Quick Questions

[adam436]

Noting that changes take time between brainstorming, executation and filtering through to transmission, you can see a shift from 1989 onwards that might have been perhaps part of "stay of execution" plan - the new bright Diner set replacing the old-style General Store, axing or sidelining some of the older cast and winding back the number of "darker" storylines. I persoanlly preferred 1988 cast and storylines more, but I liked the look and feel of 1989 more, which I can see was needed to lure in a younger audience. The 1988 aestetics looked like they belonged in the 1950s or 1960s, but the Diner set and new characters like Marilyn, Stacey and Emma dragged it into the 80s.  

[cymbaline]

I wonder when did the overseas money begin to make a difference? I see the diner and the new Stewart store as signs that they were willing to pump more money into the production. ITV coming on board must've been huge at the time.

[adam436]

And if overseas networks were pouring in money, it certainly makes sense they could make "creative suggestions", like utilising the beach much more and revamping the sets to appeal more to the projected audiences their networks would bring in. 

[cymbaline]

None of the older actors seem to have seen Home and Away as anything more than an acting job that might last a few months. It's entirely understandable when you think about how many soaps have come and gone. For every Sons and Daughters and Neighbours, there's an Arcade (1980, 30 episodes), Richmond Hill (1988, 92 episodes) or a Starting Out (1983, 85 episodes). You can see them figuring out what works in real time. I watched the Peter Vroom interview and during it, he claims he earned more doing a few weeks of pantomime in the UK than a year of Home and Away. 

[adam436]

3 hours ago, cymbaline said:

None of the older actors seem to have seen Home and Away as anything more than an acting job that might last a few months. 

Even Ray Meagher said on This is Your Life that he only ever intended to do a year or something and wasn't interested in anything long-term.

If you look at those older successful soaps like Prisoner and Sons and Daughters, and even the early days of Neighbours, regular cast members would often also only last 6-12 months, sometimes less. So even if the show was successful, older actors thought their time could have been short in that regard. It was in some cases, like with Lynn, Neville and Floss.