Irene Roberts - Lynne McGranger

[j.laur5]

Irene getting new storyline? I wonder what it is.

I missed Irene when she went away to the UK and I always find it lovely how when Lynne goes on promo every 2 years and when she is interviewed she always talks so postively and is so devoted to Home and Away.

I could not believe my ears when I heard someone say that Irene should get axed

I know she may not have biggest storylines all the time but she is the backbone and heart of the show and I like having characters who are just being themselves and like being a supporting character.

Edited June 6, 2011 by Jen
SPAG

[alexx]

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.

Edited December 17, 2011 by alexx

[Jamie!]

I've read what you've put down for the first two weeks, Alexx, and I like what I read.

[Bobby Forever Missed]

Irene getting new storyline? I wonder what it is.

I missed Irene when she went away to the UK and I always find it lovely how when Lynne goes on promo every 2 years and when she is interviewed she always talks so postively and is so devoted to Home and Away.

I could not believe my ears when I heard someone say that Irene should get axed

I know she may not have biggest storylines all the time but she is the backbone and heart of the show and I like having characters who are just being themselves and like being a supporting character.

Don't even bother getting excited it'll soon get forgotten in all the Chax Riverboys and gangs stuff it's getting ridiculous!

[b2sb09]

Irene's had her cancer storyline and once that's over, she'll be pushed even further into the background while the show devotes most of the time to Chax and the River Boys, because the show is now about these few characters. Leah's had her big storyline, so she'll probably be pushed back as well for a year or two, Alf does little these days and even Gina and John have been reduced to bit parts, especially since the school's gone. There is so much they could do with the experienced cast members, but it seems like they just can't be bothered - another cancer storyline and miscarriage storyline were hardly original but I suppose it required little research or effort on the writers part because they just rehashed old storylines, thereby giving them more time to think up exciting storylines for the only characters they really seem to care about, going by the type of stories and the way they've constantly been promoted and shoved in our faces over and over again.

The whole cancer storyline had such potential, despite the repetitiveness of yet another cancer storyline, but like a lot of other storylines in the last half of the year, it was treated as a secondary storyline most of the time while the crims and Charlie had centre stage and it suffered as a result, much like the farce Bianca's rape was turned into as it was dropped and forgotten (it's only rape and women get over that all the time, especially when there's some hot drug dealer she can be chasing after, at least that's how the past few rapes seem to be treated - raped and quickly into bed with someone else). Can't see it being any different next year, with the majority of characters playing second fiddle to the wonderful criminals and their silly women because the show doesn't care about balance, only above promoting the 'popular ones', which going by a lot of the comments of quite a few viewers I've read on youtube and elsewhere, are the only reason they watch the show - wonder how many will stick around when these characters leave? Wish the show would remember it's loyal, long term viewers and give us a more balanced show and actually make more of an effort with the other storylines - sometimes I've felt like the actors/actresses hearts just aren't in it and they're just going through the motions in the tiny parts they've been alloted and it'd be nice if they stopped giving all the big and exciting storylines to the same few people just to make them seem like they're far more exciting than all the others.

Josh is already gone,

and I wouldn't blame others for following after the treatment their characters have received this year.

Personally, I'm over the shallow, repetative and totally unbelievable Chax and River Boys storylines and would prefer more time devoted to characters like Irene but next year I just know I'll continue to be disappointed and will be as long as Cam and Co are in love with Chax and the River Boys and promoting criminals as sexy and exciting instead of actually mirroring society (which according to Cam is the aim of the show) with realistic storylines that people can actually relate to - how many people will be involved in gangs or be victims of gangs? These men are criminals, so I can't relate in any way with them, nor do I have any desire to relate to their selfish, corrupt way of life.

[Bobby Forever Missed]

Yeah I personally wouldn't blame Lynne for leaving the show as a storyline she cared deeply about was rushed just for the Chax and Riverboys crap!

[j.laur5]

Irene's had her cancer storyline and once that's over, she'll be pushed even further into the background while the show devotes most of the time to Chax and the River Boys, because the show is now about these few characters. Leah's had her big storyline, so she'll probably be pushed back as well for a year or two, Alf does little these days and even Gina and John have been reduced to bit parts, especially since the school's gone. There is so much they could do with the experienced cast members, but it seems like they just can't be bothered - another cancer storyline and miscarriage storyline were hardly original but I suppose it required little research or effort on the writers part because they just rehashed old storylines, thereby giving them more time to think up exciting storylines for the only characters they really seem to care about, going by the type of stories and the way they've constantly been promoted and shoved in our faces over and over again.

