adam436

I honestly think being a hard act to follow was part of the reason why so many of those teen characters are considered flops. Liam, Aaron and Casey for example, offered nothing new in terms of characterisation. I certainly didn't dislike any of them, but they were all just quite boring. Their predecessors were just so incredibly popular that I think viewers may have been overly critical. If they were replacing characters of equal value, I think they would been given more of a fair go. It's also possible the producers opted for such characters, rather than trying to create the magic of those teen groups. Joey, Tiegan, Gypsy and later Gypsy were all great characters that emerged from that era though.

I would like to see H&A return to the "family" aspect too. I feel like the current producers think families and teenagers as a backward step (i.e. how it was in the eighties or the Sutherland era), but it doesn't have to be, especially with a PG rating. The show can do darker/more adult teen storylines with the current ratings rather than just the usual "X has a crush on Y" or the latest school yard drama. The show seems to shy away from LGBT storylines (I'm not sure whether this is down to the current producers or Channel 7/Channel 5 though!), but the show could cover a teenager exploring their sexuality and coming out, plus other teen stories that Hollyoaks and some British soaps cover really well like a drug storyline, eating disorders, the online world, historic sexual abuse, self-harm, teen pregnancy etc. Some have been covered in the past and done well within the timeslot restriction, but I think it could be done better now with a PG rating. Here would be my solution: The twenty-somethings: I would keep a core group of 5-6 twentysomethings. The show has generally had some, but they've been one age group of many (often the most under-represented!). I would keep Mac, Remi, Mali , Kirby, Dana and maybe Theo for the Leah and Justin connection. So I would axe Rose, Bree, Eden, Theo, Tane, Harper, Levi, Abigail and Cash, and replace them with families and younger characters. It might make sense to keep characters with a purpose (i.e. a doctor or a police officer), but I struggle to see those exisiting characters fitting into a show with a bigger family focus. If the school is reintroduced, we would need a teacher, so maybe Remi, Kirby, Mali or Mac can reveal they completed a teaching degree prior to arriving in Summer Bay. It honestly wouldn't be the worst retcon in recent years and would at least have a long-term gain for the show. It would also make more sense logistically to use an existing characters in the high school rather than to axe so many characters in an age group to introduce new ones for the role a teacher. If the show needed to round out a teen gang, maybe Mali could take on responsibility for a younger cousin or mentor a young River Boy onto the straight and narrow. Summer Bay House: I'd then introduce a recast Duncan as a single dad, having just lost his wife, and three children: his son Bryce, and two-step children from his late wife. Alf would have a large family to play granddad to, giving him a greater purpose as the show's patriarch, and make Summer Bay House the central family home again. With Emily Weir seemingly in it for the long haul, I'd also introduce a slow burn romance between Duncan and Mackenzie, with them eventually getting married and maybe even having a child of their own. I would then either axe Roo or move her into her own place (see below). John and Marilyn: I'd reunite them and introduce a foster child for them too. It is still one of the most baffling decisions as to why they even split up in the first place, since neither have developed as individual characters since. Aside from the odd storyline (Stunning Organics, the Heather stuff), she's pretty much just floated around the Diner and Summer Bay House. John has done even less in the last 5 years! If the producers deem them too old to be foster parents, maybe John's grandchild via Shandi could lob on his doorstep in the same way Seb did to Fisher or Ryder did for Alf, but I'd save the grandchildren aspect for Alf and Irene (see above and below!). Roo Stewart - As much as I like Georgie Parker as an actress, she's wasted and underused in the role of Roo, so she could easily be written out to be honest. I imagine losing her would also increase the cast budget and with Duncan and family around, she wouldn't be needed as family for Alf. If they were to keep her, she would need to be made principal of the high school and move into her own place. It would be hard for Roo to become a main parent/guardian given how much time Georgie Parker has off though. Irene: There are two options for Irene - make her a supporting older character with no family (similar to how Colleen was for many years) or you bring in her grandchildren. Irene has been around for so long now that the former could work - she would just be on the peripheral of the Palmers or Justin and Leah's family, in the same way Colleen was for the Sutherlands and Sally and Flynn. Alternately, you've got her grandchildren. We've got Paul and Mark who haven't been seen yet, who could become lodgers at Irene's. If Paul, Mark or Finn's subsequent children were introduced, I'd make them a teacher, police officer or a doctor. It might seem too much to have Alf, John and Irene all suddenly have grandchildren around, but that's what happens when you have an aging stalwart cast who might be past becoming serious foster parents. Nathan's family would likely be teenagers or younger at the moment, so I'd probably keep them in reserve for when a full nuclear family is needed. Justin and Leah - two characters I wouldn't be sad to axe, but as the younger stalwarts, it makes sense to keep them on, perhaps even more so than John and Marilyn. They could look into official fostering or maybe expand their family with maybe Leah's nieces and nephews (we still have Alex and Chris' families who haven't been explored!) in the first instance. Theo could stick around for a transitional period and perhaps even act as a big brother while the newcomers settle in. With Danny Raco working behind the scenes, it might make sense to start with Alex's family if Danny is willing to make the odd appearance on the other side of the camera.

