Neighbours - The death of Daphne

[TheLOLCOPPER]

When did this episode air? I'm suspecting it was one of the last episodes of the 80's

[Ali74]

The golden era of Neighbours. Daphne was a great character, and watching this as an 8 year old back then was devastating

[pufferfishish]

I think it's a bit shit that Elaine Smith wasn't even credited... but at least we were reminded for the millionth sodding time that Fiona Corke's wardrobe was by Kamizole.

[cupcakefairy87]

Daphne should have got tribute credits like Jim Robinson, Madge Bishop, Helen Daniels and Todd Landers for her death.

[bacabu30]

This scene was rather cruel! It was hard to take when I was a kid, as I was very fond of Daphne and how nice a person she was. I was very sad when she 'died'! Des was never the same afterwards either!

[letherit77]

fair'd income,stick her on the barbi,4 daphne and chips with a nice cold one.

[iamwhoiamwhoiammark2]

I was so gutted because Daphne was like my second fave girl crush in Neighbours (first being Charlene) and I'll admit I cried

[BadGirlOfAutism]

There's another version of that piano melody which is playing at the start- it was used a lot in later episodes in the 90s. I like the piano version better.

[shahideurope]

An oddly cheerful tune following the tragic death of a young woman.

[tsangari]

@shahideurope Not wrong - just thought how inappropriate was.

[bigderekkeene]

I remember this happening when i was a kid. On watching this again, am i the only person thinking that this was one shit attempt by a doctor to save someones life?!!!! Two shocks and a look at the heart monitor, then ''sorry Des she's croaked''.

[pufferfishish]

@bigderekkeene you're not the only one- when I was a kid I wanted to grab that bloody so-called 'dr' beverley marshall by the throat and make her try harder to save our beloved Daph

[germanicelt]

I was watching this when she was still alive. Somehow I missed her death - thank you God.

[charliefarley1000]

Slate it all you want. But this was neighbours in it's heyday. Daphne was one of it's biggest characters, and I wasn't the only one who was balling my eyes out when she died! Remember when we used to get a montage at the end with the slowed down wordless theme tune?

[smilersmiling]

what is this emotional music? this defined neighbours it was spine tickling where as the acting was just comedy.

[AzyandJake]

well that was crap...

[theultimatekoopa2]

This was 1988 (at least I'm sure MCMLXXXVIII is 1988), however, does anyone know when this particular version of the theme tune was replaced?

[Hulk2k6]

@theultimatekoopa2

The following year to coincide with the 1000th episode. It was like the original but about 5x faster which lasted about three years.

[pimmagrimm]

When neighbours was a good show - so imperfectly perfect. Both this and home and away are unrecognisable now bar by name. I love the way in this Doc Beverley gives up after like ten seconds lol but still it all seemed so great

[hotgerrard]

This was when Neighbours was great, I loved coming home a dinner times from school to watch this :o)

[sagopd]

I've always remembered this episode when Daphne dies. And poor Des crying over her. Never thought I'd see it again.

[Kittylol9]

I wasn't born when this episode was aired i just found it then. I think it's a bit odd that this guy's wife's just died and he's devastated then this happy, bouncy music comes on

[bylhamclarabella]

Please after this there was apparently an episode where Des and Mike beat up the joyriders who put Daphne in ITU.

I lived in UK at that time but never ever saw the episode.

I dont know if it was screened or not.

Does anyone know?.

Grazie.

[RoonJazz]

Ah, Des 'n' Daphne... The original Neighbours love story, Thanks for posting... I used to have this and the following episodes (grief at graveside, baby Jamie, etc) on video, but can't find them now. What a memory. I cried then and now. Thanks. x

[whirlyfan]

didn't know she died in it that was sad ! that clip soo old brings back good memories 1

[VIKINGODIN]

fuck did you find a dust covered vhs somewhere to find this clip?

[pufferfishish]

'I love you too, Clarkey'- probably the most memorable line in Neighbours' history.

[SimsMoyal]

we got to watch it in 1993 - very sad - i was shocked and very sad to see that....

[sxcaki]

Neighbours is nowhere NEAR AS GOOD as it used to be!!!

[arc20051]

I actually remember this from being a little kid, very little. This must be what 1987? Wow, what a flashback!

[FLT111]

1988 actully

[pufferfishish]

Depends on which country you're referring to. It was filmed in 1988 when it was shown in Australia but only shown in Britain in 1989.

