Favourite year 1988-1992.

[matty]

What is your favourite year, in order?

For me:

1988 - first year, very community centred, and loved all of the mischief of Lance and Martin.

1989 - moving seeing Alam's death and the effect on Bobby, also Bobby finding out who her parents were. Morag becoming a main character for the only time ever to date, was also good.

1991 - loved seeing Greg and Sam, and the arrival of Irene.

1990 - not many really great moments, IMO. Too much focus on Ben and Carly. I guess the only real highlight was the arival of Blake and Karen.

Sorry, typo, should be 1988-1991!

[sindikatas]

1988 - As already mentioned very community centred. When guest characters leave they reappear after a few months not allowing things to seem like they were swept under the carpet. Ailsa was strong and independent, fighting for justice. I also liked the sets used like Hogan's store and church hall. I don't like that it was later replaced by surf club. And the show seemed quite realistic(minus Floss dreaming Frank's accident).

1989 - first few months were so strong that I thought I would prefere this year over 1988. It was a year when Morag shone as a character. Celia also had good storylines in the first half of the year. I also enjoyed the nice Roo and Dodge. Viv's backstory was good and I enjoyed her friendship with Emma. But also there were poor storylines. The show seemed a bit childish with bunyip and "image" storylines. I didn't mind Rory but Pippa's and Zac "affair" storyline was horrible. It damaged many characters especially Tom. And it was the first time when gossipy Ailsa that I dislike, appeared. And didn't anyone celebrate Christmas in 1989?

1991 - A teen group of Haydn, Blake, Sophie and Karen seemed like a breath of fresh air. This year Bobby of 88 returned, stubborn, caring, fighting for Justice only smarter and not so childish. Ailsa was very symphatethic. And Karen turning evil was my favourite storyline of the year. It also featured new beautiful underscores like Sam's theme or Sophie's theme and dramatic piano theme. This year was mostly filmed with newer cameras what made show look more attractive. But there were many unlikable things like Sophie's obsession with David, Alf being too strict like not allowing Karen to date Adam while he was fine when Emma was dating him. I must be the only one who doesn't like the characters of Nick, Sam and Greg. Donald being too soft, what made look Lois Crowford look very bad although Donald in the beginning was just as bad. The destruction of Frank and Roo's happy ending. And having different Pippa on screen.

1990 - I thought this was going to be higher, but then I realised that it didn't have lasting impression or many memorable storylines. The show felt like it was getting better and better at first. Celia's comedy stuff was priceless. Tom was reabilitated. Grant was a nice addition. Tom's death was done nicely and I like the fact that he wasn't forgotten. Pippa shone as a very strong and nice woman after Tom's death, especially while she was still played by Vanessa Downing. Viv's leaving storyline was great too. But after that it seemed a bit dull. There weren't many memorable storylines. Although of risking contradicting myself I'll say I prefer that than when things are done over the top like in 21st century. I like realism. It's not that I have much to complain about but there wasn't something particulary special. I can complain about characters like Ben and Jane. As well as Carly and Ben's love at first sight fantasy. Emma although was quite likeable at first she left as an ungrateful bitch make me glad that she left. And of course a recast. I think that Debra Lawrance is a wonderful actress, but I don't like the Idea of recasting in general. However I understand why it was done and it was the most realistic thing that could be done, when Vanessa Downing left.

[Jezz]

I have to admit I haven't seen the 1991 episodes. I can only speak about 1988, 1989 and 1990 up to Martin and Lance's departures as I'm up to those episodes in my Home and Away marathon.

I think 1988 was simply brilliant. It was one big story with a start and then fitting conclusion. As it's been highlighted already, it's very community centred which I love and it's something that I want the show to demonstrate much more often currently. I enjoyed getting to know the Fletchers and the likes of Alf, Don, Ailsa and Bobby were household names as well.

1989 was excellent as well. I don't think it was as good as 1988 as it had some ordinary moments throughout the year, but I loved the storyline involving Dodge and his time in Summer Bay. Morag's decision to live in Summer Bay was great and I liked the Danny Price storyline despite the odd conclusion it had in the end and Bobby finding out about her parents was exciting. Another storyline which I enjoyed was the shark storyline involving Rory being killed by one. The inclusions of Adam, Emma, Marilyn and Viv was great. I liked Adam, Emma and Marilyn and while Viv did come across as a bland character, she had an interesting backstory.

