Classic Episodes on 5★

[James Martin]

These old repeats are really showing up the current episode. Its almost embarrassing.

James likes this.

[Red Ranger 1]

Watched the Michael's funeral episode online.I think I remembered the first half almost word for word which shows the impact it had on me at the time.Alf's speech was another bit where I found myself welling up.I had no idea the "crossed arms" gag was in that episode.It's a shame about the Chloe-and-Curtis-being-held-hostage parts, even at the time they felt massively out of place and didn't fit the tone of the rest of the episode.(Especially since the pat resolution in the next episode made the whole thing pointless:If they felt we needed to meet Chloe's ne'er-do-well mother, couldn't they have come up with something better?)By the way, on the subject of one year characters, Alex must have been added on and taken off the opening titles somewhere between that episode and Don and Maz's wedding.Another one who must have taken an age to be added on, he was there for quite a while before Shane died.

Only seen the first of today's episodes, got the second one on video, watch that and the online one tomorrow.Ah, 1997, in retrospect the year where the surprisingly long lasting classic mid-'90s teen group breaks up(by the end of the year only Chloe's left aside from Sal), leaving behind a bunch of short stay characters that very few people remember(the, um, late-mid-'90s teen group?).Still, the Nashes and Smiths come in in 1998 so I don't think it's the show's death just yet.And Joey was actually pretty good in that episode:When he came in and gave that inappropriate "It's important we don't panic" like Lance Corporal Jones, I felt they were setting him up to be the clueless male but instead he was the laidback, sensible one who got all the best moments.I forgot what a quirky character he could be.Nice to see Fin again, I agree it's a shock how much she(and Haydn in the online episode)had aged in such a relatively short period.Shame that was her last stint and the loose plot threads got tied up off screen.I was always slightly disappointed by the outcome of the Selina/Chloe/Jesse triangle:Chloe obviously loved him but Jesse dated her for five minutes before going back to Selina who promptly went back to Steven.(And let's not even think about 2005.)For anyone who doesn't remember, Irene stopped bleaching her hair when she became pregnant because Kelly told her it wasn't a good idea.I never really warmed to Isobel, unlike Donald, so I found Rebecca and especially Marilyn quite irritating here.Rebecca's attitude was justified in that she wanted to get to know her grandmother but I was annoyed that Marilyn first invited her without thinking and then, even after Don explained the situation, basically forced him into letting her stay with them.Rebecca's infamous acting like she's Isobel's only surviving grandchild...they skirt around it a bit but she strongly implies and possibly even outright states that's the case.They all seem to act like Don is Isobel's only child as well.And when Rebecca says Alan died "about seven years ago", it's nearer eight and a half.

[Ryan]

IIRC RR, there's a one week credits that famously had the glum looking Pippa (in fact I think they are on the Michael episode). The following week we move into the late 90's style and Alex added on these after about 110 episodes wait. I wonder if he actually arrived before Travis,Kelly and Steven were added? Anyway, he stays to 1995 and my guess is that he's removed either then or Episode 2000, when I believe Joey, Casey etc are all added.

[Skylover]

I never really warmed to Isobel

Pretty hard to considering she looked the same age as Donald! Talk about suspension of belief Perhaps the longevity of the mid 90s teen group is what made them so popular and memorable? The teen groups before that had disbanded pretty quickly and the characters who did stick around at that time were never really part of a group (thinking Carly, Bobby etc.)

[James Martin]

Michael is still credited on the funeral episode. Sad Pippa must have followed the following week - like you say, it was very shortly before the credit switchover.

EDIT: I completely forgot that Belinda Emmett, who played Rebecca Fisher (that everyone remembers) died about 5-6 years back. How sad.

[Red Ranger 1]

IIRC RR, there's a one week credits that famously had the glum looking Pippa (in fact I think they are on the Michael episode). The following week we move into the late 90's style and Alex added on these after about 110 episodes wait. I wonder if he actually arrived before Travis,Kelly and Steven were added? Anyway, he stays to 1995 and my guess is that he's removed either then or Episode 2000, when I believe Joey, Casey etc are all added.

