She launched the careers of Kylie, Delta and Margot. Do you know his name?

“He has the ability to view dramas normally. That is the main philosophy for Neighbor, which at that time contradicted the melodramatic and exaggerated grain of television soap operas. He elevates suburban life into a drama that captivates millions.”

Reg Grundy understands how to use publicity to grow an audience.Credit:Ben Rushton

Born in Queensland in 1926, after a brief career as an actor Watson became a television executive in England in the 1950s, working for broadcaster ATV.

During his tenure there Watson oversaw the creation of one of Britain’s most iconic soap operas, the Midlands-set junction.

Returning to Australia, Watson became head of drama at Reg Grundy Productions and oversaw the company’s prolific drama boards, including Young Doctors (1976-1983), Glenview High (1977), The Restless Years (1977-1981), captive (1979-1986), Son and Daughter (1981-1987) and Neighbor (1985-present). He also oversaw the US adaptation of Prisoner: Dangerous Woman.

Neighbor’ original producer John Holmes recalls a simple man who wasn’t interested in the “shimmer and glamour” of showbiz, but basically understood the audience “wanted to identify with the characters they were watching, that’s why Neighbor very successful, people relate to what they see.”

Watson retired in the early 1990s and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for media services in 2010.

Rivals Patricia (Rowena Wallace) and Beryl (Leila Hayes) in Sons & Daughters Reg Watson.Credit:Freemantle Media

But it was largely his creative work that helped his boss Reg Grundy become a multi-millionaire, selling his empire for $400 million, a huge leap in the days when the BBC reportedly paid £25,000 per episode for the show in the mid-1980s.

It was already a precarious start to the show in his homeland. Neighbor was originally commissioned by the Seven Network, but the broadcaster, who was reported to have paid $7 million for the first season, canceled it when it failed to deliver commonly used figures with similar success from A State Practiceand one of Watson’s other hits, Son and Daughter.

“I remember Reg calling me when Seven axed Neighbor and told me not to let any of the players sign a new contract,” Holmes recalls. “He was sure the new network would take it.”

Former Ramsay Street resident Delta Goodrem.Credit:Getty

And so they did, with Ten securing Neighborand overseeing the arrival of Minogue into the cast, which over the years has also counted international luminaries such as Russell Crowe, Natalie Imbruglia, Liam Hemsworth, Margot Robbie, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Delta Goodrem and Guy Pearce.

Ten’s director of publicity at the time Brian Walsh, now running Foxtel, knew he had to make a bang to get people talking about Neighbors, which started slowly at Ten.

“Reg is a genius who understands publicity. He told me to identify the talent that would help drive the show, obviously it was Jason and Kylie.

“I still remember the storyline about them having a romantic meeting at a motel, it was so embarrassing it was on the front page of the Sydney newspapers… at the time. Neighbor did much better in Melbourne than Sydney, but after that, everything changed.

“The hysteria around these hot starlets was unimaginable, we would go to the mall with them, and it was like Beatlemania,” Walsh recalled.

Load

The BBC eventually lost Neighbors when rival Channel 5 – thirsty for its huge audience – secured the 10-year rights to air the show for nearly 300 million pounds in 2007.

It was a deal that would guarantee the show for another decade, and for the kind of money today’s television executives can only dream of.

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