Welcome to Episode 34  of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with the talented Script Writer/Script Editor/Storyliner and Story Editor Coral Drouyn. Coral has been involved in the entertainment industry since a young child and is also an actress and singer. Coral is a huge part of the Australian TV industry working on shows such as Neighbours, Home and Away, Blue Heelers, Streetsmartz, Pacific Drive, Chuck Finn and is also responsible for saving the career of a Home and Away favourite which we spoke to Coral in great length about. Coral shared her memories with us growing up as a child, what it was like to have parents who were in show business and what it was like to come over to Australia in a boat. Coral talks in great length about her writing process for scripts and her passion for writing for tv shows and the lengths she went to making sure that her scripts were perfect. Coral shared with us the long hours she worked on shows the stress and toll it took on her and her family life. We spoke with Coral about how she was headhunted to come and save Home and Away and what she did to save the show and to fix the ratings. We also spoke about the ill fated soap “Arcade” where Coral played Consuela McPhee, Coral explained why this show did not work and some behind the scenes information that none of us ever knew about Arcade. We spoke in great depth about Corals time writing for Neighbours with Reg Watson. Coral wrote the final episode and one of the most heart breaking episodes of Blue Heelers where Maggie Doyle dies, Coral explains why they killed off Maggie and why Lisa McCune did not speak to her for two years. Coral also saved the career of Home and Away favourite Lynne McGranger who plays Irene Roberts, Coral told us why she kept Irene in the show when the writers wanted to write her out and the Australian Writers Award she won for writing Episode 3445 of Home and Away involving everyone’s favourite Alf Stewart played by Ray Meagher. Fans will be excited to know that Part 2 will be dedicated to all the characters Coral developed on Prisoner and fan questions. Please like and subscribe to the Talking Prisoner YouTube channel.
#homeandaway #coraldrouyn #neighbours #blueheelers