Curiously, Casey wasn't on the credits for 2036(Don and Maz's wedding), even though the rest of that group had been added and I'm pretty sure she was around by then, so she must have been added later. I've a feeling the funeral episode was actually the same week Michael died, only two episodes after that cliffhanger of him being washed away, so that might explain why he's still on the credits.

[beau_t]

I forgot how cool Joey was. The irony I suppose is that he was supposed to be the "uncool" one, the oddball who never really fitted into the real world or the cool group. But looking back through more mature eyes, he was actually way cooler than any of the other teens of his era, because he was unique.

I remember Casey's first opening credits shot of her walking down the beach past the camera, which was clearly taken from one of the shots intended for the closing credits. It was quickly replaced with a different opening credits shot of her opening a window.

I always liked Isobel. Despite the age thing (if we can enjoy Fridge-Bobby we can suspend disbelief for this) I thought they had an interesting relationship and a good storyline. And I can totally believe Donald coming from that kind of background. Like Saffron in Absolutely Fabulous, born into a world of bohemian extravagnce, her rebellion was to became totally straight laced and sensible. And his mother being "of the theatre" ties in with Donald's love of the arts. I love that she lives her life as if she is the leading lady and everything she says is so theatrical. Having his mother arrive and reveal that she ran a fish and chip shop up the coast just wouldn't have worked for Donald. I love this whole part of his character that we knew nothing about, which Isobel opens up for us.

We never saw or heard anything to suggest that Rebecca was even remotely close to her cousins Lucinda or David so there's no reason she would necessarily mention them in that particular conversation. Alan comes up in conversation which leads her to mention that her siblings Bobby and Alan had died (both true) and Isobel states "So Donald has lost two children?" (also true). Nobody says "Yes that's right, and apart from them I'm your only grandchild". The scene ends there, so if you like, you can imagine Rebecca continues to fill Isobel in on the rest of the family as they continue to walk home.

Interestingly, Lorrae Desmond (Isobel) is given the rather rare accolade of "Special Guest" on the closing titles. Was this ever done for anyone else?

The One Where Marilyn's Pregnant - anyone else spot the very short lived opening credits shots? Sam carring the surfboard (with the cardboard cutout cacti!!!!) is not used for long, instead it is replaced with a very similar one where he is wearing a wetsuit instead of a t-shirt and he has wet hair instead of dry. Chloe strecthing out ontop of that surfboard is also quickly replaced with an almost identical but less slutty(!) shot where she puts her hands in her pockets.

[Blaxland 89]

Watched the Michael's funeral episode online.I think I remembered the first half almost word for word which shows the impact it had on me at the time.Alf's speech was another bit where I found myself welling up.I had no idea the "crossed arms" gag was in that episode.It's a shame about the Chloe-and-Curtis-being-held-hostage parts, even at the time they felt massively out of place and didn't fit the tone of the rest of the episode.(Especially since the pat resolution in the next episode made the whole thing pointless:If they felt we needed to meet Chloe's ne'er-do-well mother, couldn't they have come up with something better?)By the way, on the subject of one year characters, Alex must have been added on and taken off the opening titles somewhere between that episode and Don and Maz's wedding.Another one who must have taken an age to be added on, he was there for quite a while before Shane died.

