Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[Dan F]

58 minutes ago, KIMIF1 said:

Me thinks 'sour grapes' from a grumpy old man - what else does he do but moan.

Hardly.

If you read the original interview it wasn't a public flogging of the writers, or the Braxtons for that matter. It was simply a follow-up from a comment he made to the writers a couple of years ago, the first time he'd spoken up, where he voiced concerns about the same thing that many viewers have also commented on - being the balance between light and dark storylines.

[c120701]

I'm going back a few pages, but I agree with the comments about Summer Bay House becoming a place to stick the long term characters, but it's not a new thing, it always seemed forced when Alf moved in with Sally - they were never that close, she was always closer to Don Fisher - Alf was second choice to give her way at her wedding to Flynn, Don was selected for her wedding to Kieran as well. At least Ric being there helped give it a more believable connection. 

I don't know why, as we know it was Alf's house originally, but it's never sat right Alf living there, probably because he's now singing the "This house has a tradition of taking people in" tune, which unless his Grandparents or He & Martha did so and we don't know about it, is the show being a bit too self-aware for my liking. It's like the photo of Sally & Pippa on the mantelpiece, a photo of Sally is believable between Alf & Leah, or even a photo of Sally & Pippa at Alf's 60th or Sally's leaving, but it's a picture of teenaged Sally with Pippa, so not the Sally that Leah knew and it has me wondering if Alf had a thing for Pippa all those years ago.

Alf is holding Summer Bay House back for me. He needs to hand it over to Leah & Zac. I actually think that now the park is down the hill they could put up a site manager's house down there and have Alf live there, still running the park. I'd happily accept that it's been on the land all along & said it was run down or something. It was said that the park was built as a business for Alf (before he lived in the house) so it's believable that some living accommodation was added.

[Blaxland 89]

I thought the same when Alf moved in. Although I do think Sally and Alf were close I don't think he would have wanted to live there permantly. Maybe just for a while after Flynn died. I think it would give him more scope to have his own set. Him and roo. 

I think Leah living there is also contrived. I hated that the just got rid of the old Nash house like that.

Also nothing was really made of the fact Alf was moving back to the place he sold in the pilot and the place he lived with his first wife. If they go used on that a bit more I may have excepted it. 

[dee123]

4 hours ago, KIMIF1 said:

Me thinks 'sour grapes' from a grumpy old man - what else does he do but moan.

I doubt he's grumpy on a reported half a million a year

3 hours ago, Gerard said:

Ray has more acting experience than most of the cast put together, so when he speaks, he should be taken seriously. He's only saying what a lot of us have been thinking anyway, that heartland H&A went off the rails when the Braxtons came along.

Just because you're unhappy with one aspect of your job doesn't mean you're going to quit. I'm sure most people could complain about something in their jobs. Should be publicly say these things? Probably not, most people would be in trouble if they said negative things about their employer in public, even if many people would agree. Did he have permission from TPTB to speak out? I don't know. Did he need to have permission? Again, not sure.

But I think he was speaking out about one aspect of the series and not launching a personal attack on anyone. I'm sure he could leave if he was that unhappy, but we all have to tolerate some things we don't like in life, including perhaps in our jobs. I'm sure he wouldn't still be working there after 29 years if he wasn't happy.

Yes but around here to some people that's just wrong and a horrible thing to say

[emmasi]

5 hours ago, Edward Skylover said:

While I agree that Alf is important in H&A, I think Paul Robinson has the opposite effect on Neighbours. He is the worst aspect of the show, going round in circles for years.

Couldn't disagree more. Paul tends to do the same thing (lying, cheating, scheming, stealing, etc) but in different ways and for different reasons. He has turns of being good, but usually gets slapped down by life and reverts to his easier, evil ways. He's a fantastically complex character, played with a huge amount of range from the actor. Alf on the other hand does nothing and serves no purpose. The most important thing he ever does is stand on the sidelines and give other people advice, and there's a 50/50 chance that "advice" means yelling and grumbling and calling them a flaming idiot, whether they're being a flaming idiot or not. He contributes nothing to the show except for negativity and anger, and whenever he gets a storyline where the actor can do anything with any kind of range, it's dropped in under a week. He was always a bit grumpy but he had a good heart and got to show that regularly. Now he's just an awful, selfish, stubborn...flaming idiot!!

It doesn't surprise at all that Ray's been negative about the writing. What on earth does he have to be positive about? I've said a few times lately that I just want Alf to DIE, which seems like the kind of thing that could get my Australian citizenship revoked, but this constant storm cloud isn't Alf. Forget the stroke (oh wait, you already did!), give him dementia or something to at least make his deteriorating personality seem meaningful and give Ray something worth actually turning up to work for. I'm sure he's only sticking around out of nostalgia (and because he doesn't want his citizenship revoked!). 

Lol at the idea of an Australian TV actor with wheelbarrows of cash. Maybe if they paid him in five cent pieces

 

[Luke39]

TBF it is trendy the crime stuff. I mean Breaking Bad e.t.c. Maybe the writers are like those hip parents attempting to be cool, when really they should should just be true to themselfs lol. That is what it feels like anyway. Alf and Sally not close? Really? I thought Alf was almost like a father to her, that is how I saw the relationship. The biggest relationship in this shows history. Was that just me? Anyway. I actually think H and A has turned a corner.

