Episode 523

The episode was written by Ray Harding, directed by Rod Hardy, and executively produced by the serial's creator Reg Watson.

Episode 523 focuses on the wedding of popular couple Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell (portrayed by Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue).

When it aired in the United Kingdom in November 1988, it attracted an audience of 19.6 million, making it the third most watched programme in the country that year.

TV Week's Kelly Bourne stated that the wedding would be the most exciting television soap opera event of 1987, while Network Ten's head of drama thought it was "a major turning point for Neighbours".

At the Robinson house, Scott (Jason Donovan) begins to panic about getting married, while his father, Jim (Alan Dale), and best friend, Mike Young (Guy Pearce), set up tables for the reception.

He is greeted by his old school friends and Mike explains that he and Jane arranged for them to attend to make up for the absence of Charlene's extended family.

They are interrupted by Mrs. Mangel (Vivean Gray) who informs them that the telegrams from Max and Maria, Clive and Rosemary, who all are unable to attend, are being read out.

By 1987, Scott Robinson (Jason Donovan) and Charlene Mitchell (Kylie Minogue) had become a popular couple with Neighbours viewers, who dubbed them "TV's Romeo and Juliet" because they were from feuding families.

[2] Donovan recalled that the producers thought a wedding would be "the perfect climax" to Scott and Charlene's long-running relationship, as well as an instant ratings winner.

[3] Speaking to James Oram, author of Neighbours: Behind the Scenes, Minogue thought the marriage would bring controversial subjects, such as pre-marital sex and HIV/AIDS, into focus.

[5] Some, like Scott's father Jim (Alan Dale), thought it was "stupid" for a couple just out of school to get married, while others, like Charlene's mother Madge (Anne Charleston), believed it was romantic.

[8] Minogue found the shoot "very tiring", as she had to walk up and down the aisle twenty times and she felt constricted by the wedding gown as filming went on.

"[2] Scenes featuring the character's family homes and Ramsay Street were shot at the show's studio in Forest Hill and at Pin Oak Court in Vermont South respectively.

[4][16] Minogue was asked by the producers to choose a romantic song to be played in the episode and she chose "Suddenly" by Angry Anderson.

[17] Network Ten's national publicity director, Brian Walsh, believed the wedding episode would be an ideal marketing opportunity.

[8] He arranged for Minogue and Donovan to attend a wedding breakfast at the Park Royal Hotel in Parramatta and invited four hundred competition winners to join them.

[24][25] When it aired in the United Kingdom, the episode attracted an audience of 19.6 million, making it the third most watched programme in the country that year.

[12] The head of drama at Network Ten, Rick Maier, stated "Scott and Charlene's wedding was the biggest television event of 1987.

"[27] The Sydney Morning Herald's Michael Idato observed that "Australians packed the aisles for the nuptials of star-crossed teenagers Scott and Charlene" and added that "the nation wept" while "Suddenly" played.

This episode featured the entire cast, and audiences loved watching the romance of off-screen couple Jason Donovan (Scott) and Kylie Minogue (Charlene) spill over on to the small screen.

"[29] Elizabeth Day, writing for The Guardian, commented "For many, the quintessential on-screen wedding remains the 1987 marriage of Scott and Charlene in Australian daytime soap Neighbours.

It was the apotheosis of a romantic teenage love story which brought together two feuding families – the Robinsons and the Ramsays – in much the same way as the Montagues and the Capulets, albeit with fewer deaths and more shoulder pads.

[31] Josephine Monroe, author of The Neighbours Programme Guide, wrote that the episode showed the "soap wedding of the century!

[32] During a feature on how to celebrate a wedding ceremony in the style of a soap opera, Tom Cole from the Radio Times said "Who needs Mendelssohn and Bach when you can process down the aisle to power ballad 'Suddenly' by Australian rocker Angry Anderson?

[2] The church has since been used again by Neighbours to film the weddings of Harold and Madge, Libby Kennedy (Kym Valentine) and Drew Kirk (Dan Paris) and Vanessa Villante (Alin Sumarwata) and Lucas Fitzgerald (Scott Major).

[6] In October 1997, the serial's longest serving character, Helen Daniels (Anne Haddy), was seen watching a video of Scott and Charlene's wedding, before she died.

Kathleen Morgan from the Daily Record commented "The wedding video brought back memories of the soap's golden years".

[37] Charlene became an iconic bridal image, and when Jane Turner and Gina Riley were writing the 2004 season finale of Kath & Kim, they asked Minogue to play the character of Epponnee Rae who was due to get married.

[39] A Herald Sun reporter said "No other wedding in soap history in Australia has captured the attention like Scott and Charlene's nuptials late in 1987.

[40] To celebrate the soap's 25th anniversary and its 6000th episode, producers decided to "recreate the magic" of Scott and Charlene's wedding through the marriage of Ringo Brown (Sam Clark) and Donna Freedman (Margot Robbie).