How H&A handles rape compared to other shows

[Alison C]

I agree with this. We've just seen Bianca spot her attacker and go to the police. Then see him for definate. Her "best friend" is a cop an nowhere to be seen!

[Snapp]

They seriously need to reconsider the 2/3 episdoe rule. I understand there are only a certain amount of episodes a year a character can appear in but give them time off at the end of a big store like any other soap.

I quite like the 2/3 episode rule and up until recently I think H&A have used it quite effectively.

The alternative is too much to bear, could you imagine 5 episodes a week, every week of Gina & Xavier. I'm losing the will to live just thinking about it.

[Ryan]

They seriously need to reconsider the 2/3 episdoe rule. I understand there are only a certain amount of episodes a year a character can appear in but give them time off at the end of a big store like any other soap.

I quite like the 2/3 episode rule and up until recently I think H&A have used it quite effectively.

The alternative is too much to bear, could you imagine 5 episodes a week, every week of Gina & Xavier. I'm losing the will to live just thinking about it.

But no character would be given 5 episodes every week. Some characters may never get a story big enough to warrant it. I was reading on Digital Spy that the character who was raped in Corrie had appeared in every episode in September. Some time down the track, she'll either go for a break or merge in every week or so with a few random scenes. This is what we're talking about. Something big happens in someone's life. They get raped, they give birth, their wife dies, they're held hostage. It's their storyline, write like you're trying to say something, not working it in best you can around whether or not that character can appear in that episode.

[Alyckzandrah]

The rape storyline in corrie has been one of the most interesting storylines on the show in ages. I think that's mainly to do with how much screen time the characters involved have been given before, during and now after. Reports have even suggested that there has been an 800% increase in calls to rape crisis hotlines in the UK as a direct result of how the storyline has been handled. Bianca's rape in Home and Away had a lot of potential as I think Lisa Gormley is quite a good actress, however I think she was let down by the aftermath of the storyline.

[Snapp]

But no character would be given 5 episodes every week. Some characters may never get a story big enough to warrant it. I was reading on Digital Spy that the character who was raped in Corrie had appeared in every episode in September. Some time down the track, she'll either go for a break or merge in every week or so with a few random scenes. This is what we're talking about. Something big happens in someone's life. They get raped, they give birth, their wife dies, they're held hostage. It's their storyline, write like you're trying to say something, not working it in best you can around whether or not that character can appear in that episode.

That is what I meant, one character with their one big storyline dominating every episode for weeks. I like that H&A can take a break from a character & their big storyline for 2 or 3 episodes and then pick it up again. It prevents plots & characters from becoming tedious and it flows really well when H&A does it right.

However right now I just what a break from every storyline as they are all crap.

[alexx]

That is what I meant, one character with their one big storyline dominating every episode for weeks... It prevents plots & characters from becoming tedious and it flows really well when H&A does it right.

It feels like that's exactly what they are doing with Charlie and The River Boys.

[vixstar131]

wow. I love the points you mentioned here. Very true.

At the start the handling of Bianca being rape storyline was portrayed by Lisa very well. But yes like many have said they storyline just dropped off completely in last than a week. Which is very poor. But you rightly said England handles more controversial storylines in all it's soaps. Whereas in Australia they still aint so developed on these issues in soap, so I guess they do tread more carefully.

I love Home and Away more than any other soap, but I do feel it fails in tackling major storylines that can be seen as controversial - things like Rape, Race story's, Homosexuality, Cancer, Drugs and countless other things.

I think a part of that probably comes down to what is seen as being acceptable to broadcast on TV. I do feel in the UK we are more relaxed about such things, where as it appears that in Aus that is not the case. For example, off the top of my head in Corrie we have Sophie and Sain as a lesbian couple, Sean and Marcus as a gay couple, Hayley who is a transsexual and a cross dresser called Mark. All are main characters who live on the street and are part of the soap community, and not just support characters, or ones brought in for the purpose of a "shock" (note Im not saying anyone who is in a same sex relationship, is tansgender or whatever is shocking per say) story line. On the flip, we had a very poor handling of Charlie on H&A thinking she could be gay, and a storyline that ran for about 3 weeks, and hasn't really been dealt with since. There hasn't been, to my knowledge of watching H&A for nearly 20 years, any other gay characters, and certainly no main characters like that.

When thinking back to the major controversial storylines that H&A have done over the years, only one sticks in my mind as being a bold one - and that was Edward's battle with Huntington's. I remember this story as even though I was only very young at the time it actually got me thinking, and wanting to know more about Huntington's. It was brilliantly handled in the short time it aired (again another problem in the fact that they could have developed the storyline for a longer time) and it made me sit up and pay attention to things outside of the normal soap story's. That to me is when soaps are at their best, when they get people to feel for the characters, and to think about things.

Rape is one of those story's that shouldn't be done lightly, and should be handled with care. I do think H&A have handled it sensitively, but at the same time a lot of opportunity has been lost in this story too. I appreciate censorship may be greater, but by trying to avoid using the word rape it actually takes away from the story line. If you are going to tackle a story, then make sure its blunt and to the point and not sugar coated.

I think another issue is how things like drugs and alcohol are handled in the show - and that it is often used as a way to portray negative stereotypes. The amount of time characters end up in rehab compared to other soaps is very high, and again it seems to be a case of 3 or 4 weeks and then everything is forgotten about. Go back to Corrie, and Peter Barlow has been fighting his drinking for a good few years now. Its a huge part of his character, but it doesn't mean that it is all he is about. Irene in many ways is the same, and a good example of a character who can have a vice, a dark past etc, and still have a part in the show. Now I know a program going out on TV like this can't portray drug use as being a good thing, but it is never used in a way where no harm happens to those taking part. You never see someone on H&A take anything they shouldn't without there being consequences. As controversial as this may sound, loads of people do drugs without developing a habit or ruining their or others life's. A point in case would be how many characters are seen smoking in H&A? Only the shady and "untrustworthy" are seen when this rarely happens. Its another negative connotation which isn't actually correct in all walks of life.

My main annoyance with H&A is the quick turn around of story's, often being finished in a matter of weeks, and without really exploring the more taboo elements of what could happen. Take the current storyline that is airing in Aus at the moment where

Leah loses the baby. This would be a perfect chance for Miles to relapse and see Rabbit again, as he has seen loss again

, and this is a main, or should be, part of this characters mind and wellbeing, but it probably won't ever be mentioned again. Another great chance to develop someone, and to tackle a hard subject, but it will probably not be handled at all.

[aussiesoapfan]

It would have been nice to see more emotional scenes from Lisa Gormley. I remember Dani's rape was handled quite well. But the best example I think is Carly's rape in 1988. There were some very powerful scenes involved and nothing to do with gangs! Then I don't think the word rape was used because it was a controversial storyline at the time. But it was good how it was handled. Home and away should go back to the innocence of the early years for certain storylines.