document_title: Ratatouille (film)

question_text: who does the voice of little chef in ratatouille

text: Ratatouille (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: Remy is an idealistic and ambitious young rat, gifted with highly developed senses of taste and smell. Inspired by his idol, the recently deceased chef Auguste Gusteau, Remy dreams of becoming a cook himself. When an old French woman discovers Remy's colony in her house and attempts to exterminate them, they are forced to flee, and Remy becomes separated from his family in the panic. He ends up in the sewers of Paris and eventually finds himself at a skylight overlooking the kitchen of Gusteau's restaurant.

text: As Remy watches through the window, a young man named Alfredo Linguini is hired as a garbage boy by Skinner, the restaurant's current owner and Gusteau's former sous-chef. When Linguini spills a pot of soup and attempts to recreate it, Remy recognizes that he is ruining it instead, and repairs Linguini's mistakes. Linguini catches Remy but hides him when he is then confronted by Skinner for tampering with the soup. As the two argue, the soup is accidentally served and proves to be a success. The staff convinces Skinner to retain Linguini, who is assumed to be the soup's creator. When Skinner catches Remy trying to escape, he orders Linguini to kill the rat, but Linguini discovers Remy's intelligence and decides to keep him instead.

text: On Linguini's first day as a chef, he and Remy find a way to communicate: Remy guides Linguini like a marionette by pulling on his hair while hidden under Linguini's toque, while Skinner assigns Colette Tatou, the staff's only female chef, to train his new cook.

text: Suspicious, Skinner learns that Linguini is Gusteau's illegitimate son and the rightful heir to the restaurant. Remy discovers the evidence of Linguini's inheritance and, after eluding Skinner, gives it to Linguini, who deposes Skinner as owner. The restaurant continues to thrive as all of Remy's recipes become immediate hits. Linguini and Colette develop a budding romance, and Remy begins to feel left out. Remy finds that his clan has come to Paris as well, and is taken to their new lair, but despite his father Django's attempts to rid his son of his admiration of humans, Remy leaves.

text: France's top restaurant critic, Anton Ego, whose previous negative review cost Gusteau's one of its stars and caused Gusteau's death, announces he will re-review the restaurant the following evening. That night, Remy and Linguini have a heated argument. Remy leads his clan to raid the restaurant's pantries in retaliation, but Linguini catches them and sends them out. Having now discovered Remy's skills, Skinner captures him in an attempt to use him to create a new line of frozen foods. However, Remy is freed by Django and Emile. He returns to the restaurant, only to find Linguini is unable to cook without him. Linguini apologizes and reveals the truth to the staff, but they leave in disbelief. Colette later returns after recalling Gusteau's motto, "Anyone can cook."

text: Django arrives with the rest of the clan, offering to help after seeing his son's determination. Remy has the rats cook, while Linguini waits tables. For Ego and Skinner, Remy and Colette create a variation of ratatouille, which reminds an astonished Ego of his own mother's cooking. During the meal, the rats are forced to tie up Skinner and a health inspector to prevent them from revealing the rats' involvement in the cooking. When Ego requests to see the chef, Linguini and Colette make him wait until the rest of the diners have left before introducing Remy. Ego is stunned and leaves the restaurant, deep in thought. He writes a positive and thoughtful review for the newspaper the next day, stating that Gusteau's chef (Remy) is "nothing less than the finest chef in France."

text: Despite the positive review, Gusteau's is shut down, since Linguini and Remy had to release Skinner and the health inspector. Ego loses his job and his credibility as a critic, but funds a popular new bistro, "La Ratatouille", created and run by Remy, Linguini, and Colette. Ego frequents the bistro for Remy's cooking, and the rats settle into their new home in the bistro's roof.

text: Voice cast[edit]

text:
Patton Oswalt as Remy, a rat with a heightened sense of smell, enabling a talent and desire for cooking. Director Brad Bird chose Oswalt after hearing his food-related comedy routine.[4]
Ian Holm as Skinner, a diminutive chef and owner of Auguste Gusteau's restaurant. Since Gusteau's death, Skinner has used the Gusteau name to market a line of cheap microwaveable meals. Skinner's behavior, diminutive size, and body language are loosely based on Louis de Funès.[5]
Lou Romano as Alfredo Linguini, the son of Auguste Gusteau and Renata Linguini.
Brad Garrett as Auguste Gusteau (whose first and last names are anagrams of each other). Many reviewers believe that Gusteau is inspired by real-life chef Bernard Loiseau, who committed suicide after media speculation that his flagship restaurant, La Côte d'Or, was going to be downgraded from three Michelin stars to two.[6] La Côte d'Or was one of the restaurants visited by Brad Bird and others in France.[7]
Janeane Garofalo as Colette Tatou, Gusteau's rôtisseur, inspired by French chef Hélène Darroze.[8][9]
Brian Dennehy as Django, Remy and Emile's father, and the leader of the rats.
Peter O'Toole as Anton Ego, a restaurant critic. His appearance was modeled after Louis Jouvet.[10]
Peter Sohn as Emile, Remy's gluttonous older brother.
Will Arnett as Horst, Skinner's German sous chef.
Julius Callahan as Lalo, Gusteau's saucier and poissonnier. Callahan also voices François, the advertising executive handling the marketing of Gusteau's microwaveable products.
James Remar as Larousse, Gusteau's garde manger.
John Ratzenberger as Mustafa, Gusteau's head waiter.
Teddy Newton as Talon Labarthe, Skinner's lawyer.
Tony Fucile as Pompidou, Gusteau's patissier. Fucile also voices Nadar Lessard, a health inspector employed by Skinner.
Jake Steinfeld as Git, a former lab rat and member of Django's colony.
Brad Bird as Ambrister Minion, Anton Ego's butler.
Stéphane Roux as the narrator of the cooking channel.
Thomas Keller as a dining patron who asks "what's new".[11]

text: Production[edit]

text: Jan Pinkava came up with the concept in 2000, creating the original design, sets and characters and core storyline, but he was never formally named the director of the film.[12] Lacking confidence[13] in Pinkava's story development, Pixar management replaced him with Bird in 2005.[14][15][16] Bird was attracted to the film because of the outlandishness of the concept and the conflict that drove it: that rats feared kitchens, yet a rat wanted to work in one.[4] Bird was also delighted that the film could be made a highly physical comedy,[14] with the character of Linguini providing endless fun for the animators.[17] Bird rewrote the story, with a change in emphasis. He killed off Gusteau, gave larger roles to Skinner and Colette,[18] and also changed the appearance of the rats to be less anthropomorphic.[19]

text: Because Ratatouille is intended to be a romantic, lush vision of Paris, giving it an identity distinct from previous Pixar films,[14] director Brad Bird, producer Brad Lewis and some of the crew spent a week in the city to properly understand its environment, taking a motorcycle tour and eating at five top restaurants.[7] There are also many water-based sequences in the film, one of which is set in the sewers and is more complex than the blue whale scene in Finding Nemo. One scene has Linguini wet after jumping into the Seine to fetch Remy. A Pixar employee (Shade/Paint department coordinator Kesten Migdal) jumped into Pixar's swimming pool wearing a chef's uniform and apron to see which parts of the suit stuck to his body and which became translucent from water absorption.[20]

text: Ratatouille was originally going to be released in 2006; however, in December 2004, the date was changed to 2007. This happened because Disney/Pixar changed the release date of Cars, from November 2005 to June 2006, thus pushing Ratatouille to 2007.[21]

text: A challenge for the filmmakers was creating computer-generated images of food that would appear delicious. Gourmet chefs in both the U.S. and France were consulted[19] and animators attended cooking classes at San Francisco-area culinary schools[11] to understand the workings of a commercial kitchen. Sets/Layout department manager Michael Warch, a culinary-academy-trained professional chef before working at Pixar, helped teach and consult animators as they worked. He also prepared dishes used by the Art, Shade/Paint, Effects and Sets Modeling departments.[22][23] Renowned chef Thomas Keller allowed producer Brad Lewis to intern in his French Laundry kitchen. For the film's climax, Keller designed a fancy, layered version of the title dish for the rat characters to cook, which he called "confit byaldi" in honor of the original Turkish name.[11] The same sub-surface light scattering technique that was used on skin in The Incredibles was used on fruits and vegetables,[24] while new programs gave an organic texture and movement to the food.[25] Completing the illusion were music, dialogue, and abstract imagery representing the characters' mental sensations while appreciating food. The visual flavor metaphors were created by animator Michel Gagné inspired by the work of Oscar Fischinger and Norman McLaren.[26] To create a realistic compost pile, the Art Department photographed fifteen different kinds of produce, such as apples, berries, bananas, mushrooms, oranges, broccoli, and lettuce, in the process of rotting.[27]

text: According to Pixar designer Jason Deamer, "Most of the characters were designed while Jan [Pinkava] was still directing… He has a real eye for sculpture."[28] For example, according to Pinkava, the critic Anton Ego was designed to resemble a vulture.[29] Rat expert Debbie Ducommun (a.k.a. the "Rat Lady") was consulted on rat habits and characteristics.[30] A vivarium containing pet rats sat in a hallway for more than a year so animators could study the movement of the animals' fur, noses, ears, paws, and tails as they ran.[24] The cast members strove to make their French accents authentic yet understandable. John Ratzenberger notes that he often segued into an Italian accent.[7] To save time, human characters were designed and animated without toes.[31]

text: Promotional material for Intel credits their platform for a 30 percent performance improvement in rendering software. They used Remy in some of their marketing materials.[32][33]

text: Music[edit]

text:
Ratatouille

Film score by Michael Giacchino

Released
June 26, 2007

Recorded
2006–2007

Genre
Classical

Length
62:23

Label
Walt Disney

Producer
Michael Giacchino

Pixar soundtrack chronology

Cars
(2006)Cars2006
Ratatouille
(2007)
WALL-E
(2008)WALL-E2008

Michael Giacchino chronology

Mission: Impossible III
(2006) Mission: Impossible III2006
Ratatouille
(2007) Ratatouille2007
Cloverfield
(2007) Cloverfield2007

text:
Professional ratings

Review scores

Source
Rating

AllMusic
[34]