That teen group was very hit and miss. We had characters like Joey, Justine and to a lesser extent Tiegan that are still fondly remembered, and others like Liam, Aaron and Casey who were not. That group found their groove a little more once some of them left and others like Will, Gypsy, Tom and Hayley were brought in. If you compare them to other teen groups like Shannon/Curtis/Selina/Jack and and to a lesser extent the Jade/Kirsty/Nick/Seb who just seemed to immediately click with each other and resonated with the audience. We also had Rebecca and Travis pick up Pippa's leftovers, and after they left, Justine stuck around with Joel and Natalie, and they also fostered Peta. I've said it before, but in hindsight 1998-2000 is very much like a transitional period between the Pippa and the Sutherlands. They are some of my favourite years of the show, but looking at it now, the show is was in limbo. The fostering was left to the previously-secondary foster parents, and whilst Travis and Rebecca inherited Justine, Tiegan and possibly Sam (I can't remember at what point he moved in with Don and Marilyn?), it seems like they were just there to see out the existing foster kids rather than to see them foster new characters from scratch. I think part of the in limbo status also came down to Pippa's exit being written as "temporary". Pippa just went off on a road trip leaving the kids and Caravan Park with Travis and Rebecca while she was away, with Ian returning later to say they'd settled in the Carrington Ranges. I never understood why they didn't just "rip the band-aid off" from the beginning and have her sell up, since Debra was done by this point. Did the producers think it might soften the blow of losing such a popular character or did the producers think they could persuade Debra to come back after she'd had some time off The Nash family were meant to be the big new family of the show, but by the time they were given free reign of Summer Bay House (when Travis and Rebecca left in August 1999), they'd been around for nearly 2 years. Maybe had Pippa's exit been "permanent" from the start, they could have moved in there much earlier and been given a better chance. Joel is a character who should have kept going for years, especially with his role as the local town cop. Side note: Justine must be one of the few characters to 3 sets of fosters parents, not a bad achievement for a character around less than 3 years: Pippa, Travis and Rebecca, Joel and Natalie. I guess Sam had just as many, if not more, but stayed for much longer.

Agree! I'm just thinking the current producers loves them and Darcy would now be the right age to fit in with the show's demographic, so it's surprising they haven't thought to go there yet.

I found 1993/1994 to be very boring years for the show in general with every little going on. There were a few major events like Bobby's accident and Dale's death, but on the whole, I believe those years are probably considered to be the dullest of the Early Years. Alf and Ailsa were certainly pushed to the front again in the mid/late 1990s - there was his secret daughter (who was never mentioned again until Ryder's arrival!), Ailsa's mental health challenges, her car accident, Ailsa's secret daughter and SORASing Duncan gave them more to do as well.

I think I must have started watching not long after Michael died - I have some vauge memories of 1996 like the earthquake, Don and Mariyln's wedding and the 1996 finale (which terrified me at the time!). The first major death I remember is Stephanie Mboto. An insignificant character in the grand scheme on H&A, but as a 9 year old, it was quite confronting because it was unexpected and had never seen a main character killed off on H&A before and she had been around for my entire viewing period.

There are very few characters with links to the past now who would realistically return now. Even when we look at past characters connections - many actors are happily retired now (i.e. Celia, Colleen, Fisher) or we'd be realistically looking at a recast (i.e. Duncan, Finn, Damien). Even the actors behind more recent connections like Brody Morgan and Jett Palmer seemed to have moved on from H&A now. We've seen Tori and VJ recently. Ryder may one day make a comeback, but I think many actors have moved on or the characters become irrelevant after they leave. Maybe Lance Smart or Frank Morgan could return to try win back their first loves? Or Martha McKenzie return to appear alongside Roo for the first time since 1988? But most other past characters, especially 80s and 90s ones, would feel shoehorned and forced, which Neighbours have proved time and time again that those are rarely successful. Given the show's obsession with twentysomethings and River Boys, how have they not thought to recast Darcy Braxton? It would open things up for Heath and Bianca to return over time.

Thanks for sharing. It definitely had the nostalgic feel with returnees like Lance, Pippa, Carly etc. I guess I didn't enjoy the melodramatic direction it took in 2005 onwards, nor many of the newcomers from that period. That's a good point. I have fond memories of the Liam/Joey/Casey/Steph years (admittedly not seen them since though), as that was the era I first started watching. And the Nash years of 1998-2000, because I was a little older and understood more of what was going on. 1997-2000 are still some of my favourite years of the show (having seen most of 1988-mid 2005 and 2013-mid 2016), but I know those periods aren't as highly regarded by some.

