Eddie Buckingham
Encyclopedia
Edward "Eddie" Buckingham is a fictional character
from the Australian soap opera Neighbours
, played by Bob La Castra
. He made his first on-screen appearance on 2 April 1990. La Castra created the character for himself after he was told that casting him the soap would be difficult due to his ethnic background. Eddie travels to Australia to visit Madge
and Harold Bishop
. While he is in the country, Eddie sets up and runs a food stall. The character was written out of the soap and Eddie departed on 2 October 1990.
in 1989, he sent an audition tape to Neighbours. La Castra received a call back, but he was told by producers that his ethnic background would make casting him difficult. The actor decided to use his background as a writer to create his own character, Eddie Buckingham. La Castra said "I was initially told the part would have been easier to cast if I were Vietnamese, but I lived in a normal street with normal people so I wrote myself in." La Castra was written out of the show in October 1990 along with a series of characters, so Neighbours could make a return to focusing on family-oriented drama.
(Anne Charleston
) and Harold Bishop
(Ian Smith
) and they invite him back to Australia. La Castra said that the fact he is from England in real life would be a draw for the English audience. During Eddie's seven months on Neighbours, he appeared primarily as a foil for Harold. La Castra described Eddie as a "typical cockney lovable rouge". He is "bright and breezy, and a one for chatting up the ladies." Eddie is a good guy and very street wise.
During a scene where Eddie had to ride a bicycle, La Castra revealed that he could not ride the bike. The Neighbours team asked a Caucasian man to ride the bike and they blacked
him up. La Castra said nobody ever picked it up, even though a patch of skin on his body double's arm was left untouched.
Eddie begins to act suspiciously and stores large amounts of food in the fridge. Sharon Davies (Jessica Muschamp) finds Eddie selling sandwiches at a food stall. Eddie makes Sharon promise not to tell anyone as he does not have a work permit. Sharon explains to Eddie that Harold's coffee shop is losing business as a result of his food stall and asks him to quit. Harold announces he has reported the business to the council and Eddie admits that he is running the food stall. Madge and Harold are shocked and cannot understand why Eddie needs to work while he is in Australia. Eddie reveals that his cafe back home has gone bust. Harold buys the food stall and it becomes part of the Coffee Shop. Harold lets Eddie take the food stall around the town to ensure that Harold's business does not suffer. Eddie becomes an attraction for customers and he charms them with his stories.
Eddie falls for Caroline
(Gillian Blakeney
) and Christina Alessi
(Gayle Blakeney
) and he tries to get a date with one of them. Caroline pretends to be Christina and makes herself out to be a man-eater. When Eddie and Christina discover Caroline's joke, they tell Caroline that they are engaged after their first date. Eddie and Christina tell Caroline the truth after she organises an engagement party for them. When Eddie hears that his father is sick, he decides to leave Ramsay Street to help his mother care for him.
asked readers to nominate their 20 favourite obscure characters. Eddie came in fifthteenth place and the readers said "I liked Eddie Buckingham, played by Bob La Castra. He was an English stand-up comedian who lived with the Bishops for a while. No real explanation was given to why he arrived or, indeed, why he left". The BBC said Eddie's most notable moment was "Announcing his joke engagement to Christina."
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...
, played by Bob La Castra
Bob La Castra
Bob La Castra or Robert La Castra was an a popular Australian children's television show presenter in the 1980s. Best known for his appearances on the children's show Wombat...
. He made his first on-screen appearance on 2 April 1990. La Castra created the character for himself after he was told that casting him the soap would be difficult due to his ethnic background. Eddie travels to Australia to visit Madge
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...
and Harold Bishop
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...
. While he is in the country, Eddie sets up and runs a food stall. The character was written out of the soap and Eddie departed on 2 October 1990.
Character creation and casting
After La Castra finished working on children's television series WombatWombat (TV series)
Wombat was an award-winning Australian children's TV show produced at BTQ Channel 7 in Brisbane from 1979 to 1990. It was aired on weekday afternoons, and later Saturday and Sunday mornings, across Australia....
in 1989, he sent an audition tape to Neighbours. La Castra received a call back, but he was told by producers that his ethnic background would make casting him difficult. The actor decided to use his background as a writer to create his own character, Eddie Buckingham. La Castra said "I was initially told the part would have been easier to cast if I were Vietnamese, but I lived in a normal street with normal people so I wrote myself in." La Castra was written out of the show in October 1990 along with a series of characters, so Neighbours could make a return to focusing on family-oriented drama.
