Is there a lack of history in Summer Bay?

[Skylover]

To quote what I said in the "Viewing Figures" thread, I don't think Home and Away has enough history to it, it often feels like an entirely new show because there are so few long-term characters in it, and the ones that have been around for a while tend not to do much, i.e. Colleen just hangs around the Diner making gossipy comments every now and then, while Alf just gives advice to everyone and doesn't really do much himself.

I really feel as if they've run out of ideas of what to do with Leah, she hangs around the Diner just like Colleen, and is never really involved in any decent stories, in fact she only ever seems to be there to interfere with Miles and Kirsty when she thinks Kirsty's doing something wrong, or she's just eavesdropping on people's conversations and it's awful because she's a shadow of her former self.

In my opinion when a show like Home and Away has so few long-term characters, they should be utilised properly because it seems like the show is overrun with permanent characters that last for only a few years, but are heavily involved in storylines for that time, or there are loads of guest characters that hang around for 6 months or so and are really heavily involved in storylines, but leave and then we're just left with the long-term characters who no longer really serve a purpose on the show anymore.

Neighbours wins in the department of using its history to facilitate new storylines, it has Paul, Lou, Karl, Susan, Libby, Toadie, Steph and Lyn who have all been on the show for over ten years, while in comparison Home and Away only has Alf, Irene, Colleen and occasionally Morag. It's a shame because Home and Away is a great show, but I just think it needs to use its history more effectively.

Maybe this will be rectified when Marilyn returns, as she was practically an original cast member bar the first year on air.

[j.laur5]

To quote what I said in the "Viewing Figures" thread, I don't think Home and Away has enough history to it, it often feels like an entirely new show because there are so few long-term characters in it, and the ones that have been around for a while tend not to do much, i.e. Colleen just hangs around the Diner making gossipy comments every now and then, while Alf just gives advice to everyone and doesn't really do much himself.

I really feel as if they've run out of ideas of what to do with Leah, she hangs around the Diner just like Colleen, and is never really involved in any decent stories, in fact she only ever seems to be there to interfere with Miles and Kirsty when she thinks Kirsty's doing something wrong, or she's just eavesdropping on people's conversations and it's awful because she's a shadow of her former self.

In my opinion when a show like Home and Away has so few long-term characters, they should be utilised properly because it seems like the show is overrun with permanent characters that last for only a few years, but are heavily involved in storylines for that time, or there are loads of guest characters that hang around for 6 months or so and are really heavily involved in storylines, but leave and then we're just left with the long-term characters who no longer really serve a purpose on the show anymore.

Neighbours wins in the department of using its history to facilitate new storylines, it has Paul, Lou, Karl, Susan, Libby, Toadie, Steph and Lyn who have all been on the show for over ten years, while in comparison Home and Away only has Alf, Irene, Colleen and occasionally Morag. It's a shame because Home and Away is a great show, but I just think it needs to use its history more effectively.

Maybe this will be rectified when Marilyn returns, as she was practically an original cast member bar the first year on air.

Leah's getting a new storyline next year

and I think Leah has been good character this year because she's given people advice and was only one to stand up to Gardy.

Colleen's always been a busybody.

Alf is just like he was in the early years, giving people advice but he's more of family person now.

Irene is a mother figure on the show and took over the foster part of the show when Pippa left. I think Irene is better not having a storyline and just looking after her kids.

I am happy for long term characters not getting storylines and just being a big part of show.

By the looks of things I think Martha, Tony and Rachel and Gina will become mainstay characters too.

[Romeo Smith fan]

I would say there is quite a lot of history in home and away - Alf has been there all his life and Morag regularly returns. There is also Colleen, Irene and Leah who have been regular characters for at least 10 years now.

[Ryan]

I definitely think there's some truth in the OP, but I don't think it's quite that simple. If we take the 10 year cut off, Home and Away four will be the highest it's been since 2000, since Ailsa died. It went down to 2 for most of 2003, and also for 2008-09. However, they turn out to be periphary characters on many an occasion, especially Colleen. They're not centre, pillars of the community as they once were, in the way that even say Ailsa or Fisher were. They don't have clans to rule over. I know the kids will always come and go, with dreams of better things, or perhaps wanting to leave for something different, but I think what they require is a character who has a central role, in a family staying there. I mean, Tony and Rachel look like becoming the next long termers, possibly, but they're almost so adrift from the action they could be on Ramsey Street.

[-Kevin-]

I mean, Tony and Rachel look like becoming the next long termers, possibly, but they're almost so adrift from the action they could be on Ramsey Street.

Yeah I think I agree with this.

They could even be on another planet at times, and sometimes I forget their even on the show. They are like in a box of their own which is a bit weird.

I don't think Tony and Rachel are the best people to have in the role as the head of a main family though.

[DinerLandlord]

The show just focuses way too much on characters that are played by actors who are still on their initial contract. It's like they want to get as much drama and action out of them as possible before the actor has a chance to leave. I'd prefer if there was the type of history in Summer Bay that there is in Ramsay Street. There you have Paul, Lou, Karl, Susan, Libby, Lyn, Steph, Toadie, all of whom arrived over 10 years ago, in some cases 20 years. Even though I hate them as a couple, I'd like to see Tony and Rachel stick around for the foreseeable future. With

Marilyn

returning, we will have a greater sense of the show's history being brought into the present. It'd be great if they brought Selina back as well. She has strong links to both Irene and

Marilyn

.

[j.laur5]

I definitely think there's some truth in the OP, but I don't think it's quite that simple. If we take the 10 year cut off, Home and Away four will be the highest it's been since 2000, since Ailsa died. It went down to 2 for most of 2003, and also for 2008-09. However, they turn out to be periphary characters on many an occasion, especially Colleen. They're not centre, pillars of the community as they once were, in the way that even say Ailsa or Fisher were. They don't have clans to rule over. I know the kids will always come and go, with dreams of better things, or perhaps wanting to leave for something different, but I think what they require is a character who has a central role, in a family staying there. I mean, Tony and Rachel look like becoming the next long termers, possibly, but they're almost so adrift from the action they could be on Ramsey Street.

But don't forget Neighbours has been going longer than Home and Away, and Neighbours has always had more characters than Home and Away.

Home and Away has normally had about 5 or 6 long term characters like it was Alf, Ailsa, Donald, Sally, Sam and Pippa. Or Alf, Ailsa, Donald, Sally, Sam and Irene. And later Alf, Sally, Irene, Hayley, Colleen, and Leah.

Now we have as mainstays Alf, Irene, Colleen, Leah. It looks like Tony and Rachel might become mainstays and I see the possbililty of Gina and Miles becoming mainstays. I also have a feeling that some may disagree with, that Angelo and Charlie will become mainstays as well.

I remember reading an interview with the actress who plays Annie and she said she hopes to stay for while and let's not forget that Marilyn is returning this year and I have a very good feeling that she may stay for the long haul this time.

So there's 12 names that are already or who will possibly become mainstays.

Neighbours has about 9 mainstay characters in the form of Paul, Lou, Karl, Susan, Libby, Toadie, Steph, Lyn, and possbily Zeke.

Let's not forget that Paul left for over decade and Lyn and Libby left for few years and Lou now only returns every three months on and off.

So by the time Home and Away gets to 25 years, which I have no doubt it will, we will have just as many long term characters as Neighbours has now.

[MargaretB]

Don't forget that it is a teen soap so there will always be the youngsters with similar storylines because that is how life is.

The characters are there but perhaps they don't say often enough how things used to be. Alf is a good one and I used to like the big weddings or parties at Pippa's when the foster children would come back and we could have a catch up.