Has H&A's quality suffered since Bevan Lee's departure?

[Drew]

Kirsty and Kane returning was like Bevan's last weeks on the show, so that story belongs to him.

(I don't want to bet a million dollars on that, but I'm sure that was the go there)

[-Kevin-]

Kirsty and Kane returning was like Bevan's last weeks on the show, so that story belongs to him.

(I don't want to bet a million dollars on that, but I'm sure that was the go there)

Yes but I believe Bevan didnt write the story where Kirsty was

thrown into a relationship with Miles

only a little while after Kane was sent down.

[claire_louise]

I think the cancer storyline was only a plot device to

kill off the baby

.However there was one aspect of the storyline i thought was written very well and that was when Martha had a mastectomy which is very traumatising for a woman.

I think the acting and writing has been good, but the idea is just awful. Surely if they felt the need to

get rid of the baby

so badly it would have been better if she just hadn't got pregnant in the first place? The main problem is that there are too many stories in one - the cancer, the pregnancy, the paternity - and there's no way they can do justice to them all at once. Then there's the fact that there have already been far too many cancer storylines in the show over the past few years (Kane, Sally, Flynn, Vinnie, Colleen...and that's just off the top of my head), and also that Martha's situation is almost identical to what they did with Steph in Neighbours. It's just a bad idea all round.

[DinerLandlord]

I think it's lacking two things - friendships, and a central character who is at the heart of the show. The friendships issue has been disgracefully neglected, but I've posted about this a number of times and simply don't have the energy to repeat myself again. On the other issue of a central character, I feel like the writers(Bevan included) have messed up big time this year by not focusing on an established character like Irene or Leah and making them the central character that Sally had been for so long. Sally wasn't always the central character she only became so after the Sutherlands left, so it could easily have been done with Irene or Leah, but instead they have chosen to ignore them both especially Irene, and they have made Leah seem like a petty jealous freak in regard to Miles and Kirsty. I like Kirsty and Miles together, but I don't think they should be so central, and by situating them in Summer Bay House they are essentially the show's flagship couple, like Pippa and Tom, or Pippa and Michael, or Sally and Flynn.

[-Kevin-]

I think it's lacking two things - friendships, and a central character who is at the heart of the show. The friendships issue has been disgracefully neglected, but I've posted about this a number of times and simply don't have the energy to repeat myself again. On the other issue of a central character, I feel like the writers(Bevan included) have messed up big time this year by not focusing on an established character like Irene or Leah and making them the central character that Sally had been for so long. Sally wasn't always the central character she only became so after the Sutherlands left, so it could easily have been done with Irene or Leah, but instead they have chosen to ignore them both especially Irene, and they have made Leah seem like a petty jealous freak in regard to Miles and Kirsty. I like Kirsty and Miles together, but I don't think they should be so central, and by situating them in Summer Bay House they are essentially the show's flagship couple, like Pippa and Tom, or Pippa and Michael, or Sally and Flynn.

Yes I 100% agree with you irene and Leah should have been given central roles just like sally was given over the past number of years and the way Leah has been portrayed in regard to the triangle between herself and Kirsty and Miles has been very boring and out of character for her.Although I do believe that in friendships wise that the show is improving because now that all the relatively new characters have all settled in and have been building solid friendships for the last couple of months it is beginning to feel warmer.

[claire_louise]

Kirsty and Kane returning was like Bevan's last weeks on the show, so that story belongs to him.

(I don't want to bet a million dollars on that, but I'm sure that was the go there)

Yes but I believe Bevan didnt write the story where Kirsty was

thrown into a relationship with Miles

only a little while after Kane was sent down.

Exactly. I also believe that Bevan would never have let KK's break up become a permanent thing (and maybe he would have had more influence in getting Sam to return for another appearance...?).

[_chris70_]

I think on the whole H&A has gone from strength to strength this year, the quality made me want to semi-regularly watch the show for first time in 8 years. I agree that there is a centrla mother figure, Pippa "like" that is missing, but I love Miles and his fostering side, it definetely harks back to the Pippa and Tom/Pippa and Micheal helping out kids giving the show a real heart, I liked the Melody storyline and Alf and Morag are fantastic. Aden is great and I think the acting behind his big story has been superb. I like the new diner and I was really impressed with the restaurant storyline because it showed a slice of real life and tried with something different. I also like the location a lot.

Generally on the show there seems like there's more care and attention but also there's something fresh and original, it's like they have updated the show but faithfully to the make-up of the show. They've taken the older more established characters and worked with them as well as the newer ones, they've made the older more established elements work for them alongside new changes. The pace is right too, slower when something is deeper but picks up when it needs to.

One of the few things that doesn't make sense atm is Miles and Kirsty's relationship. I saw him as a semi-older brother/father figure and to make him start a relationship with Kirsty seems out of character and an attempt to stop him seeming to 'saint' like, but as ever we will see...

[James Martin]

2008 has so far been a fantastic year atfer two rather iffy seasons.

