australian television information archive

Television tragedy

How dare Lisa Chappell (aka Claire McLeod) decide she wants to leave the McLeod's Daughters series!

Doesn't she know of the tears of little girls all over the country, of their heartache and the gaping hole she has left behind?

If she had any thread of moral decency, she would've thought first and foremost of mothers who have had to console their heartbroken daughters in the aftermath of Claire McLeod's tragic death. And I can tell you, it's hard to do all that while you are wiping away your own tears and processing your own grief!

Every Wednesday night, the "women" in our house line up on the couch for a bonding session in front of McLeod's Daughters. The only male in the house is shunted off to the front room with a chocolate biscuit and a cuppa to watch The Simpsons, while we snuggle up to enjoy a special girls-only session.

But recently he was heard bagging the show, and as such has been blackbanned by my girls who said anyone who doesn't care about Claire didn't deserve a Tim Tam.

Mind you, there have been occasions during the life and times of Claire McLeod & Co. when I've wished for another adult to help explain why Harry is not Alex's dad, or how Claire's baby doesn't have a father, and why Nick doesn't marry Tess when he so obviously loves her, not to mention trying to explain why Sandra would love an old bloke like Harry.

Thankfully, my girls are not that interested in the mechanics of such and I can usually answer those questions quickly and divert their attention to the pretty horses or the sick cattle.

They've always got some major stock-type drama going on which would make any farmer shudder at the vet costs, but I guess that's why Tess was engaged to Max the vet for some time.

Interestingly, since Tess dumped Max and he disappeared, the cattle seem to be a hell of a lot better. Hmmmm.

But all that pales in comparison to Claire's wellpublicised departure from the show.

I prepared the girls for the possibility as soon as I read it in The News TV Guide, and slowly got them used to the idea of life without Claire.

"It's not real," I said, "She doesn't really die, she's just acting," etc etc.

So when the time came, there we all were, huddled up, in good preparation for that scene.

And when the car came crashing down the cliff, I thought we would all be blase and practical about it being a television show.

But my little girls had tears in their eyes and looked to me for affirmation—unfortunately I was reaching for a Kleenex at the time, so my best laid plans came tumbling down.

It bought back memories of Molly's death on A Country Practice.

I remember crying on the couch and my mum and dad telling me it wasn't real. It sure felt real at the time so I guess I should've been a bit more prepared for the reality of our favourite McLeod departing the series in such dramatic fashion.

Thankfully we have the whole summer to get over it, but I'm inclined to agree with my girls—it just won't be the same without Claire.

November 05, 2003
Shepparton News