Sheila Canning
Sheila Canning is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Colette Mann. The character was teased by the show's executive producer Richard Jasek in January 2012. The following month Mann's casting was announced. She had previously appeared in the soap in 1995 and 1996, temporarily taking over the role of Cheryl Stark for eight weeks. Mann made her debut screen appearance as Sheila during the episode broadcast on 3 May 2012. After taking a brief break to appear in a play, Mann was promoted to the regular cast. Sheila was created as a "warmer" version of 1980s character Nell Mangel and a resident stickybeak.
Sheila was introduced as the grandmother of established character Kyle Canning. She is a widow and the matriarch of the Canning family. She often meddles in her family's business, believing she knows what is best for them. Mann described Sheila as being "pushy, slightly controlling – and a little bit of a gossip", while reporters called her "opinionated" and "over-affectionate". Sheila comes to Erinsborough to visit Kyle and she instantly clashes with his then girlfriend Jade Mitchell. She also develops a comedic rivalry with Lou Carpenter. Sheila has had romantic relationships with Walter Mitchell, Russell Brennan and Clive Gibbons. Further exploration of the character's background began with the introductions of her children Naomi Canning and Gary Canning in 2014. The character has been well-received by television critics. In February 2022, Mann confirmed that she had departed the show. Her final scenes aired on 16 February in Australia, with Sheila's exit taking place off-screen in subsequent episodes.
Casting
During a January 2012 interview with a TV Week writer, Neighbours executive producer Richard Jasek commented that viewers would see more of Kyle Canning's family, starting with the introduction of his grandmother later in the year. Jasek said the character would be quite big in all senses. On 8 February 2012, it was announced Colette Mann had rejoined the cast of Neighbours as Sheila Canning. Mann previously appeared in the show in 1995 and 1996, when she temporarily took over the role of Cheryl Stark for eight weeks when Caroline Gillmer fell ill. She was one of three actresses who auditioned for the part. Mann stated that she was looking forward to working with Milligan, saying "Chris is a lovely boy, however like my sons, he'll wonder what has hit him after working with me for a few weeks." Mann made her screen debut as Sheila on 3 May 2012.Sheila initially started out as a guest character, but eventually become a member of the regular cast. Mann took a short break from Neighbours in July 2012 to appear in a play. Mann said that plans for her to appear in the play had been made before she took on the role of Sheila. Milligan confirmed that Mann had returned to filming in September 2012. In March 2013, Mann commented that she was enjoying working on Neighbours and things had become more natural now that there was a familiarity with Sheila. When asked if she had put her own stamp on Sheila, Mann explained that playing a regular character meant that she got to know them better than anyone and she had subconsciously added layers. She added that the producers and directors allowed her "great leeway" with her lines. In October 2013, Susan Hill from the Daily Star reported that Mann had signed a new contract keeping her with Neighbours for another year.
Development
Characterisation
Mann confirmed that the original idea for Sheila was to be "a warmer Mrs Mangel" and the show's resident "nosy stickybeak". Before her introduction, Sheila was described by a Herald Sun reporter as being "opinionated" and someone who would ruffle feathers. Susan Hill from the Daily Star commented that Sheila was "over-affectionate", but "lovable". In her newspaper column, Mann called Sheila "a pushy, slightly controlling – and a little bit of a gossip – grandmother." She wrote that she had to do "a great deal of research" as the character is so far removed from her own personality. Mann later told TV Week's Andrew Mercado that Sheila's arrival would be like "a galleon in full sail" and that she loved injecting some humour into the show. Mann later explained that she brought in for her comedic abilities, and that she had based some aspects of Sheila's personality on her own mother. A writer for the show's official website revealed that Sheila was a widow who often meddled in her family's business. They explained "If she knows what's best for her kids and grandkids – and she always does – she'll do whatever it takes to achieve it, even if that means being underhanded."Mann told an Inside Soap writer that Sheila was the matriarch of the Canning family, who loved her grandson Kyle "very much". The actress suspected that Kyle was actually Sheila's favourite. Sheila likes to know what is happening to everyone else around her and is more than willing to offer her advice if it is asked for. The writer stated that while Sheila is not intellectual, she does have good instincts and "a sharp sense of humour". However, she is quick to make judgements about other people and has no time for political correctness. In March 2013, Mann called Sheila "a tough old bird" and quipped that she has some endearing characteristics, but they can be harder to find. The actress also branded the character "a first-class meddler" and stated that she often speaks her mind, which is one of the only things Mann has in common with her.
Interfering in Kyle's love life
After deciding to visit her grandson Kyle, Sheila turns up unannounced on his doorstep and is "thrilled" to see him. Mann thought that Sheila was getting sick of waiting for Kyle to visit her in Frankston, so she came to him instead. Sheila was also interested in meeting Kyle's girlfriend, Jade Mitchell. Mann said that Sheila had already heard a few things about Jade and had made her mind up about her already; she was the wrong girl for her grandson. While looking around Kyle's handyman business, Sheila meets Kate Ramsay and mistakes her for Jade. Impressed by Kate's manners and politeness, Sheila is then left to wonder whether Kate should be "in her precious grandson's life" instead. When Sheila finally meets Jade, she is underwhelmed by her brashness and does not hold back her opinion towards her.Jade becomes frustrated and her attitude convinces Sheila that the conservative Kate is really the one for Kyle. A show spokesperson commented "Sheila adores Kyle and would do absolutely anything for him, which rubs Jade up the wrong way. Everyone can expect the sparks to fly between the two women in his life. It's going to be a very tricky time for Kyle as he tries to please them both." Sheila informs Kyle that Jade is not marriage material and that Kate would be better for him. Sheila decides to meddle in Kyle's love life, but Mann believed that it was out of love as Sheila just wanted Kyle to be happy. Although Sheila does not get on with Jade, she decides to stay around to keep an eye on Kyle.
When Kyle starts spending time with Georgia Brooks, Sheila becomes concerned that Georgia is trying to seduce him, even though she has a boyfriend. When asked whether Sheila would warm to Georgia, Mann replied that everyone "goes through a screening process with Sheila", but because family means a lot to her, her grandson's welfare always comes first. She gives anyone who becomes close to him a hard time for a while. After accusing Georgia of leading Kyle on, Sheila encourages her grandson to pursue a relationship with Jana Noviac. Sheila also clashes with Georgia's aunt, Angie Rebecchi, who has noticed the sexual tension between Georgia and Kyle too. The two women end up defending their families.
Relationships
Lou Carpenter
Sheila developed a rivalry with Lou Carpenter, but when questioned about a potential romance between the characters, Mann thought it would be best if they stayed "at each other's throats". She said that the rivalry would provide the writers with more scope in terms of humorous storylines for the pair. Mann added that she and Oliver had already had a romance when she filled in as Cheryl Stark, who was Lou's partner. Later episodes hinted at a spark between Sheila and Lou. Jasek was also asked if he would like them to embark on a romance and explained that it was an interesting idea and one that was still being discussed. He continued "We have certainly thought of putting them together – it's an obvious direction to go in – however I think the best humour comes from their constant sparring with each other and some of their stories coming up are just hilarious." In October 2013, Mann reiterated that Sheila and Lou should not be put together, believing that their relationship was better when they were fighting.File:Chris Haywood.jpg|thumb|right|135px|Chris Haywood played Walter Mitchell, a love interest for Sheila.