jodlebirger

It's off topic but I do agree with jacklost. I thought Steve peacocke was about my age until I read his real age. He looks way older than 32. I find it almost unbeliveable that he is 10 years younger than me. Look at the guy who plays Zack. He is a few years older but looks younger. But some people look old, and some look young. There's nothing wrong with that but I don't understand the fuss about him, there are far better looking and far better actors on the show. But with that said I do like the actress who plays Ricky. She is the first actress in years who is able to express feelings in a believable way. I think it is a shame that she is introduced by this terrible Adam returns from death storyline which now is airing on Norwegian television. But she really express her struggles in a beliavble way so that is the only thing I like with this storyline. I don't like Brax, but I do think that so far, she is the only realistic girlfriend he has had. The actors do have chemistry and look believable together. I never thought that with Charlie and Brax. She (Esther Anderson) is a much more classy person and I never thought she suited to play the police woman Charlie. And she would have been better with a more "classy" charachter. But everything around her and everything she did became such sentations, and destroyed the storylines because she was put in storylines which did not fit her (brax, Joey storyline and so on). But still, I wish that Bonnie Sveen did not play a Braxton girl because that means she is not going to be explored outside that and she is probably going to be written out if the Brax storyline ends. And that is a shame. Bonnie Sveen is good and i would have liked to see her as a charachter on her own. And not a Braxton lady/puppet. Just look what has happened to Tamara. A charachter with potential and a good actress and all she is doing is pining after Casey and Kyle and her past has never been explored properly.

Still dry and sunny. Minus 10 today. A bit cold without the snow. Snow make it feels warmer.

Sunny and dry a bit chilly, but normal November temperature for south Norway inland: - 8 degrees C. But it is still no snow in the lowland.

I can actually buy that Morag's age is 65/66. The actress is 72 but she really doesn't look like that. I think that using an older actor or actress just works when he/she looks younger than she/he is.

Ok. But the age difference is still to big! And Fischer really do seem older than 69!!

I don't think they turned him more into a tragic figure more than he had been in the late 90's after Marilyn got pregnant and after Byron's death. He let Marilyn walk over him, and it was only about her and not about his sorrow. He didn't act like a father who lost his child, he just had to tiptoe around Marilyn. I think that changed when June came in and Don Fischer became himself again. I loved him and June together. In 2007 he was just an aging man, and there is nothing wrong with that. I think it was a good potrayal of a man who finding himself in a new phase of his life and he wanted to do other things, and teaching had become to difficult and tiring for him. That is not unormal. He wanted to use his strength and the power which he still had, on other projects in life. But he was still Don Fischer with his own personality and needs and did not turn into a shadow. In late 1990's he was someone who just was marilyn's carer (until she ran away). I think that a lot od other charachters would have suited Marilyn better at that time, and also now. Fischer is an old man in his 70's. She is only in her early forties. I think that Marilyn is being portrayed too old. She would have had an 14 year old son if Byron was still alive. She acts sometimes like one who is 60. It was funny this way when she was in her twenties. Then she did not felt old bit just ditzy... Now her ditzy ways make her older than she is supposed to be. I don't want her to ruin an another charachter and that is the reason i don't want her with John. He must not loose his serious side. Then he is moving too far from the John he was when he first came into the show. He suited Gina so well, and he needs to be with someone like her. I think that Marilyn needs to be single or meet someone like Elijah or winston, if they tone Winston down a bit. Elijah was perfect for Marilyn. He became too dull when he was with someone too serious like Leah. They dragged each other down. With Marilyn we saw how great he could be if he was allowed to have a less serious side. It would have been a good balance.

I really don´t think they will care about that in my country, they will probably keep on showing two episodes each day til they are right behind Australia Well they will follow the follow the rules or do what says in their contact with channel 7.

Ok. So that means that we will probably get one ep each weekday from January. Then we will be about five months behind after Australias break.

Our own Norwegian soap do have a huge break in summer and a smaller one by christmas. Like Australia do with home and away. But home and away is not British. So it is strange that the UK channel is doing this. Why on earth do they need to be that far away behind Australia? In Norway H&A only has a christmas break from December 23 to January 2., and a three week break during Tour de France which is aired on the same channel. But they will show both winter games and fotball Championships in 2014. So i really do't hope they will go back to air just one episode each weekday from January. I hope TV2 Norway will continue with a double on weekdays at least for a couple of months. I don't understand the point of being months behind Australia. I don't think there is any rule for this, and I know that at some point UK was only one week behind.

Some kind of a weird deal which lead to Zack losing his job.

