Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[cadyctslover]

1 hour ago, Perry said:

I think a huge problem with the show, it gets filmed so much in advance that they spoil a lot of the storylines before it even comes close to going on air. Back in 2002 it was only 6 weeks from taping to airing now its filmed 6 months in advance.

Really? That's very surprising. I would have thought back then it was closer to 2-3 months.

Although I am guilty of reading spoilers, they don't appear to make much effort to keep things under wraps on H&A. With EastEnders for example, they regularly shock viewers with storylines/events/character returns that have been kept completely secret until transmission. For example Barbara Windsor returned as Peggy earlier this year with no warning. This can be achieved because they film 2-3 months ahead of transmission, but also because they have the flexibility to film small scenes weeks ahead. They also did this with Kathy's return during the live week last year, which caught all the viewers (and most of the cast) completely off-guard.

[Dan F]

It's easy to do with EastEnders though as its a closed set on the backlot for the majority of 'location' work. Palm Beach is a public place and a large majority of the leaks come from paparazzi and the fans now posting everything they see on social media - and with other fans then sharing things around whilst drawing up their own conclusions through analysing every little detail, it makes it very difficult.

Though to be fair there's been some blatant leaking of filming schedules to the paps too - the time and place they'd be filming the bus crash for example in order for the media to fly a drone over and snap some pics.

[Perry]

Maybe they should utilise the studio sets some more, they spent a fortune to get it looking like the real life palm beach only for them to block it off they looked incredible.

[~Lynd~]

Is Dan responsible for

Spoiler

Kyle's exit?I suspect he might be and I'm surprised he was ok with such nonsense.

I wouldn't be so quick to sing his praises if so...

[Homeandawayfan.]

The thing is, 6 years ago what we say about H&A was being said about Neighbours. They said "Oh Neighbours is so far removed from its roots" or "it has no connection to the 1980s" and now it is H&A's turn.

[Dan F]

5 hours ago, Perry said:

Maybe they should utilise the studio sets some more, they spent a fortune to get it looking like the real life palm beach only for them to block it off they looked incredible.

That did seem like a step back in the wrong direction, the change to the Diner's front entrance really screams "it's a set!" now

[cadyctslover]

23 hours ago, Dan F said:

It's easy to do with EastEnders though as its a closed set on the backlot for the majority of 'location' work. Palm Beach is a public place and a large majority of the leaks come from paparazzi and the fans now posting everything they see on social media - and with other fans then sharing things around whilst drawing up their own conclusions through analysing every little detail, it makes it very difficult.

True, but H&A also do a significant amount of studio shooting, and big character returns (for example) could be shot on set in this way, reducing the potential for leaks.

Once revealed on-screen, location shooting can commence.

17 hours ago, Dan F said:

That did seem like a step back in the wrong direction, the change to the Diner's front entrance really screams "it's a set!" now

This simple change took the Diner set from one of the most convincing and realistic, to the most transparently studio-based. I don't know what they were thinking.

[Homeandawayfan.]

The show needs to sort out the chaff from the wheat. There is much more chaff than wheat, but the wheat is there, Alf, Irene, Leah, Palmer, Roo. 3 out of 4 husks are chaff though such as Andy, Maddie, Ash, Josh, Phoebe etc. Bring in a new family.

[Little bean]

One person's chaff is another person's wheat though.  They can't please everyone all of the time. Bringing in new characters isn't going to change that. Some people will love the newbies others will hate them.  I think there are issues with storylines and the writing. It's not the characters, it's what they do with them in my opinion. There is too much emphasis on getting couples together/breaking them up/getting them back together/creating love triangles etc. Then there are wasted storylines that go nowhere (Josh's blindness being the most recent with Charlotte's murder investigation also up there as fast becoming a joke.) They also seem to think that exit storys need to be overblown dramas that do popular characters no favours. (to say more would include spoilers! )

One of the problems I think is the three year contract cycle. It just goes round and round.  The older cast members just potter about in the background with nothing much to do but serve salad in the diner or clean the barbie. Meanwhile, bring in a group of 20 somethings to play a group of teens. Settle them in to live with various older cast members (with ever more tenuous reasons for doing so). Then watch them all get together, break up, get with someone else etc. Struggle with the HSC. Leave.

20 something actors probably all want a bigger career than H and A so they probably choose to leave rather than get fired but it would be nice if we could actually see someone make the transition from school to adult life and watch them grow. If there was some way of staggering the exits and new arrivals it would help too. Probably an impossible task. I think it's always been like this but it just feels worse in recent times somehow. 

[CaptainHulk]

The only person who succeeded in transitioning out of school into Adult life was Sal. She did all 6yrs of SBH, Did three at Uni and taught at SBH for the rest of her time on the show.