Character development
Eddie was introduced to Neighbours during episodes set in London. He meets MadgeMadge 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:...
) and Harold Bishop
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 they invite him back to Australia. La Castra said that the fact he is from England in real life would be a draw for the English audience. During Eddie's seven months on Neighbours, he appeared primarily as a foil for Harold. La Castra described Eddie as a "typical cockney lovable rouge". He is "bright and breezy, and a one for chatting up the ladies." Eddie is a good guy and very street wise.
During a scene where Eddie had to ride a bicycle, La Castra revealed that he could not ride the bike. The Neighbours team asked a Caucasian man to ride the bike and they blacked
Blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky...
him up. La Castra said nobody ever picked it up, even though a patch of skin on his body double's arm was left untouched.
Storylines
Eddie was an Englishman who ran a cafe in the city of London. Madge (Anne Charleston) and Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) visit the cafe while they stay in London for a holiday and they strike up a friendship with Eddie. Before they leave London, they ask Eddie to come and visit them in Australia one day. Eddie decides to take them up on their offer and arrives in Australia a few days after Madge and Harold return. Madge and Harold let Eddie stay with them, thinking he would only be with them for a short time.Eddie begins to act suspiciously and stores large amounts of food in the fridge. Sharon Davies (Jessica Muschamp) finds Eddie selling sandwiches at a food stall. Eddie makes Sharon promise not to tell anyone as he does not have a work permit. Sharon explains to Eddie that Harold's coffee shop is losing business as a result of his food stall and asks him to quit. Harold announces he has reported the business to the council and Eddie admits that he is running the food stall. Madge and Harold are shocked and cannot understand why Eddie needs to work while he is in Australia. Eddie reveals that his cafe back home has gone bust. Harold buys the food stall and it becomes part of the Coffee Shop. Harold lets Eddie take the food stall around the town to ensure that Harold's business does not suffer. Eddie becomes an attraction for customers and he charms them with his stories.
Eddie falls for Caroline
Caroline Alessi
Caroline Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Gillian Blakeney. She made her first on-screen appearance on 18 January 1990 and remained until 11 May 1992.-Characterisation:...
(Gillian Blakeney
Gayle & Gillian Blakeney
Gayle and Gillian Blakeney are Australian identical twins who performed together as actresses and as a dance/pop duo in the 1990s. Born in Brisbane on 9 July 1966. Gayle is older by nine minutes. They are most widely known for their stint in the soap opera Neighbours.-Early career:The girls knew...
) and Christina Alessi
Christina Alessi
Christina Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Gayle Blakeney. She made her first on-screen appearance on 18 January 1990, when she moved into Ramsay Street with her twin sister, Caroline. Christina marries Paul Robinson and gives birth to their son,...
(Gayle Blakeney
Gayle & Gillian Blakeney
Gayle and Gillian Blakeney are Australian identical twins who performed together as actresses and as a dance/pop duo in the 1990s. Born in Brisbane on 9 July 1966. Gayle is older by nine minutes. They are most widely known for their stint in the soap opera Neighbours.-Early career:The girls knew...
) and he tries to get a date with one of them. Caroline pretends to be Christina and makes herself out to be a man-eater. When Eddie and Christina discover Caroline's joke, they tell Caroline that they are engaged after their first date. Eddie and Christina tell Caroline the truth after she organises an engagement party for them. When Eddie hears that his father is sick, he decides to leave Ramsay Street to help his mother care for him.
Reception
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Neighbours, the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
asked readers to nominate their 20 favourite obscure characters. Eddie came in fifthteenth place and the readers said "I liked Eddie Buckingham, played by Bob La Castra. He was an English stand-up comedian who lived with the Bishops for a while. No real explanation was given to why he arrived or, indeed, why he left". The BBC said Eddie's most notable moment was "Announcing his joke engagement to Christina."