Is everyone enjoying Home & Away at the moment?

[c120701]

13 minutes ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

Okay, well, to go against the flow...yeah, I'm enjoying it. It's a shame that we've plunged back into "gangs" territory after the opening months of the year were pleasingly free of that sort of thing, but it's just a storyline and hopefully at some point it'll end and we'll have something else. The older characters are reasonably well-served: Leah and Justin remain a highlight, Irene's continued her reinvention as a kind of mentorish older female character rather than someone all the teenagers had to live with regardless of logic, John is definitely fitting well into a similar mentor role while retaining his comedic edge. Roo is...okay. Marilyn was never the strongest and is only really considered top tier because of longevity. Alf has gone off the boil a bit. Somewhere between 2000 and 2005, he morphed into this kindly grandfather figure, but recently he more and more resembles the short-tempered small-minded ultra-conservative he was in the 80s and 90s. It's not necessarily a bad decision, just a bit jarring.

Of the post-2015 characters, there's very few black marks for me: I've never really warmed to Chloe, I find Nikau intensely annoying a lot of the time, and I've never quite warmed to Ziggy and Dean either individually or especially as a couple, although I do like Dean and Mackenzie's sibling relationship. Tane has developed well from the black sheep of the family to a reluctant patriarch. Theo has matured well from his initially annoying characterisation into the shot in the arm Leah and Justin needed to stop them being isolated. Felicity I adore. (What was it Jasmine called her? A fun, slightly drunk hurricane?) Cash is bland but inoffensive. Xander and Rose have potential.

As for the band...I like the characters but I'm not sure where the show's going with this. We're surely not going to have regular musical interludes with them? I strongly suspect they'll be another Liam Murphy and end up getting jobs at the Diner or Salt!

I’m largely with Red on the above and spot on with Alf. Dean too, I think his sibling relationships - biological or not - have always been his strongest.

I feel Marilyn worked better with John or even in her short spell back at the Beach House, I’d also quite like to see John & Cash living together rather than Irene & Cash now that Jasmine’s gone.

I think the main thing for me is Summer Bay House needs a bit more life, especially now they have the exterior again, why is it stuck with Alf, Roo & Marilyn who through a mix of flexible contracts and lockdown absences seem to be constantly in a cycle of exit storylines.

The gang stories can disappear again and Lyrik, the band idea I’m not totally against, I just don’t think that more characters in that age group were needed.

[Homeandawayfan.]

When H&A begun in Jan 1988 it did make Neighbours look quite claustrophobic in comparison, as Neighbours was stuck in a cul de sac that could be anywhere in Australia whereas H&A was set at a sunny, bright and exotic beach with characters who had more oomph like Lance, Martin, Carly, Bobby, Roo etc.

I know the show cannot fully return to the fuzzy days of back then but TBF 1988 had drama such as the Summer Bay Nutter, and a caravan fire, and that is just for starters, but it was mixed in with more comedy and everyday scenes, and Tom and Pippa's bed scenes.

[c120701]

8 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

When H&A begun in Jan 1988 it did make Neighbours look quite claustrophobic in comparison, as Neighbours was stuck in a cul de sac that could be anywhere in Australia whereas H&A was set at a sunny, bright and exotic beach with characters who had more oomph like Lance, Martin, Carly, Bobby, Roo etc.

I know the show cannot fully return to the fuzzy days of back then but TBF 1988 had drama such as the Summer Bay Nutter, and a caravan fire, and that is just for starters, but it was mixed in with more comedy and everyday scenes, and Tom and Pippa's bed scenes.

I’d love to see some teens and have the school back. I’d even settle to just see Roo with a pile of marking instead of being sat doing nothing. The school was always at it’s best with a Principal, Teacher (or two) and Receptionist combo.

Xander being a paramedic is a refreshing change from someone who works at the Surf Club, the Diner, the Hospital itself or a Cop.

[CaptainHulk]

21 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

When H&A begun in Jan 1988 it did make Neighbours look quite claustrophobic in comparison, as Neighbours was stuck in a cul de sac that could be anywhere in Australia whereas H&A was set at a sunny, bright and exotic beach with characters who had more oomph like Lance, Martin, Carly, Bobby, Roo etc.

I know the show cannot fully return to the fuzzy days of back then but TBF 1988 had drama such as the Summer Bay Nutter, and a caravan fire, and that is just for starters, but it was mixed in with more comedy and everyday scenes, and Tom and Pippa's bed scenes.

Neighbours went through a transitional period in 1988: Losing 3 of its strongest females; Daphne, Charlene and Mrs Mangel also acquiring a new exec producer in Don Battye who did a pretty damn good job for the most part (though I question him not vetoing Bouncer's dream)  and introducing 6 New regulars; Todd and Katie, Sharon and Bronwyn, Nick Page and Joe Mangel.

H&A was the shiny new toy and did the edgy stuff Neighbours did before (the topics of sex and crime) but there was a healthy mix of comedy and it's breezy beach town setting was a treat for the eyes.

If H&A went back to a healthy 1995 balance, I could live with it but that ain't happening.