Casey was released from prison.

He was moved to an another prison. Zack hjelped him and lost his job. This was shown in Norway a month or so ago.

I found it hard to believe but I do remember his Birthday being mentioned in Episode 5400 which aired on October 7 2011 in Australia and he may have joked about being 50 in that episode from memory. The actor was born in August 1958 so he's currently 54 and obviously turning 55 next month so I presume either John is at that age or just a little bit younger which was hinted in Episode 5400. He was turning 50 in that episode... They were not joking about it. But John Palmer want Gina to tell the rest that he turned 48..... But someone did understand how old he was and put it on the cake. I don't think that John Palmer looks that much older than Marilyn.., because I think that the actress is playing her in a childish-oldish way. And her clothes.... Well, that image worked when she was younger, but now she looks like someone who is a lot older than she is. And she is meant to be in her 40's isn't she? I have always thought that Roo, Sid and Marilyn were about 42-46 and Harvey late 40's, and Gina and John were about 50.... So not big age difference there... A big group actually comparing to earlier years. Irene around 55-60 and Alf about 67/68... Well, I don't want John with Marilyn. I am worried that John Palmer is loosing his serious side. He is a great character because has both comical and serious sides to him... and don't want him to be only a comical character. He has been really good with Gina, they are such a unique unit because she is hard and serious and he is more relaxed and humourus, and toghether they get more balanced. Shane Whittington is a great actor and I want him in both funny and serious scenes.

I am very sure that I read in the magazines sections about the time he left, that i chosed to leave. And I really believe that. Miles was not the sort of character they like to axe. He had a connection to the Fletchers. Mr. Tart had other acting jobs straight after H&A. I am about a year behind you, it is about 6 months in storylines since Miles left here. But I don't miss him. He never felt like Sallys brother. I have always thought that they chosed wrong actor for that role. Josh quong TArt has a great talent, but I think the way he portrayed Miles did not suit that character, but could have been a great character without any bonds to Sally. The way he portrayed Miles was to different from the way Katie Ritchie portrayed Sally, and Miles never became a good replacement for her. I think the way Conrad Coleby played Roman (without the Rambo stuff) would have suited the character better. He/Conrad/Roman had more of the same onscreen personality as Sally had. I have always thought that Josh Q Tart should have portrayed a character without any bonds to previous characters, he was better as a original on his own. I think he would have shined even more as a "character of his own". I am not very good to explain this in English. Hope that you understand what I mean. For me H&A is not only about certain characters, but about certain storylines. Even if Alf and the rest of the longstaying characters left, the show would have felt like H&A if the storylines were in Home and away's spirit. But I think that sometimes the show now feels to much like a completely different show even with Marilyn, Alf, Roo and Irene in it.

Being friends with others in the Bay isn't enough to make good storylines. Barry Hydes background was well developed, Martin Bartlett wasn't but they did make hints about what could have been great storylines. His crush on Kirsty was just a sign of desperate loneliness, and they could have explored that further.. Being a likeable character isn't enough to make the show interesting. The show will be boring if all the characters were likable. But H&A's strength has been in the past, that they have explored why a character is behaving why he/she is. And that is interesting. I think they were better at doing this in the past.

I don't agree. They destroyed Barry Hyde with that stupid who-killed-Josh storyline. And we know everything about BArry Hyde, there isn't that much potential for him if they brought him back. I really liked Bartlett.. And most important; there are so much potential for him, there were hints about his history, picture of a daughter and so on, but we never really learned to know him. I would like to see Bartlett again next year (when Ginas departure airs up here).

It is 17 years ago, so it doesn't mean that shyongirl is a relatively new viewer to this show... I started to watch the show a few seasons before that, but I missed it some periods now and then... And I hardly remember him... But I do consider myself as a longtime viewer of this show. 17 years is a very long time in tv-land. I really can't stand that some of the posters on this site, just think about fans who watched it the first 3-4 years as longtime fans.... Even if you had watched it for 10 years I would have said that you are a longtime viewer. It seem to me that this site has two groups of fans who constantly fight against each other. One group who only care about the first few years, and the characters who were popular at that time, and those who have started to watch the show during the past couple of years (Braxton era). But no group are more a more worthy viewer than the other. And what about all the years in between that, we are talking about 15-18 years of storyines in between the first era (1988-1995) and the Braxton era from 2011... That is a very long time. A lot of fans came along at that time too, and we are still watching! Please don't forget about the late 90's or the 2000's. These years and their fans are just as important to the show as the very old ones and the new ones. Because we are long time viewers too... I have no plans to stop watching even if I started to watch in 1994-5 season. Longtime viewers can be "created" in all eras of the show, if the writers are good enough to keep our interest in the show. And all kinds of fans are important for the show's survival. (sorry for my bad English).