Empire
[35]

SoundtrackNet
[36]

text: Brad Bird reteamed with Michael Giacchino on the score for Ratatouille since they got along well during the scoring of The Incredibles. Giacchino had written two themes for Remy, one about his thief self and the other about his hopes and dreams. He also wrote a buddy theme for both Remy and Linguini that plays when they're together. In addition to the score, Giacchino wrote the main theme song, "Le Festin", about Remy and his wishes to be a chef. Camille was hired to perform "Le Festin" after Giacchino listened to her music and realized she was perfect for the song; as a result, the song is sung in French in all versions of the film.[37]

text: The music for Ratatouille gave Giacchino his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score as well as his first Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album. Giacchino returned to Pixar to score their 2009 blockbuster Up.[37]

text:
No.
Title
Length

1.
"Le Festin" (performed by Camille)
2:50

2.
"Welcome to Gusteau's"
0:38

3.
"This Is Me"
1:41

4.
"Granny Get Your Gun"
2:01

5.
"100 Rat Dash"
1:47

6.
"Wall Rat"
2:41

7.
"Cast of Cooks"
1:41

8.
"A Real Gourmet Kitchen"
4:18

9.
"Souped Up"
0:50

10.
"Is It Soup Yet?"
1:16

11.
"A New Deal"
1:56

12.
"Remy Drives a Linguini"
2:26

13.
"Colette Shows Him le Ropes"
2:56

14.
"Special Order"
1:58

15.
"Kiss & Vinegar"
1:54

16.
"Losing Control"
2:04

17.
"Heist to See You"
1:45

18.
"The Paper Chase"
1:44

19.
"Remy's Revenge"
3:24

20.
"Abandoning Ship"
2:55

21.
"Dinner Rush"
5:00

22.
"Anyone Can Cook"
3:13

23.
"End Creditouilles"
9:16

24.
"Ratatouille Main Theme"
2:09

text: Release[edit]

text: Ratatouille's world premiere was on June 22, 2007, at Los Angeles' Kodak Theater.[38] The commercial release was one week later, with the short film Lifted preceding Ratatouille in theaters. Earlier in the year, it had received an Academy Award nomination.[39] A test screening of the film was shown at the Harkins Cine Capri Theater in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 16, 2007, at which a Pixar representative was present to collect viewer feedback.[40] Disney CEO Bob Iger announced an upcoming theatrical re-release of the film in 3D at the Disney shareholders meeting in March 2014.[41]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: The trailer for Ratatouille debuted with the release of its immediate predecessor, Cars. It depicts an original scene where Remy is caught on the cheese trolley in the restaurant's dining area sampling the cheese and barely escaping the establishment, intercut with separate scenes of the rat explaining directly to the audience why he is taking such risks. Similar to most of Pixar's teaser trailers, the scene was not present in the final film release.[42]

text: A second trailer was released on March 23, 2007.[43] The Ratatouille Big Cheese Tour began on May 11, 2007, with cooking demonstrations and a film preview.[44] Voice actor Lou Romano attended the San Francisco leg of the tour for autograph signings.[45]

text: Disney and Pixar were working to bring a French-produced Ratatouille-branded wine to Costco stores in August 2007, but abandoned plans because of complaints from the California Wine Institute, citing standards in labeling that restrict the use of cartoon characters to avoid attracting under-age drinkers.[46]

text: In the United Kingdom, in place of releasing a theatrical trailer, a theatrical commercial featuring Remy and Emile was released in cinemas before its release to discourage obtaining unlicensed copies of films.[47] Also in the United Kingdom, the main characters were used for a theatrical commercial for the Nissan Note, with Remy and Emile watching an original commercial for it made for the "Surprisingly Spacious" ad campaign and also parodying it, respectively.[48]

text: Disney/Pixar were concerned that audiences, particularly children, would not be familiar with the word "ratatouille" and its pronunciation. The title was therefore also spelled phonetically within trailers and on posters.[49] For similar reasons, in the American release of the film, on-screen text in French was printed in English, such as the title of Gusteau's cookbook and the sign telling kitchen staff to wash their hands, though in the British English release, these are rendered in French. In Canada, the film was released theatrically with text in English, but on DVD, the majority of the text (including Gusteau's will) was in French.[50]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Disney released Ratatouille on high-definition Blu-ray Disc and DVD in North America on November 6, 2007.[51] A new animated short film featuring Remy and Emile entitled Your Friend the Rat was included as a special feature, in which the two rats attempt to entreat the viewer, a human, to welcome rats as their friends, demonstrating the benefits and misconceptions of rats towards humanity through several historical examples. The eleven-minute short uses 3D animation, 2D animation, live action and even stop-motion animation, a first for Pixar.[52]

text: The disc also includes a CG short entitled Lifted, which screened before the film during its theatrical run. It depicts an adolescent extraterrestrial attempting to abduct a sleeping human. Throughout the sequence, he is graded by an adult extraterrestrial in a manner reminiscent of a driver's licensing exam road test. The entire short contains no dialogue, which is typical of Pixar Shorts not based on existing properties.[53] Also included among the special features are deleted scenes, a featurette featuring Brad Bird discussing filmmaking and chef Thomas Keller discussing culinary creativity entitled "Fine Food and Film", and four easter eggs. Although the Region 1 Blu-ray edition has a French audio track, the Region 1 DVD does not, except for some copies marked as for sale only in Canada.[54]

text: It was released on DVD on November 6, 2007, and earned 4,919,574 units (equivalent to US$73,744,414) on its first week (November 6–11, 2007) during which it topped the DVD charts. In total it sold 12,531,266 units (US$189,212,532) becoming the second-best-selling animated DVD of 2007, both in units sold and sales revenue, behind Happy Feet.[55]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 96% approval rating with an average rating of 8.5/10 based on 245 reviews. The site's consensus reads: "Fast-paced and stunningly animated, Ratatouille adds another delightfully entertaining entry—and a rather unlikely hero—to the Pixar canon."[56] Metacritic, another review aggregator website which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 96 out of 100 based on 37 reviews,[57] the highest of any Pixar film[58] and the twenty-first highest rated film on the site.[59]

text: A. O. Scott of The New York Times called Ratatouille "a nearly flawless piece of popular art, as well as one of the most persuasive portraits of an artist ever committed to film"; echoing the character Anton Ego in the film, he ended his review with a simple "thank you" to the creators of the film.[60] Wally Hammond of Time Out gave the film five out of five stars, saying "A test for tiny tots, a mite nostalgic and as male-dominated as a modern kitchen it may be, but these are mere quibbles about this delightful addition to the Pixar pantheon."[61] Andrea Gronvall of the Chicago Reader gave the film a positive review, saying "Brad Bird's second collaboration with Pixar is more ambitious and meditative than his Oscar-winning The Incredibles."[62] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B, saying "Ratatouille has the Pixar technical magic without, somehow, the full Pixar flavor. It's Brad Bird's genial dessert, not so much incredible as merely sweetly edible."[63] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, saying "What makes Ratatouille such a hilarious and heartfelt wonder is the way Bird contrives to let it sneak up on you. And get a load of that score from Michael Giacchino, a perfect compliment to a delicious meal."[62] James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film three out of four stars, saying "For parents looking to spend time in a theater with their kids or adults who want something lighter and less testosterone-oriented than the usual summer fare, Ratatouille offers a savory main course."[64] Christy Lemire of the Associated Press gave the film a positive review, saying "Ratatouille is free of the kind of gratuitous pop-culture references that plague so many movies of the genre; it tells a story, it's very much of our world but it never goes for the cheap, easy gag."[62] Justin Chang of Variety gave the film a positive review, saying "The master chefs at Pixar have blended all the right ingredients—abundant verbal and visual wit, genius slapstick timing, a soupcon of Gallic sophistication—to produce a warm and irresistible concoction."[65]

text: Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave the film four out of four stars, saying "The film may be animated, and largely taken up with rats, but its pulse is gratifyingly human. And you have never seen a computer-animated feature with this sort of visual panache and detail."[66] Rafer Guzman of Newsday gave the film three out of four stars, saying "So many computer-animated movies are brash, loud and popping with pop-culture comedy, but Ratatouille has the warm glow of a favorite book. The characters are more than the sum of their gigabyte-consuming parts – they feel handcrafted."[62] Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel gave the film three out of five stars, saying "Has Pixar lost its magic recipe? Ratatouille is filled with fairly generic animated imagery, a few modest chases, a couple of good gags, not a lot of laughs."[67] Scott Foundas of LA Weekly gave the film a positive review, saying "Bird has taken the raw ingredients of an anthropomorphic-animal kiddie matinee and whipped them into a heady brew about nothing less than the principles of artistic creation."[68] Colin Covert of the Star Tribune gave the film four out of four stars, saying "It's not just the computer animation that is vibrantly three-dimensional. It's also the well-rounded characters… I defy you to name another animated film so overflowing with superfluous beauty."[62] Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, saying "With Ratatouille, Bird once again delivers not just a great, witty story, but dazzling visuals as well."[69] Bill Muller of The Arizona Republic gave the film four-and-a-half stars out of five, saying "Like the burbling soup that plays a key part in Ratatouille, the movie is a delectable blend of ingredients that tickles the palette and leaves you hungry for more."[62]