Aside from Ailsa's exit, 2000 also saw the revamped titles and theme song, losing the original Stewart house and original Diner location and a brand new family moving into Summer Bay House. Plus the huge cast turnover that occurred over late 1999/2000 which included some fairly iconic characters like Sam, Ailsa, Marilyn, Rebecca, Travis, Chloe, Justine, Jesse and the Nashes among others. May I ask why you consider that a golden period? Admittedly I stopped watching for a long time from mid 2005 because I'd lost interest, but I wouldn't have rated those years I did watch particularly high.

It's hard to believe sometimes. I consider the Early Years to be 1988-2000, which seemed like such a long period at the time, but now it's less than a third of the total period on air. I know others consider the Sutherland era and perhaps even the years up to Sally's exit as the "Early Years" though. But still, in 3 years time, Sally would have only been on H&A for half its run.

Other than the Fisher connection, they pretty much were. I'm surprised Roxy pick up with Nick where Lucinda left, since Nick did next to nothing for the remainder of his time on the show. 1993-1994 was generally poor with twentysomethings. Nick was pretty forgettable, Adam had overstayed his welcome, Roxy and Luke weren't great characters. It felt like Bobby and Greg had been "aged" up too once they'd formed the family unit with Sam. Marilyn, Ryan and Lucinda had all left the previous year too.

That must have been a disappointment to the producers, since she was only around for a year all up. Adam was a character I never really liked. I feel like he was brought in as a "sexier" and smarter Martin, with Matt as his sidekick, filling the Lance role. The show was moving to increase it's sex appeal I think, with more beach scenes (and therefore more bikini and speedos) and older characters like Floss, Neville, Celia, Morag and Tom being written out and replaced with more youngsters. This meant both Lance and Martin became surplus to requirements. Even Marilyn migrated over to Adam and Matt eventually, completing the transition. I much preferred Martin over Adam, but he and Lance were caricatures at times.

They broke up long before that though - Emma dated Steven's friend Paul for a while before she left. I really can't see the Scott and Charlene similarity to be honest, other than to maybe cash in on the Minogue connection. Frank and Bobby had more of that vibe in the early years in terms of the tomboy girl and the male heartthrob, but that ended pretty quickly due to Alex Papps leaving. Another age gap romance between a teen and young adult was Chloe and Lachie. Chloe was barely out of school and he was a fully qualified doctor.

Those characters continued to be created though - I think there were just fewer of them. Charlotte Adams, Jude Lawson and James Fraser all fall into that category. Charlotte rarely interacted with anyone outside of their fellow twentysomethings unless it was a medical emergency. Jude was the same, but least had Noah around, which gave him a little more. And James was just there as Chloe's love interest and nothing more. I think the show struggled to write for that age group in the early 90s because the majority of the cast were either teenagers or the foster parent of a teenagers, and the writers didn't really see much of a vision beyond that. That's probably why we ended up with so many teachers in that age group. Or in Nick's case, a younger brother was introduced for him. Roxy and Lou also had family connections too, presumably to make them more relevant. I'd agree with that and also add Rebecca, Jesse v1, Rob and Donna to the list. I think creating more well-rounded characters was part of the overall shift that occurred in the writing/tone of the show in the mid 90s.

Donna could do lighter stuff like the country music competition too with Irene, and her role at the school and initially living with the Rosses meant she tended to interact with a wider range of characters. As opposed to someone like Travis, who was initially limited to his fellow twenty-something and incidental interactions at the diner. Donna's exit felt quite sudden too - they'd started the story with her brother and then wrapped it up rather quickly only for her to have a blink-and-miss-it exit. I think the writers got better and working with these characters in the mid-late 90s. It could be because the show took on a darker tone in 1995, meaning the writers could do more with that age group (i.e. Donna's abuse, Chloe's rape), or maybe those characters tended to just resonate more with the writers. The early 90s had characters like Nick, Lucinda, Roxy, Luke, Grant, a post-high school Carly and Matt. None of them had particularly memorable storylines. Or characters like Marilyn, Lance, Martin and Adam (up to killing Bobby), who were generally used for more comic relief stuff.