I've only watched up to episode 503 for the 1990 episodes so far. I think the year started off slowly but it's started to find it's old self again since the time Sophie was fostered temporarily with the Fletchers and I do like Grant as a character as well.

[rachel1990]

Out of all the seasons I have seen so far

1988- I thought it was a good first year for the show but I prefer the second half to the first half because of storylines such as Alan's death and Roo's pregnancy. Plus once the show got rid of those post credit scenes it improved.

1989- I didn't like the show so much this year. Yes the beginning of Maz, Viv and Emma were great as they are some of my favourite characters from the early years. However I felt that many characters just didn't thread together as they did in 1988. Towards the end it got a bit ridiculous.

1990- The show improved a lot this year with new characters being brought in to freshen up the show. Losing Tom was a pity but was probably needed to breath fresh light into the show. However recasting Pippa was a situation that 7 had to do and it helped the show in a big way! Viv and Emma leaving was a pity but seeing Sophie, Blake, Karen and Hayden arrive gave us a new teen group that helped as well. Celia leaving was the biggest blow for the show because I felt that there was a lot of potential there that was lost. Overall 1990 was a good year for the show

1991- This was my favourite year of the show so far and there was so many reasons why. The only downspot was the Sophie and David storyline which was overhyped in the end and was a bit ridiculous. However apart from that it was an amazing year. Hopefully 1992 can continue the trend!!!!

So in order my favourites years

1. 1991

2. 1988

3. 1990

4. 1989

[Ryan]

1991 - I'm unsure whether this is the recency factor coming in, but this is the year I'd give the highest mark so for. There's a few dodgy characters in the show, but it more or less sets a successful template that lasts for the best part of a decade.

1988 - It's a very different show to what it would quickly became and in itself a very self-contained year with characters, locations and ideas that were used a lot in this year and then never mentioned again. It was very much about two families and a few funny characters that stayed at the caravan park. But it was very enjoyable.

1990 - A difficult year. It's the year whenI think the show moves out of that very unique Early Years feel and becomes part of the show that lasts throughout the 90's. I think the problem is, as somone said there's a period of very good drama and then after Tom dies, it drifts along in this bizarre melancholy for the rest of the year, with the last few months of the year, it felt like it was given over to 3 different guest characters; Stone, Atkinson and em, Bobby's partner.

1989 - This is a hard one because there was two of what I would call the best storylines in the shows history; Bobby's paternity and the Dodge storyline. But beyond that there wasn't much and what there was usually either silly or boring, storylines like the shark attack, the Sands resort. It started off so well, but fell away...badly.

[CaptainHulk]

1991 > 1988 > 1990 > 1989.

I only rank 1989 weakest because of that last part Bunyip + Sharks, plus the absence of Tom for a while.

1991 ranks highest in my estimation because it's a darker, more daring H&A than audiences had seen up to that point. OK, The actual David Croft car crash was crap but the after-effects lingered on for more than a decade. Plus the Bay seemed fair game for villains that year (Crawford, Josh, Revhead in his third, final & most believable stint and Irene) but not the OTT kind like Sarah, Felix and Zoe in the decade that followed. Also, Kate Ritchie (used sparingly) got her chance to shine in the material she was given. Yes, Sally came off bratty sometimes but it was a massive age of transition for the character.

[Homeandawayfan.]

1988 good. We saw the first of Roo, Celia and Morag, the first two appearing just a few episodes into the shows run. Alf at the bait shop and the original bad boy image of Don who acted like he was the Don of Summer Bay. Alan Fisher's introduction and the death storyline.

1989, Don dressing as a punk, the introduction of Maz and the Don, Morag and Bobby storyline. Emma coming into the show and turning heads. The Dodge storyline. And the start of the exodus of the original Home And Away characters and style with Morag, Roo, Neville and Floss leaving. Morag to return a few years later though and occasionally Floss years later.

1990, the continuation of the exodus of the original H&A with Tom dying, Martin and Lance leaving. Some to return years and years later for short periods such as Lance and 1988 and 1989 are my fave years.

1991 and 1992 were the same in my opinion.

[CaptainHulk]

Reviewing 1992 at present it seems like a totally different animal. It's almost like the cast has "Settled" at that point. The long-term guests seem to be a bit few and far between at the minute.