Oh... this is an old discussion... Adens storyline did not allow him to hook up with a character like Nicole in the beginning. She was to sexual agressive. And I thought that the chemistry between the two actors was not that good as a couple either. He was to intense and dark for her and that's the reason he felt like an older brother despite bad behaviour sometimes. Romeo and Nicole felt more identical from the actors way of portraying the characters. I really didn't like what they did with Adens character by the end... But I did not like the way they handled Nicole either... I think it was unessesary to put her up with Aden when he was leaving, and then just put her with as much random guys and also crazed guys as possible... I think they should have made Nicole and Romeo together... build them well as a couple and characters and then made him leave with her. I think it would have been better for Nicole too, if they had coupled her with Romeo in late 2009 season and then use year and a half to explore them instead of totally ruin her as a character... She was made a saint just to make Aden look worse, and after that she was hooked up with the crazed Penn, and then suddenly with Angelo just so they could leave together. It was extremely random... the storyline with Sid was also not good at all. And year and a half with Romeo would have been enough. He has now been on the show for far too long time... And I am even about a year behind you in storylines. I think this character would have been more interesting with Nicole, and with a shorter time on the show. She was more tempered than Indi and that was what Romeo needed. Indi should have been coupled with a more tempered character... To have her in a relationship with Romeo has ruined her.. And Romeo would have been better with a tempered character as Nicole. Together Indi and Romeo are exptremely flat acting wise. We are in the early 2012 season (I think...) and I really miss characters like Nicole, Aden, Belle, Rick, Mathilda, Cassie and so on... I think they were more youth like with more realistic personalities... Not so false sugar sweet, or stiff...

I would say: Bring Bartlett back.... He was belieavable and good. And i isn't a "used" character in that sense there are a lot to explore with that guy. They did give us some hints in the storyline about him fancying Kirsty, that he was alone. What about his family, did he have any? seperated? never married? Sieblings? So many unaswered questions. And then the writers just dropped him. He was far better for me than Gina as a principal, he was actually less cold and self sentrated even if he had some faults. And that actor is younger, and probably still very active... Because even if Norman Coburn is doing some local theatre, it is a long way from that to being on home and away, which I have understand is very exhausting long days and you have that constant media attention.

We are in early 2011 season here, but I have seen several eps from later 2011 and 2012. I actually liked Leah the most from 2003-2009. Leah with Vinnie was a bit weird for me, because she was running away from a wedding, and then she suddenly started to go to high school, and then she became very teen-like. And I was confused about who she was meant to be. But still, she and Vinnie did had some enjoyable moments here and there. But then I really liked her with Jesse. And I loved her with Dan. I even liked her when she was in the background in the australian 2008/09 seasons. She was still a very important key character and did connect several characters with each other, which is important. And I think that the viewers aren't good enough to appreciate these kind of characters. Without them the show will fall apart, and the community feeling will be gone. I actually think that from late 2009, the writers haven't been good enough to take care of these key characters, and the Summer Bay community feeling isn't there anymore. And I feel that Leah has been written all over the place since early 2010 season, and I think they have destroyed her, first with Elijah, then with Miles and Brax. I really didn't like her with Elijah, not even the first time around. I felt they were put together just to satisfy the critisism of lack of cultural diversity. But the characters had nothing in common, except from that they weren't born Australian. And it happened way to fast. He was far too old for her, he had a different way to behave and the characters personalities didn't suit each other. He was too goofy for the more edgy Leah. Elijah was far better when he was talking to Alf or Miles, and he was especially good with Marilyn. Leah needs a man with more edge, but also some passionate and deep. She need someone we can see her laughing, crying and arguing with. Brax from what I've seen of him, do have edge but he isn't deep and passionate enough. He is too dark. And I don't think that someone like Leah is going to be with a guy like Brax. Leah can't be put together with a character written with sensationalism like Brax. She needs a deeper and better build character. I liked her with Roman in 2009 season but that storyline was cut short, because the writers/producers axed him because they thought that he wasn't sensationalistic enough. They need to bring in someone new for Leah, and we need to get into his backstory before the romance starts. I think that is wrong with the show after 2008- that the characters are pushed together, without any backstory. We don't know the characters like we used to do.

