bttb-rox!

Favourite casual outfit: The jacket he wore at Jack and Martha's engagement party was fantastic. We need to see that one again next year! The plain, dark blue t-shirt he wears looks great as well. Favourite formal outfit: Same as you, Karen. His outfit for the wedding that never was . Favourite informal (swimwear etc) outfit: All of HotDad's boardshorts are good. They aren't boardshorts, but as long as we never have to injure those horrible, old-looking beige coloured shorts again (you must know the ones!), I don't care what shorts he wears! Favourite HotDad scene(s) without Rachel: Any scenes he had with Mattie . The scenes they had on the anniversary of Beth's death were beautiful, as was the scene in the Diner when Mattie was about to leave and he talked about her being like a daughter to him. Also the one when they were on the steps and he gave her the necklace from Beth. And last but not least, the scene with Jack in the Diner when Jack punched his arm (only lightly, of course ). Favourite HotDad scene(s) without Rachel: involving a guest cast members: The scenes he had with Jazz around the time of the Sam murder mystery and also when she was leaving. Favourite HotDad quote: The 'peanut' lines, without a doubt! Favourite setting that HotDad has featured in: The beach is always great, but his date in the city with Rachel was something a bit different for him. Favourite HotDad storyline: Him and Rachel getting together and the vasectomy storyline. Scruffy appearance vs Clean shaven: Clean shaven, most of the time . Work scenes vs Personal life scenes: Personal scenes. The gym is hardly the centre of life in Summer Bay, isn't it?! Are there any changes to the script that you would have made regarding HotDad?: Maybe a few around the time of the vasectomy stuff. I would've liked to have see him get really upset (visibly, I mean) on his own about not being able to have kids with Rachel. Apart from that, nothing major. Any further comments?: Bring on 2009!!!

I was never mad about Jade, but she certainly wasn't a bad character. I always liked her bond with Kirsty, even if she wasn't her real sister in the end, and the stories around her covering up for her were quite interesting, as in a sense they were asking the question 'Would you lie for someone you love even if it's going to cause pain for someone else you love?' It's a shame she didn't get more storylines, though. Kate is a good actress, but she wasn't given the material to show her talents off to the extent that Christie and Tammin did. Jade was often left with the support role to Kirsty and Dani, as Slade said earlier in the thread, when she could have been a really interesting character on her own. I did enjoy her storyline with Seb, though, when she was helping him through his eating problem. I thought that was an interesting one, as Jade had been through a similar thing herself when she developed bulimia and to see her helping him was great to see. As a couple I loved Jade and Nick, and I was fuming when those episodes of 'The Dorm' aired! There was something believable about their relationship and they were often quite cute with each other, which was sweet to watch, so I was quite upset when those two broke up. For me, her exit was pretty bad. The initial finding out she was a Degroot was good but then it turned into a bit of a damp squib by the end of it all. I think you've hit the nail on the head there. Take Henry, for example. After he left it was like Mattie didn't even have a twin brother. Granted, he wasn't the most exciting character on the show ever - far from it IMO - but a mention here or there would've been nice, wouldn't it? .

I loved Mattie too. I think what made me like her so much was that she was just a normal girl even though she had been through so much. Losing both parents at such a young age, for example, could've caused her to become quite hostile and bitter, but it didn't for the most part and that was always something I admired about her. I started to warm to her a lot more after her spoilt brat phase was over too. I tried to warm to her in 2004, but it didn't really work! She definitely started to mature and become more 'wordly wise' if that's the right word from 2005 onwards, though. I'm not really sure what brought about that change in attitude, but it was like she felt more settled and included. We know she hated the idea of living in the Bay to begin with, but by 2005 I think she really came around to the idea that maybe it wasn't so bad and tried to adjust herself to it, which was an interesting change to see happen. She also started to respect people for the decisions they made instead of shooting them down, which is something she probably would've done in 2004 had she have gotten the chance, and on the whole just became a lot more likeable. Her relationship with Lucas, both as a boyfriend and as a step brother, was probably one of the most interesting alongside Cassie and Ric. While I really enjoyed Lucas and Mattie as a couple - the banter and cutesy stuff I loved - it was only when they were apart that I realized that I preferred them separate. I don't know why, but I just liked them more when they were on their own and hanging out as friends. I'm still not sure, though, as to whether I preffered Ric and Mattie or Lucas and Mattie as a couple. I think both relationships showed a different side to all of the characters involved, particularly Matilda, but whether I liked one more over the other is hard to judge. When she was with Lucas, she wasn't as wise or grown up as she was with Ric and so everything felt more casual and laid back. But with Ric I felt her relationship was more strong and intense and lacked that playful and fun attitude she had with Lucas. So I'm on the fence . My favourite storyline for Mattie is a toss up between the bulimia storyline and Beth's death. I don't think I can honestly pick out of those two, as I think they were each great in their own right. The bulimia storyline really got into Mattie's head as to how she viewed herself and the way in which she handled Beth dying was sort of an example of how she'd grown up and was able to face the world in a more confident way. For me, those storylines each showed something different about her character and were an absolute highlight of what a talented actress Indiana is, so I'm going to cheat and say both .

News updated .

Mamma Mia was the last movie I saw, and it was fanbloomintastic. The cast were perfectly chosen, the music was stunning, the scenary was incredible and it was the brightest - both visually and emotionally - film I have ever watched. I've lent the DVD to my grandparents and I'm itching to get it back so that I can watch it again!

