Karl Kennedy
Karl Kennedy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Neighbours character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Alan Fletcher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Duration | 1994–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
First appearance | 20 September 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Classification | Present; regular[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Introduced by | Stanley Walsh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spin-off appearances |
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Karl Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Alan Fletcher. The actor previously appeared in the soap in 1987 as mechanic Greg Cooper. He made his first screen appearance as Karl during the episode broadcast on 20 September 1994. Karl and his family were created by Neighbours storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots. Karl was given the job of local GP to provide him with immediate links to other characters. Debuting shortly before his wife, Susan Kennedy, he is the longest running continuously appearing character in the series' history.
Creation and casting
In 1994, the Neighbours' storyliners decided to introduce the "solid" Kennedy family.[3] They felt that they needed to take the show back to its roots when it seemed that all the houses on Ramsay Street were populated with misfits and distant relatives.[3] Karl's wife Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) was given the job of teacher at the local school and Karl was made the local GP, giving the family immediate links with other characters.[3]
Alan Fletcher had previously starred in Neighbours as
In 2009, Fletcher celebrated the 15th anniversary of his character's arrival on Ramsay Street.[7] In 2013, Fletcher filmed his 4,500th episode.[5] The following year, Fletcher celebrated 20 years on the show. He commented "I am planning to hang around for quite a while longer because I do love it too much, we're talking at the moment about a continuation."[8] Of his longevity on the show, Fletcher explained that leaving for the US to find work would not have "suited" him or his family, whom he said were his "focus the whole time I've been on Neighbours.[5] He said he enjoyed the job too much and thought it would be "perverse" for him to leave something he loved.[5]
Development
Marriage to Susan Kennedy
Susan and Karl were childhood sweethearts who married in 1978, before they both graduated from university.[3][9][10] Karl has cheated on Susan and the couple have broken up and divorced, but they later reunited and have remarried.[7] Karl and Susan are best friends who enjoy each other's company, share a deep connection and take joy in each other's quirks and ways.[11][12] Woodburne described them as having a "really solid foundation for a marriage" and she has said that she does not want to see Susan and Karl's relationship break up again.[11][12]
A writer for Holy Soap has called Susan and Karl "contenders for the friskiest couple on Ramsay Street".[13] Following their "passionate arguments", the couple enjoy making up together as they have a healthy attraction for each other.[11][13] Fletcher says he and Woodburne find the scenes "funny". Fletcher said "Karl and Susan every now and again do go through a phase where they become slightly more amorous than in their tougher times and tougher storylines – suffice to say it's not bawdy, but I think the audience will enjoy the fun aspect".[13] Karl and Susan have been caught in the nude together on three occasions; at the beach, in Lou Carpenter's (Tom Oliver) spa and when they went skinny-dipping in the bush.[14]
Character reflection
Upon the news that Neighbours would be concluding on 28 July 2022, Fletcher said that the finale would be a "huge celebration of the show, but a celebration that goes back 37 years. It'll be quite memorable."[15] He described Channel 5's decision to cancel the show a "harsh reality", but understood why the decision had been made.[15] When asked of his favourite storyline, Fletcher said, "Well, it's hard to get past the Izzy/Karl/Susan triangle, because unlike the Sarah affair, which was very much an affair, the Izzy storyline was a lot more complex. Karl left Susan mentally for Izzy, before he left her physically. Izzy actually had no interest in Karl. It was only when Izzy found out she was pregnant with another man's child, and that man had died in the Lassiters fire, that she said: 'I'll take you Karl, so you can be the father to my child'. Of course, she faked the date of her pregnancy at the hospital. It was an incredible story. Susan's reaction to Karl having a baby with another woman was spectacular. She really gave it to me in the street. It had many twists and turns and finished beautifully."[15]
