Does the show need an injection of life, if so, then what?

[CaptainHulk]

1 hour ago, adam436 said:

I read somewhere there was a plan somehwere that Brody Morgan was going to be gay, but that idea was squashed. 

We've had LGBT characters in the past, but they've never gone anywhere - characters like Ty and Alex in recent years - but even going back further to the likes of Mandy, Chris Fletcher, Joey. None of these characters were ever going to be promoted to regulars or return for an ongoing stint even when fan reaction suggested the demand was there. It's entirely possible that Zoe Ventura was simply unavailable or that Willow's exit was a low key one because she was axed, but Alex wasn't even brought back for Willow's exit - how powerful would it have been had they left Summer Bay together? Yet, it's happened for heterosexual couples like Bella returning for Nikau's exit. Christopher Fletcher was also never seen or mentioned again, despite Pippa returning multiple times and Sally sticking around for ages/taking in teenagers. Could Chris have moved to Summer Bay to live with Sally and Flynn? It wouldn't have reflected well on Pippa (fostering every kid in Australia, yet her own son doesn't live with her!), but with Pippa's sporadic appearances and a decent storyline as to why he had to change schools/areas, it could have worked. 

I also vaugely remember Matilda meeting a gay guy in her eating disorder therapy sessions too, but he didn't last long either and I can't really remember his story arc since I was only watching very sporadically at the time. 

Dean Silverman. It was 2006. Basically he was in denial about his feelings. He even has a guest characters profile on here.

[atrus]

On 15/02/2026 at 00:07, Revealed said:

Fear of ratings is key though. It's a question of how many LGBT viewers you're going to gain vs how many non-LGBT viewers you're going to lose. 

You say it's key, but it doesn't seem to be an issue that has concerned either Neighbours or a single one of the British soaps in the last 20 or so years, or deterred them from having numerous regular gay and trans characters, including Emmerdale which like H&A is set in a rural community. The sky didn't fall down when they were introduced, and these characters were accepted and welcomed by viewers like everyone else. So why is it such a singular problem for H&A - this imagined idea that viewers will be tuning out in their droves if a gay character comes on board? It seems to be a fear that, in modern times at least, is very peculiar to this show. I can buy Seven execs worrying about it 20 years ago, but surely we're in a different place now and yet still no significant movement.

17 hours ago, adam436 said:

I read somewhere there was a plan somehwere that Brody Morgan was going to be gay, but that idea was squashed. 

We've had LGBT characters in the past, but they've never gone anywhere - characters like Ty and Alex in recent years - but even going back further to the likes of Mandy, Chris Fletcher, Joey. None of these characters were ever going to be promoted to regulars or return for an ongoing stint even when fan reaction suggested the demand was there. It's entirely possible that Zoe Ventura was simply unavailable or that Willow's exit was a low key one because she was axed, but Alex wasn't even brought back for Willow's exit - how powerful would it have been had they left Summer Bay together? 

I think the fact that certain romantic Willow/Alex scenes that the UK, New Zealand and the rest of the world didn't seem to have a problem airing were conveniently cut from Australian broadcasts, probably tells you all you need to know about why Alex wasn't brought back - I can only assume that for whatever reason, Seven just doesn't want to commit to these characters or their stories in anything other than a fleeting, half-arsed way. Back in the times of Shannon/Mandy and even Chris Fletcher it could have argued that these stories were groundbreaking - but the show hasn't moved on at all since then. Every seven years or so it'll throw LGB fans a bone, write the character out straight away, and then consider that 'job done'. I can only imagine the fact we get any gay characters at all is either as a figleaf for them to point to in order to be able to deny it's an issue, or because the lower-downs in the writers' room keep pushing for representation and the bosses occasionally relent. 

Edited Monday at 13:32 by atrus

[Homeandawayfan.]

Emmerdale is set in a totally rural community, but I am not sure H&A is totally, it is set in a remote town but it is still a town, and seems to have expanded a lot in recent years, so it could be classed as "semi rural" I guess.

Summer Bay is probably almost like Erinsborough now. Erinsborough was a city suburb but seemed to be an outer suburb, and almost semi rural. But yes, if Emmerdale can do LGBT characters, surely H&A can, as Summer Bay is much more populous than Emmerdale.

[atrus]

Yes, Summer Bay seems to be a bigger settlement than Emmerdale. Emmerdale has a much bigger cast overall, but that cast also has numerous regular LGBT characters in it, or did last time I watched. 

I don't think it's too much to ask that H&A might find room for one, but then viewers have been pointing out this deficit for many years and it appears to be water off a duck's back to them.