text: Rene Rodriguez of the Miami Herald gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Ratatouille is the most straightforward and formulaic picture to date from Pixar Animation Studios, but it is also among the most enchanting and touching."[70] Jack Mathews of the New York Daily News gave the film four out of four stars, saying "The Pixar magic continues with Brad Bird's Ratatouille, a gorgeous, wonderfully inventive computer-animated comedy."[71] Stephen Whitty of the Newark Star-Ledger gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Fresh family fun. Although there are those slightly noxious images of rodents scampering around a kitchen, the movie doesn't stoop to kid-pandering jokes based on back talk and bodily gases."[62] David Ansen of Newsweek gave the film a positive review, saying "A film as rich as a sauce béarnaise, as refreshing as a raspberry sorbet, and a lot less predictable than the damn food metaphors and adjectives all us critics will churn out to describe it. OK, one more and then I'll be done: it's yummy."[72] Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film four out of four stars, saying "Ratatouille never overwhelms, even though it's stocked with action, romance, historical content, family drama and serious statements about the creation of art."[73] Richard Corliss of Time gave the film a positive review, saying "From the moment Remy enters, crashing, to the final happy fadeout, Ratatouille parades the brio and depth that set Pixar apart from and above other animation studios."[74] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four stars, saying "A lot of animated movies have inspired sequels, notably Shrek, but Brad Bird's Ratatouille is the first one that made me positively desire one."[75] Peter Howell of the Toronto Star gave the film four out of four stars, saying "Had Bird gone the safe route, he would have robbed us of a great new cartoon figure in Remy, who like the rest of the film is rendered with animation that is at once fanciful and life-like. It's also my pick for Pixar's best."[76]

text: Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal gave the film a positive review, saying "The characters are irresistible, the animation is astonishing and the film, a fantasy version of a foodie rhapsody, sustains a level of joyous invention that hasn't been seen in family entertainment since The Incredibles."[77] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times gave the film four-and-a-half stars out of five, saying "Brad Bird's Ratatouille is so audacious you have to fall in love with its unlikely hero."[78] Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, saying "Ratatouille is delicious fun sure to be savored by audiences of all ages for its sumptuous visuals, clever wit and irresistibly inspiring tale."[62] Miriam Di Nunzio of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, saying "Ratatouille will make you wonder why animation needs to hide behind the mantle of 'it's for children, but grownups will like it, too.' This one's for Mom and Dad, and yep, the kids will like it, too."[79] Michael Booth of The Denver Post gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, saying "Writer and director Brad Bird keeps Ratatouille moving without resorting to the cute animal jokes or pop-culture wisecracking that ruined so many other recent animated films."[80] Tom Long of The Detroit News gave the film an A, saying "Ratatouille has the technical genius, emotional core and storytelling audacity to lift it into the ranks of [the best] Pixar films, the crème de la crème of modern animation." Liam Lacey of The Globe and Mail gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, saying "No sketchy backgrounds here—Ratatouille's scenes feels like deep-focus camera shots. The textures, from the gleam of copper pans to the cobblestone streets, are almost palpable."[62] Desson Thomson of The Washington Post gave the film a positive review, saying "Ratatouille doesn't center on the over-familiar surfaces of contemporary life. It harks back to Disney's older era, when cartoons seemed part of a more elegant world with less edgy characters."[81]

text: Box office[edit]

text: In its opening weekend in North America, Ratatouille opened in 3,940 theaters and debuted at number one with $47 million,[82] the lowest Pixar opening since A Bug's Life. However, in France, where the film is set, the film broke the record for the biggest debut for an animated film.[83] In the UK, the film debuted at number one with sales over £4 million.[84] The film has grossed $206.4 million in the United States and Canada and a total of $620.7 million worldwide, making it the seventh-highest-grossing Pixar film.[85]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: Ratatouille was nominated for five Oscars including Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Original Screenplay and Best Animated Film, which it lost to Atonement, The Bourne Ultimatum (for both Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing), and Juno, respectively, winning only the last one.[86][87] At the time, the film held the record for the greatest number of Oscar nominations for a computer animated feature film, breaking the previous record held by Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles at four nominations, but tied with Aladdin for any animated film. In 2008, WALL-E surpassed that record with 6 nominations. As of 2013, Ratatouille is tied with Up and Toy Story 3 for animated film with the second-greatest number of Oscar nominations. Beauty and the Beast still holds the record for most Oscar nominations (also 6) for an animated feature film.[87]

text: Furthermore, Ratatouille was nominated for 13 Annie Awards including twice in the Best Animated Effects, where it lost to Surf's Up, and three times in the Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production for Janeane Garofalo, Ian Holm, and Patton Oswalt, where Ian Holm won the award.[88] It won the Best Animated Feature Award from multiple associations including the Chicago Film Critics,[89] the National Board of Review,[90] the Annie Awards,[88] the Broadcast Film Critics,[91] the British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA), and the Golden Globes.[92]

text: Plagiarized film[edit]

text: If magazine described Ratatoing, a 2007 Brazilian computer graphics cartoon by Vídeo Brinquedo, as a "ripoff" of Ratatouille.[93] Marco Aurélio Canônico of Folha de S.Paulo described Ratatoing as a derivative of Ratatouille. Canônico discussed whether lawsuits from Pixar would appear. The Brazilian Ministry of Culture posted Marco Aurélio Canônico's article on its website.[94] In the end, Pixar reportedly did not seek legal action.[citation needed]

text: Video game[edit]

text: The primary video game adaptation of the film, titled Ratatouille, was released for all major consoles and handhelds in 2007. A Nintendo DS exclusive game, titled Ratatouille: Food Frenzy, was released in October 2007. Ratatouille is also among the films represented in Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure, released in March 2012 for Xbox 360.[95] The video game based on the movie was released in 2007 for the Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, GameBoy Advanced, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS X. A PlayStation 3 version was released on October 23, 2007. An Xbox version was released on June 26, 2007.

text: Theme park attraction[edit]

text: A Disney theme park attraction based on the film has been constructed in Walt Disney Studios Park, Disneyland Paris. Ratatouille: L'Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy is based upon scenes from the film and uses trackless ride technology. In the attraction, riders "shrink down to the size of a rat".[96] At the 2017 D23 Expo, Disney announced a similar, Ratatouille-based attraction would be built at the France Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase by 2021.[97]


document_title: The Skye Boat Song

question_text: who sings the skye boat song on outlander

root

text: The Skye Boat Song

text: Content[edit]

text: The text of the song gives an account of how Bonnie Prince Charlie, disguised as a serving maid, escaped in a small boat after the defeat of his Jacobite rising of 1745, with the aid of Flora MacDonald. The song draws on the motifs of Jacobitism although it was composed nearly a century and a half over the episode it describes.[1]

tag: p

text: Origin[edit]

text: The lyrics were written by Sir Harold Boulton, 2nd Baronet, to an air collected in the 1870s by Anne Campbelle MacLeod (1855–1921), who became Lady Wilson by marriage to Sir James Wilson, KSCI (1853–1926), in 1888. The song was first published in Songs of the North by Boulton and MacLeod, London, 1884, a book that went into at least fourteen editions.[1] In later editions MacLeod's name was dropped and the ascription "Old Highland rowing measure arranged by Malcolm Lawson" was substituted. It was quickly taken up by other compilers, such as Laura Alexandrine Smith's Music of the Waters (published 1888). Lawson was the elder brother of artist Cecil Gordon Lawson.

text: According to Andrew Kuntz, a collector of folk music lore, MacLeod was on a trip to the isle of Skye and was being rowed over Loch Coruisk (Coire Uisg, the "Cauldron of Waters") when the rowers broke into a Gaelic rowing song Cuachag nan Craobh ("The Cuckoo in the Grove"). MacLeod set down what she remembered of the air, with the intention of using it later in a book she was to co-author with Boulton, who later added the section with the Jacobite associations. "As a piece of modern romantic literature with traditional links it succeeded perhaps too well, for soon people began "remembering" they had learned the song in their childhood, and that the words were 'old Gaelic lines'," Andrew Kuntz has observed.[2]

text: The song was not in any older books of Scottish songs, though it is in most miscellanies like The Fireside Book of Folk Songs. It is often sung as a lullaby, in a slow rocking 6/8 time.

text: Recording history and covers[edit]

text: It was extremely popular in its day, and from its first recording by Tom Bryce on April 29, 1899,[3] became a standard among Scottish folk and dance musicians. It was even more widely known from the 1960s onwards and has remained popular in mainstream music genres. It was performed to great acclaim and recorded by artist and social activist Paul Robeson in 1959 and 1960.[4]

text: Tom Jones recorded a version, which was arranged by Lee Lawson and Harold Boulton, on his debut album Along Came Jones in 1965. The same album, released in the U.S. as "It's Not Unusual" (and carrying only 12 of the original 16 tracks), did not give attribution for the arrangement but did characterize the song as "Trad.—2:57."[5]

text: Fans of Rangers FC in Glasgow used to sing a version of the song in praise of Danish player Kai Johansen (played 1965–70).

