Lou Carpenter

Lou Carpenter is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Tom Oliver. He made his first screen appearance on 30 March 1988. Oliver appeared for a brief time, having been initially contracted for six months, before leaving and returning in January 1992 as a regular cast member. In 1996, Lou was written out of ''Neighbours'', a move that shocked Oliver as his character had become popular with fans. ''Neighbours'' viewers created petitions calling for his return and the strength of their reaction caused the producers to reconsider their decision and reinstate Oliver. Lou became one of the longest-serving continuous characters in the serial's history, having played the role for 24 years.

From March 2009, Lou became a part-time regular character, with Oliver alternating between two-month blocks of filming and two-month breaks. In 2015, it was announced that Oliver had cut back his filming commitments even more, and would no longer be appearing as regularly as he once had. Lou made a temporary departure on 1 May 2015, but a spokesperson confirmed that Oliver would return to film guest appearances, which he did until the end of 2016.

Casting

Oliver joined the cast of ''Neighbours'' as Lou in 1988. He was initially contracted for six months. The character was written out in 1996 after the ''Neighbours'' producers decided to employ an "out with the old and in with the new" policy. Oliver was shocked and angry over the decision to axe his character and he said he was not offered an explanation as to why his contract was not going to be renewed. He told ''Inside Soap'' "I don't understand it at all, Lou is very popular with everyone, especially the kids, who even come up to me in the street and say: I wish my dad was more like Lou." Oliver agreed to stay with the show past his original departure date, so the writers could have enough time to give Lou a respectable send-off rather than have him killed in a car accident or explosion.

When the news of Oliver's sacking was revealed, ''Neighbours'' viewers called for his return and created petitions asking for him to be reinstated. The strength of the public's reaction took the producers by surprise, as they were not aware of how popular he was in Australia and the UK. A writer for ''Inside Soap'' said "So they began to reconsider the situation, especially when Caroline Gillmer, who plays Cheryl, chose to leave. And soon the decision was made - Lou was returning to Ramsay Street full time." Oliver commented that he was "totally overwhelmed" by the public support for him.

In April 2009, it was announced that Oliver would cut back on filming with ''Neighbours''. Oliver reduced his hours and appeared part-time, like his former co-star Ian Smith. His new contract meant he alternated between four months of filming and four-month breaks. This later became two months on and two months off. By 2012, Oliver was the show's longest-serving male cast member.

Development

Characterisation

Lou is often a positive person, even when things fail. He is loyal and enthusiastic about each new challenge.Johnston, Tony, p.46 Tony Johnston, author of ''Neighbours: 20 years of Ramsay Street'', said Oliver has pulled off the remarkable task of imbuing a "dodgy character with some irresistibly likable qualities." He described Lou as being a ready confidant and an eternal dreamer. Oliver described Lou as "Mischievous, humorous and honest" and told a writer for the BBC
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