Homeandawayfan.

You could also say the Summer Bay Nutter storyline of 1988 was plot driven. But Walter had a brain injury sustained after the truck crash in one of the very first episodes in January 1988, which lead to his nutty ways.

I would like to see the Robert Perez and Gypsy Nash 1998/1999 episodes again.

My new avatar is of me visiting Nicola Quilter in London in August 2014 and her signing one of her business cards for me. I always feel it was a shame she was axed in 1995 as I quite like Donna. Nicola must have signed up in early to mid 1994 due to the advance filming schedule and may have signed for 3 years initially.

Donna Bishop's only major storyline was the Andrew Warren business. She did not stay around for very long. First appeared in November 1994 and left in June 1995.

In regards to the 1995/1996 cranking up the pace, I think the 1995 revamp of the show probably, at the end of the day, was a shot in the arm for H&A, the show deffo needed to bring some beef into it. 1988-1989 had similar styles but 1990-1994 was pretty tame and could be boring. Even in the quite relaxed period of 1990-1994 I always thought H&A had quite a lot of things that Neighbours just lacked. Sunnier weather, more interesting characters and many school scenes.

1995 for me was when the show was starting to show darker elements, elements of what the show is today. Not like 2024 but was starting to be on the way and I guess they turned Alf into a more bitter person, same as Ailsa.

Blake and Meg. In fact, all of 1992.

Yes 1995 was when they turned him into the H&A version of Albert Tatlock/Max Ramsay.

That blind woman may have been Martha Stewart in disguise.

When H&A began it did make Neighbours look quite tepid and dull in comparison. H&A had better settings, sunnier weather and more sparky extroverted characters who were exciting.

Jason Herbison and Lucy Addario certainly do have their work cut out producing those two ageing Australian soap operas, and the 2 biggest ever Aussie soaps as well.

Not sure, but yes Neighbours was off air for over a year. H&A has never been off air since Jan 1988, I know both shows have always had short Xmas breaks but that was just traditional. Some people on FB and who I know in person who watch Neighbours even say that 1985-2022 Neighbours and 2023-current Neighbours are more or less 2 separate shows even though the 2nd version is a continuation of 1985-2022. Not sure I totally agree with that logic, but H&A has never been axed then returned.

If you went by Alf's original age, then he would turn 85, bang on in January 2028. He said he was 45 in April 1988, and in 1993 his police file said born Jan 1943. However since when has ages in H&A been consistent? He was said to be 47 in 1995 then 60 in 2005.

I feel at least Neighbours never went for such a radical change the way H&A did in 2000. Classic H&A ended in 2000, and quite quickly as well, whereas Neighbours always has evolved naturally.

Neighbours only had 1 original character by its 10th birthday in March 1995. H&A was lucky to keep at least 5 by its 10th birthday. I am sure Judy wanted to leave to do other things, and concentrate on her writing.

Not sure why my previous post got a "confused" reaction unless they are confused at me saying what others said about Sally's 2013 return, as I am just saying what some said and one member even had quoted for a while "H&A ended when she left but died when she returned".

I did not watch Sally's 2013 return but some viewers reckon "H&A died when she returned" but I am not sure what they mean by that, as I did not watch the episodes.

In a way it is probably good that H&A is not brimming with returnees, as soaps nowadays tend to mess up returnees like Neighbours has done to some extent. However I could envisage original school wild child Alison Patterson returning after 35 years or so, on crystal meth, Sarah Lewis style, and holding up the school with a machine gun.

I remember when the whole bay sent Adam to Coventry for the boating accident, and Tug even ran at him and pushed him down in the caravan park area. And Greg flipped when he found Adam was a bit negligent. I can remember Finlay sticking up for him saying he does not deserve everything he gets. But no I also do not think he deserved everything he got.

I feel H&A would be much more tolerable to watch if not for the sinister underscore music. Or at least have a reduction of the sinister generic underscore music.

They should not have bought Martha back from the dead, trashing Alf's character as well, or dookied on Irene and Marilyn like they have in recent years. Alf Stewart and Helen Daniels were trashed by the Ramsay/Martha retcons.

H&A always had a far fetched side to it but was also quite realistic in the 1980s and 1990s. Summer Bay being a relatively isolated town by the sea with not much for locals to do in the pre social media days - apart from a community hall, play area, the surf club, diner and shop in the early years, and no doubt a number of unseen Summer Bay residents out of work, like you would get in real life. Hence why many of the youngsters in the show got up to light mischief, such as the bromance "Lartin" Lance and Martin, and later on Damo and Shane. The original premise was that foster children from the city would be living in Summer Bay and give the bay a shake up. Erinsborough was not much different in Neighbours, it was a outer suburb with the city being a good half hour drive/bus ride away. And only Lassiters for local entertainment.

Summer Bay also had a community hall which had a fire decades ago in February 1988, early in the shows run, caused by The Summer Bay Nutter. I think the hall used for the variety night in Episode 30 at the end of Feb 1988 was another hall in Summer Bay as the community hall had just burned down about 2 episodes earlier. Not sure what did happen to that community hall which Bertram burned down. I think the hall seen in Episode 58 in April 1988 for the dance was the church hall.

I think with Emmerdale it had to change, and the farming format was drifting away long before the drop of the word "farm" in November 1989. Plus, the 1972-1989 era was not so much about farming but a farming family and it often had social and political issues and revolved around their personal lives more. To me the early years of Emmerdale Farm ended in 1976 when Amos and Henry moved to a new Woolpack, and the more picturesque old Woolpack was written out, and the shop, and a few new locations bought in. Also 1976 saw the exit of several characters such as the original Jack Sugden, Christine, Mrs Dawkins and more. But yes 30 years ago Corrie and Emmerdale were rarely talked about in playgrounds, it was always EE, Neighbours and H&A. Those 3 soaps always had a younger fan base. Old school Corrie ended in 1997 and that year the modern day show began, Battersby arrival plus more.

And yes, it is always seen as 1998-2000 being when original Home And Away was finished. The exit of the Bayside Diner and Alf's iconic house, and the exit of Pippa, then Ailsa and the Nash family plus the shift in tone as the fostering element was dissipating, and the arrival of the Sutherland family. The Nash family seemed to be the last "Tom and Pippa/Michael and Pippa" type family. Emmerdale was another show that had a huge change 1993-1995 with the exit of the first farmhouse, and Demdyke Row, plus the exit of Joe, Annie and Amos, and the tonal shift. Corrie, Brookside, EE and Neighbours etc never went for such a radical change the way ED and H&A did. Never watched Hollyoaks so cannot comment.