text: Among later renditions which became well known were Peter Nelson and The Castaways from New Zealand, who released a version in 1966, as did West Australian artist Glen Ingram. Both versions were in the Australian hit parade in 1966.

text: Esther & Abi Ofarim recorded the song in 1966 under the title "Bonnie Boat".[6]

text: Calum Kennedy included a version on Songs of Scotland and Ireland (Beltona 1971).

text: Rod Stewart recorded two versions of the song with The Atlantic Crossing Drum & Pipe Band during the sessions for Atlantic Crossing, between 1974 and 1975. They were given an official release on the deluxe re-release of the album in 2009.

text: This song can be heard at the beginning of "Who Stole the Bagpipes," the second episode in season one of the early 1980s British cartoon Dangermouse.

text: Roger Whittaker's duet version with Des O'Connor, released in 1986, combined O'Connor's vocals with Whittaker's whistling version, a part of his repertoire since at least the mid-1970s. The track was recorded at London's Holland Park Lansdowne Studios (fr) (now a high-end residential underground property) with session drummer Peter Boita along with all the high-profile studio session players of the day. The cellist Julian Lloyd Webber recorded an instrumental version of the song in 1986 on the album Encore! / Travels With My Cello Volume 2.

text: The Shadows played an instrumental version of the song on their 1987 album Simply Shadows.

text: Singer Tori Amos covered the song as part of a song trilogy entitled "Etienne Trilogy" on her debut album Y Kant Tori Read (1988).

text: Scottish singer, Barbara Dickson, recorded this song in 2006.

text: James Galway and The Chieftains recorded an instrumental version (which was used as background music for a Johnnie Walker commercial) in February 1990 at Studios 301, Sydney, Australia, released on the album Over the Sea to Skye - The Celtic Connection. There is also a version on The Corries "In Concert / Scottish Love Songs" album (Track 19).

text: Stellan Skarsgård's character plays this song on the cello in the 1992 film Wind.

text: Canadian Punk band, The Real McKenzies covered this song on their 1995 debut album The Real McKenzies.

text: Sir Michael Tippett originally included "Over the Sea to Skye" in his arrangements of Four Songs from the British Isles for unaccompanied four-part chorus in 1957, in response to a commission from North West German Radio, Bremen, for a festival of European folk song. But the amateur choir for which they were intended found the songs too difficult, and the first performance took place only in July 1958, given by the London Bach Group, conducted by John Minchinton, at Royaumont in France. The recently published volume of Tippett’s Selected Letters, edited by Thomas Schuttenhelm, includes a progress report on the Four Songs to the composer’s German publisher, dated 28 July 1957, in which he says that he proposes to replace "Over the Sea to Skye" because it is “too strictly held by a publisher here”. It was only rediscovered after Tippett’s death in the offices of his London publishers Schott’s; it was published at the end of 2002, and first performed the following July in Dublin.

text: Marc Gunn recorded this song for the 2013 album Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion.

text: Bear McCreary adapted the song as the opening titles of the 2014 TV series Outlander, sung by Raya Yarbrough, changing the text of Robert Louis Stevenson's poem Sing Me a Song of a Lad That Is Gone (1892) to fit the story.[7][8][1]

text: Patrick Troughton as the second Doctor on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who played the song repeatedly on his recorder in Episode 6, Scene 10 of "The Web of Fear" (broadcast 9 March 1968).[9][10]

text: It can also be heard playing background instrumental in several episodes of the American serial killer television series Dexter.

text: Lyrics[edit]

text: Original lyrics[edit]

text:
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
The Skye Boat Song lyrics

tag: table

text:
[Chorus:]
Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward! the sailors cry;
Carry the lad that's born to be King
Over the sea to Skye.

Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,
Thunderclaps rend the air;
Baffled, our foes stand by the shore,
Follow they will not dare.

[Chorus]

Though the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep,
Ocean's a royal bed.
Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep
Watch by your weary head.

[Chorus]

Many's the lad fought on that day,
Well the claymore could wield,
When the night came, silently lay
Dead on Culloden's field.

[Chorus]

Burned are their homes, exile and death
Scatter the loyal men;
Yet ere the sword cool in the sheath
Charlie will come again.

text: Stevenson's poem[edit]

text: Robert Louis Stevenson's 1892 poem, which has been sung to the tune, has the following text:[11]

text:
[Chorus:] Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.

Mull was astern, Rùm on the port,
Eigg on the starboard bow;
Glory of youth glowed in his soul;
Where is that glory now?

[Chorus]

Give me again all that was there,
Give me the sun that shone!
Give me the eyes, give me the soul,
Give me the lad that's gone!

[Chorus]

Billow and breeze, islands and seas,
Mountains of rain and sun,
All that was good, all that was fair,
All that was me is gone.

text: Other versions[edit]

text: There has also been a hymn adaptation of the tune, known as "Spirit of God Unseen as the Wind"; some of the lyrics vary.[12][13]

text: "The Skye Boat Song" has been parodied in song by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders on their comedy series French and Saunders.

text: A modified version of "The Skye Boat Song" is used as the theme music for the TV Series Outlander sung by Raya Yarbrough and arranged by Bear McCreary. Notably, the word "lad" used in the version by Robert Louis Stevenson is replaced by "lass" to reflect the story.


document_title: De Beers

question_text: how much of the world's diamonds does de beers own

question_tokens: how much of the world 's diamonds does de beers own

text: De Beers

text: History[edit]

text: Foundation[edit]

text: The name 'De Beers' was derived from the two Dutch settlers and brothers Diederik Arnoldus De Beer (December 25, 1825 – 1878) and Johannes Nicolaas De Beer (December 6, 1830 – June 20, 1883), who owned a South African farm named Vooruitzicht (Dutch for "outlook") near Zandfontein in the Boshof District of Orange Free State. After they discovered diamonds on their land, the increasing demands of the British government forced them to sell their farm on July 31, 1871, to merchant Alfred Johnson Ebden (1820–1908) for £6,600. Vooruitzicht would become the site of the Big Hole and the De Beers mine, two successful diamond mines. Their name, which was given to one of the mines, subsequently became associated with the company.[12]

text: Cecil Rhodes, the founder of De Beers, got his start by renting water pumps to miners during the diamond rush that started in 1869,[13][14] when an 83.5 carat diamond called the 'Star of South Africa' was found at Hopetown near the Orange River in South Africa.[14][15][16] He invested the profits of this operation into buying up claims of small mining operators, with his operations soon expanding into a separate mining company.[17] He soon secured funding from the Rothschild family, who would finance his business expansion.[18][19] De Beers Consolidated Mines was formed in 1888 by the merger of the companies of Barney Barnato and Cecil Rhodes, by which time the company was the sole owner of all diamond mining operations in the country.[17][20][21] In 1889, Rhodes negotiated a strategic agreement with the London-based Diamond Syndicate, which agreed to purchase a fixed quantity of diamonds at an agreed price, thereby regulating output and maintaining prices.[19][22] The agreement soon proved to be very successful — for example, during the trade slump of 1891–1892, supply was simply curtailed to maintain the price.[23] Rhodes was concerned about the break-up of the new monopoly, stating to shareholders in 1896 that the company's "only risk is the sudden discovery of new mines, which human nature will work recklessly to the detriment of us all".[19]

text: The Second Boer War proved to be a challenging time for the company. Kimberley was besieged as soon as war broke out, thereby threatening the company's valuable mines. Rhodes personally moved into the city at the onset of the siege in order to put political pressure on the British government to divert military resources towards relieving the siege rather than more strategic war objectives. Despite being at odds with the military,[24] Rhodes placed the full resources of the company at the disposal of the defenders, manufacturing shells, defences, an armoured train and a gun named Long Cecil in the company workshops.[25]

text: Oppenheimer control[edit]

text: In 1898, diamonds were discovered on farms near Pretoria, Transvaal. One led to the discovery of the Premier Mine. The Premier Mine was registered in 1902 and the Cullinan Diamond, the largest rough diamond ever discovered, was found there in 1905.[26] (The Premier Mine was renamed the Cullinan Mine in 2003.) However, its owner refused to join the[27] De Beers cartel.[28] Instead, the mine started selling to a pair of independent dealers named Bernhard and Ernest Oppenheimer, thereby weakening the De Beers stronghold.[29] Francis Oats, who became Chairman of De Beers in 1908, was dismissive of the threats from the Premier mine and the finds in German South West Africa.[30] However, production soon equalled all of the De Beers mines combined. Ernest Oppenheimer was appointed the local agent for the powerful London Syndicate, rising to the position of mayor of Kimberley within 10 years. He understood the core principle that underpinned De Beers' success, stating in 1910 that "common sense tells us that the only way to increase the value of diamonds is to make them scarce, that is to reduce production".[28]

text: During World War I, the Premier mine was finally absorbed into De Beers. When Rhodes died in 1902, De Beers controlled 90% of the world's diamond production. Ernest Oppenheimer took over the chairmanship of the company in 1929,[31] after buying shares and being appointed to the board in 1926.[29][32][33] Oppenheimer was very concerned about the discovery of diamonds in 1908 in German South West Africa, fearing that the increased supply would swamp the market and force prices down.[10][11]

text: During the apartheid period De Beers (formerly headed by Nicky Oppenheimer) has been criticised for profiting initially from exploitation through colonialism and then from the system of apartheid.[34]