Fletcher also stated that he enjoyed comedic storylines, especially the serial's 7000th episode, where Karl shares a nude lunch.[15] Fletcher explained that his least favourite storyline as Karl was when "he got himself a job as a pharmaceutical rep. He discovered that the company that he was working for were selling expired medicines in third world countries", and he thought the storyline unrealistic for Neighbours.[15] Fletcher added that he and Woodburne were "very excited" for Izzy and Malcolm's returns in the final episodes.[15] Upon the idea of Karl and Susan leaving the street at the end of the serial, Fletcher responded, "For me to fulfil my fantasy that Karl and Susan go on holiday on the last episode and turn up over the next year in every UK soap as tourists – for that to happen, I guess we'd have to leave!"[15]
Storylines
Karl met his wife, Susan at university and they had three children together;
Karl clashes with Libby's boyfriend, Darren Stark (Todd MacDonald), and a feud between Karl and Darren's mother, Cheryl (Caroline Gillmer) begins. They later call a truce and when Cheryl is knocked down by a lorry, Karl tries to help her. He gives her painkillers, but Cheryl dies. Karl later realises that Cheryl may have been allergic to the drugs he gave her and thinking he caused Cheryl's death, Karl stops practising medicine. However, when Karl saves Malcolm's life by performing a tracheotomy on him, he decides to resume practising medicine and takes over the lease on the surgery at the Lassiter's Complex. Karl allows Toadie to stay with the family after his own family leave. When Malcolm leaves home, he sends his friend Joel Samuels (Daniel MacPherson) to Erinsborough to stay with Karl and Susan. Karl become attracted to his receptionist, Sarah Beaumont (Nicola Charles). He helps her to become a nurse and when he comforts her about a break up, they kiss. Karl tries to distance himself from Sarah, but she falls for him. Karl tells Sarah that he cannot be with her as he loves Susan. Toadie learns of the kiss and tells Billy, who then tells Susan on the same day that their friends Philip and Ruth are getting married. After breaking down in tears, Susan slaps Karl across the face and asks him to move out of the family home. The separation between Karl and Susan has ramifications for their family and friends; Libby ends her friendship with Sarah and both Libby and Billy side with Susan instead of Karl.
Karl moves into a flat and the distance between Karl and Susan is widened when an old university friend,
Karl is fined for drink-driving after he has a few glasses of wine at a medical conference and is stopped by the police. He is banned from driving for six months and his fine is doubled when he attends court. Karl starts drinking behind Susan's back and she suspects he is having an affair with Izzy Hoyland (Natalie Bassingthwaighte). Susan's suspicions grow when Karl begins to use breath freshener more often and arrives home at odd hours. However, she is forced to apologise after Karl assures her nothing is going on. Susan discovers Karl's drinking problem when she finds he has drunk a whole bottle of wine and all the scotch. Susan decides they should spend some time apart and she goes to Adelaide. Karl begins spending time with Izzy and when Susan returns, Karl asks her for a trial separation. He later admits that he no longer loves Susan and he moves out and rents a flat nearby. Karl has sex with Izzy and they begin a relationship. Izzy later announces she is pregnant. Susan takes the news badly as does Libby, Malcolm and Billy. Susan files for divorce and they divide their assets without lawyers. They share a kiss and decide to remain friends.
Karl proposes to Izzy, who accepts. After she falls down some steps and miscarries, Izzy begins staying out and partying, while Karl starts drinking again. They sort their issues out and decide to go ahead with the wedding. However, Izzy gets spooked by her ex-boyfriend,
Karl begins dating Jenny again and he asks her to move in with him. However, when Jenny's political career takes her away from Erinsborough more and more often, they break up again. Karl and Susan start growing closer and after they take care of Tom together, they kiss. They decide to get back together, but keep their relationship a secret from Susan's stepchildren,
When he returns, Karl starts working for Vivex Pharmaceuticals company. He learns some of their drugs are faulty from Steve Parker (Steve Bastoni) and reports this to the company. Trouble-shooter Christian Johnson (Neil Pigot) arrives and tells Karl that some batches had a problem and that it was being dealt with. However, Karl and Steve become suspicious that there is a cover up going on and Karl decides to proof of corruption. Vivex promote Karl and give him his own personal assistant Julia Sanders (Raelene Isbester). Karl and Julia break into a warehouse and to find some proof, but they are caught by security. Julia reveals that Christian is planning to set Karl up and when he is arrested, she admits to the police that Karl is innocent and that she has proof that Christian set everything up. Susan is diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis (MS) and Karl returns to work at the hospital to help out with their finances. Karl befriends Nicola West (Imogen Bailey) and when she takes blood from a patient without permission, he helps her cover it up. Nicola tries to blame her malpractice on Karl and he is suspended by the hospital board. However, Nicola later tells the board that she took the blood and Karl is reinstated.
