H&A vs Neighbours?

[CaptainHulk]

Neighbours definitely now. H&A has tried to act like it's better than its roots for the past decade. At least Neighbours has the courage to hit the reset button every few years and it generally works for them even though some people crap on nostalgia.

You don't need to shoot each other in the liver every week to maintain interest.

[Jezz]

2006/2007 was one of the lowest periods of Neighbours history, I dont know but did Dan Bennett make mistakes on H&A by turning it into a bomb and crime show and realised it is not what longer viewers want?

ATM the H&A producers are too busy attracting new viewers to worry about what us older viewers want. Jason Herbison knows what Neighbours is supposed to be and does understand older viewers as well as newer ones.

Despite it's over the top nature I thought Neighbours was superb between 2005 to 2007. I thought it went downhill after the revamp and the Timmins family left and it got progressively worse when Susan Bower took over as executive producer around 2008/2009 from memory.

It's only ever since she left and Richard Jasek and then Jason Herbison took over as executive producer where the show has started to improve and gradually return to its glory days.

[Homeandawayfan.]

H&A's most stale period was 1997 to early 2000. I found the show was going through the motions during those 3 years, probably because so many iconic characters had left in 1995 and 1996. In 2000 the show picked up and rejuvenated itself when the Sutherlands and Leah arrived. Many deadwood characters like Joey Rainbow, Aaron Welles and Liam Tanner left.

Neighbours stale period was 1991-1993 I think when many iconic characters left such as Hazza Bishop, Henry, Des etc, but the Willises carried the show IMHO. It picked up in 1994 I think.

[alexx]

H&A's most stale period was 1997 to early 2000. I found the show was going through the motions during those 3 years, probably because so many iconic characters had left in 1995 and 1996. In 2000 the show picked up and rejuvenated itself when the Sutherlands and Leah arrived. Many deadwood characters like Joey Rainbow, Aaron Welles and Liam Tanner left.

Neighbours stale period was 1991-1993 I think when many iconic characters left such as Hazza Bishop, Henry, Des etc, but the Willises carried the show IMHO. It picked up in 1994 I think.

I think Joey was great, the best teen for me out of that later 90's gang.

I didn't think 1997-1999 were as good as the previous years, but they were a lot better than 2001 which was quite dull and too slow coming straight from 2000 which was a standout year.

[j.laur5]

I think what was bad in 2001 was the loss of Ailsa.

[CaptainHulk]

H&A's most stale period was 1997 to early 2000. I found the show was going through the motions during those 3 years, probably because so many iconic characters had left in 1995 and 1996. In 2000 the show picked up and rejuvenated itself when the Sutherlands and Leah arrived. Many deadwood characters like Joey Rainbow, Aaron Welles and Liam Tanner left.

Neighbours stale period was 1991-1993 I think when many iconic characters left such as Hazza Bishop, Henry, Des etc, but the Willises carried the show IMHO. It picked up in 1994 I think.

Disagree here. Joey was the best of a meh bunch, he wasn't your typical cookie-cutter one-dimensional teen. 1997 had some good stuff like Justine fighting her smack addiction, Stephanie dying and the Cyclone. The problem was it just became the Nash Show after that (even though they had some good stories like Gypsy/Robert).

I'll agree Neighbours was pretty dire in the early 90s to a degree. The fun went out of it a bit when Jelly Belly supposedly deep-sixed himself and Joe Mangel and Melanie left. It did improve 1992-94 (if you ignore crap like the Lim Family and Hannah's jinxed Rock). However, it hit its all-time low in 1995 (Stupid, Stupid, Stupid Lame Corny Storylines that made people switch off, probably the worst ever) to the point where the BBC told the PTB to go back to basics and they did which sparked off Golden Age 2 (1996-99).

Back to H&A. 2001 wasn't that bad, Just a step down from 2000 Sutherland -dominated but not as bad as the next two years would be. The saving graces of that season were Lance and Carly's visits and Vinnie/Leah reaching their zenith.

[Blaxland 89]

I don't know about OZ but in the UK the most watched episode was from 1992. Meg's death.

This was closely followed by episodes from 1993 during Bobby's death.

The show rated consistently well until mid to late 1996 and when Angel left a lot of people tuned out because she was the last of that popular group.

I have no idea what year has been the most watched during its channel 5 tender. But I'd bet its not in the last four years. I can count the people that I know who watch it on one hand.

Personally my favorite years are 1988, 1989, late 1997-2000, 2002, early 2008. I just wasnt keen on all the soapy teenage topical stories of the mid 90s. But I still loved and enjoyed the show then. I'll always stick up for the late 90s. It did lose it way in 96 early 97, but then some really interesting stories and characters came about. just a personal opinion. I loved Irene in this era. She was so strong.