text: Former CIA chief Admiral Stansfield Turner claimed that De Beers restricted US access to industrial diamonds needed for the country's war effort during World War II.[35]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: De Beers successfully advertised diamonds to manipulate consumer demand. One of the most effective marketing strategies has been the marketing of diamonds as a symbol of love and commitment.[36] A young copywriter working for N. W. Ayer & Son, Frances Gerety (1916–1999), coined the famous advertising slogan, 'A Diamond is Forever', in 1947.[37] In 2000, Advertising Age magazine named 'A Diamond is Forever' the best advertising slogan of the 20th century.[38]

text: Other successful campaigns include the 'eternity ring' (meant as a symbol of continuing affection and appreciation),[36] the 'trilogy ring' (meant to represent the past, present, and future of a relationship) and the 'right hand ring' (meant to be bought and worn by women as a symbol of independence).[39]

text: De Beers ran television advertisements featuring silhouettes of people wearing diamonds, set to the music of 'Palladio' by Karl Jenkins. The campaign, titled Shadows and Lights"' first ran in the spring of 1993. The song would later inspire a compilation album, 'Diamond Music,' released in 1996, which features the 'Palladio' suite. A 2010 commercial for Verizon Wireless parodied the De Beers spots.[40]

text: Diamond monopoly[edit]

text: De Beers used its dominant position through the 20th century to influence the international diamond market.[17][41] The company used several methods. Firstly, it convinced independent producers to join its single channel monopoly. When that did not work, it flooded the market with diamonds similar to those of producers who refused to join in. It purchased and stockpiled diamonds produced by other manufacturers as well as surplus diamonds in order to control prices by limiting supply.[42] Finally, it bought diamonds when prices fell considerably, such as during the Great Depression.[43]

text: In 2000, the De Beers business model changed[42] because of factors such as the decision by producers in Canada and Australia to distribute diamonds outside the De Beers channel,[17][41] as well as rising awareness of blood diamonds that forced De Beers to "avoid the risk of bad publicity" by limiting sales to its own mined products.[44] De Beers' market share of rough diamonds fell from as high as 90% in the 1980s to 33% in 2013,[45][46] because of a more fragmented diamond market bringing greater competition, as well as more transparency and greater liquidity.[47] In November 2011, the Oppenheimer family announced its intention to sell all its 40% stake in De Beers to Anglo American plc, thereby increasing Anglo American's ownership of the company to 85% (the other 15% is owned by the Government of the Republic of Botswana).[48] The transaction was worth £3.2 billion (US$5.1 billion) in cash and ended the Oppenheimer dynasty's 80-year ownership of De Beers.[49][50]

text: Operations[edit]

text: Mining in Botswana takes place through the mining company Debswana,[51] a 50–50 joint venture with the Government of the Republic of Botswana. It operates four mines—Jwaneng, Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa, though Damtshaa was put on care and maintenance in 2015.[52]

text: In Namibia, mining is carried out through Namdeb Holdings,[53] a 50–50 joint venture with the Government of the Republic of Namibia. Namdeb Holdings is made up of Debmarine Namibia (covering offshore mining) and Namdeb Diamond Corporation (land-based coastal mining). For offshore mining, motor vessels are used, including the sixth and latest, the N$2.3 billion SS Nujoma, the world's most advanced diamond exploration and sampling vessel, which began full operations in June 2017.

text: De Beers Consolidated Mines is responsible for the De Beers mining in South Africa.[54] It is 74% owned by De Beers and 26% by a broad-based black economic empowerment partner, Ponahalo Investments. There are two mines—Venetia and Voorspoed.

text: In 2008, De Beers began production at the Snap Lake mine in Northwest Territories, Canada;[55] this was the first De Beers mine outside Africa and was Canada's first completely underground diamond mine.[56] However, production was suspended when the mine was put on care and maintenance in 2015.[57] De Beers opened the Victor mine in Ontario, Canada, the same year, a day after Snap Lake.[58] This was followed by the opening of the company's third mine in Canada, Gahcho Kué, in September 2016.[59]

text: Trading of rough diamonds takes place through two channels – De Beers Global Sightholder Sales[60] (GSS) and De Beers Auction Sales.[61] GSS sells about 90% of De Beers' rough diamonds, by value, and features wholly owned and joint venture operations in South Africa (De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa), Botswana (DTCB), and Namibia (NDTC). They sort, value and sell 33% (2013) of the world's rough diamonds by value.[46]

text: There are two main types of customer for rough diamonds – Sightholders and Accredited Buyers. Sightholders have a term contract. Accredited Buyers (a customer type introduced in 2014–15) have a more ad hoc arrangement. De Beers also sells about 10% of its rough diamonds through online auction sales. The company pioneered the approach in 2008 when it broke with 44 years of direct sales to hold the diamond industry’s first online international auction sale. It is now the world's leader in this kind of auction sale.

text: De Beers employs more than 30,000 people around the globe on five continents, with more than 17,000 employees in Africa. Almost 8,000 people are employed in Botswana, around 6,200 in South Africa, nearly 2,900 in Namibia, some 1,260 in Canada and about 320 in exploration.

text: Business structure and brands[edit]

text: On 4 November 2011, Anglo American plc and CHL Holdings announced their agreement for Anglo American to acquire an incremental interest in De Beers, increasing Anglo American's 45% shareholding in the world's leading diamond company to 85%. De Beers plc was originally incorporated as De Beers Société Anonyme in 2000 in Luxembourg. Following the closure of this office, the company was reclassified as De Beers plc in 2017, with its head office now in Jersey. It is made up of two shareholdings: Anglo American plc has an 85% shareholding and the Government of the Republic of Botswana owns 15% directly. De Beers plc is the holding company of The De Beers Group of Companies.[62] It is involved in many parts of the diamond value chain, from mining to sales, and is made up of a series of joint ventures and wholly owned operations.

text: The joint ventures are:

text:
Debmarine Namibia
Debswana[63]
DTCB[64]
Namdeb[65]
NDTC

tag: ul

text: The wholly owned operations are in southern Africa and Canada. Also wholly owned are Forevermark, De Beers Jewellers,[66] the International Institute of Diamond Valuation, De Beers Ventures, the International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research and Element Six (Umicore has a 40% stake in Element Six's abrasives division).

text: Forevermark[edit]

text: Forevermark was launched in 2008 as one of the two diamond brands from The De Beers Group of Companies. According to the company website, "Each Forevermark diamond is inscribed with a promise: that it is beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced." Forevermark diamonds are inscribed with an icon and unique identification number, albeit invisibly to the naked eye: the Forevermark inscription is 1/20th of a micron deep. This inscription helps keep Forevermark diamonds distinguishable from synthetic diamonds, which are otherwise similar to mined diamonds, and maintain scarcity: the Forevermark website boasts that only a tiny percentage of diamonds qualify for the Forevermark brand.[67]

text: De Beers Diamond Jewellers[edit]

text: De Beers Diamond Jewellers (DBDJ) was established in 2001 as a 50:50 joint venture between The De Beers Group of Companies and LVMH, the French luxury goods company.[67] The first De Beers boutique opened in 2002 on London's Old Bond Street as the brand's flagship store. Since then, stores have opened in various cities around the world. In March 2017, The De Beers Group of Companies acquired LVMH's 50% shareholding in DBDJ.[68]

text: De Beers Ventures

text: De Beers Ventures was established by De Beers Group in June 2017 to consider minority stake investments in start-ups and growth companies that could be of benefit to De Beers Group or the broader diamond sector.[69][70]

text: The International Institute of Diamond Valuation (IIDV) was launched by De Beers Group in March 2016. Operating in partnership with diamond jewellery retailers, it provides a reselling service for all diamonds, regardless of value.[71][72][73]

text: The International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research (IIDGR) was set up by De Beers in 2008, with the aim of providing a range of services and equipment in the field of diamond verification. It is based in London, Antwerp and, from 2015, in Surat, India. The IIDGR works only on diamonds that meet the requirements of the United Nations’ World Diamond Council Kimberley Process.

text: Legal issues[edit]

text: Sherman Antitrust Act[edit]

text: During World War II, Ernest Oppenheimer attempted to negotiate a way around the Sherman Antitrust Act by proposing that De Beers register a US branch of the Diamond Syndicate Incorporated. In this way, his company could provide the US with the industrial diamonds it desperately sought for the war effort in return for immunity from prosecution after the war; however his proposal was rejected by the US Justice Department when it was discovered that De Beers had no intention of stockpiling any industrial diamonds in the US.[35] In 1945, the Justice Department finally filed an antitrust case against De Beers, but the case was dismissed as the company had no presence on US soil.[74]

text: South Africa's missing billions[edit]

text: In 2014, the Leverhulme Centre for the Study of Value, based at the University of Manchester, published a report authored by Sarah Bracking and Khadija Sharife, identifying over US$3 billion in price fixing of South African rough diamond trade, through transfer pricing manipulation from 2005 to 2012. The report found significant evidence of profit shifting through volume and value manipulation.[75] Sharife simultaneously published an article [76] disclosing the political system that cultivated revenue leakage, including the donation of De Beers staff to the State Diamond Trader (SDT). The report, like the article, utilised aggregated data produced by the Kimberley Process (KP) certificates of import-exports, relying on figures listed by the diamond companies themselves, in which De Beers was the dominant player. The South African Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) disclosed that De Beers did not authorise them to publish figures involving values, sales, pricing and other data, preventing transparency of the industry.