When I am watching a tv show or movie I am wathcing it with real life "glasses"... I see the storylines and jugdes it with real life experinces and I think that most people do, even you, when it comes to other storylines. I often find it hard to ignore these kind of serious things, even if it is something else with the character that could be interesting. But I think that some people find excuses for this kind of behaviour when they find something else with the character they think it is more attractive or important to them (for example the looks of the actor, or a relationship between this character and an another) than the crimes they have done. I think it is horrible for a tv show to justify violence and dealing drugs to this degree, and then punishing the drug abusers. Drug dealing and violence are very serious problems in the real world and yes it is very wrong of H&a to justify the way it does. I really don't like to see serious topics getting bad handling even if it is in a soap. Some soaps don't get into the depth of the problem and then it is more ok to shift quickly over to other storylines. But H&A are sometimes digging very deeply into the problems, showing the psycical consequences of abuse for example and then suddenly drop it or making the victim a villain. And then the Braxtons are getting excused for everything they do. From what I've read it seems to me that their storylines have big holes in it.. and they seem a bit undefined as characters. seriously how old are they meant to be, aren't they a bit too old for this bad-boy-go-good storyline? Where did the drug farm go and so on... I think that this is making the show very unbeliavable and horrible for a lot of people. I am behind you and haven't seen all the Braxtons actions just read about them, but it is not only the Braxtons who has been written over the top and a serious topic has been handled badly. I think it was horrible that Martha - Alf's granddaughter was written out the way she was. Martha was a wild child and did a lot of unacceptable things, but they were not this serious, more rebel stuff. Running away with a people smuggler is really bad and unworthty for a granddaughter of the patriarch in the show! People smuggling is one of the biggest problems in the modern world. It is awful, and a lot of people is suffering and dying because of it. Just in the same way as justifying drug dealing and other things that the Braxtons has done (pushing Angelo out of his own restaurant) is people smuggling a serious topic and should be treaten in a way as the crime it is. It should have ended with Hugo in jail. I don't think that other soaps have that many plot holes and the viewers are not asked to forget about serious crimes as drug dealing, hard violence and people smuggling after the show has digged into it for months! And I think that a lot of people are fed up that the writers are destroying other characters who have also had a tough ride on the show and a better character building storyline without that many plot holes, by putting them in jail or letting them leave as a problem it is good to be rid of. And H&A is building their storylines very well in some cases, and it is in this cases the storylines suddenly gets dropped or twisted... The more emotional and serious it has been the more it will be destroyed. I think the viewers are tired of that, especially long-time viewers. I think that the show excuses itself far too often. Yes, it is only a soap. But h&A is building some really emotinal storylines and digging into serious problems very well and then rips them apart. Then they excuses themselves that we can't expect anymore it is only a soap. And other storylines have so many plot holes that it is very difficult for many to follow them and finding them enjoyable. I think that other soaps are doing this better. I am not saying that the show should drop having drug dealers or abusers on the show... but just treat the storylines and build them a bit differently, it is still possible to have a big portion of drama and treat the serious topics better.

Well try to see her an another way! I think it is very easy to understand why ruby is acting like she does. Look at my and RR1 posts above. Charlies dead was not the turning point and the hardest thing that has happened to Ruby. It was the final straw loosing her and also experience that others didn't support her and some also used her. I think that the turning point when she started to go downward was the the storyline when she found out that Charlie was her real mother and she was a result of a rape. She found out that all the people she cared about, and was her family had lied to her, nobody were like she thought they were and she was a result of a horrible violent act from a stranger. She was actually the unwanted child from the beginning. It was after that she started to have these obsessive crush on others just a screem about help and need for someone to show her that they really love her. That is the reason why she was fine when she was in a relationship and fell apart when it was over. It is very easy to understand what ruby does, even if it not acceptable actions.I am not saying that she does need to be excused for her actions. But she doesn't only need to be told what to do or not, she need really some deep unconditionally love to show her that she has a place and meaning in this life. I am many months behind you in storylines, but I am reading on this and the OS page every day just because I am curious so I know what has happened, and I actually think that Ruby is one of the most defined characters on the show. You can understand her actions because what has happened to her and she still is very young, and you can also think what she is going to do...But a lot of the others seem to change personality very often. It is hard to tell how old they are meant to be, because one day they are behaving and written as teenagers and the next they are not. Some of them are told to be kind characters, but is that what the viewers are seeing. One day some is a snobby, resptectable teacher and now she is dating a gang leader without no goal in his life..... But Ruby is ruby, even if she could have developed more - it is great to read that they haven't suddenly changed her personality over night as they have done with others, or writing her as she hasn't a personality at all.