Spoiler

I am enjoying Alf, Roo, and Duncan stuff. Tabitha and Olivia, and Hunter.

But one thing that was so great, was the established Teen Group. Maddy, Matt, Oscar, Evie, Josh e.t.c. That is gone now tbh. Which is dissapointing, I was loving Matt and Maddy's and Josh Evie's date nights haha. But you know some things change, and some things remain the same. Home and Away is a sleepy, beach town. Having too much danger is to inducive. It has quited down a bit, since old Brax took a clue. But hell even the Morgons are bringing that component in. Thing is Rome was not built in a day, I think it is going to take like maybe Four years before they really get back on track. 

And re Ray and Stefan comparions. I agree that Paul shows alot more range on Neighbores heh. And is a very complex character. TBF Stefan is a lot younger then Ray, so is that a factor? I absoulutly love Paul though haha. He is such a engima, one moment he can be this loving uncle, father e.t.c. Next Second he is the Ruthless Man, who would sell anyone for anything. Their has been times for Paul where he can become good. But he has always taken the easy way out. To me Alf is just a grumpy old man now who sits their in his beach house judging people with a long stick, not a broom stick. Negihbores really utilizes the older actors and characters more efficiently. It is almost Home and Away is more equipped in writing younger characters, and Neighbores writes older characters better. Shows could learn something from both. 

[dee123]

44 minutes ago, emmasi said:

Lol at the idea of an Australian TV actor with wheelbarrows of cash. Maybe if they paid him in five cent pieces

 

He is one of 7's highest paid people though. It was reported at half a million a year a few years ago. Like someone said a few pages back. H&A needs Ray more than Ray needs H&A.

[emmasi]

53 minutes ago, dee123 said:

He is one of 7's highest paid people though. It was reported at half a million a year a few years ago. Like someone said a few pages back. H&A needs Ray more than Ray needs H&A.

That makes me feel a bit better about the state of the industry. I didn't think it would be that high. Still, there are American TV actors who wouldn't get out of bed for that. Not sure what it's like in England, but I imagine it's better than here.

[Luke39]

I guess you could argue Alf is the last resemblance of what Home and Away was. That is the problem when you bring in a set of characters and then pretty much ignore the rest of the show and it's characters. Even if Brax, Casey, And Heath became integrated into the show. It was still The River Boy's Starring Home and Away maybe if your luckey Show. I felt back in 2010, they should of really integrated them better. Instead of them bringing all that crime driven stories into the show. Which led to all these dark storylines. And of course led for a periord of time. Female Characters only purpose being a River Boy's girl. Until they werent and had nothing left to do. Ala Tamara, Ruby, Sasha, Natalie e.t.c. Now It's almost like oh the other characters. So they have spent the past year, in a post Braxton era. Now we could go back and fourth, with what is wrong with the show. But tbh, I have seen more positive changes in the show over the past year, then negative. I Think it is getting back on track. 

[Skylover]

6 hours ago, emmasi said:

Couldn't disagree more. Paul tends to do the same thing (lying, cheating, scheming, stealing, etc) but in different ways and for different reasons. He has turns of being good, but usually gets slapped down by life and reverts to his easier, evil ways. He's a fantastically complex character, played with a huge amount of range from the actor. Alf on the other hand does nothing and serves no purpose. The most important thing he ever does is stand on the sidelines and give other people advice, and there's a 50/50 chance that "advice" means yelling and grumbling and calling them a flaming idiot, whether they're being a flaming idiot or not. He contributes nothing to the show except for negativity and anger, and whenever he gets a storyline where the actor can do anything with any kind of range, it's dropped in under a week. He was always a bit grumpy but he had a good heart and got to show that regularly. Now he's just an awful, selfish, stubborn...flaming idiot!!

It doesn't surprise at all that Ray's been negative about the writing. What on earth does he have to be positive about? I've said a few times lately that I just want Alf to DIE, which seems like the kind of thing that could get my Australian citizenship revoked, but this constant storm cloud isn't Alf. Forget the stroke (oh wait, you already did!), give him dementia or something to at least make his deteriorating personality seem meaningful and give Ray something worth actually turning up to work for. I'm sure he's only sticking around out of nostalgia (and because he doesn't want his citizenship revoked!). 

Lol at the idea of an Australian TV actor with wheelbarrows of cash. Maybe if they paid him in five cent pieces

His current plot with Terese makes no sense at all. They seem to be sparring for no reason at all other than to 'have sexual tension'. Everything Paul does is pathetic.

For me Alf is one of the only reasons I carry on watching this awful mess of a show. He doesn't need to have huge OTT storylines IMO, but he does serve a purpose. A character doesn't have to be thrown into stories all the time in order to have a purpose. Yes, he gives advice to the younger characters but that's all he needs to do IMO. He had a scene with Evie this week where he was just giving her advice and it was a beautiful scene. As someone who watches and loves the early years of the show, having Alf in the current show is a massive source of nostalgia and I have a huge amount of affection for him and want him to stay for as long as he can. For me he is the Harold Bishop of Home and Away, he is part of its DNA.

His recent story with Duncan shows there is loads left for him to do. HOWEVER, I do agree that most of the older characters are under-used. I love Roo's scenes with Alf, but I feel like she's been there for 6 years and hasn't done anything. The older characters do lack character development which is a problem, but I feel Alf is an exception to this, he is a legend and I think most people are happy for him to just be there.