text: Diamond prices[edit]

text: From 2001 onwards several lawsuits were filed against De Beers in US State and Federal courts. These alleged that De Beers unlawfully monopolised the supply of diamonds and conspired to fix, raise and control diamond prices. Additionally, there were allegations of misleading advertising. While De Beers denied all allegations that it violated the law, in November 2005, it announced that an agreement had been reached to settle civil class action suits filed against the company in the United States and, in March 2006, three other civil class action suits were added to the November agreement. In April 2008, De Beers confirmed that Judge Chesler of the US Federal District Court in New Jersey had entered an order approving a settlement arrangement totalling US$295 million. De Beers does not admit liability. As part of the settlement, persons who purchased gem diamonds from 1 January 1994 to 31 March 2006, may be eligible for compensation.[77] However, claimants were generally not pleased with the amounts they received from the settlement.[78]

text: Industrial diamonds[edit]

text: In 2004, De Beers pleaded guilty and paid a US$10 million fine to the United States Department of Justice to settle a 1994 charge that De Beers had colluded with General Electric, which was acquitted of all charges, to fix the price of industrial diamonds.[79][80]

text: European Commission[edit]

text: In February 2006, De Beers entered into legally binding commitments with the European Commission to cease purchasing rough diamonds from Russian mining company Alrosa as of the end of 2008.[81] In January 2007, the European Commission announced it had closed the file due to lack of Community Interest. The commission decision is under appeal before the Court of First Instance in Luxembourg.[82]

text: Conflict diamonds and the Kimberley Process[edit]

text: In 1999, a campaign by Global Witness to highlight the role of diamonds in international conflicts led to a review by the United Nations. The initial focus of the UN's investigation was on Jonas Savimbi's UNITA movement in Angola, which was found to have bartered uncut diamonds for weaponry despite international economic and diplomatic sanctions being in effect through United Nations Security Council Resolution 1173.[83][84]

text: In 1999, De Beers Group stopped all outside buying of diamonds in order to guarantee the conflict-free status of their diamonds effective from 26 March 2000.[85][86][87]

text: In December 2000, following the recommendations of the Fowler Report, the UN adopted the landmark General Assembly Resolution A/RES/55/56[88] supporting the creation of an international certification scheme for rough diamonds. By November 2002, negotiations between governments, the international diamond industry, led by De Beers, and civil society organisations resulted in the creation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), which sets out the requirements for controlling rough diamond production and trade and became effective in 2003.

text: De Beers states that 100% of the diamonds it now sells are conflict-free and that all De Beers diamonds are purchased in compliance with national law, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme[89] and its own Diamond Best Practice Principles.[90] The Kimberley process has helped restore the reputation of the industry, as well as eliminating sources of excess supply.[91]

text: Forceful relocation of indigenous San people in Botswana[edit]

text: In Botswana, a long dispute has existed between the interests of the mining company, De Beers, and the relocation of the San (Bushman) tribe from the land, in order to exploit diamond resources - an allegation rejected by De Beers. The San have been facing threats from government policies since at least 1980, when the diamond resources were discovered.[92] A campaign is being fought in an attempt to bring an end to what the indigenous rights organisation, Survival International, considers to be a genocide of a tribe that has been living in those lands for tens of thousands of years.[93][94][95] On the grounds that their hunting and gathering have become obsolete and their presence is no longer compatible with preserving wildlife resources, the Gwi and Gana people were persecuted by the government of Botswana in order to make them leave the central Kalahari reserve. To get rid of them, they had their water supplies cut off and they have been "taxed, fined, beaten, and tortured".[96] Several international fashion models, including Iman, Lily Cole and Erin O'Connor, who were previously involved with advertising for the companies' diamonds, have backed down after realising the consequences raised by this scandal, and now support the campaign.[97]


document_title: List of McLeod's Daughters characters

question_text: who does claire from mcleods daughters end up with

text: List of McLeod's Daughters characters

text: Main characters[edit]

text:
Character
Actor
Occupation
Duration
Episodes

Claire Louise McLeod
Lisa Chappell
Drover's Run Owner
August 2001 -> October 2003
001 -> 073

Claire is the oldest child of John 'Jack' McLeod. She was born on Drover's Run, in 1973, to Jack and his first wife, Prudence 'Prue' McLeod. Prue died while giving birth to a stillborn son, Adam John McLeod,in 1975. Jack would later marry Ruth Silverman, who gave birth to Tess Silverman McLeod. When their marriage ended, Ruth took Tess to live in Melbourne, leaving Jack to raise Claire alone. Claire and Tess would not see each other again until after their father died, almost twenty years later.
Claire spent her whole life on Drover's Run; she dropped out of school at age 15 to help her dad run the farm.
She attempts to start a horse breeding program on Drover's with Peter Johnson, the local representative of Australian Bloodlines. They begin a romantic relationship while working together, which ends when Claire finds out that Peter is married and has a family in Queensland. They reunite briefly, which results in Claire getting pregnant. She gives birth to a daughter, Charlotte Prudence McLeod, in a shed on Drover's Run. Before Claire decides on a name, the baby is affectionately called 'BOM', for Baby of McLeod.
Not long after the baby was born, Claire and Alex Ryan begin a relationship, with Alex planning to propose to her during a party. Claire, Tess, and baby Charlotte are returning from town with party supplies when their Ute hit a pothole and Claire loses control of the vehicle, and coming to a stop with its front wheels dangling off the edge of a cliff. Tess is able to get out and get Charlotte to safety, but cannot get Claire's door open before the Ute starts to slide. It goes over the cliff and into a canyon, killing Claire.

Teresa "Tess" Charlotte Silverman McLeod-Ryan
Bridie Carter
Drover's Run Owner
August 2001 -> March 2006
001 -> 123, 135 - 146

Tess is the third child and second-oldest daughter of Jack McLeod. She was born on Drover's Run in 1976 to Jack and his second wife, Ruth Silverman. Tess left Drover's for Melbourne with her mother when she was five years old, after her parents marriage ended.
Tess never saw her father again, and only returns to Drover's after his death nearly twenty years later. Tess and Claire initially clash over the future of Drover's Run. Tess considers selling her share and remaining in the city, but later decides to stay on and help run the farm.
In season one, Tess has a brief romantic relationship with Alex Ryan, which ends amicably. She later discovers she has feelings for Alex's younger brother, Nick, though their initial attempts at a relationship fail due to Tess's fear of commitment. After that she becomes involved with local veterinarian Dave Brewer, leading to an engagement. They call off the engagement when Dave realizes he has not fully mourned the loss of his last wife.
After Claire dies, Tess becomes the sole owner of Drover's Run; she hires Stevie Hall as overseer to help her manage the property. When Peter Johnson files for custody of Charlotte, his daughter with Claire, Tess initially fights it but ultimately relents and lets Peter and his wife have full custody. Peter allows Charlotte to visit her aunt at Drover's often.
Tess and Nick eventually rekindle their relationship and get married. Not long after, Nick takes a job on a farm in Argentina, and they leave Drover's. Tess returns after a year, announcing that she's pregnant. While expecting Nick to follow her home shortly, Tess learns that his plane has gone missing and he is assumed dead. Tess begins to mourn him, but Nick is found alive and returns to Drover's. They decide to return to Argentina for another three years, and Tess is not seen on the show again, though she and Nick are referenced by other characters periodically.

Jodi Margaret Fountain McLeod-Bosnich
Rachael Carpani
Drover's Run Owner
August 2001 -> April 2007, January 2009
001 -> 178, 224

Jodi is the youngest child of Jack McLeod. She was born on Drover's Run in 1982 to Jack and Meg Fountain. Jack and Meg were not married; their relationship and Jodi's paternity were kept secret for many years. It was assumed that Meg's first husband Kevin Fountain, was Jodi's father. After Meg and her husband separated, Meg became the housekeeper at Drover's and Jodi went to boarding school. After completing her finals, Jodi moves back to Drover's to await the results of her exams. Upon her weak test results she begins working alongside the other women on the farm.
Two years after returning to Drover's, Jodi marries Alberto Borelli, but decides immediately after the wedding that she is too young for marriage and children. Alberto returns to Italy and Jodi resumes her work on Drover's. When Meg is offered a job in Melbourne, Jodi initially decides to go with her, but changes her mind at the last minute and decides to stay on the farm.
She begins a relationship with mechanic Luke Morgan, which ends when Luke is sent to jail. She later has a relationship with Rob Shelton, the overseer of Killarney. It was during this time that she discovered her true parentage, which led to friction with Meg. Rob then reveals to Jodi that he is in the Witness Protection Program and living under an alias; a hitman soon finds him and he is forced to leave the area. He later returns as Matt Bosnich, and they rekindle their relationship. Another hitman finds him, and it appears that Jodi and Matt die in an explosion. Meg later tells a few select people that they faked their deaths so that Matt could be free of his pursuers, and after saying goodbye to her friends and family on Drover's, Jodi leaves with him. She is not seen again until the series finale with news that they are married and that Jodi is pregnant. They explain that the criminals who had been after them are in jail, and can safely return to Drover's to raise their baby.

Rebecca "Becky" Howard
Jessica Napier
Drover's lead station hand
August 2001 -> October 2003
001 -> 70

Becky is a young local who starts out working for the Gungellan Pub & Hotel. After her boss, Brian, rapes her, Claire offers to put her up on Drover's and give her work. Becky is soon promoted to Lead Station Hand and begins a relationship with Brett 'Brick' Buchanon, a station hand at Killarney. Brett eventually leaves to help his ailing uncle in Queensland, and Becky doesn't see or hear from him after that. After searching for him for months, a dream leads her to a bridge where she finds his body. Becky mourns Brick's death while growing closer to Jake, another Killarney station hand. They break up and Jake leaves, but he later returns for a young farmer's competition and attempts to win her back. Becky decides to leave with Jake to live with him on his new property and to take advantage of a scholarship at an agricultural college. Becky doesn't return to Drover's for the remainder of the show.