The whole cancer storyline had such potential, despite the repetitiveness of yet another cancer storyline, but like a lot of other storylines in the last half of the year, it was treated as a secondary storyline most of the time while the crims and Charlie had centre stage and it suffered as a result, much like the farce Bianca's rape was turned into as it was dropped and forgotten (it's only rape and women get over that all the time, especially when there's some hot drug dealer she can be chasing after, at least that's how the past few rapes seem to be treated - raped and quickly into bed with someone else). Can't see it being any different next year, with the majority of characters playing second fiddle to the wonderful criminals and their silly women because the show doesn't care about balance, only above promoting the 'popular ones', which going by a lot of the comments of quite a few viewers I've read on youtube and elsewhere, are the only reason they watch the show - wonder how many will stick around when these characters leave? Wish the show would remember it's loyal, long term viewers and give us a more balanced show and actually make more of an effort with the other storylines - sometimes I've felt like the actors/actresses hearts just aren't in it and they're just going through the motions in the tiny parts they've been alloted and it'd be nice if they stopped giving all the big and exciting storylines to the same few people just to make them seem like they're far more exciting than all the others.

Josh is already gone,

and I wouldn't blame others for following after the treatment their characters have received this year.

Personally, I'm over the shallow, repetative and totally unbelievable Chax and River Boys storylines and would prefer more time devoted to characters like Irene but next year I just know I'll continue to be disappointed and will be as long as Cam and Co are in love with Chax and the River Boys and promoting criminals as sexy and exciting instead of actually mirroring society (which according to Cam is the aim of the show) with realistic storylines that people can actually relate to - how many people will be involved in gangs or be victims of gangs? These men are criminals, so I can't relate in any way with them, nor do I have any desire to relate to their selfish, corrupt way of life.

Dont worry, I don't see Lynne leaving anytime soon as she always talks so postively about the show.

I personally perfer Irene just being there as a support character because she is a Summer Bay icon.

Edited December 20, 2011 by john003au

[Light of the Bay]

Well I'm reviving this thread after it being dead for almost a year! Irene has had her worst year yet IMO. Her cancer storyline finished at the beginning of the year and since then she's been nothing but a supporting character. All she has done is listen to April and Bianca's problems and toss salad in the Diner. I can however think of one storyline where she worked with a musical instructor Eddie and she sang some karaoke but that was nothing more than a 3 episode storyline.

I really miss Irene having stuff to do and having people ask her how she's doing - it made you feel like she was a real person but now she just floats about and you're lucky if she's in 2 episodes a week! It really is a disgrace how Irene is written and Lynne doesn't seem too bothered. I really hope things are different next year and we see Irene take on a more central role in the town of Summer Bay. I'd like her to rekindle her friendship with Marilyn and we see them bond again. She used to live with Irene and it was a really believeable friendship. There's still hope for the character but the writers really need to get their act together.

[Jezz]

Well I'm reviving this thread after it being dead for almost a year! Irene has had her worst year yet IMO. Her cancer storyline finished at the beginning of the year and since then she's been nothing but a supporting character. All she has done is listen to April and Bianca's problems and toss salad in the Diner. I can however think of one storyline where she worked with a musical instructor Eddie and she sang some karaoke but that was nothing more than a 3 episode storyline.

I really miss Irene having stuff to do and having people ask her how she's doing - it made you feel like she was a real person but now she just floats about and you're lucky if she's in 2 episodes a week! It really is a disgrace how Irene is written and Lynne doesn't seem too bothered. I really hope things are different next year and we see Irene take on a more central role in the town of Summer Bay. I'd like her to rekindle her friendship with Marilyn and we see them bond again. She used to live with Irene and it was a really believeable friendship. There's still hope for the character but the writers really need to get their act together.

I'd love to see a return of her biological children such as Finley and her kids or even her foster children such as Nick and Hayley. It would guarantee more screen presence for Irene.

[cadyctslover]

I'd love to see a return of her biological children such as Finley and her kids or even her foster children such as Nick and Hayley. It would guarantee more screen presence for Irene.

I agree, maybe they could recast Finley or Damian? I think LaMurray123 also suggested somewhere that Irene become a priest, I think that could be quite an interesting storyline.