Edited Monday at 14:37 by atrus

[Homeandawayfan.]

Summer Bay must have several thousand residents, maybe the LGBT ones just are not seen on screen. See, H&A always has the scope to introduce never before seen characters who were said to have lived in The Bay for all their lives. They did this with Rob Storey years ago, and Vinnie Patterson was related to Alison Patterson who was born and raised in the bay. Emmerdale and EastEnders have done this a few times. 

[Revealed]

9 hours ago, atrus said:

You say it's key, but it doesn't seem to be an issue that has concerned either Neighbours or a single one of the British soaps in the last 20 or so years, or deterred them from having numerous regular gay and trans characters, including Emmerdale which like H&A is set in a rural community. The sky didn't fall down when they were introduced, and these characters were accepted and welcomed by viewers like everyone else. So why is it such a singular problem for H&A - this imagined idea that viewers will be tuning out in their droves if a gay character comes on board? It seems to be a fear that, in modern times at least, is very peculiar to this show. I can buy Seven execs worrying about it 20 years ago, but surely we're in a different place now and yet still no significant movement.

I think the fact that certain romantic Willow/Alex scenes that the UK, New Zealand and the rest of the world didn't seem to have a problem airing were conveniently cut from Australian broadcasts, probably tells you all you need to know about why Alex wasn't brought back - I can only assume that for whatever reason, Seven just doesn't want to commit to these characters or their stories in anything other than a fleeting, half-arsed way. Back in the times of Shannon/Mandy and even Chris Fletcher it could have argued that these stories were groundbreaking - but the show hasn't moved on at all since then. Every seven years or so it'll throw LGB fans a bone, write the character out straight away, and then consider that 'job done'. I can only imagine the fact we get any gay characters at all is either as a figleaf for them to point to in order to be able to deny it's an issue, or because the lower-downs in the writers' room keep pushing for representation and the bosses occasionally relent. 

Admittedly I can think of a number of reasons to switch off such as the rubbish music that keeps appearing but I haven't. Looking back around 10 years ago they got it seriously wrong with some of the casting. Some only turned out to be bad decisions in the long run but this was a period when some of the casting decisions were terrible from the word go.

If all these other shows are casting LGBT characters then why does Home & Away need to? I stopped watching all the other soaps more than 20 years ago but I do recall LGBT characters on some of them in the 90s.

In fact in the early 90s there was a short lived British soap called Eldorado which had a gay character throughout its duration. 

The truth be told had I started watching Home & Away at various points over the last 20 years I may not have continued watching. There has been at least one bad apple spoiling the whole bunch most of the time. I'm not talking about dull characters like Tony Holden I'm talking about ones that completely ruin the show. I won't mention names but you know who they are.

They have somehow got to the point now where there are no bad apples which is very difficult in this day and age. Not to say none of the current cast will be bad apples in the future.

This is where Eldorado can hold its head up high. It's frozen in time, a much better time to be alive. Because it flopped the younger actors disappeared and for different reasons many of the older actors are now dead. A show like that would never work in this day and age, just walk around a Spanish resort full of Brits and you'll see why.

The point is Home & Away is doing a surprisingly good job given the current climate. 

[CaptainHulk]

7 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

Summer Bay must have several thousand residents, maybe the LGBT ones just are not seen on screen. See, H&A always has the scope to introduce never before seen characters who were said to have lived in The Bay for all their lives. They did this with Rob Storey years ago, and Vinnie Patterson was related to Alison Patterson who was born and raised in the bay. Emmerdale and EastEnders have done this a few times. 

Yep Edna Birch supposedly lived in Beckindals/Emmerdale for Donkey's Years as did the Dingles, Glovers and Feldmanns (the latter 3 just lived on out-of-the-way farms ala the O'Neales and Hunters on H&A)

[adam436]

11 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

See, H&A always has the scope to introduce never before seen characters who were said to have lived in The Bay for all their lives. They did this with Rob Storey years ago, and Vinnie Patterson was related to Alison Patterson who was born and raised in the bay.

Travis Nash is another example. A number of one-off and semi-regular guest characters were existing Summer Bay residents too. These days every new guest character is an "outsider".

[c120701]

17 hours ago, adam436 said:

Travis Nash is another example. A number of one-off and semi-regular guest characters were existing Summer Bay residents too. These days every new guest character is an "outsider".

I wish they would go back to doing this. There’s Bella Rose King, who I thought last we heard was in Yabbie Creek with Sam & Sandy (although I can’t find anything to support this over The City). They could bring her in working in the hospital or police station.