Teenagers

[freakybuffy]

It has something to do with work hours a (these figures is just a guess) but an actual teenager is only aloud to do say 4 hours a day and a certain amount of time on school work where as someone who’s older is more flexible. Well that’s what is was like when filming the first few Harry Potter films, but not sure tho whether it’s the same sort of rules in AU as the UK. But it was just an idea.

[Kristen00]

This might seem strange, but I found that the teenagers on the show at the moment are pretty accurate. Obviously more so for the late eighties early nineties generation.

[alexx]

I'm pleased that you guys are finally starting to see how things have changed or are now speaking out more about it.

I've said it thousands of times before this year probably, and I don’t just refer to the teenagers, because it applies to all of the characters. The show kinda lost its 'soul’ as someone else mentioned in the thread, when the emphasis on friendships, community, and emotional storytelling shifted, in favour of the shock horror, dramatic and pointless ratings grabbing rubbish.

'Now, I'm all for psycho's, murders, LOST storylines, death and destruction, so long as it has a realistic and emotional, character driven and lasting impact. It should also be cleverly intertwined amongst the light-hearted feel-good stuff the show used to MASTER so well. You only have to look back at the show pre-2005 to see how well the writers always managed to pull on the heartstrings with emotional storytelling and brilliant opportunities for the actors to really get into the characters shoes and put on a great performance.

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread about the poignant endings, when the episode ends on a 'feel good' note, or ends on an emotional scene to wrap up the storyline for the week or something along those lines... I miss those, and loved how H&A used to do them probably around twice per week...

I also agree with everyone about how the lack of interaction between the teenagers and the parents or guardian, really alienates you at times. I've used this example before, but I think it’s so true - Sally refers to Cassie and Ric as her kids, yet we see so very little in the way of heartfelt interaction, unless its to suit the storyline at hand, in the meantime they are just characters living in the same house.

When Belle went 'missing' or kidnapped or whatever, 10 times this year, Irene didn’t care at all, it was just, 'ah well, she'll be back...anyway dahl, I know its none of me business but......blah blah'' - compare this to when Nick ran away and she was on the phone sobbing as she pleaded for him to return so she could help him threw his problems... or when she was crying hysterically at the bottom of the stairs when Saul kidnapped Selina...well I don’t think I need to say more.

[Liz]

I couldn't possibly make any comment on 80s/early-mid 90s teenagers and late 90s is a little blurry, so I'll discuss 2001/2 teenagers. I loved the Nick/Jade/Kirsty/Duncan/Seb dynamic and the slightly older group of Dani/Will/Hayley/Noah/Brodie/Mitch, etc. They had fun, there were real friendships, relationships and they 'hung out'. There was the 'Dice Game' and all the silly dares that went with it; it reflected teenage life and I loved it!

[Paris]

There is no sense of connection between any of the teenagers except with the person they are dating at the time, there ar no real friendship groups, and I am never sure which year any of them are in at school as it seems to change form week to week. None of them relate in any meaningful way to any of the adults who are their parents or carers except in passing. The emphasis today is on a series of events happening to a particular character at any one time, and scant attention is paid to the impact this has on the people on their friendship groups or their family. They don't do teenage like things, they behave like 16 going on 35 year olds which is fine up to a point as a lot of 16 year olds do behave like 35 year olds - but not 24/7. Most 16 year olds actually behave like 16 year olds some of the time.

In the old days the teenagers were more realistic, they hung out with their friends, there were friendship groups, Selina, Chloe, Shannon etc... Seb, Nick and the twins, they got up to mischief, they did daft things, they also interracted with the adults. Sally's relationship with Pippa was amazing, we saw loads of it, far more than we ever see of her relationship with Ric and Cassie, Irene's relationship with all of her kids was fantastic, especially Will Selina and Nick. She was always sticking up for them, whcih we never see now. The teenagers never seem to acknowledge the adult characters much and that has meant a big part of the shows heart has been lost for me.

[emmasi]

I miss Lucas and Belle. They were so catty, but in a subtle, observant way. I miss that.

[nessy]

I couldn't possibly make any comment on 80s/early-mid 90s teenagers and late 90s is a little blurry, so I'll discuss 2001/2 teenagers. I loved the Nick/Jade/Kirsty/Duncan/Seb dynamic and the slightly older group of Dani/Will/Hayley/Noah/Brodie/Mitch, etc. They had fun, there were real friendships, relationships and they 'hung out'. There was the 'Dice Game' and all the silly dares that went with it; it reflected teenage life and I loved it!

I completely agree!!I loved the eps a few yrs ago when you had the 2 teenage groups,nick,seb,kirsty and jade and then the slightly older group of Brodie,danni,gypsy,Hayley, Noah and will!!

It added so much more dynamics into the groups and allowed for more varied and interesting storylines!!

I do like the characters today but there'll all the same age:cassie, lucas, mattie,ric, drew and Belle!!and recently the only major storylines with these characs has been with the couples, drew and belle and ric and Mattie!! Poor Martha has no friends her age and that just leaves a big gap between them and the "adults!"

Some new actors are needed in all the age groups to add some well-written,dramatic and varied storylines in the new year!

[Little Lilly]

Thanks for replying. I like todays teens, don't get me wrong, I love Belle and Matilada, I just don't think they are realistic in terms of the stories they are given. There is less sense of them growing up, of being mates, and as lots of you have said the stories are all about couples. I think that todays writers should be made to watch some of the early stuff, the dice game, the mischief, the friendship groups, and also how the kids and adults interacted. They might learn something. The strip poker episode with Belle, Lucas, Ric and Matilda was great, but would not have stood out quite so much a few years ago, I thought when they did it that it was good, but they did it more for the eatings grab bing strip effect than for showing that kids get up to daft stuff. They have done a couple of one offs like that which seem to come form now where. Nick and Seb's gang, well you always knew they were going to get into strife and end up doing something daft, that was part of the fun.

[nessy]

True! and they've had so many chances to bring in new characters.Jules was great and he could have brought so much with him yet as soon as he arrived he was hooked up to lily and then Cassie cos lets face it,in summer bay its not possible to be single!

then he left and why??cos drews mum told him to!!

and Tam would have been great too!the only one martha seems to have as a friend is Cassie yet she's like 4 years younger!!

hopefully 2008 will bring us sum new, varied interesting characters to jazz the place up and add a little realism to peoples lives!

[Anaya]

I hope that in 2008 the teens relationships as friends with each other is built up more and there is more interaction between them... they should just hang out with each other more and do fun, immature things!