[hpribot]

And another thing, after the wife dies, we are treated to over of minute of studio and actor and editor credits.

[hpribot]

The thing that strikes me most about this video is that a guys wife just dies, he filled with sorrow and all of a sudden this bright bouncy music comes over the air.

[wickmay]

DEAD AS A DODO!!!!

[soccerizthebest]

i agree with u that acting is dreadful

[zoozy15]

what happened to daphne?

[SimsMoyal]

she was hit in a car accident with Gail

only Gail got out of it and Daphne died...

[Homeandawayguy]

@SimsMoyal

Wish it was other way round Daphne was good mum and Gail was bad mum two of her kids turned evil and one died.

[SimsMoyal]

@Homeandawayguy

Well i don't know what happened to Gail's children since the series got out of our screens in 1995 - 5 or 10 episodes after Carrey died

[Homeandawayguy]

Paul return in 2004 and then Gail kids arrive Camron was evil killed Bishops and Elle drove people crazy and fake she was drying.

[SimsMoyal]

wow .... i can't belive all that happens .....

i thought in 1995 when we our "family channel" dropped the series of the screen that it was over - i am amazed to see that it got over and over for more than 15 years later....

[flange2000]

Those nurses were really sympathetic! What they doing at the end - huddled in the corner resetting the heart monitor for the next patient?!

[mohawktwo]

maybe she was overworked...

[andi7910mk]

Watching this i feel the need to get some wrinkle cream....was it really 20 years ago?....senior school afternoons back in 89....after this episode des and mike were supposed to go and batter the drunks who put her in hospital....i dont know if that episode was aired in the UK....if anyone knows please say.....

[retronicky]

i thought the nurse was nasty to des! i still cry when i watch this! so moving.

[Lisadoll07]

I was 8 when this was on. I cried for ages I loved Daphne

[surobri]

me too !!! I was 9 and devastated!!

[lilgeorge333]

how did she die again?

[LegionOfExcalibur]

If I remember right she was involved in a car accident with two drunk drivers in the other vehicle.

[LindiLu]

My dog died the same day. It was horrendous. I feel weird even watching that just now!

[Banner1979]

Early Neighbours was the best. This was one of the saddest moments ever on TV, right up there with Bobby's death in Dallas in '85 and Jim dying in Neighbours in '94.

I remember a classmate of mine who actually admitted to being close to tears when he saw this episode and he was normally quite unemotional. We were both 10.

[timethatyoulove]

I was 8. I cried for ages!

[drilljaw]

what the hec.....? She just shocked her with her bare hands.... TWICE! I can't beleive that wasn't enough!? Des should have gone private!

[54spiritedwill54]

I hope they'd make a better attempt at rescuitation if I arrested!! LMAO!!

[Jantek36]

I remember crying my 8 year old heart out - I was so happy when she spoke and then Noooooooo! Happy jazz hands neighbours theme does ruin the moment a bit now though!

[21mooncrystal]

I remember it so clearly, that poxy happy music at the end just ruins it all. That nurse was very cold don't you think? 'PUT ME DOWN DES' lol!

[pufferfishish]

She was totally cold!

And: 'I'm sorry Des it's not going to do any good' was a very badly-penned line also.

[LeopoldStotchRules]

I was about 7 when I saw this and I totally remembered it! How sad/freaky is that?

[retronicky]

i love you clarkey.. i cry every time i watch this on my neighbours dvd.

[happylad65]

This was shown on the BBC in the summer of 1989. Neighbours episodes shown in the UK used to be months behind Australia back then. It was the end of an era. Daphne was terrific!

[kezncurt]

spot on mate. i remember it being on in the uk around that time aswell.....& i was 9 yrs old at the time. summer holidays 1989!!!

[SimsMoyal]

we got it in Israel in 1993 ...

still i can't understand how they decided to kill her

[pufferfishish]

@SimsMoyal It was Elaine Smith (who played Daphne) who was adamant that the character must die because she had done so much in her time on the show.

[SimsMoyal]

@pufferfishish that's such a poor excuse - another character could play her like another character played that Doctor that married Jim.

what if she would have wanted to make a comeback for a few episodes like Scott did (Jason Donovan) ?

[pufferfishish]

@SimsMoyal If you re-read what I had said, you'll note that I had said that Elaine Smith had felt her CHARACTER had done so much on her time on the show- as did the producers.