To bring her to the forefront of the show, I'd really like to see her take a teen under her wing. I don't mean she necessarily has to live with them, but it'd be nice to see her take an interest in them, go to the beach with them and just get that vibrant and funny character back again. We all know that Leah is as mad as a hatter ; we just don't get to see that side of her anymore. And I think a great way to bring that out would be to have her take on a more parental role with one of the current teens, or to bring in a new face. Does anyone feel the same way?

Belle is quite possibly my favourite of the younger characters. She's strong, passionate, caring and protective - often qualities that actually come back to hurt her in the end. Behind Tony and Rachel, Aden and Belle are my favourite couple. I find their unpredicatibly very interesting and exciting to watch, as I'm never quite sure what's going to happen. However, I do agree with those of you who have said that their relationship is too tumultuous at times. It's inenivitable that a couple are going to fight, but I feel the writers go slightly overboard on occasion to make them seem more 'hot' and exciting to fans, when I get the impression that some viewers would rather see them in a calmer and less explosive relationship. All of that aside and I think they're a great match . As for Belle and how she's grown as an individual over her three years on the show, I think she's remained consistent from day one. She's still got that fiesty and spunky attitude that she arrived with but has also matured and gained more respect for others. On the subject of treating people, though - I didn't agree with the way she went about handling the Drew and Lucas and Aden and Angelo situations. They were not her finest moments by any means and I can't say I was too thrilled with either of them, but on the whole I believe she is a kind-hearted girl. I just think she's handled some situations badly and has the tendancy to sometimes let her heart rule her head, which leads to a lot of pain and heartache for everyone involved. It's exciting to look back on her first episodes to see how she's grown and changed in one sense but stayed the same in another. If there's one thing I dislike about television characters, it's when their 'direction' and personality changes at the drop of a hat. I'm happy to say that with Belle, however, I don't believe that's been the case at all. (I also love that her passion for photography hasn't dwindled since her arrivial!) And lastly I have to applaud Jess Tovey. What an incredible actress she is. It's obvious that she puts her all into every scene she's in, especially those with the equally amazing Todd Lasance. I just hope she, and Todd, decide to stay around for a very long time!

I agree with that. Good people sometimes do bad things, and there are always reasons for why someone does something. In the case of Angelo and his scenes with Belle a few weeks ago, I think it was the development site business along with the stress and confusion of the Belle and Aden situation that pushed him over the edge. I don't believe he would have reacted the way he did unless he was under a lot of pressure.

I feel that way too, Jen. The casual and relaxed attitude that we saw from him when he first arrived was something I really enjoyed watching, but when he lost it with Belle, I felt like I 'lost' him slightly, and now I'm confused. Is he still that good guy, or is he a good but confused guy who's going to start turning 'bad'? Hmm...

I hate broken links! Thanks for letting us know, Nathan . You can get to that edition here. News updated.

Your post sums up pretty much everything I was coming in here to say, Bareenfan. There was a likeability about her when she first arrived. She was understanding of the Tony and Rachel situation, which suprised me, and treated Martha like an old friend when they first met. I'm dissapointed about the latest developments relating to the money, as I didn't think she would steep that low. But I'm willing to hear her side of the story more and see also if what was said in the promo for next week is true or not.

Thank you for that lovely comment, lucylinda . It has taken a while to come together, but it's comments like that that really make all the hard work worthwhile.

I had my doubts to begin with, as I thought she may take a while to back down from Tony, but I've been pleasantly suprised to find that Bridget appears to be a nice, normal and friendly woman. I say "appears" because there seems to be a lot more to her than meets the eye, so I'm being cautious at this point! Along with Rachel and Leah and the teen groups, her friendship with Martha is one of my favourites in a long time. There's a believability about each scene they're in, which makes everything seem real and honest. While I like watching the teen relationships develop and seeing how they deal with the complex situations they often find themselves in, it's such a welcome change to see an older couple like Alf and Bridget together in a happy relationship. It's also enjoyable to see Alf really enjoying life. He can sometimes come across as a bit of a grump, but we all know he's a big softie and Bridget's really brought that out . Overall, I like Bridget a lot and think she's a great addition to the show. She's played brilliantly by Joy Smithers and is very layered, which hopefully means we'll slowly but surely get to peel those layers back to reveal what happened in her life in Broken Hill. Am I the only one who likes Bridget, or are there other fans out there?

Vanessa Covacs' profile added .

A profile for Mel Harris has been added .

Hi! Welcome to BttB . If you take a look at some of the artwork threads here, you'll definitely find some Nicole avatars. If you do find an avatar that you like, simply ask the person that has made it if you can use it and I'm sure they'll be happy for you to. I hope that helps!

A Katherine Landsdowne profile has been added .

A Dane Smith profile has been added.

A Kevin Baker profile has been added . I would also like to announce the release of the second edition of 'The Interactive Corner'! Yet again, we have spoilt you rotten with different features. They include: Summer Bay Newbies - Meet Charlie, Jai and Ruby, some of the new faces in Summer Bay. Character Spotlights - Larry Jefferies Episode Spotlights - Episode 4560 - Storyline Spotlights - Melody's Assault BTTB Art Scene - What's been happening in our forum artwork section. ...and much, much more! If you have any comments on the feature, good or bad, we'd love to hear them!

Over the Hedge. It was hilarious!