alexx

Precisely.

Very well said. I've highlighted the main points I agree with above. This is the major gripe I have about the show at the moment, really its the problem I've had with the show since 2005 to varying degrees. The major lack of consistency. But its got terrible since the Braxtons arrived and since they are the current obsession, I see their introduction and the focus on trivialising their crime and irritating behaviour as the main culprit in 2011-2012. It makes the writers come up with tacky plots that are very repetitive and difficult to invest in. See I also agree with Coral about drama being about 'life without the boring bits' - the thing is, Coral was an excellent character writer who gave the characters genuine and realistic responses to goings on (most of the time) and therefore we could accept that these characters were realistically facing what they were on screen and dealing with the aftermath as people do in life. She knew Summer Bay and how to write Home and Away as we knew it, but with lots of emotion, drama and light-hearted content. The current writers don't write 'life without the boring bits' they write shallow characters and storylines (Imo) that don't mean anything or have any lasting or realistic consequences - Braxton is top of the list for me. Bianca is another example - I can't comment properly on the last few months, but the rape was pathetic. Swept under the carpet within a matter of episodes. Irene's cancer, brushed to the side because they cant be bothered giving an older character screen time. These sort of things irritate me which is why I have done what others are suggesting, switch off.

I wonder when she will get a storyline. She has taken over the role Leah had during 2006-2009 - serving coffee in the diner and.... that's it. Such a waste.

I think its only us. However Marilyn herself (or Emily) said 'Maz speaking' when she picked up the phone a while ago. I wish they would call her that again, I wonder why Lynne McGranger didn't pick up on it since Irene always called her Maz.

Thanks very much Dan!

Hi there! I was just wondering if anyone knew which episode number featured the Irene/Barry showdown in (I think) 2006? It was in the Beach House kitchen and Barry comes round to see if Irene is ok, after she found out he had been charged (so I'm presuming it was close to his departure). She ends up crying on his shoulder before screaming 'Get out' and literally pushes him out of the kitchen door and slams it shut. I think this was one of Irene's memorable moments, it was a strong scene and Lynn McGranger was awesome in it. I'm having a search for it and if I find it, I'll post the ep number.

^Ah, memory playing tricks. I could remember a heart attack, a best mate and Jack - but didnt think it was Bert who had the attack. Thanks for clearing that up. I remember Harry and/or Bert playing basketball with Jack.

He returned at first during 1995 with his best mate, I cant for the life of me remember the storyline but I think Jack gave his best mate a heart attack. Then he returned again a few other times and Pippa wanted him to go into a retirement home. When he returned in 1997, that was for Pippa's coma.

Neighbours put a logo over their ad breaks and cliff-hangers up until 2007 over here. I'd love for the freeze frame to make a return. I really dislike how the show just abruptly ends.

I've seen the UK version, without a logo, and I prefer that. A logo is still used over the freeze frame at least until mid-1996. I can't for the life of me work out what it looked like in the later 90's (with the H&A sign in the credits) - actually I'm not sure its used during 96-99. Anyone else remember?

I would love to include Martin & Lance in your 'Most Popular Character' awards Edward but sadly I seem to be their only fan Lance and Martin were a couple of my favourites too, as I've already said many times... Most members who discuss the early years are fans of Lance and Martin, so you're not alone, not sure how you got that impression.

Yes^ I always saw Bobby's departure as the beginning of the end of the 'early years' and then it seems to be well and truly in its next phase once the piano based incidental music drifts off late 1994/early 1995. But I'd say 1993 is when I think 'the early years' have come to a close. Although these days I'm more inclined to see all of the 80's and 90's until 2000 as the early years.

I can't remember what happened to him definitely, but I remember being pleasantly surprised when they brought him up in 1996 during the Mr Moss storyline, At that time they refereed to him as a dog Sallly 'used to have'.

I think its really interesting how the writers seem to have noticed her popularity and very gradually she has become more prominent both in and out of uniform now. She seems cool and I like the actor. Hope we see more of her personal life.

Which old store? The Bait Shop?

Really?I followed the Melody storyline quite closely and I don't remember that at all.I know he had a brief bit comforting her when her grandmother was nasty to her and Miles said something to the effect that Alf cared about her when she skipped out on him whilst helping at the bait shop but I don't recall them taking it that far.(In fact, watching her goodbye scene, they don't talk to each other and barely acknowledge each other, which is a bit odd in itself.) But yes, I'm extremely fond of John as a character and with the show back from its Christmas break in the UK I'm being reminded of what an impact he can make on an episode where he has almost nothing to do, so I'm hoping for more screen time this year. I'm almost certain it was Melody. I'm sure the scene took place next to the doors to the hall way off the living space in Summer Bay House. But now you have me thinking it might have been that girl who stayed with them during 2007 I think it was. Cassie befriended her via a phone help line. I wonder what sort of relationship Trey and John would have if he was to return. At the time I didn't think much of John, but I think I was very sceptical about how the writers at the time treated the older actors (not much changed really); but I've enjoyed the way Shane's added the layers and the writers obviously cottoned on to his performance and worked it into the character.

