Grundy, who was also behind hit shows The Young Doctors and Prisoner: Cell Block H as well as Family Feud and the Prisoner remake Wentworth, passed away at his Bermuda estate. The Australian institution had been living in Bermuda with his wife of 45 years, actress and author Joy Chambers, since 1982.
Over the years Mr Grundy’s shows, and the actors in them, have won dozens of Logies. But it is the wildly popular long running soap Neighbours for which he is best known.
The show, which was first broadcast in Australia in 1985 and in the UK in 1986 and is still running today, helped launch the careers of numerous celebrities including Kylie Minogue.
The pop star played Charlene Robinson, opposite Jason Donovan, who played her husband, Scott. Their on screen romance saw 16 million viewers in the UK alone, tune into watch Ramsay Street’s golden couple tie the knot.
Miss Minogue took to Twitter to pay tribute to the Father of Australian television, tweeting: “Here’s to #Neighbours & his many other TV creations … #RegGrundy RIP.”
Donovan also expressed his sadness, posting: “Sad news about Reg Grundy. One of the true pioneers of Australian television who gave opportunity to many. My thoughts go out to his family.”
Grundy is also famous for an another reason. His influence on Australian culture went beyond TV screens: in Australia, the phrase ‘Reg Grundies’ is used as rhyming slang for ‘undies’.
