Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[Luke39]

I guess experience helps too. I have no memory of the previous Olivia. And im loving Olivia. So guess YOUR pre disposed based on experience. I agree tho. Current Vj is a bad joke. What vj took his spinach? Lol. Honestly its just not believable at all. Overall though the shows hearing down the right direction. I feel when I watch h and a. It feels like its a show maintains its roots. But being modern. Neighbours tho complete opposite. Stuck in the nineties particularly with the sets. H and a feels like its 2016 not 1996 lol. I.also like the foster aspect has returned with Roo, John, and Irene. Needs better balance though. But I love the teen group of Matt,Maddie, Evie, Oscar, Josh etc. And the community feel hss returned. A few river boys for my liking lol. But ive alwAys likd Kyle dude just needs some stories away from the clan. Ash is better without Phoebee too.

[Blaxland 89]

15 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

I agree that the impact matters to a big extent.I had a hard time accepting the recast VJ at first but I've got used to him.I still haven't really accepted the recast Olivia: She was a memorable character, who was the daughter of an even more memorable character, yet I can't see a trace of the old Olivia in this new version.It probably doesn't help that neither VJ nor Olivia were written anything like the old version and were actually quite unlikable.On the other hand, I accepted Georgie Parker as Roo instantly because she was written as Roo: You could imagine Justine Clarke playing the scenes in a way that you really couldn't with "VJ" and "Olivia".(I managed to like Summer in Neighbours to start with without really accepting her as the same character.Then I went off her big time so I try and pretend they were different characters because I really liked the original.)

Paul Gleeson was a very odd casting but it hasn't really bothered me as much as I expected, possibly that's another one I've got used to.One that did stand out was when the guy that played Vinnie's dad appeared in two episodes as a random tramp: He'd been in the show on and off over several years and was instantly recognisable, the entire audience was expecting a twist where it was the same character.Oddly I felt the same when Nate's dad turned up and it was that property developer that conned John a few years back, you could instantly tell it was the same person.Nathan Mark 2 turning up as Matt's dad on the other hand: He'd been in it for a few weeks 12 years previous, I wouldn't even have noticed if I hadn't read it.Similar with Andrew/Charlton Hill and John Adam, I think they've changed enough physically that you don't instantly think of their old character and have to look really hard to tell (John Adam popped up in Neighbours a couple of years back and no-one recognised him), whereas with Ally Fowler on Neighbours she looks and acts exactly the same.

I think the Nathan thing gets to me because Irene is such an integral character and still in it when her son turns up as someone else. I've always hoped we would see her re United with her children again. It would be lovely to have Nathan return with that Irish nurse and possible some children now. A lot of people want Laura Vasquez back too so could be interesting dynamic with Sarah and Nathan back in it together. Let's just hope the don't create another character for Laura. Why won't they connect with Irene's history that's always been there...

Spoiler

...instead of re writing it and giving her a long lost daughter instead.

 

[cadyctslover]

I hadn't recognised the same actor playing Matt's father as Nathan Mk2.

However I think that it quite clearly shows how little interest or respect the show has for Irene as a character. They obviously don't have the excuse that the actor couldn't return, but they can't be bothered to write a visit for one of her children.

[~Lynd~]

This sort of thing usually doesn't bother me to much.Even when I think it will I get over it fairly quickly but there are exceptions.The main one to come to mind is VJ.I know I should be over it but I'm not and I doubt I ever will be seeing it hasn't happened yet.The two actors look nothing alike and VJ seemed to change from a sweet guy into a manchild who's hobbies include throwing a tantrum every 5 minutes overnight.

 

[Red Ranger 1]

I can see the frustration that they bring back the actor that played Irene's son as someone else, but it's not like he was particularly associated with the role.If they did want to bring Nathan back, they'd probably have recast again anyway.

I haven't warmed to Olivia for several reasons, not least being the lack of effort to convince the audience that that is actually Olivia.There just doesn't seem to be any reason for her to be living with Irene instead of her family: We know James is a decent person who's perfectly capable of looking after her, but we get a load of vague self-absorbed stuff like "My uncle doesn't give me enough attention" and the bizarre "I came back to Australia because I was abused at an unspecified point in the past", which James isn't even deemed worthy of being told about despite raising her for ten years.It doesn't help that the abuse seems to be a complete non-event.(I don't mean being abused is nothing, just that in storyline and character terms it seems completely meaningless, forgotten about almost as soon as it's raised.)I've actually liked VJ for a long time and think people are still judging him on how he was written when the recast first happened.He hasn't really been throwing tantrums for about ten months: I remember because when I first read the spoiler about Leah slapping him I cheered, but by the time it happened I actually liked him and the way he supported Zac.(The fact that he's been stuck in a teen group with probably the two most objectionable teenagers of the decade means he's an angel in contrast.)

Whilst I like that the fostering theme is continuing, I think it's a shame that the caravan park house is now at the centre of it.They seemed to be setting Leah up as a foster parent when she took Matt in, but instead she ends up as the head of a blended biological family and it's starting to strongly resemble the Sutherland/Hunter set-up.