Only seen the first of today's episodes, got the second one on video, watch that and the online one tomorrow.Ah, 1997, in retrospect the year where the surprisingly long lasting classic mid-'90s teen group breaks up(by the end of the year only Chloe's left aside from Sal), leaving behind a bunch of short stay characters that very few people remember(the, um, late-mid-'90s teen group?).Still, the Nashes and Smiths come in in 1998 so I don't think it's the show's death just yet.And Joey was actually pretty good in that episode:When he came in and gave that inappropriate "It's important we don't panic" like Lance Corporal Jones, I felt they were setting him up to be the clueless male but instead he was the laidback, sensible one who got all the best moments.I forgot what a quirky character he could be.Nice to see Fin again, I agree it's a shock how much she(and Haydn in the online episode)had aged in such a relatively short period.Shame that was her last stint and the loose plot threads got tied up off screen.I was always slightly disappointed by the outcome of the Selina/Chloe/Jesse triangle:Chloe obviously loved him but Jesse dated her for five minutes before going back to Selina who promptly went back to Steven.(And let's not even think about 2005.)For anyone who doesn't remember, Irene stopped bleaching her hair when she became pregnant because Kelly told her it wasn't a good idea.I never really warmed to Isobel, unlike Donald, so I found Rebecca and especially Marilyn quite irritating here.Rebecca's attitude was justified in that she wanted to get to know her grandmother but I was annoyed that Marilyn first invited her without thinking and then, even after Don explained the situation, basically forced him into letting her stay with them.Rebecca's infamous acting like she's Isobel's only surviving grandchild...they skirt around it a bit but she strongly implies and possibly even outright states that's the case.They all seem to act like Don is Isobel's only child as well.And when Rebecca says Alan died "about seven years ago", it's nearer eight and a half.

I guess it took even longer for Chloe to be out in the credits.. I remember Vinnie taking a while too.

[Dan F]

Michael is still credited on the funeral episode. Sad Pippa must have followed the following week - like you say, it was very shortly before the credit switchover.

EDIT: I completely forgot that Belinda Emmett, who played Rebecca Fisher (that everyone remembers) died about 5-6 years back. How sad.

Yeah the Sad Pip credits lasted from 1916-1920. I was going to direct to the site before remembering that I hadn't started uploading the '96 credits I capped a while back yet Though a lot of those VHS caps will now be replaced anyway, as I've already done with previous years.

I always liked Isobel. Despite the age thing (if we can enjoy Fridge-Bobby we can suspend disbelief for this) I thought they had an interesting relationship and a good storyline. And I can totally believe Donald coming from that kind of background. Like Saffron in Absolutely Fabulous, born into a world of bohemian extravagnce, her rebellion was to became totally straight laced and sensible. And his mother being "of the theatre" ties in with Donald's love of the arts. I love that she lives her life as if she is the leading lady and everything she says is so theatrical. Having his mother arrive and reveal that she ran a fish and chip shop up the coast just wouldn't have worked for Donald. I love this whole part of his character that we knew nothing about, which Isobel opens up for us.

I really enjoyed Isobel's tenure aswell, especially her short relationship with Bert - first meeting they're ripping into each other after bumping their cars into each other, the very next scene together they're out to dinner. It's a shame in a way that it was so short and they killed Isobel, off as it would have been quite fun for Bert and Isobel to shack up together and drop in every now and then. I don't see Isobel as being the marrying type, but the idea of Don and Pippa becoming step-siblings would have been hilarious if they'd run off and eloped

The One Where Marilyn's Pregnant - anyone else spot the very short lived opening credits shots? Sam carring the surfboard (with the cardboard cutout cacti!!!!) is not used for long, instead it is replaced with a very similar one where he is wearing a wetsuit instead of a t-shirt and he has wet hair instead of dry. Chloe strecthing out ontop of that surfboard is also quickly replaced with an almost identical but less slutty(!) shot where she puts her hands in her pockets.

Yes they certainly do stand out as a short-lived set, I'd completely forgotten about the alternate Sam and Chloe shots. The ordering and timing in general all seems completely different (and a bit off) too.

[beau_t]

Yes they certainly do stand out as a short-lived set, I'd completely forgotten about the alternate Sam and Chloe shots. The ordering and timing in general all seems completely different (and a bit off) too.

Yeah I always remember Casey and Aaron being towards the end of the credits, not half way through.

I don't remember the sad Pippa credits