The Macklin Corporation - Peak 1989 or a wasted opportunity?

[cymbaline]

In comparison to the more colourful Diner and Surf Club sets, the Macklin ones were very beige and soulless. 

[Red Ranger 1]

On 15/03/2025 at 00:50, adam436 said:

I guess it wasn't too much of an issue because most younger characters were generally either leaving whilst still at school, or pretty soon after. Chloe, Selina, Shannon, Sally, Carly, Shane and Angel, Bobby and later Will, Hayley, Dani, Gypsy stuck around for a long time with mixed outcomes. Bobby owned the diner (as opposed to just working there), Selina became a trainee nurse, Sally went to uni and eventually a teacher, who at least did something different. I honestly can't remember if the others did anything different to working at the diner.

Will was Alf's boat hand and Gypsy worked at the drop-in centre.

 

On 22/03/2025 at 16:25, Sb boy said:

Justine. Never went to uni I remember correctly. She. Got. A job as a childminder and had a long running storyline over whether she  had killed it and later. Got a. Job in the city as. An actresss in early 2000

I am struggling really hard to remember the details. My instinct is that Justine was still at school when she was working as a babysitter, and I seem to remember her studying drama at uni.

On 02/04/2025 at 18:03, cymbaline said:

Flawed and all as 1988 Brett was, I can't see him wanting to kill his own child. 

However much of a villain 2005 Brett was, I'm not sure he ever went that far!

[CaptainHulk]

2 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

Will was Alf's boat hand and Gypsy worked at the drop-in centre.

 

I am struggling really hard to remember the details. My instinct is that Justine was still at school when she was working as a babysitter, and I seem to remember her studying drama at uni.

However much of a villain 2005 Brett was, I'm not sure he ever went that far!

Justine was in YR12 with Tom and Vinnie during the Collins arc and she did the best of the three (Not surprisingly). Think she did get in the Uni and commuted to the city ala Shannon and Sal until she left the bay

 

Yeah but Brett tried to fling another Woman off a cliff!

[Homeandawayfan.]

As we know, Ron Haddrick did return in 1996 as a different character to Gordon, yet 9 years after, Gerry Sont returned as Brett Macklin and mentioned Gordon I think. Nice touch for Haddrick's first H&A role to be mentioned in the fictional narrative again. 

Ron Haddrick was the same age as Colin Taylor who played Mr Stanton in Jan 1988 and later Jack Cody in 1991. 

 

[CaptainHulk]

2 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

As we know, Ron Haddrick did return in 1996 as a different character to Gordon, yet 9 years after, Gerry Sont returned as Brett Macklin and mentioned Gordon I think. Nice touch for Haddrick's first H&A role to be mentioned in the fictional narrative again. 

Ron Haddrick was the same age as Colin Taylor who played Mr Stanton in Jan 1988 and later Jack Cody in 1991. 

 

Yeah, Gordon had since passed by 2005, like Haddrick's other character Mr Moss.

[Martin Dibble?]

The Macklin Corporation ended up being a wasted opportunity. If the show has kept it around, It wouldn't have had to dominate every storyline, but it could have been used in and out as needed for plots or character employment. With Brett Macklin taking on a Paul Robinson–style role, the company could have become to Home and Away what Lassiters is to Neighbours. It gave the show balance at the time, and Stacey was, I felt, a particularly important character in that mix.

[adam436]

4 hours ago, Martin Dibble? said:

The Macklin Corporation ended up being a wasted opportunity. If the show has kept it around, It wouldn't have had to dominate every storyline, but it could have been used in and out as needed for plots or character employment. 

I agree - Tom could have ended up contuning to work there, but as head of the Fletcher household, we would have only needed to see it as required for storylines as the domestic/social scenes would still be the focus. Tom and Stacey left the Mackin Corporation long before they exited, but they could have found their way back there. I loved their working relationship, and Stacey is one of my all-time favourite characters. 

I'd say it was a combination of the core characters involved in the Macklin Corporation leaving - Frank, Roo, Stacey, Tom - and the show wanting to move in a younger direction as to why it ended up being dropped. The corporate stuff didn't really fit that younger image. 

[cymbaline]

They also seemed to want characters with blue-collar jobs. It might be no coincidence that when they introduced Michael, they were also bringing in a business where people could work as mechanics.