With Matt and Maddy having moved out, all the teens are biological relations of the parent figures.

[Luke39]

5 hours ago, ~Lynd~ said:

This sort of thing usually doesn't bother me to much.Even when I think it will I get over it fairly quickly but there are exceptions.The main one to come to mind is VJ.I know I should be over it but I'm not and I doubt I ever will be seeing it hasn't happened yet.The two actors look nothing alike and VJ seemed to change from a sweet guy into a manchild who's hobbies include throwing a tantrum every 5 minutes overnight.

 

Oh I so dont like the new Vj. Hes just a dick lol. Changing a character so drastically over night is just aburd. Maybe the worst casting h and a ever did. Nothing against the actor. But its as bad as Declans recasting in Neighbours. At least Declan diddnt grow 12 feet over night. Like I said the way they are writing Olivia. Different to.the last actress who played her. Doesent effect my viewing experience. As I have no memory of the former. So guess im just treating Olivia as a new character. And most I read on fb are too. And like her in general haha. But I guess if you have a pre disposed experience. Like you knew the original Olivia. Of course now shes been written as a teenager. Shes going to be very different. People change.

[Red Ranger 1]

I really don't see what sort of problem people have with VJ. He hasn't done anything that I'd consider dislikable since Leah came out of the coma.He's got a good relationship with her, he's pleasant and friendly towards the other teens, he even tolerates slimeball Hunter which is more than Hunter deserves yet whenever they do clash a lot of viewers inexplicably take the side of the twisted arsonist... I don't even think "He's too tall" means anything these days.He's in Year 12, he's not going to be five foot still.Has anyone noticed how much Jett's grown in the last two years?VJ was off screen for about six months, seems like time enough for a growth spurt.

To be honest, Olivia's the sort of teenage girl character I dislike even if she wasn't supposed to be Olivia: Self-absorbed, self-entitled, disrespectful, throws herself at anything in trousers,

hooks up with a boy she barely knows who's a loser at best and a criminal at worst and ignores everything he's done just because she fancies him.

The fact that Chloe's probably turning in her grave at how her daughter ended up just adds to it.

[~Lynd~]

3 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

I really don't see what sort of problem people have with VJ. He hasn't done anything that I'd consider dislikable since Leah came out of the coma.He's got a good relationship with her, he's pleasant and friendly towards the other teens, he even tolerates slimeball Hunter which is more than Hunter deserves yet whenever they do clash a lot of viewers inexplicably take the side of the twisted arsonist... I don't even think "He's too tall" means anything these days.He's in Year 12, he's not going to be five foot still.Has anyone noticed how much Jett's grown in the last two years?VJ was off screen for about six months, seems like time enough for a growth spurt.

To be honest, Olivia's the sort of teenage girl character I dislike even if she wasn't supposed to be Olivia: Self-absorbed, self-entitled, disrespectful, throws herself at anything in trousers,

Hidden Content

The fact that Chloe's probably turning in her grave at how her daughter ended up just adds to it.

I could say the same about you with Olivia though.She was offscreen for much longer then 6 months yet you're determined to hate her.She was a child last time and now she's a teenager.And please stop with the ''Throws herself at anything with trousers'' because those those trousers also have to be willing to be with her.Plus she's only been with Hunter.You might not like her but please don't slut shame.

[dee123]

I think people feel attached to VJ because Felix Dean played him for so long and then we just get this abrupt change where he's transformed into another muscle bound man child who seem to be a dime a dozen these days.

That and Matt Little still can't act for s**t and was only hired because of who his brother in law is

 

[Red Ranger 1]

6 hours ago, ~Lynd~ said:

I could say the same about you with Olivia though.She was offscreen for much longer then 6 months yet you're determined to hate her.She was a child last time and now she's a teenager.And please stop with the ''Throws herself at anything with trousers'' because those those trousers also have to be willing to be with her.Plus she's only been with Hunter.You might not like her but please don't slut shame.

I like to think I gave her a go.Maybe I didn't but then she was annoying me within a few minutes of appearing on screen.Within her first week or so, she'd practically molested VJ (who didn't seem entirely comfortable), come onto Nate (who was very uncomfortable and she knew and enjoyed it) and was fawning over Hunter within seconds of meeting him.

Spoiler

Sorry, but sleeping with a guy she'd had maybe two serious conversations with when they'd barely kissed does not say much about her.

But maybe I'm exaggerating that aspect of her character, even if she is no shrinking violet, and I'm sorry if my comments upset you.I'm not all that convinced by the casting, but frankly Raechelle's facing an uphill struggle as a generic teenage girl utterly devoid of character traits, who just seems to be there to look pretty.Really, the familiar name seems to be the only reason we've been given to like her.

 

2 hours ago, dee123 said:

I think people feel attached to VJ because Felix Dean played him for so long and then we just get this abrupt change where he's transformed into another muscle bound man child who seem to be a dime a dozen these days.

That and Matt Little still can't act for s**t and was only hired because of who his brother in law is

I think there's more to him than that, a lot more.I don't see anything wrong with his acting, he certainly doesn't seem like a weak link and the character seems far more likable than a lot of the other teens.