Zeke goes missing following a rafting accident and Karl and Susan later find him living with
Karl and Susan compete for Citizen of the Year, but they both lose out to Lou. Following a fire at the Scully house, Karl comes up with a plan for a male nude calendar to help raise money for the repairs. He makes a bet with
Karl asks Jim to keep his distance from Susan for a while, but later confesses that he overreacted. Karl helps save Jim when he collapses and he later witnesses Susan kissing Jim. Karl and Susan leave the hospital to talk and Jim dies. Susan is angry with Karl for keeping her from Jim and she goes away to plan his funeral. Rhys covers for Karl when he makes a mistake on a prescription form. Karl joins Susan and on their return, they announce they have decided to separate. Malcolm initially blames Susan for the separation, but Karl tells him he initiated it. Karl learns Malcolm is having an affair with Jade and he orders them both to end it. Susan also finds out and is disappointed when she realises Karl knew. When they get stuck in a storage shed, Karl and Susan reminisce about the past and they share a kiss, but Karl realises it was a goodbye and Susan moves out. Susan notices their dog,
Karl begins dating his colleague
Karl tries online dating and meets
Karl counsels Ajay through his grief when his wife,
When Karl's pig Lennie and Chop the sheep push through the fence into Number 26 and destroy the vegetable patch,
Alex Kinski's nephew,
Karl counsels
After
Karl buys some jewellery for Susan from
Izzy and Holly return to Erinsborough. Izzy informs the Kennedys that she has inherited £41 million from her late husband. She offers to invest in the building of a new hospital wing, as long as Karl receives the naming rights. Izzy soon tells Karl that the real reason she has returned is to ask him to father another child with her. Karl initially considers the offer, which puts a strain on his marriage, but ultimately declines. Izzy then
After learning Susan has gone missing in the bush while on a school trip, Karl makes his way out there alone to help with the search. Karl's health deteriorates and he struggles to breathe. He falls down a bank, causing a dislocated knee and a broken leg. Xanthe Canning (Lilly Van der Meer) finds him and calls the emergency services, but she is then forced to perform CPR when Karl's heart stops. Karl is rushed to the hospital where he has to undergo surgery for a pulmonary embolism. Rita tells the Kennedys that she wants to instigate an experimental MS treatment trial at the hospital. Karl supports the idea, and Susan wants to take part in the trial, but Clive opposes it. Karl nominates himself for a vacant seat on the hospital board, so he can put forward Rita's idea. David is also nominated, but Karl wins after Clive votes for him. Clive explains that he did not want to vote against the majority, and that he still does not support the trial. Karl has a minor health scare and Rita hires him an assistant called Patrick, who is actually Finn Kelly (Rob Mills), the man who tampered with Susan's medication in order to take her job. Finn alters the data from overseas studies, causing Karl to be blamed and stood down. He is later cleared, but learns that Rita is no longer funding the MS trial.
Karl becomes
Reception
Fletcher has earned various award nominations for his role as Karl. At the 2007
In 2022, Kate Randall from Heat included Karl and Susan in the magazine's top ten Neighbours characters of all time feature.[24] In 2007, Australian newspaper the Herald Sun placed Karl's affair with Sarah at number eight on their list of Neighbours Top Ten moments.[25] They said "In one of the most shocking storylines, no one could believe that the perfect Dr Karl, played by Alan Fletcher, could cheat on his wife of many years, Susan, played by Jackie Woodburne. But, that's exactly what happened when he couldn't resist his receptionist Sarah Beaumont played by the vampy Nicola Charles".[25] In 2009, Karl came tenth in a poll by British men's magazine Loaded for "Top Soap Bloke".[26] The following year, he was voted the third "Most Popular Doctor".[27] Karl and Susan were placed at joint second place on the Huffpost's "35 greatest Neighbours characters of all time" feature.[28] Journalist Adam Beresford described Karl as a "the doctor with the implausibly broad array of medical specialisms."[28] He believed that Susan and Karl were a "dream team" and "the bedrock of Ramsay Street". He assessed that the Kennedy's were a "a solid, dependable family unit" until Karl's affairs. He was also certain that "whatever life throws at them, Karl and Susan will make it."[28] In 2021, Karl was placed eighth in a poll ran via soap fansite "Back To The Bay", which asked readers to determine the top ten most popular Neighbours characters.[29] In a feature profiling the "top 12 iconic Neighbours characters", critic Sheena McGinley of the Irish Independent placed Karl as her eighth choice. She stated that Karl has "pinballed from upstanding pillar of the community to alcohol dependent, to veg patch enthusiast, and back to being a conscientious doctor."[30] Lorna White from Yours profiled the magazine's "favourite Neighbours characters of all time". Karl was included in the list and was hailed a "Neighbours icon".[31] Sam Strutt of The Guardian compiled a feature counting down the top ten most memorable moments from Neighbours. Strutt listed Karl and Izzy's affair in sixth place and scathed "Dr Karl just couldn’t keep it in his pants." He concluded that the countless stories the affair birthed was "classic soap fodder".[32]
In 2010, to celebrate Neighbours' 25th anniversary
Michael Cregan for Inside Soap enjoyed the pottery pig storyline, saying "Never let it be said that life is dull on Ramsay Street. Now that Karl Kennedy has got a massive pottery pig called Elvis, what could possibly go wrong? Apart from a few filthy looks from Susan of course..."[35] Ben Pobjie of The Sydney Morning Herald thought Karl's "peculiar childlike enthusiasm that makes him such great comic relief" was "his most endearing feature apart from his tendency to periodically have affairs with younger women."[36]
References
- ^ Earp, Catherine (17 September 2022). "Neighbours announced for shock 2023 return following Channel 5 axe". Digital Spy. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d Executive producer: Jason Herbison; Director: Jean-Pierre Mignon; Writer: Stephen Vagg (22 August 2018). "Episode 7913". Neighbours. Eleven.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7181-4212-4.
