page_title: Charlie Buckton
section_title: Reception
hierarchical_section_title: Charlie Buckton / Reception
caption_attribution_description: English: Catherine Deveny at 2010 Global Atheist Convention
context_page_description: Charlie Buckton is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Esther Anderson. Anderson was added to the cast in a bid to add more "sex appeal" to the show. She said it was her dream job and relocated to Sydney immediately to accommodate filming. The character made her on-screen debut during the episode airing on 6 June 2008. Charlie was billed as having a "warm heart" and being "family oriented"; however, her actions are often misunderstood and her persona has been perceived as "brash". She is described as being "passionate about her work" and often neglects her daughter, Ruby's needs.
  Charlie's first notable storyline was a lesbian relationship with Joey Collins. The storyline was implemented by producers to boost ratings and Anderson said it helped portray Charlie's vulnerable side. The storyline angered Christian and conservative oriented family groups. They complained that Home and Away had featured sexualised plotlines unsuitable for children. As a result, producers cut scenes to attune to viewers' wishes, which outraged the LGBT community.
context_section_description: For her portrayal of Charlie, Anderson has garnered various award nominations. At the 2008 Inside Soap Awards, Anderson received a nomination for "Sexiest Female". In 2010, she was nominated for "Best Daytime Star". That same year saw Anderson earn nominations for the "Most Popular Personality on Australian Television" and "Most Popular Actress" Logie Awards. 2011 saw Anderson nominated once again for "Best Daytime Star" at the Inside Soap Awards. Anderson received nominations for Most Popular TV personality and Most Popular Actress at the 2012 Logie Awards. The episode featuring Charlie's death was nominated for an Australian Writers' Guild award.
  Holy Soap described the character's most memorable moment as "Locking lips with gal pal Joey". 
  In her book Free to a Good Home, author Catherine Deveny criticised the reaction to Charlie and Joey's same sex relationship. She called the first kiss between the couple the "TV disappointment of the year" and she nicknamed the soap Homo Go Away because the scene in which the kiss featured were diluted to suit certain viewers. Of the decline in ratings during the storyline, Deveny said "Since the lesbian plotline began two weeks ago, 100,000 people have turned off. Wow! Turned off. That must be the first time the words 'lesbian' and 'turn off' have occurred in the same sentence. And all we'd seen until Tuesday was lingering touches and intense stares." Deveny then explained that she would rather let her children watch lesbians on television than Christians. She highlighted that only mothers complained to the network about their children being exposed to a same-sex relationship during a family show, not fathers.
  In September 2010, the Holy Soap website ran a poll to find viewers' favourite Home and Away couple, which Charlie and Angelo won with 45% of the vote. The website branded them as "the Bay's criminally hot couple" and said they had been keeping viewers glued to their screens with their on/off-relationship. They later said Charlie had a "questionable taste in men". Peter Dyke, writing for British tabloid the Daily Star, branded Charlie as "Sexy" and states: "Most fellas would not mind feeling the strong arm of the law if this beauty was their local police officer." The Daily Record opined that Charlie's determination to prove Grant as a rapist was "dangerously close to an obsession." They also said that ever since Charlie and her family arrived in Summer Bay they have "created drama."
  The character was negatively received by Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture. In May 2009, Deller placed Charlie at number five on her list of worst soap opera characters segment. Deller said, "The Summer Bay cop may have lots of storylines, but the LC community don't really approve – mainly due to Esther Anderson's apparent lack of acting chops. It's like our hatred for Michelle Connor (Coronation Street) all over again, only this time with added scandalous-headline-grabbing-faux-lesbianity!" In July 2009, Deller said, "It would be easy to spend every month slagging off Charlie, because there's so much to dislike". Deller also added that Charlie's daughter is "everything Charlie isn't".
  All About Soap said Charlie and Darryl's chemistry was "clear for everyone to see" and wondered when she would stop hiding behind her "law-abiding facade". When Charlie and Darryl share their "steamy moment", Erin Miller of TV Week said "It was the moment we've all been waiting for."
  Kerry Barrett and Carena Crawford of All About Soap said Charlie was both a "sexy sergeant" and the soap opera's "cutest crime fighter". They opined that getting involved with Brax was never going to end well for Charlie but did not suspect she would die. The pair concluded that while it was sad for them, they were unsure how the residents of Summer Bay would manage without Charlie.
caption: Catherine Deveny criticised the reaction to Charlie's lesbian plot
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