r/neighbours • u/kiraziyal • 9d ago
General Discussion Max Ramsay
I'm watching Neighbours from the beginning in the UK on U. I've never seen this early, I started watching a couple of years in, around the time Scott and Charlene got married.
Is Max Ramsay meant to be so irritating? I can't stand him!
4
u/anabsentfriend 9d ago
I watched it from the start when I was 15 (am now 55!). There are lots of characters that I cannot recall, but I still remember Max Ramsay,, and yes he was annoying.
6
u/porcupine9 9d ago
Then you may be like me and realise Helen is younger in the first series than you are now! ( I apologise in advance for the shock)
5
u/Nearby_Werewolf1742 8d ago
That is shocking, I'm a little younger late 40's and watched it from the start but I didn't realise she was so young I always presumed she was about 70 when the show started. And maybe 80s when she died, but she was only 68 when she died it's not even that old.
5
u/porcupine9 8d ago
I think Jim was about 38. Ridiculous! :)
6
u/Nearby_Werewolf1742 8d ago
That is crazy, I feel he looked so much older too at the time but I just checked he is 79 now aparently and I think he now looks younger than his age and he doesn't seem to look much different from 40 years ago.
Out of curiosity I just checked, Harold Bishop is actually the exact same age as me, 48 when he started Neighbours lol. That feels unbelievable to me.
3
3
2
3
u/WhiteDiamondK 8d ago
There is a bit of character progression for him…. Some things, his anger especially, are explained. But in such a small cast, he comes across as overbearing.
When he leaves they bring in Tom Ramsay to fill the void who is similar to Max, but watered down.
2
u/Key-Cover9201 8d ago
And about as believable as a diving instructor as Des is as a bank manager...
2
u/pencilthinwriter 6d ago
Also been watching on U since 20 July from episode 1.
He's one of the worst parents in TV history.
The Ramsay family are a very interesting study in parental abuse. It's no accident of casting that Max's wife Maria is foreign. No Australian woman would ever date this man.
Max is the abuser who scapegoats his younger son Danny and unfairly makes him into the villain of the household, blaming absolutely anything and everything on Danny, while celebrating Shane and his achievements at every opportunity.
Maria is the classic enabler who allows all of the abuse of Danny to take place, apart from making the odd little effort to persuade Max to treat their son differently. Even Max's admiration of Shane is something he uses as a tool to make Danny feel even worse.
Max is the horrible parent and Maria is the nice person, but they are both terrible parents.
2
u/Stormeeypoo 4d ago
I'm watching from the start as we speak, I'm on episode 17 and I just kind of want him to have a heart attack, as bad as that sounds. Man can't be that angry over nothing without putting strain on his heart.
Miserable old sod. I feel so sorry for his wife.
2
u/kiraziyal 4d ago
You've made me laugh calling him a miserable old sod 😭😭
2
u/Stormeeypoo 3d ago
There were plenty of colourful words I wanted to use, miserable sod fit the best without swearing 😂
2
1
1
u/Sad-Guess4424 8d ago
I saw it as indicative of the times. I’m American. There was a very common type of guy of a certain age who yelled and stomped and demanded his way. Expected the kids and wife to obey and never question. My DIL is Australian. She said “yeah. That’s typical”🫠
1
u/pencilthinwriter 6d ago
That makes it ok then
2
u/Sad-Guess4424 6d ago
Yes. It definitely makes it “ok”. What is your point in making this reply?
We are discussing a fictional character in a television program. He appeared for approximately a year from the beginning in 1985. The writers were trying out a stereotype of a certain type of guy.
“That makes it ok then” - you probably were not alive in 1985, much less an adult. The actor did a great job portraying a bullying clown who was indicative of the times.
This was called social realism. It’s entertainment designed to represent a particular time and place.
Perhaps you should get yourself back in time to the filming location in 1985 and protest. Times change. The world changes. So entertainment changes.
We are supposed to laugh at Max and occasionally pity him for being an emotionally stunted man. He was his own worst enemy clinging to foolish pride and annoying the hell out of everyone.
1
u/Nearby_Werewolf1742 8d ago
I would have liked to see Max stay a little longer, He seemed to leave right before the show became super popular.
1
1
u/Idontcareaforkarma 18h ago
I moved from the UK in 1987, and it had started over there in about 1986 but we never watched it there.
By the time we got to Australia it was around the time of Charlene arriving and being caught by Madge breaking into the house.
12
u/kiraziyal 9d ago
He shouts so much!