 

[Jamie!]

On 25/08/2022 at 14:28, Homeandawayfan. said:

When H&A begun in Jan 1988 it did make Neighbours look quite claustrophobic in comparison, as Neighbours was stuck in a cul de sac that could be anywhere in Australia whereas H&A was set at a sunny, bright and exotic beach with characters who had more oomph like Lance, Martin, Carly, Bobby, Roo etc.

I know the show cannot fully return to the fuzzy days of back then but TBF 1988 had drama such as the Summer Bay Nutter, and a caravan fire, and that is just for starters, but it was mixed in with more comedy and everyday scenes, and Tom and Pippa's bed scenes.

Yes, contrary to some opinion, whilst 1988 did indeed have a very warm, fuzzy feel, there were some very dramatic "soapy" moments. As well as the "Summer Bay Nutter", there was Carly's rape, the revelation that Ailsa had killed her own father and the subsequent fallout and rivalry between her and Roo, the domestic abuse storyline with Sandra Barlow and her father, the love triangle with Frank, Bobby and Roo.

On 26/08/2022 at 12:19, CaptainHulk said:

Neighbours went through a transitional period in 1988: Losing 3 of its strongest females; Daphne, Charlene and Mrs Mangel also acquiring a new exec producer in Don Battye who did a pretty damn good job for the most part (though I question him not vetoing Bouncer's dream)  and introducing 6 New regulars; Todd and Katie, Sharon and Bronwyn, Nick Page and Joe Mangel.

H&A was the shiny new toy and did the edgy stuff Neighbours did before (the topics of sex and crime) but there was a healthy mix of comedy and it's breezy beach town setting was a treat for the eyes.

If H&A went back to a healthy 1995 balance, I could live with it but that ain't happening.

 

I'd love it if this happened. Before I first got connected to the Internet and looked up Home and Away websites, the storylines that I could remember the most were from the mid 90's. The show had become a bit more dramatic, but it still retained the warm, close-knit community feel that the show always had. It was Home and Away at its best.

[Homeandawayfan.]

And in 1988 Alf was nasty to Ailsa and he said she may stab him through the shoulder blades the way she did her dad, so she left him for a while until he begged her to return home from Singapore. Also Don Fisher in the first few months came across as a borderline psychopathic bully.

[CaptainHulk]

6 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

And in 1988 Alf was nasty to Ailsa and he said she may stab him through the shoulder blades the way she did her dad, so she left him for a while until he begged her to return home from Singapore. Also Don Fisher in the first few months came across as a borderline psychopathic bully.

True but certain people wouldn't stand for Don's crap (Tom, Ailsa) and would call him on it.

What Alf said was in the heat of the moment but Ultimate out of line.

[JUMcQ]

Home and Away is teetering on the edge. My husband and I are almost done - and I don’t think they can afford to lose viewers from our age bracket (40-45) as none of the kids I teach at school have ever heard of this show!

Current storylines do not always make logical sense; they must have new writers who are attempting to change character’s personalities in one week of episodes. 
 

Lyrik - the worst thing I have seen in the show in over a decade. Inane grinning and poor dialogue

Theo’s apprenticeship - Nonsense. As IF anyone would ever call a college and say they wrote their nephew’s essay. 
 

Chloe’s new voice - why is she half whispering all the time? Totally different character to the one who joined the show. She might be traumatised by killing her dad and all, but all she did was stalk Bella for a few weeks and that seems to be her therapy. 
 

Awful Xander - might be a good addition were it not for his absolutely nonsensical character. Who inserts themselves into that many things which are none of their business???

The fate of Neighbours should be a cautionary tale to these writers. I now zoom through crappy scenes and end up watching for about 7mins. 

[Homeandawayfan.]

H&A just needs a new broom to sweep clean. It should never have been allowed to become inferior to Neighbours as H&A was always the better, more fun and charismatic soap anyway. Never dull whereas Neighbours was often very dull. H&A is never dull now but for the first 2 decades or so it had a good balance.

[CaptainHulk]

I'm in the 7840s and Lyrik have *already* worn out their welcome. On yer bike! Every man jack of you Think Tane's running out of gas, too.  Every week somebody his brothers ripped off seem to be turning up to "even scores".

Neighbours died due to a Stalemate between channel and production company.  The show always rated a little higher when they did the mundane, based on 2010s research. I hope some eccentric billionaire funds a new channel, pulls out of the ashes revives it but I've got more chance of Jessica Ennis-Hill turning up the middle of the night, saying she's left her hubby! 

Now if you want a REAL Soap Cautionary tale: Brookside. By the 15th time something blew up/burned down in its last 8yrs, nobody gave a crap anymore! 

But WHO would/could steer H&A in a new direction?  Ric Pelizzeri (Wrote pilot), Jason Herbsion (The final El Capitan of Neighbours, wrote for H&A in the 90s, notably Maz's 1st return) Brian "The Axeman" Park who worked his magic on Corrie and Family Affairs? lol

As long it's not these muppets in charge right now. Do they even know WHAT they want the show to be aside from a Crime Drama with some Singing in it?