I haven't seen this, I am a big bite behind you, but I have read a lot on this page and I know what's happened. And I don't think the writers have destroyed her... Is it strange that she has changed and is behaving badly...???? I think it would have been far worse if the writers have just let her move on easily.. Yes, she was a happy girl when she came in, even she was still mourning the death of the person she had always seen as her mother (her grandmother) But after that a lot has happened.., and Ruby might not have had the right support she needed. Because through Ruby's four years on the show she has been through this: Her father (the person she saw as her father) got Alzheimer She got a boyfriend (xavier) to support her, her sister (charlie) was too busy with other things. She learned that her sister was her real mother and her parents were her grandparents and she was a result of a horrible criminal act She got diabetes She had a hard time to accept all this but it was always about charlies feelings and not really about her.... Her real father was a rapist, and she saw her real mother torture him, and later he was murdered by her grandfather - the person who actually was like a father to her. She got a boyfriend to help her through this (Geoff) but he left her suddenly. She went to the bottle and had a crush on her teacher (Liam), and her mother (sister) was too busy with her boyfriend to really help her out... She finally recovered from this, when her mother suddenly realised that she needed help and she was back again with her old boyfriend again (Xavier) and he gave her some support She and her boyfriend broke up. She lost the person she always had seen as her father (grandfather) She went downhill again, and again her mother/sister was too busy with her love interest and work, to notice. She got interest in Romeo and he and his girlfriend had big problems. He told ruby that he and his girlfriend was over. They slept together and he went back to his girlfriend. Ruby got the blame for the whole thing, when Indi got hurt. She then was a victim for cyber bullying and everybody were like "she got what she deserved" Her mother then tried to gave her some kind of support, it was not enough but it helped a little. Then she met casey and he gave her support and the feeling to be loved. Then the parts I haven't seen but just read about: She looses Charlie, and she is now without family Her boyfriend chosed to support his brother instead of her. Morag tried to support her a little, but she send her back to Summerbay Her housmate (Leah) chosed to support the guy and not her, who in a way was to blame for her mothers death.... because of his lifestyle A lot of others in the town (Elijah) also supported Brax instead. Some people/characters might have tried to help her a little (Roo?) but I got a feeling that it was to little and half hearted of what I read in the Synopses on the offical site...and the comments here. Then the man she has always been a little interested in assures her that he and his wife are over and he promise to be with her, she felt happy a little moment until he started showing more intererest in his wife again and she understands that she is going too loose him and he again only used her to feel better about himself. Then she gets desperate, she feels that no one else who is there for her... so she gets terrified to be completely lost and alone and she tells him the lie about a pregnancy... Leah who never stood by her side when she needed her the most, suddenly turns up and tells her what to do, and the right thing of course... but still... too late Leah... Romeo dumps her...Again she is blamed for everything by some, and even if Leah is comforting her a little it isn't enough, everybody is busy with their own things and Ruby really needs a lot of help... without that she is sinking deeper and deeper... I think it is ok for the writers to do such a storyline if they are showing that Rubys reaction is also a result of too little support from the community... They need to make the other characters to realize that. I was hoping of such reactions from the others earlier on, even in (australian) 2010 season when she had her drinking problem. But it didn't happen then. I hope that this storyline which will air in my country about 18-19 months from now (if H&A still is on by then), will lead to a stronger community feeling, and making the characters supporting each other much more. This is a oppositie situation than we had with the character who left my screen very early this year, Aden. He had a lot of support from the community, Roman, Nicole, Miles, Irene, Rachel and so on. And then in the end it was made out that he hadn't changed for the better at all... very sad that the writers are downplaying the community like that. He should have left like a changed and happy man. The writers have a strong tendency to destroy the meaning of community feeling, it is about more than chatting at the diner! I think it is ok for the writers to write her this way, if they are showing that all she need is actually a lot of help! I hope that the storyline about Ruby will show more what lack of support from the community can do to you, and then make the community stronger. What happens to her should lead to some regrets by Romeo for his actions, and also make the others realize that they didn't support her enough. But I have a feeling that they will just make Ruby a villain and then make the most pointless drama out of it, and nothings going to change in the Bay. Sorry for the very long post. I hope you understand what I really want to say.

Where is the real winter???? Mild weather 0,5 degrees (plus) and really really foggy. Fog that freezes to thin ice on the roads and make it dangerous to drive and walk. No real snow. Normally we would have had a little snow showers this late in November. Last year it was little snow, but very cold around this time..

In real life the actor is actually 23 and absoulutely a grown man!