It is fairly common for storylines surrounding characters to be exhausted; leading to characters then being written out because there is nothing much left for them to do. Recasting would therefore have been pointless.

[SimsMoyal]

@pufferfishish i don't agree with that - a character has always new places to develop into - if the audience likes a character why not try and keep it inside

or at least make her leave - instead of killing it.

Daphne could have left the show to somewhere like Jane did or Mrs. Mangel

rather than break the audience's heart and killing her.

[pufferfishish]

@SimsMoyal Because to some extent at least a soap is meant to mirror real life, and unfortunately people die in real life.

Just out of interest, what colour is the sky in your world?

[SimsMoyal]

@pufferfishish

first of all in the real life people doesn't always die because they are no longer needed in the scence.

secondly people relate to another life story to forget about the real life problems

so it doesn't really have to end up badly

[pufferfishish]

@SimsMoyal I know they don't but sometimes they do- as in this case.

It's just a soap; Daphne was a fictional character, so is it really worth getting all stressed over?

Plus, I'll put this to you: if the character of Daphne had been in the show for a decade before just moving away to Brisbane or wherever, would she have been remembered with as much affection by so many people (myself included) as she is through being killed off? My guess is probably not, so maybe it was a good thing.

[SimsMoyal]

@pufferfishish well i was just 15 years old when i watched it back than i was in a hysteria from the last scene i was sure they will let her live, it really made me snap.

what i am interested to know is - let's suppose that the actor would regret and want to comeback to the show - how would they bring her back since they killed her.

[pufferfishish]

@SimsMoyal You were 15? I was 12.

Elaine Smith herself commented on Neighbours' 10th Anniversary special that she thought the death of Daphne was a good thing because it allowed her character to come full circle.

A character who was killed could only come back under certain circumstances; i.e.

1. It had all been a dream (read Bobby Ewing in Dallas)

2. the actor whose character was killed off came back to the show to play another character (Linda Hartley in Neighbours is one example).

[SimsMoyal]

@pufferfishish well it depends what year you were watching it - when we got to watch it, it was 1993.

when Dallas was brodcasted here it was between 1982 and 1985, i was something like 4 or 5 so i don't really remember the show but remember the buzz the was around it in the country during that period.

it's funny that it lasted until 1990 cause when it went off the air in 1985 it was kind like the last episode was broadcasted

[COOLSILLYBILLY]

I agree one of the saddest moments in T.V I remember watching it so many years ago

[Xxfancythat79xX]

I remember this like it was yesterday! I used to love the way she called him Clarkie!!

[DesRCooke]

one of the sadiest tv moments ever

[youbunchawankers]

OH NO DAPHNE WE MISS YOU SOOOOOOOOOOO

[c6482]

This was so sad I almost cried.

[h8thatcherluvblair]

You almost cried !!! I cried my eyes out

[SciFiAssasin]

I loved the melodramatic cliffhangers, suddenly followed by the cheerful theme tune.

[CRIMNO1]

Eddie worked with Harold in the 90's - this thread was about Daphbe

[retronicky]

omg i cry every time i see this.. the acting is great.. i think the mood music plays a big part too.

[CRIMNO1]

I agree-i was doing me GCSE's at same time this ws aired

[poopiepoos]

This and Scott+Charlenes wedding episodes are the two defining episodes of the 22 year run.

[thekingisalive5]

that was one of the best scences from neighbours they should bring them back and pretend it was all just a dream

[quizzabella]

Wow, that's one of my first memories - wasn't Daphne an ex stripper or something? I remember her dying and being upset lol.

Thanks for sharing Xihym

[youbunchawankers]

yes you are right Daphne was a stripper at Des` stag night in the very 1st episode ever. He fell for her and cancelled the wedding, now thats drama!

[ElizabethR1558]

I hope they make a better attempt at rescuitation if I arrested! LMAO!! I love the unrealism in these soaps.

[ElizabethR1558]

LOL! I hope they'd make a better attempt at rescuitation if I arrested!! LMAO!!

[CRIMNO1]

we didnt see the accident just wreckage, then the daphne death which was emotional in the whole episode :(

[rosebankross]

What had happened to Daphne to leave her in a coma? Was it a car accident?

[toastytart]

Yep, her and Gail were run off the road by some idiots. This was so sad.