Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[Homeandawayfan.]

They should never have killed off Bobby Marshall, imagine if she was still around today. One idea to think outside the box would be to bring in a distant cousin of Alf on the Stewart side, a second cousin, with a wife and children, a new Stewart family. Just a thought. Or bring back Sam Marshall or Rebecca Nash.

I was watching an old ep from 1999 on VHS last night where Vinnie and Sam played a trick on Joey Rainbow (similar to Lance and Martin winding up vulnerable Nico in 1988) about pretending there was a trapped girl in a drain and back then the show was light and fuzzy and character driven like Neighbours. Just the occasional darker plot thrown in for good measure. In 2014 at present very little of that humour and charm remains.

[Blaxland 89]

Yes. Be good to have Sam and Greg in partnership at a new boat shed. Could have Sandy and their child in it too.

I remember that story you are referring to. Wasn't it a trick for Sally but Joey walked past instead?

[cadyctslover]

I don't think so.

I quite like way the show is as long as they balance drama and happy moments.

But the problem is they can't write the show how it was 20 years ago as everyone wants dramatic drama now!

Maybe not, but no one is asking for slopping writing.

[alexx]

I don't think so.

I quite like way the show is as long as they balance drama and happy moments.

But the problem is they can't write the show how it was 20 years ago as everyone wants dramatic drama now!

Maybe not, but no one is asking for slopping writing.

Yep and I think we've discussed this earlier in the thread... No one has ever said that they want the show to be written like it was 20 years ago.

At the moment I don't think there is a decent balance of drama (real drama that is actually thrilling and engaging) and happy moments (genuine character driven moments that bring a smile to your face).

[RI4444]

I'm dyslexic, so there may be some errors here.

This is my opinion! Home and Away is no longer a family show, it has turned into a violent action show. I can't stand the Braxtons, the Barretts, Ash or Sophie.

I don't like Maddy or the new VJ, and I don't like the storylines. The writers have done a poor jobb the past 5 years, and I do not think it's going to get better anytime soon.

I love Matt Page, Alec Snow is a great actor, I like Sasha and Jett too. I also like Alf, Leah, Irine, Roo, Marilyn and John, but they rarely get a storyline these days. Are you not a Braxton, or a relative, friend of them, or a teenager played by a 20-year-old you have nothing to do.

I miss Pippa Ross, Sally, Morag, Donald Fisher, Seb and Lucas. I miss that the characters care about each other. I miss the families, before we had the Fletchers, Sutherlands, Holdens, Hunters etc etc who were proper families and everyone belonged somewhere, and was related to each other. I also miss the friendship between the characters.

[jodlebirger]

To be honest, I don't think the show has been a family show since the mid nineties, about 96/97 seasons. And that is almost 20 years ago. Even back then there were storylines that was not exactly for small children.

The Nashes and especially the Stutherlands had storylines that was not for children at all. A show that is about adult themes as rape, seriously illness, police matters or betrayal is not for children, and those themes were touched and real digged into in the nineties and early 00's too.

The show has become too violent and it is not for young teens anymore either, but I don't think that is the only problem either.

And the problem is not only about focusing on one set of characters, or that some characters are more likable than others. It is not about some type of characters. Matt, Irene or Sasha haven't been written better than the others, they are just as hopeless, and the casting of Alec Snow isn't less wrong than the casting of Cassie as Hannah or the casting of new VJ. And Marilyn/Jett/John aren't exactly good characters these days. They are just going in circles with silly misunderstandings. The show will not be better if we cut out some characters, like Brax or the Barrets. I think that some people will like some characters and other people will like others.

But I think the point is that back in the early 2000's or in 2008 the storylines and characters overall were better written. I don't think we should think it is just fine to see violent storylines without any point, or a lot of storylines and characters without a progress and developement.

The show will not change before the overall writing changes. The show wouldn't have been less popular with better character development and better progress of the storylines and more realistic casting of the actors/actresses.

And I think the show would have attracted more older and "critical" viewers, too. I know about a lot of people here in Norway between 25-60 who has stopped watching the show during the past 10 years because of bad writing overall.

The show could have been good, even with all the current characters in it, with a better writing overall. A better progress in the storylines, better character development from the beginning, and more consistent writing of the show overall.

[RI4444]

The show could have been good, even with all the current characters in it, with a better writing overall.

I don't agree with you in this.

If the show was less violent, they would have attracted older viewers. My 74 years old father stopped watching in 2011 because of the braxtons, and of course poor writing.

[Homeandawayfan.]

I think even if the show became a bit darker in 1996 they did write a decent script and it was still light and fuzzy a lot of the time.

Neighbours in 2014 is what H&A was 1996-2008, bolder in storytelling but watchable.

[RI4444]

I think even if the show became a bit darker in 1996 they did write a decent script and it was still light and fuzzy a lot of the time.

Neighbours in 2014 is what H&A was 1996-2008, bolder in storytelling but watchable.

I can agree with you in this.

[jodlebirger]

The show could have been good, even with all the current characters in it, with a better writing overall.

I don't agree with you in this.

If the show was less violent, they would have attracted older viewers. My 74 years old father stopped watching in 2011 because of the braxtons, and of course poor writing.

Yes, but if the Braxton's violent behaviour, the gang war and criminal actions were toned more down, and the focus was more on their background and family and more consistent storylines, wouldn't he still have watched?

The main focus didn't have to be the crime behaviour and strange enemies all the time to keep the Braxtons in the show. A bit different style in the writing of those charachers would have made them more enjoyable for more people.