Alexander Marion "Alex" Ryan
Aaron Jeffery
Killarney Owner
August 2001 -> 2008
001 -> 208

Alex is the older son of Harry and Liz Ryan, the owners of Killarney, the property adjacent to Drover's Run. He is a childhood friend of Claire McLeod's. Shortly after Tess arrives at Drover's, he begins dating her, but they soon break up and decide to be just friends. After Claire gives birth to Charlotte, she and Alex develop romantic feelings for each other. Alex plans to propose to Claire, but she dies before he gets the chance.
In season 3, Alex discovers that Harry Ryan is not his biological father. His mother, Liz, had a brief relationship with Bryce Redstaff that resulted in pregnancy, but she married Harry Ryan and allowed him to believe that the baby was his. Alex's true paternity leads to the breakup of Harry and Liz's marriage, with Liz leaving Killarney.
Alex marries Fiona Webb, a city girl from a wealthy family. Their marriage ends badly, with Fiona believing that Alex is in love with Stevie. Though they don't immediately begin a relationship, Alex and Stevie eventually marry. After the wedding and honeymoon, Alex is only seen by videophone from Argentina until the last episode of season 7, when he returns to Killarney to surprise Stevie. Alex dies early in season 8, after being crushed by a large tree branch. Stevie gives birth shortly after, and names the baby Alexander 'Xander' Hall Ryan.

Nicholas Garry "Nick" Ryan
Myles Pollard
Killarney Owner
August 2001 -> March 2006
001 -> 125, 145 - 146

Nick is the younger son of Harry and Liz Ryan. Due to a rodeo accident in his teens that left him with a limp, Nick works mostly on the business operations at Killarney. He and Tess have an on-off relationship throughout their time on the series, eventually culminating in marriage. Nick was declared dead after the plane thought to be carrying him back to Australia crashed in South America, but it was later revealed that he had been mugged before boarding the plane, and had spent months unconscious in a hospital. After returning to Drover's, he and Tess decide to return to Argentina, and like Tess, he is not seen on the series again. Nick has a son, Harrison Nicholas Ryan-Clements, with Sally Clements, his former physical therapist.

Margaret "Meg" Rivers Fountain-Dodge
Sonia Todd
Drover's Housekeeper
August 2001 -> April 2007
001 -> 88, 109 - 134, 143 - 149, 177 - 178, 224

Meg is the longtime housekeeper on Drover's Run and the mother of Jodi Fountain-McLeod. Meg acts as a motherfigure to the women of Drover's, though she has occasional clashes with some of employees, notably Becky. Meg had an affair with Jack McLeod many years ago, resulting in her getting pregnant with Jodi. She keeps the affair secret; when Jodi receives a trust fund from Jack, she becomes suspicious and has a paternity test done, revealing that Jack is in fact her biological father. Around this time, Meg has a novel published that is a thinly-veiled account of her and Jodi's life on Drover's. The novel and the revelation of Jodi's true paternity causes a rift between Meg and Jodi. Meg leaves suddenly to promote her book, returning briefly to reconcile with her daughter and to marry Terry Dodge. The newlyweds then set off to explore Australia. She returns for Jodi's funeral and following that is not seen again until the final episode, when she returns to Drover's with a pregnant Jodi.

David "Dave" Enoch Brewer
Brett Tucker
Local Vet
2003 -> 2006
45 -> 170

Dave is a country veterinarian who tends to the animals on Drover's Run and other farms in the area. He is briefly engaged to Tess, though they break off the engagement when Dave realizes that he has not properly mourned his wife. He leaves in an effort to work out his feelings, but when he returns, Tess does not take him back as she and Nick are together. He moves into Wilgul with Alex and becomes a staple part of the social group. He later has a relationship with Tess's cousin, Regan McLeod, which ends when Regan leaves Drover's to take a job.
His friendship with Kate then develops into a romance, and the two leave for Africa, where Dave is going to run a vet clinic. Kate later returns to Drover's after Jodi's death, but Dave is not seen on the series again.

Stephanie "Stevie" Jane Hall-Ryan
Simmone Jade Mackinnon
Drover's Run Part Owner
October 2003 -> 2008
71 -> 224

Stevie is an old friend of Claire's, and first appears in the series shortly before Claire's death. Though she initially clashes with Tess, they grow close and Tess asks Stevie to stay on Drover's as overseer and eventual part-owner. She has a daughter, Rose, who lives with Stevie's sister Michelle and believes that Stevie is her aunt. Much of Stevie's arc on the show revolves around her decision to tell Rose the truth about her parentage. She eventually does so, leading to a brief falling-out with her daughter. Rose later forgives Stevie and visits her on Drover's several times.
After Tess and Nick leave for Argentina, Stevie becomes the primary person in charge at Drover's until Jodi and the McLeod cousins receive their shares. She goes on to marry Alex Ryan, and discovers, that she is pregnant while Alex is in Argentina working with Nick. Alex returns to Killarney before Stevie is due to give birth; he dies from being crushed by a heavy tree branch. Stevie has the baby boy very shortly after, and after calling him "Wombat" for some time, she names him Alexander "Xander" Hall Ryan. She continues on as part-owner of both Drover's and Killarney, appearing until the series finale.

Kate Maria Due Manfredi
Michala Banas
Drover's Farm Hand
2004 -> 2008
88 -> 170, 179 -> 206

Kate is a former classmate of Jodi's. She first appears in the series when Jodi decides to go to Melbourne with Meg, leaving a job vacancy. Though Jodi changes her mind at the last minute and stays on the farm, Kate keeps her new position.
Kate is organized and goal-oriented, often referring to her "5-year plan". Her plans bring a great organization to Drover's but occasionally has the other farmhands rolling their eyes.
Kate has relationships with local boy Craig and Dave Brewer's younger brother Patrick, but she maintains her feelings for Dave until they eventually get together. Kate leaves with Dave for Africa, but returns when Jodi is thought to be dead. Devastated by Jodi's death her prodding ultimately causes Meg and the police to reveal that Jodi and Matt have joined witness protection and are using the accident as the perfect cover to hide. She decides to stay at Drover's for a while where she feels useful and good at what she does. Her anxiety about being out of place in Africa causes her to put off returning, but she later goes back to Africa and Dave after some sage advice from Moira.
Kate returns to Drover's for Stevie's wedding, having split from Dave and is in the beginning stages of a relationship with Riley when he is killed in a car accident. Though his body is never found, Riley is presumed dead and Kate leaves to run a farm for at-risk youth.

Regan McLeod
Zoe Naylor
Drover's Part Owner
2005–2008
119 -> 123, 149 -> 184, 209 -> 210, 223 ->224

Regan is the second child of Hugh McLeod, Jack McLeod's brother. She arrives at Drover's under suspicious circumstances, later revealing that she has come to conduct tests and surveys to determine if Drover's can be mined for gold. She begins digging, getting into several confrontations with Tess, Stevie, and the other Drover's women. After she is bitten by a venomous snake, Tess helps save her life and Regan decides to abandon her plans to mine Drover's, making peace with her cousin. Regan gets romantically involved with Dave Brewer, but the relationship ends when Regan leaves.
She appears again in season six, returning to Drover's looking for Tess, who is in Argentina at the time. She reveals that an accident at a mine she was supervising caused the death of two men. Though not criminally responsible, she feels enormous guilt over the incident. She sticks around Drovers for a while and redeems herself with the girls of Drover’s when she pitches in with the farm work. Shortly after she inherits a share of Drovers through Jodi’s faked death. She helps save Drover’s from a toxic waste dump planned for Drover’s. During this she temporarily resumes an adulterous relationship with a former colleague who is there on behalf of the government to assess Drover’s compatibility for the toxic dump. A pregnancy scare brings about the quick end of the affair and after saving Drover’s from the dump, she moves on.
In the last few episodes she comes back to Drover's, to stay on.

Patrick Michael Brewer
Luke Jacobz
Killarney Farm Hand
2005–2008
131, 147 -> 224

Patrick is the younger brother of Dave Brewer. He makes his first appearance in the series by parachuting onto the farm. Patrick is an adventurous world traveler. He has a relationship with Kate early on, but when he stops taking his medication for bipolar disorder, he has a manic episode, which initially frightens Kate off. He leaves Gungellan to stay with his mother and work on getting better at handling his bipolar disorder. He returns to Gungellan and rekindles a relationship with Kate that ends the night of the Young Farmer of the Year Award Ceremony, when he realizes that she and Dave are in love with each other. He works at Killarney as a farm hand and for the truck stop under Moira as a mechanic. Later in the series, he begins a relationship with Tayler Geddes, and they remain a couple until the series finale.

Riley Ward
Dustin Clare
Killarney Farm Hand
2006–2008
155 -> 203

Riley is a farrier and horse gentler who first appears in season 6, when Stevie discovers him squatting on Drover's. After some initial clashes with the people from Drover's and Killarney, Riley and Stevie start a program to capture and train brumbies. Riley also becomes the Overseer of Killarney.
Riley vies for Jodi's affections, but she chooses to be with Matt. He then develops feelings for Kate, and they are in the early stages of a relationship when he involved in a car accident in the season 7 finale. His body is never found, but he is presumed dead and does not appear on the series again.