^Thanks for the nod, its a great interview! No reason they can't coexist, I just think they kind of play the same role and I like John better. As for Irene, she wasn't a great mum to her own kids, but there was a reason for that, and since she's been off the grog she does actually have a pretty good track record with the kids she's taken in. So it doesn't seem at all strange to me that people would go to her for advice. I think Alf was always a better parent/role model for the older 'kids' in his life like Blake and Curtis but he's never been that good with kids. Thats why that stupid scene will always stick out to me when Melody left and they had a chat whereby he referred to her like his own child or she like a father - it was so out of context and fake, we hadn't seen them have a father/daughter relationship. I'd prefer them have Alf give out rubbish advice here and there. But I'd really like to see Duncan return now he is a young adult, like Irene with her kids, I always feel like theres much unfinished business. Same applies to John. He's a great character and I've shared the same opinion as you guys in that he is similar to the younger Alf, but he's a bit more scheming and has more of a comical edge. I hope both Gina and John are given more to do in the coming year.

because the show can't demonstrate that someone can behave like Brax and be rewarded with a happy ending:There needs to be proper permanent consequences to his actions, not being stabbed and then being fit enough to get into a fight a week later, and if he's not going to receive any legal punishment then will have to do. But I could be wrong. Absolutely, completely agree with alll of this! Very well put. Pierced Musie - I agree we need characters that have many layers, faults, that screw up, can be nasty, mental, suicidal, depressed etc. all to create drama and suspense. We also need the 'vanilla' characters as you put it, otherwise we simply don't care about them. But Brax is everything Red Ranger just discussed. I feel the same towards Heath, although the only 'human' element that could possibly be seen to redeem his actions is that he is a sheep and doesn't seem to have a mind of his own. The River Boys on whole, its annoying TV to me, frustrating and it isn't Home and Away. Its the producers latching on to this years 'popular' drama format, whereby the bad guys are the stars of the show and are seen as 'cool', no matter what they do. I know you said you can't describe why you like him, but I'd be interested in knowing why anyone likes him - the fans have got to be seeing him as a good guy deep down, despite there not being anything on screen to give that impression. Every time I see him in tears over Charlie in the promo I think, I hope she dies so that it can act as some sort of punishment for being such a prick in life because if he is contracted to stay on the show for the foreseeable future, he obviously isn't going to be punished legally.

He had more brains than Lance, but that's not saying a lot! Lance and Martin play a huge part in my enjoyment of the show during the early years. Great double act and I particularly liked their storylines during 1988. I hate to be so cynical and I hope I'm wrong, but I get the feeling the writers wanted to keep that daft threesome with Maz but wanted to shift their brains up a gear as well as introduce more actors who could be seen as 'hot/sexy' with the abs and surfing etc So Lance and Martin got the chop sadly. That's not to say I don't like Matt and Adam - the two of them with Maz are brilliant. I reckon the current show would greatly benefit from the Martin/Lance type character. Vinnie also proved to be really popular and he was very similar to Martin, they shared some good scenes when Martin returned for Sally's wedding. I also really liked how the writers had him stick around for a couple of weeks if I'm not mistaken (as they did Lance a few months earlier) rather than just a few days.

I was just reading the Coral Drouyn interview, who was script producer and story editor of Home and Away from 2002-2004. I really enjoyed that interview because overall I think her writing was very character focused and I enjoyed her response to the following question: If you could choose one character to be from Home and Away, who and why would you be that character? Irene! Always my favourite character. I was horrified when I found out there were plans to write her out when I came on board. Hopefully I gave her strong storylines and really grounded the character. What a great way to look at the characters you are writing. I think she did a decent job of giving all of the characters strong and grounded storylines but I especially agree with Irene. It wasn't as if she was given a huge storyline, instead she was constantly doing something, being involved heavily with the kids storylines, especially Nick or putting her foot in it here and there, being dragged into the Angie storyline, having romance with her toy boy Paris or just generally being involved in characters lives such as Alf, Shelly, or Fisher. The point is she was involved in lots of individual plots that were spread out over a few years, giving her a reason to be in the show. I just wish the current producers could pay attention to Irene in the same way as well as the entire cast instead of latching onto a handful of 'trendy' characters and pushing them in our face every day. I did a couple of weeks of Foilers in the Spoilers section- I know they were supposed to be light-hearted in that thread but I just did a synopsis of how I would plot the first two weeks if I were Script and Storyline Producer. I would genuinely be really excited if I read those spoilers. I have so many ideas. But in terms of Irene, I still think there is so much untouched on. They need to make her exciting and unique again. They also need to put more effort into balanced characterisation in general. I just wish the current producers shared my enthusiasm for this type of writing, they used to do it so well.

^And Leah's place - the old Nash House. That stock shot/location has now been changed three times. I just don't see the point in doing it. If they're not going to film outside the location anyway, why keep changing the stock shots? They could still be using old Beach House shots from the late 90's if they really couldn't be bothered going back to film there. But if they went back to using that location as a stock shot and had permission to use it not just for stock but on a more regular basis like the 90's, it could become iconic again. Imagine filming really cinematic shots of the Beach House with the new filming techniques they use. And it is sitting right on a beach, its just perfect. They could have character get togethers in the front garden from time to time, sort of use it as a meeting point etc. Just having the character walk along the beach and then be seen to walk up to the house would be enough to create a decent sense of continuity. In the recent Early Years we've seen quite a fair bit of location stuff outside the house, it looks really nice.

Nice update. Interesting how it almost looks exactly the same. I've always been intrigued to find out what the real interiors look like too (though usually on Neighbours rather than H&A because we see them all the time). Such as the Beach House - that was brilliant to see the inside, it is obvious that the set was based around the real life location. I always go on about it but I really wish they'd use that location again and actually feature it in the episodes every now and then like they used to. It's so picturesque and the windows match up etc, it would just create more realism.

We were in the dining room over the past week with Alf and Maz and later Emma, but yeah obviously a kitchen set wasn't designed yet. I wonder when we first see it, it's definitely around in 1992.

I think the last time the exterior of the Stewarts house was used within the episode, not a stock shot, was in 1999 (?) when Alf was buying his coffin. I seem to remember a few scenes outside because Alf was trying to work out if it would fit under the house. There was also all that stuff during the 1994 Christmas build up, when Alf was putting up the lights around the house and they had that huge christmas tree in the garden that Jack and co set fire to.

Thanks! Always interested in and enjoy the Locations Feature!