Carly Lucini

Infobox soap character | name = Carly Lucini


colour=Television colour|Home and Away
image_size =
caption = Carly as she appeared in 2008.
portrayer = Sharyn Hodgson
creator =
gender = Female
first = January 17, 1988
Pilot
last = April 3, 2008
Episode 4609
last_cause =
age =
occupation =
title =
family = Samantha Morris (twin sister)
spouse = Ben Lucini (1991-)
children = Jordy, Michael

Carly Lucini (nee Morris) was one of the original fictional characters on the Australian television soap opera Home and Away. The character was played by actress Sharyn Hodgson (1988—1991; 1997; 1998; 2000; 2001; 2002 & 2008).

Development

She was one of the soap's original female protagonists, appearing as one of the Flethcers' foster children in the pilot episode on January 17 1988. The soap's primary focus was placed upon the Fletchers and their gang of foster children, moving as outsiders to a caravan park in the seaside town of Summer Bay. Carly remained in the serial as a regular character until 1991, covering issues such as rape, alcoholism and child abuse, as well as a problematic marriage to soldier Ben Lucini (Julian McMahon). [ [http://www.homeandaway.utvinternet.com/Profiles/Carly.htm Carly Morris/Lucini] ] Carly's rape, which occurred while she was hitch hiking in 1988, was one of the soap's first controversial storylines. Andrew Mercado, author of "Super Aussie Soaps", has commented that "although the word 'rape' was never actually uttered [on-screen] , savvy viewers caught on. In the aftermath of her assualt, [Carly] began drinking heavily and the ratings continued to grow. From a low of 9, "Home and Away" slowly built its audience until the show was scoring 25 by the end of its first year. The serial was finally a hit". cite book |author= Andrew Mercado|title= [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=i-U_OkpqpKMC&pg=PA254&dq=carly+home+and+away+australian&sig=ACfU3U0X57RcKj7ycumMWAh5ACyAu3llXQ#PPA254,M1 Super Aussie Soaps] |year=2004|publisher= Pluto Press Australia|id=ISBN 9781864031911] In the storyline, Carly kept the rape a secret initially, but after the truth came out the residents of Summer Bay "were shown to be divided as to whether or not Carly had contributed to the situation through reckless behaviour". The aftermath of the event explored Carly's descent into alcoholism and drug abuse, which has been described as "very brave territory for a prime-time soap [...] the Carly Morris storyline pointed to the fact that if there were feathers to be ruffled, Home and Away would ruffle them." [cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A25436685|title='Home and Away' - Australian Soap Opera|publisher="BBC" | date = 2007-08-09| accessdate=2008-09-16]

Since being written out of the serial, Carly has made numerous appearances as a guest character to visit her foster family or attend important events in Summer Bay. The character has since appeared in 1997; 1998; 2000; 2001; 2002 & 2008. Carly's return in 2002 was part of "Home and Away" producers' attempt to counter a ratings slump, said to have resulted from the "unexpected success" of rival netwrok's relaity TV show "Big Brother", which was aired opposite the soap at 7pm weekdays. Hodgson was one of numerous returning cast members, brought back especially for the storyline to mark the 150th anniversary of settlement in Summer Bay. The majority of the cast was boarded onto a ferry boat for a night cruise; however, a "freak storm" ruined the celebrations, leading the boat to sink. The storyline was heavily promoted with the tag "Who Will Survive?". According to Mercado, "Big Brother 2" crumbled against the competition [...] ". Carly's last appearance, in 2008, was part of the leaving storyline of her foster sister Sally Fletcher (Kate Ritchie), an original character who departed the serial after 20 years.

toryline

Carly came from an abusive home. Her father used to beat her, and she had a tempestuous relationship with her twin sister Samanatha. Following the death of her mother, she was placed in foster care with the Fletcher family and moved with them to Summer Bay in 1988, aged 14. A problematic, selfish teenager, Carly was frequently in trouble at school, and she feuded with her foster sister Bobby Simpson, though they later patched up their differences and became close friends. Carly attracted the attention of local boy Martin Dibble, but she rebuffed his advances preferring surfer Matt Wilson, though her attempts to attract his attention went unnoticed, and she nearly drowned when she set up a ploy for him to rescue her from the sea."Home and Away"]

Whilst hitch-hiking home from a party in 1988, Carly was raped. Unable to cope with what had happened to her, Carly began drinking alcohol heavily and using drugs, but curtailed the problem via counselling. Despite an unrequited crush on her teacher Andrew Foley and a brief dallience with Adam Cameroon, Carly's most serious relationship was with Italian soldier Ben Lucini, in 1990. Ben left the army to be with Carly and they married in 1991. Ben attempted a career as a farmer, but money was tight for the couple, and when Ben decided to move away for better career opportunites, Carly agonised but decided to leave with him. They departed in 1991 and have had three children.

Carly returned nemerous times between 1997 and 2002 for occasions like Sally's non-wedding to Kerian Fletcher and the Summer Bay 150th anniversary celebrations. Carly alongside foster brother Steven Matheson returned for their foster sister Sally Fletcher's tearful farewell concert in 2008.

In other media

A tie-in novel, written by Sharon Clarke, concentrating on Carly Morris and her foster brother Steven Matheson, was released in 1990. Called "Carly Morris Story and Steven Matheson Story", the novel chronicled the characters' lives before being fostered by the Fletcher family, outling their backstories of child abuse and hardship, as well as Carly's history with her malicious twin sister. [cite book |author= Sharon Clarke|title= [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2CdUAAAACAAJ&dq=carly+morris+soap&lr= Carly Morris Story and Steven Matheson Story] |year=1990|publisher= Fantail|id=ISBN 9780140901535] Another tie-in novel featuring the character includes "Carly's Crisis", which covers her alcohol problems shown in episodes up to 1989, written by Trish Howarth. [cite book |author= Trish Howarth|title= "Home and Away: Carly's Crisis"|year=1989|publisher= William Collins Pty Ltd|id=ISBN 0006937411]

Hodgson as Carly was one of several "Home and Away" cast-members to star in a stage musical about the soap, which toured the UK in 1991. Julian McMahon, Justine Clarke, Mouche Phillips and Adam Willits also starred. [" [http://www.mook-e.com/bio/clarke.htm Home and Away musical] ", "mook". URL last accessed on 2007-01-29.]

References