- ^ Johnston Press Digital Publishing. 6 December 2007.
- ^ a b c d e Vickery, Colin (9 October 2013). "A good neighbour stays in Ramsay St". Herald Sun. Retrieved 19 April 2024 – via Gale.
- ISBN 978-1-876176-78-5.
- ^ Channel Five. 20 August 2009. Archived from the originalon 5 September 2009.
- ^ Richards, Holly (30 April 2013). "Soap panders to love of Aussie lifestyle". The West Australian. Seven West Media. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013.
- Network Ten. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
- ^ "Happy ever after". Inside Soap (204): 44. 27 April – 10 May 2002.
- ^ a b c Green, Kris (9 January 2009). "Jackie Woodburne talks Karl and Susan". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd.
- ^ Five. 2 January 2010. Archived from the originalon 12 January 2010.
- ^ Five. 6 May 2010. Archived from the originalon 16 November 2010.
- ^ "Jackie Woodburne (Neighbours' Susan Kennedy) Interview". Last Broadcast. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g Dainty, Sophie; Kilkelly, Kilkelly (29 July 2022). "Neighbours star Alan Fletcher on show ending and Izzy return". Digital Spy. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- Network Ten. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
- ^ Green, Kris (3 July 2007). "Inside Soap Awards 2007: The Nominations". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd.
- ^ "Inside Soap Awards 2008 – Nominations". MSN TV. Microsoft. 16 July 2008.
- BSkyB. Archived from the originalon 11 July 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ^ a b Green, Kris (21 March 2008). "Digital Spy Soap Awards 2008: The Winners". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd.
- Hachette Filipacchi UK.
- ^ Dainty, Sophie (3 October 2016). "Emmerdale wins best soap at the Inside Soap Awards – but which show earned the most prizes?". Digital Spy.
- ^ Davies, Megan (24 July 2018). "Inside Soap Awards 2018 full longlist revealed: Which Corrie, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks stars are up?". Digital Spy.
- ^ Randall, Kate (19–25 February 2022). "Top 10 Neighbours characters". Heat (1179). (Bauer Media Group): 16, 17.
- ^ a b "Your all-time favourite moment". Herald Sun. 11 July 2007.
- News Limited. 28 July 2009. Archived from the originalon 31 July 2009.
- ^ "Did someone call a Doctor...?". heatworld.com. Bauer Media Group. 30 June 2010. Archived from the original on 5 July 2010.
- ^ a b c Beresford, Adam (16 March 2020). "The Definitive Ranking Of The 35 Greatest Neighbours Characters Of All Time: #10-1". HuffPost. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Knox, Susan (26 December 2021). "Top 10 most popular Neighbours characters ever as Kylie Minogue comes last". Daily Mirror. (Reach plc). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- Independent News & Media). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ White, Lorna (3 March 2022). "Neighbours cast from the past and present". Yours. (Bauer Media Group). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Strutt, Sam (3 March 2022). "Neighbours: the 10 best memories, from Scott and Charlene to Madge's ghost". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Sky. 2010. Archived from the originalon 23 March 2010.
- ^ Branagh, Nicky (26 January 2012). "Top ten hottest Aussie soap guys". Studentbeans.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2012.
- ^ Cregan, Michael (26 November 2014). "5 wonderful things from Wednesday's soaps!". Inside Soap.
- ^ Pobjie, Ben (2 June 2015). "What's on TV Friday: Neighbours". The Sydney Morning Herald.
External links
- Karl Kennedy at the Official AU Neighbours website
- Karl Kennedy at the Official UK Neighbours website