2001 was absolutely spoiled by the reaction to Ailsa's death. Was very poor.

I don't know about OZ but in the UK the most watched episode was from 1992. Meg's death.

This was closely followed by episodes from 1993 during Bobby's death.

The show rated consistently well until mid to late 1996 and when Angel left a lot of people tuned out because she was the last of that popular group.

I have no idea what year has been the most watched during its channel 5 tender. But I'd bet its not in the last four years. I can count the people that I know who watch it on one hand.

Personally my favorite years are 1988, 1989, late 1997-2000, 2002, early 2008. I just wasnt keen on all the soapy teenage topical stories of the mid 90s. But I still loved and enjoyed the show then. I'll always stick up for the late 90s. It did lose it way in 96 early 97, but then some really interesting stories and characters came about. just a personal opinion. I loved Irene in this era. She was so strong

Liam and Stephanie weren't written that well. And Liam's acting was shocking in those early scenes. But to call Aaron, Tiegan, Justine, Joey, Casey is unfair. The could of explored these character a lot more and they were mostly cut short. Nice to see a group of character that didn't quite fit the mold.

2001 was absolutely spoiled by the reaction to Ailsa's death. Was very poor.

[Homeandawayfan.]

I don't know about OZ but in the UK the most watched episode was from 1992. Meg's death.

This was closely followed by episodes from 1993 during Bobby's death.

The show rated consistently well until mid to late 1996 and when Angel left a lot of people tuned out because she was the last of that popular group.

I have no idea what year has been the most watched during its channel 5 tender. But I'd bet its not in the last four years. I can count the people that I know who watch it on one hand.

Personally my favorite years are 1988, 1989, late 1997-2000, 2002, early 2008. I just wasnt keen on all the soapy teenage topical stories of the mid 90s. But I still loved and enjoyed the show then. I'll always stick up for the late 90s. It did lose it way in 96 early 97, but then some really interesting stories and characters came about. just a personal opinion. I loved Irene in this era. She was so strong.

2001 was absolutely spoiled by the reaction to Ailsa's death. Was very poor.

I don't know about OZ but in the UK the most watched episode was from 1992. Meg's death.

This was closely followed by episodes from 1993 during Bobby's death.

The show rated consistently well until mid to late 1996 and when Angel left a lot of people tuned out because she was the last of that popular group.

I have no idea what year has been the most watched during its channel 5 tender. But I'd bet its not in the last four years. I can count the people that I know who watch it on one hand.

Personally my favorite years are 1988, 1989, late 1997-2000, 2002, early 2008. I just wasnt keen on all the soapy teenage topical stories of the mid 90s. But I still loved and enjoyed the show then. I'll always stick up for the late 90s. It did lose it way in 96 early 97, but then some really interesting stories and characters came about. just a personal opinion. I loved Irene in this era. She was so strong

Liam and Stephanie weren't written that well. And Liam's acting was shocking in those early scenes. But to call Aaron, Tiegan, Justine, Joey, Casey is unfair. The could of explored these character a lot more and they were mostly cut short. Nice to see a group of character that didn't quite fit the mold.

2001 was absolutely spoiled by the reaction to Ailsa's death. Was very poor.

Do you or anyone know the exact viewing figures for that highest watched UK episode, aka Meg's death. I know in 1992, H&A was getting about 15 million viewers (aggregated like Neighbours, afternoon and evening showings of the same daily episode). I think 1994 was probably one of the most popular years as well in the UK, 1992-1996 I'd say. In 1994 in the school playground everyone seemed to talk about Shane, Damo, Tug, Bobby etc.

[CaptainHulk]

Both shows were talked about in the playground when I was at Primary.

[Jezz]

H&A's most stale period was 1997 to early 2000. I found the show was going through the motions during those 3 years, probably because so many iconic characters had left in 1995 and 1996. In 2000 the show picked up and rejuvenated itself when the Sutherlands and Leah arrived. Many deadwood characters like Joey Rainbow, Aaron Welles and Liam Tanner left.

Neighbours stale period was 1991-1993 I think when many iconic characters left such as Hazza Bishop, Henry, Des etc, but the Willises carried the show IMHO. It picked up in 1994 I think.

Home and Away went stale between 1997 to 1999 as all great shows do, but it had a big rejuvenation in 2000 with many iconic and memorable moments.

After Ailsa's death at the end of 2000, the show went through the motions again in 2001 and the early part of 2002 but even then I still enjoyed watching it and found the storylines interesting enough.

Introducing Angie Russell in late 2002 really benefited the show in terms of ratings and popularity and it probably made the show what it has become today to a certain extent with more plot-driven drama being on the forefront as opposed to character-driven drama. However in saying that, I always prefer character-driven drama but I think the two can go hand in hand when it's appropriate and not forced.