were getting married in Gavin and Stacey, the song and ceremony were later hilariously mocked.
How many viewers were there?
One of the most popular soap opera episodes in Australia, the programme received two million viewers there.
The episode was the third-most watched programme in the UK that year with an absurd audience of 19.6 million viewers.