Tayler Jane Geddes
Gillian Alexy
Drover's Farm Hand
2006–2008
170 -> 224

Tayler first appears in season 6, when she comes to Drover's looking to get revenge on Regan. Regan was supervising a mine when an accident killed two men, one of which was Tayler's father. Regan and the other women convince Tayler to stay on at Drover's as a farm hand, and she eventually decides to study to become a veterinarian. Tayler and Patrick start a relationship that lasts until the end of the series.

Marcus Turner
Matt Passmore
Killarney Owner
2007–2008
172 -> 224

Marcus first arrives at Killarney at the beginning of season 7, telling Alex that he works for Bryce Redstaff. His initial role is to go over the books and look for ways to increase profit, recovering Bryce's investment. He later reveals to Alex that he is also Bryce's son and therefore his brother (younger brother). Though he and Alex initially clash, they later grow close. After Alex dies, Marcus decides to stay on as part-owner of Killarney. He begins a relationship with Ingrid Marr, the new country vet. Their relationship ends when Ingrid's estranged husband shows up and begins to harass and threaten her, and she runs away. Marcus then becomes involved with Grace McLeod, but when Ingrid returns, Grace ends their relationship and urges Ingrid and Marcus to rekindle their romance.

Grace Kingston McLeod
Abi Tucker
Drover's Run Owner
2007–2008
179 - 224

Grace is the eldest of Hugh McLeod's daughters, sister to Regan and Jaz, cousin to Jodi, Tess and Claire. She is a Campdrafting champion under the name Grace Kingston (her mother's maiden name) and an old friend of Stevie Hall. She reluctantly joins Drover's after receiving her share in Jodi's will. Grace is a loose cannon and stuffs up a few times in her initial adjustment to being at Drover's. Her relationship with Regan is complicated and they are often at odds. She becomes engaged to neighboring farmer Heath Barrett, but ends the engagement when she finds out Heath is cheating on her. She eventually becomes briefly involved with Marcus Turner, for whom she has long had unrequited feelings. Their relationship ends in the series finale when Ingrid returns to town, and Grace realizes that Marcus is still in love with her.

Jasmine "Jaz" McLeod
Anna Torv & Edwina Ritchard
Drover's Part Owner
2004, 2008
103 -> 104, 210 -> 224

Jaz is the youngest of Hugh McLeod's daughters. She is the first McLeod cousin to appear in the series, showing up near the end of season 4 (played by Anna Torv) for two episodes. She comes to Drover's to spread her father's ashes, and has a brief flirtation with Alex before leaving to restart her career as a show jumper. She appears again in the last season (played by Edwina Ritchard) and appears until the series finale. After an awkward start as a farm hand, she comes to love Drover's and eventually starts a relationship with Ben Hall, Stevie's cousin.

Ben Hall
John Schwartz
Killarney Farm Hand
2008
210 -> 224

Ben is Stevie's cousin, and first appears in season 8, showing up to support Stevie after Alex's death. He finds work at Killarney and becomes involved with Jaz McLeod.

Ingrid Marr
Rachael Coopes
Local Vet
2007–2008
200 - 224

Ingrid is a country veterinarian who first appears at the end of season 7. Ingrid gets along well with the local farmers, but seems to have a mysterious past. She later reveals that she is on the run from her abusive husband, Paul. Ingrid and Marcus fall in love, but when Paul shows up at Drover's and begins stalking and threatening her, she fears for her safety and leaves. She appears again in the series finale, rekindling her romance with Marcus.

text: Recurring cast[edit]

text:
Actor
Role
Status
Episodes

Marshall Napier
Harry J. Ryan
2001–2006
Episodes 1 - 162

John Jarratt
Terry Dodge
2001–2006
Episodes 1 - 148

Catherine Wilkin
Elizabeth "Liz" M. Ryan
2001–2003, 2004, 2006
Episodes 1 - 53, 100, 154

Fletcher Humphrys
Brett "Brick" Buchanon
2001–2003
Episodes 1 - 47

Ben Mortley
Alberto Borelli
2001–2003
Episodes 19 - 50

Rodger Corser
Peter Johnson
2001–2004
Episodes 15 - 44, 62, 83 - 84

Kathryn Hartman
Sally Clemments
2002–2005
Episodes 43 - 54, 105 - 114, 136

Charlie Clausen
Jake Harrison
2002–2003
35 - 70

Inge Hornstra
Sandra Kinsella-Ryan
2002–2006
Episodes 42, 57 - 100, 110 - 162

Diarmid Heidenrich
Toby Frye
2003
Episodes 63 - 64, 70, 73

Alisha and Sarah Hart and Brooke, Kaitlyn & Tahlia Stacey-Clark
Charlotte McLeod
2003-2008
Episodes 75 - 146, 224

Craig McLachlan
Kane Morgan
2004
Episodes 89 - 96, 105 - 106

Basia A'Hern
Rose Hall-Smith
2004–2008
Episodes 90, 129 - 130, 163 - 166, 185 - 186, 190 - 192, 224

Dean O'Gorman
Luke Morgan
2004–2005
Episodes 93 - 118

Peter Hardy
Phill Rakich
2006–2008
Episodes 143, 157, 159, 163, 166, 169, 180-184, 186-189, 191-199, 202-211, 213-220, 222, 224

Michelle Langstone
Fiona Webb-Ryan
2006
Episodes 139 - 170

Daniel Feuerriegel
Leo Coombes
2006
Episodes 141, 143, 160, 164, 165

Sam Healy
Ashleigh Redstaff
2007
Episodes 186 - 199

text: Births and pregnancies[edit]

text:
Claire gives birth to a girl named Charlotte Prudence McLeod (nicknamed 'BOM' (= Baby of McLeod)). Peter Johnson is the father, but initially it is claimed that Alex is the father. Later Peter learns the truth through a letter of Claire, as she wants Charlotte to know her real father (and Peter's name on the birth certificate). Alex and Tess are Charlotte's godparents. Charlotte is named after Tess, whose 2nd name is Charlotte, and Claire's mother Prudence.
Sandra Kinsella-Ryan returns from her honeymoon and announces that she's pregnant, but miscarries soon after.
Nick's ex-girlfriend Sally returns unexpectedly to Drover's, 8 months pregnant with his child. She soon gives birth to a son named Harrison Nicholas Ryan-Clements.
Tess gives birth in Argentina to a daughter named Claire Ruth McLeod-Ryan.
Stevie gives birth to a son named Alexander 'Xander' Hall Ryan soon after Alex dies. A short time before deciding on the name(s) Xander is called 'wombat'.
Moira finds out she's pregnant with Phil Rakich's son in 2008, but miscarries early into the pregnancy.
Jodi returns to Drover's Run in the series finale with news that she's pregnant .

text: Deaths[edit]

text: Actual Deaths

text:
Brett 'Brick' Buchanon died after falling off of a bridge. He had been missing for some time and was eventually found by Becky.
Claire McLeod died in a car accident when her Ute went over a cliff. Tess and Charlotte were also in the accident, but managed to escape the vehicle before it crashed.
Harry Ryan died from a heart attack. It was later revealed that Sandra had tampered with his heart medication.
Riley Ward was involved in a car accident with Grace, Tayler, and Patrick. Their car was submerged in a river and Riley was presumed dead, though his body was never found.
Alex Ryan died after a tree branch fell on him

text: Fake Deaths

text:
Nick Ryan was thought to have died in a plane crash, but was later discovered alive in Argentina. He had been mugged and severely beaten, and had been unconscious in an Argentine hospital for several weeks.
Matt Bosnich and Jodi Fountain were thought to have died in a car explosion. The next episode revealed that the car had blown up without them in it, but they were allowing people to think they were dead in order to evade the hitmen after them.

text: Marriages and engagements[edit]

text:
Claire McLeod and Peter Johnson were engaged, but Claire ended the relationship when she found out Peter was already married and had children.
After being best mates for about 15 years (and shortly after the birth of Charlotte McLeod) Claire McLeod and Alex Ryan were in a relationship. Claire died the day Alex intended to propose to her, after a previous failed attempt (the ring was lost during the move of Alex to Drovers Run).
Jodi Fountain and Alberto Borelli had a wedding ceremony, but Jodi called off the marriage before the final paperwork was signed.
Tess McLeod and Dave Brewer were engaged, but broke up when they realized that Dave was still grieving for his late wife.
Harry Ryan and Sandra Kinsella were married after Harry divorced his first wife Liz.
Nick Ryan and Tess McLeod married after several years of an on-off relationship. They remained married through the end of the series.
Meg Fountain and Terry Dodge were married and set off for a trip around Australia.
Fiona Webb and Alex Ryan married and quickly divorced.
Jodi Fountain (Bosnich) and Meg Fountain (Doge) return to Drover's Run in the final episode with news that Matt and Jodi are married and expecting a baby.
Stevie Hall and Alex Ryan were married for a short time before Alex's death.
Grace McLeod and Heath Barret were engaged, but Grace called it off when she found out Heath was having an affair.

text: Lists of drama television charactersLists of Australian television series characters

text: Wikipedia articles needing rewrite from May 2009All articles needing rewriteArticles lacking sources from July 2012All articles lacking sourcesArticles with multiple maintenance issuesUse dmy dates from July 2015Use Australian English from July 2015All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English