Anyone else noticed that H&A has actually improved since Dan B?

[Wal Harisse]

That sounds about right. We had too many disaster, crashes and explosions. It does not matter how well they are written, its like good food, you eat too much and you feel sick and don't want any more. There was a lot of good stuff, but it was mixed in with some awful stuff and we got bombarded with cliffhangers. Things are better now they are more evenly paced. Roll on the new Bevan era.

[alexx]

However the current writers have totally lost what a character driven show is about. I preferred Dan Bennet’s era over this anyway, and I was not a fan of most of Dan B’s work, so that says something...and it was for the same reasons as the current writers, there is no follow threw, the whole thing lacks true emotion, missed opportunities, there’s no longer a sense of reality to the characters and the ‘feel good’ factor has been totally wiped out. To me, after watching since the day it started, this season has bored and left me frustrated the most.

[gmgirl]

I've actually loved this year. When I think about 2006 I struggle to think of much I liked, except Rocco who was such a great character. But this year there's been some stuff that's kept me riveted. Martha's abortion and the pole-dancing storyline was superb, taking what was a pretty bland character in a really interesting direction. And then they didn't do the easy thing and have some happy little reunion scene with Jack but play on this will they won't they, which even though I accept some could find annoying I’m actually quite enjoying as I feel it’s quite true to that particular relationship. I also think killing Beth off was a stroke of genius. She had become a pretty pointless character imo and her death allowed other characters to be explored in really interesting ways, i.e. Matilda and Tony. But then I did absolutely hate that Kelly/Amanda stuff and I did really love some stuff in 2005 - the arrival of the Holdens and the Corey Storyline, although I did hate the Stalker Storyline. So all up I don't have a preference for eras, I just think this year isn't all that bad

[alexx]

I think the first few months of this year was fantastic, all the Sally Rocco stuff, Martha's downfall was super, Beth's crisis about her life and where it was going, Morag and Martha showdown, I think it was all written well and I enjoyed the show up until Beth died...then it went downhill.

I think killing off Beth was a bad idea because I believe Clarissa House was fantastic and the character of Beth had so much life in it, but they wrote her into a corner and never gave her anything to do, basically wasted a great character, but that started in 05-07 anyway... But it was the aftermath of Beth's death that was absolutely full of missed opportunities and lacked so much. they did the death episode really well, but then it all just phased out and became about the 'shock horror' factor instead of a sensitive storyline about the death of a loved one, so that totally turned me off and got me frustrated.

From then on, things just carried on in that style, storylines coming and going, I don’t know how many times we’ve had a 'life in the balance' at the hospital...NO ONE CARES because we all know they will be fine in a couple of episodes, we know that because the writers do it to every character almost every week and its just pointless and boring...what’s the point? If you want to see a good hospital storyline and how it should be written with the characters in mind and not the shock horror factor, you should watch a storyline that has currently aired on Neighbours, full of emotion and totally character lead.

Home and Away used to thrive off highly emotional stuff, but these days its all done and dusted within an episode or two, and full of clichés that lack any meaning.

Also the show focuses way to much on guest cast, why cant we have storylines about the characters in the show that people can care about and get to know more, there are thousands of ideas, it doesn’t have to always involve having to write in a new character for the sake of a couple of weeks.

I see the show has kinda gone down a drama series route in that a storyline begins and ends in the episode or a couple of episodes, and then things are forgotten about and life goes on, kinda like All Saints, Blue Heelers, A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors…etc the major difference is, with those shows, the space between each episode could be a matter of weeks, but Home and Away doesn’t work like that, because we are supposed to follow the characters lives every day, and people just don’t get over and threw life changing situations within a day or two. Some things change a person such as 6 kidnappings in the space of 14 months, having very strong self hate and bulimic issues, having your friends being hospitalised and in intensive care every week…etc …etc

[Tulip]

The series has definately improved.

The writers are taking more time over the storylines, and the emphasis is less on high-action and drama, and more on emotional storylines.

I liked the progression of the Kit/Kim/Rachel/Hugh storyline, despite the rather abrupt ending. Similarly with the Sally and Brad storyline, how the writers have clearly looked at the storyline from different angles and thought about how Sally would have reservations.

One thing that has particularly impressed me is the characters of Drew and Belle. They're not ultra-sensible and acting older than they are, but the writers aren't afraid to show Drew's immaturity, and Belle's feistiness which they started to shy away from and mould them too much like the other teenagers who are very grown-up.

If that makes sense. :S

I like the new side to Matilda as well.

[Nate]

The show has 100% improved this year.

The continuity, the pace of storylines and the characters in general are fantastic this year - imo, this year has more than ever brought the show back to the way it was in the nineties. There's less coming and going of characters. Geoff is really old school, Annie's acting was a bit dodgy at first but really loving her now. And I love that we have a stable cast and we're now given time to get to know characters.

Such a shame Sally's leaving

[Reenie Rocks]

In the last couple of years our household has switched off a lot. We watched it in the background. We all felt that the DB years were rather immature and the story lines would have been far better suited to a programe like Heartbreak High aimed specifically at that age group. Quite frankly I think the actors must have been rolling their eyes when they got the scripts. The relationships were all shallow and as I understand he is only a young man he may not have had the experience of life and of relationship in order to write about them in quite the same way that some one with a few more years under their belt has. Even the teenagers in our household rolled their eyes at some of the things going on they were so immature and melodramatic for melodramatic sake. I suspect a lot of older viewers like myself will have continued to have the TV on in the back ground whilst eating dinner, playing poker, or setting up the barbie. I have been aware of an improvement in in recent weeks and months and detect the deft hand of Bevan Lee. I am looking forward to seeing a vast improvement as we move into 2008 and a return to some quality human interest drama.

[Miranda]

One thing I am fed up with though, is the constant stream of younger people having affairs with older ones. We had Drew and Amanda, then Lucas and Naomi, then Cassie and Henk and [the other one which I think is coming up soon which I won't spoil]. Just give this storyline a rest, for God's sake. Oh and I forgot Jules and Jazz...!?!

[chatter box]

I felt the DB years were like the curates egg. Good In Parts (That's a literary reference that my granny was always making in case you are wandering. ) He writes exceptionally well. But at times it was incredibly adolescent and unnecessarily melodramatic I felt, which did disservice to his undoubted and considerable abilities.

[Nagessor]

His storylines may have been unrealistic but that's part of the magic of home and away.

Things like stalkers, explosions and disasters are all part of the fun.

I know they do tend to just forget about things and sometimes they even forget about characters (when was the last time you heard Henry's name?) but the big moments always have lasting repercussions, like when the boat sank no-one died but it brought Kirsty and Kane together or the helicopter crash when Kim and Kit slept together came up again months later.

One of my favorite things about home and away is that it's not one type of soap. It can go from being an adult bases show exploring tough themes to a light hearted teen drama to a hollywood blockbusting extravaganza and back in a weeks worth of episodes.