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

[Dan F]

1 hour ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

Tom definitely lived there but I'm struggling to remember when he actually moved in. He probably wasn't there at the end of 1999 but he'd moved out of home by the time Joel and Natalie broke up because I remember Joel going there to tell him about it. He was living there with Vinnie when Leah first showed up.

Moved there in February 2000, up until his departure in May. 

[adam436]

3 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

He was living there with Vinnie when Leah first showed up.

I remember a love triangle with Vinnie and Tom both vying for Leah, so I guess it makes sense he was living there then. 

[Revealed]

The way I remember it was Vinnie and Tom were the only ones living there and were looking for a housemate. Along came Leah and they both fancied her. Then Leah got with Vinnie but subsequently moved out so as not to be living in sin. Then along came an English bird who got together with Tom though I can't remember if she moved in or not. She turned out to be screwing over Tom in some way or another and shortly after this came to light Tom left the bay with his backpack.

[Homeandawayfan.]

2000 was an interesting year for the show, with the revamp and the Sutherland introduction, plus some returnees, and also mentions of long forgotten characters such as Betty Fulwell, the recurring 1988 and 1989 character. Celia mentioned her in April 2000 I think. Also Alison Patterson and Sam and Sandra Barlow were mentioned in 2000. Nice continuity and nods to past characters. 

[adam436]

10 hours ago, Revealed said:

The way I remember it was Vinnie and Tom were the only ones living there and were looking for a housemate. Along came Leah and they both fancied her. Then Leah got with Vinnie but subsequently moved out so as not to be living in sin. Then along came an English bird who got together with Tom though I can't remember if she moved in or not. She turned out to be screwing over Tom in some way or another and shortly after this came to light Tom left the bay with his backpack.

Tom's exit was terrible, especially as it occured around the same time as Natalie's even worse exit. At least both had the chance to return for a better ending. 

Yes, Leah quickly moved into the "girl's sharehouse" with Sally and Shauna. Joel and Gypsy then moved in with Vinnie after the Caravan Park was sold. 

 

8 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

2000 was an interesting year for the show, with the revamp and the Sutherland introduction, plus some returnees, and also mentions of long forgotten characters such as Betty Fulwell, the recurring 1988 and 1989 character. Celia mentioned her in April 2000 I think. Also Alison Patterson and Sam and Sandra Barlow were mentioned in 2000. Nice continuity and nods to past characters. 

It was an interesting year in that it had a massive cast turnover and so many new faces, the loss of the original Diner and Stewart house and the overhauled opening credits, yet it was still celebrating the past with Sally's wedding and Celia's and Lance's return. With all those changes I mentioned, could have just as easily gone the other was with the past igorned completely with the show propelled into a new era which we've seen in subseqent/post 2011 eras.

The nostalgia was clearly in response to the Early Years repeats Channel 7 were doing at the time, so if they weren't airing, maybe the new Sutherland/early 2000s era would have been a "leaving the past behind" moment for the show.

[Homeandawayfan.]

2000 was when H&A was certainly doing it's "One More Step Along the world I go" routine. A classic primary school assembly song. 

Also a special mention to Terence Donovan who appeared for a short time in H&A in 1990, who died yesterday aged 90. Best remembered as Doug Willis in Neighbours, and of course Jason's dad. I met Jason twice. 

[Revealed]

It felt like an overhaul when the Nash family arrived. Initially I didn't think they were staying because it took them so long to be added to the opening titles. Once that happened I don't think we'd had so many added in one go, Will and Vinnie were added too can't remember if any others were.

Aside from Gypsy they didn't last long, particularly when you consider there were 2 Natalie's who collectively lasted a little over 2 years. It can't have been that long after they were added to the opening titles when the first Natalie decided to quit. 

[adam436]

1 hour ago, Revealed said:

Aside from Gypsy they didn't last long, particularly when you consider there were 2 Natalie's who collectively lasted a little over 2 years. It can't have been that long after they were added to the opening titles when the first Natalie decided to quit. 

The producers clearly thought the Nashes had long-term potential at the time if they recast Natalie so early on. Angelica La Bozzetta's final episodes aired during the Robert Perez story, so she could have easily been written out/killed off as part of that saga. I guess H&A writers weren't bold enough to kill off a regular character in such a dark way at that point.

Incidently, the only other long-term "instant" recasts we've had were Pippa and Flynn, both of whom were also parents at Summer Bay House at some point, so I've no doubt Joel and Natalie were meant to be running the Caravan Park and fostering kids for years to come before the decision came to overhaul the show.

[Irishbraxton]

7 hours ago, adam436 said:

The producers clearly thought the Nashes had long-term potential at the time if they recast Natalie so early on. Angelica La Bozzetta's final episodes aired during the Robert Perez story, so she could have easily been written out/killed off as part of that saga. I guess H&A writers weren't bold enough to kill off a regular character in such a dark way at that point.

Incidently, the only other long-term "instant" recasts we've had were Pippa and Flynn, both of whom were also parents at Summer Bay House at some point, so I've no doubt Joel and Natalie were meant to be running the Caravan Park and fostering kids for years to come before the decision came to overhaul the show.

The Robert Perez Storyline was brilliant very gripping and edge of your seat viewing I’d love to rewatch it. 

[Homeandawayfan.]

I seem to remember for years we just had Travis as one of the Nashe's then they introduced his family in early 1998 to bolster the Nash family presence in the show.

Travis was said to have gone to SBH with Donna, so he likely knew Alison Patterson, Judith Staples, Bobby, Carly, Roo and some others, as Travis and Donna were about their age. 

Edited July 21 by Homeandawayfan.