The current H&A is predominantly 20somethings and 30somethings, but the early years was completely opposite, with them being almost the most underrepresented age group. In fact, they were almost entirely absent from 1988. There was Lance, Martin and 18 year old Frank, but otherwise that group was entirely recurring guest characters like Phillip, Stacey and Brett. Given how scarce that group were in the 80s and 90s, we tended to get more rounded characters and better storylines, but I still feel it was a mixed bag. Who were your favourites and who do you think didn't work out so well? I guess given the teenage focus, many of them were teachers at the school, but many seemed difficult to write for at times - Lance and Martin got repetitive, Nick was underused, others like Rob and Luke didn't last long. Some of my favourites: Steven's second stint Travis and Rebecca - they were given the responsibility of Summer Bay House later on though, rather than the standard 20something storylines other characters like Kelly, Donna, Shauna etc. got. Stacey Macklin - around for over a year, so pretty much an unofficial regular. She was a fun early years character who seemed to move between the older and younger characters relatively seamlessly. Marilyn's second stint - she was probably lumped more with the senior cast moreso than her peers though Donna and Rob - I loved both their characters, but both were gone way too soon. Donna in particular, made a big impact in a short amount of time. Not so successful: Nick Parrish - completely underused as character and generally pretty bland Ben Lucini - terrible character

I was never a Jesse fan, but he was treated pretty poorly in his exit storyline for very little long-term gain. Especially when you consider his last regular love interest Josie left a few weeks earlier, and he could also have got a happy ending with Chloe. The writers seemed at a loss with Jesse after he and Leah broke up, but it's a shame they undid all the development they'd made with his character over his second regular stint.

Would she have been told when she signed the contract? Or found out after? We assume the former, but she might have just been told the overall story arc, since her death was literally over and done with in about a minute and had nothing to do with the story arc of escaping her abusive partner. Even her actual death episode was focused on Martha, and Chloe's death was just a quick/cheap shock twist at the end of the episode. I wasn't Chloe's biggest fan, but she was pretty much just seen as expendable character because the show wanted a death for episode 4000. At the time, I thought Olivia might have become the next young foster child (a la Sally and Sam), to join Sally's expanding foster brood, but she was swiftly written out too. At least her death gave Jesse and Irene a storyline. I stopped watching not long after, but didn't Irene have some sort of breakdown after Chloe's death and kept hallucinating that she could see Chloe?

Irene had Joey living with her at that point, giving Irene that maternal relationship, so Chloe wasn't really needed. I can't remember if anyone else was living with Irene around that time. Will and Hayley didn't arrive until 1998, and Marilyn moved out in 1996 after she married Don.

I guess with Rob the writers at least made the effort to isolate him from the rest of the characters before he stopped appearing - he'd quit his job at the school and bought a business that characters had no reason to visit, he'd moved out of Irene's place and his friendship with Donna was pretty much over. Chloe would be a little more difficult unless they had taken similar steps to remove her from the lives of the characters first. I found Kristy's reaction a little odd - she certainly wasn't the first regular character this happened to. Other names like Tom, Jack, Casey, Nick, Brody/Brodie, Natalie etc. have been reused among the regular cast. Reading between the lines, Kristy seems a little bitter that her Chloe was killed off.

If she was axed over something that happened behind the scenes, they certainly gave made sure she got a pretty rough exit story too. She was the first regular character, and one of the few characters in the 80s/1990s to depart on a negative note. Pretty much every other character either got a happy ending or left Summer Bay for a new job etc. It was more common in the early 90s for characters to leave after a year or so though. As well as Karen, others like Viv, Emma, Haydn, Ben, Grant and Simon come to mind, so it could just be a case over Belinda Jarrett moving on at the end of her contract.

The show had definitely moved on from Chloe by 1999 - it was like she didn't really fit in anywhere. She even felt like a hanger-on in the Irene/Will/Hayley/Joey unit at times. I don't really recall her having any meaningful interactions with anyone other than Irene, James and guest character Diana, though it's been 25+ years since I've watched the episodes.

I agree - it's not even like they set James up as Chloe's happy ending and wrote them both out together in 1999. According to Wikipedia, it sounds like Richard Grieve's relationship was somewhat unplanned: Grieve decided to leave the show in 1998, which gave producers a dilemma. They had developed the partnership between Lachlan and Chloe in advance. They cast Michael Piccirilli as Lachlan's brother James to take over the relationship with Chloe. I also assume that Kristy Wright was too popular at the time to be written out in 1998 with Lachie. She was one of the most popular characters at the time, and the show had already lost some big characters over the previous 12 months with Pippa, Shannon and Selina. Lachie and Chloe also felt like an afterthought too to be honest - I feel like the original plan was for Shannon to have the Lachie story arc, but when Isla Fisher quit, they threw Chloe into it instead. I may be wrong though.

I think it stands out more when the older actors work alongside the younger ones. For example, the actor playing Dylan was nearly 10 years older than the actors playing his peers. Likewise, the age difference was obvious between the actors playing Ric/Cassie and Henry Hunter, and Jett and VJ once he was recast. If all actors with a group are a similar age or within 2-3 years, it's less obvious when there older actors playing teenagers. When the age gap is 5+, or in the more extreme cases closer to 10 years, it really stands out.