Scripted and unscripted
Australian TV has been far more white and Anglo-Saxon than the population
When the Australian soap opera Neighbours introduced its first non-white family in 1993 – the Lims from Hong Kong – their first major storyline was to be accused of eating another neighbour’s dog.
Admittedly, the person doing the accusing was Julie Martin, a character known for being obnoxious, and described by the official Neighbours book as “unbearable”. Eventually, in a triumph for race relations, they were vindicated. After six weeks, they were written out. The dog, Holly, stayed around for five more years.