I think the show is in great shape at the moment, notably so with the teen characters - the likes of Nicole, Geoff, Aden, Annie and Ruby all have some depth and backstory to them, and I like that.

Notably Miles has intergrated brilliantly in the short time since he came to the show.

What I don't like at the moment is Jack and Martha. These two are way past their sell-by date and I'm finding them annoying. That's not a reflection on the actors but I think that the story has gone on far too long, to be perfectly honest I think this Cancer storyline has been a massive missed opportunity to have Martha killed off.

I'm up to the third episode back from the break with my viewing and I have to say that I loved the Olympic Cliffhanger episode itself, it was ruined by finishing on Martha however. Geoff and Nicole sinking to the ocean floor would have been a fine place to leave it.

The returning two episodes were slightly OTT and I just know - I don't for sure, but I just know - that Nicole sh*gged Geoff on the beach (lucky the Campbell...) and now has Geoff's bun cooking in her oven. I'm glad they're together and I hope he brings her down a peg or two, and I won't be complaining at seeing Tessa James get more screentime (!) however it would be really cliched if this happened!

I'm also glad that KK got split. It had to happen if Christie was going to stick around and I honestly believe having her back has been one of the huge plusses for me of 2008. What would be nice is to see one of the other Sutherlands come back for some reason - failing that having Laura put in another appearance would be good!

But I have to say on the whole the show's been the best I've seen it for the last three years.

[Posy]

James, maybe you need some spoiler tags in your post. The episodes airing in the UK at the moment haven't reached the story lines you mention.

[-Kevin-]

2008 has so far been a fantastic year atfer two rather iffy seasons.

I think the show is in great shape at the moment, notably so with the teen characters - the likes of Nicole, Geoff, Aden, Annie and Ruby all have some depth and backstory to them, and I like that.

Notably Miles has intergrated brilliantly in the short time since he came to the show.

What I don't like at the moment is Jack and Martha. These two are way past their sell-by date and I'm finding them annoying. That's not a reflection on the actors but I think that the story has gone on far too long, to be perfectly honest I think this Cancer storyline has been a massive missed opportunity to have Martha killed off.

I'm up to the third episode back from the break with my viewing and I have to say that I loved the Olympic Cliffhanger episode itself, it was ruined by finishing on Martha however. Geoff and Nicole sinking to the ocean floor would have been a fine place to leave it.

The returning two episodes were slightly OTT and I just know - I don't for sure, but I just know - that Nicole sh*gged Geoff on the beach (lucky the Campbell...) and now has Geoff's bun cooking in her oven. I'm glad they're together and I hope he brings her down a peg or two, and I won't be complaining at seeing Tessa James get more screentime (!) however it would be really cliched if this happened!

I'm also glad that KK got split. It had to happen if Christie was going to stick around and I honestly believe having her back has been one of the huge plusses for me of 2008. What would be nice is to see one of the other Sutherlands come back for some reason - failing that having Laura put in another appearance would be good!

But I have to say on the whole the show's been the best I've seen it for the last three years.

I do agree that 2008 has benn a fantastic year but only to a point though.It was great to see the cast from before the influx of new characters at the start of 2008 with their own amazing storylines .Especially Cassies HIV storyline which totally blew me away.Sharni is a wonderful actress and was really given the chance to shine.Another amazing storyline was the saga surrounding Sam,Johnny and Jack.It really took such an unexpected route after the 2007 finale with them getting married and Martha shattered.It was expected that Jack would get back with Martha easily but that wasnt the case not by a long shot.Bevan really delved into the depths of Sams character and provided us with some amazing television.Sally really had some incredible storylines at the beginning of the season right up to her departure which she truly deserved as one of the longest serving characters.After Sams suicide a whole herd of new cast members came flooding in which was very hard for us the viewers to get to know and love all at once.I believe this is the reason the show didnt feel the best around June and July.The storys werent bad I think we just didnt really care what the new characters were going through because we didnt know them if you know what I mean and found it difficult to warm to them after a lot of loved caharacters left.I dont believe Kirsty has been a good addition to the show because her character is very boring and one dimensional.I think she has ruined the character of Miles personally with their boring and unrealistic relationship.Also I really believe Martha and Jack are gone way past their sell by date ,I have come to the point that I actually do not care anymore .When they come on screen my brain just doesnt acknowledge them.I think Irene has been treated unfairly to be honest she is very unused ,I would like to see her have a storyline like going back to her old ways and hit the bottle or be diagnosed with cancer (

Martha doesnt deserve such a hard hitting storyline

).I have seen Irene in action and she is one incredible actress.She had a couple of emotional scenes when Dan was killed that were very touching.I am really looking forward to

Morag and Ross playing out their storyline and dealing with his illness

which should be very interesting and Morag has already given us some great performances.I am beginning to warm to the new set of teens and they are so different to the Cassie,Mattie,Ric and Belle group.I think Ruby has a lot more to show us but Jai is absolutely awful.I really like Charlie and I know she doesnt have many fans and some may say she cant act but I think she is a great addition to the show as is Angelo.He is dark and mysterious ,whatever he is up to we will have to find out.