Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[cadyctslover]

1 hour ago, dee123 said:

I'm sure she did a Digital Spy one and danced around some of the answers. This was years ago though when it was Braxtons 24/7.

Yes, she did one at the end of the 2012 season - a particularly poor year. She was defensive and gave waffled answers to difficult questions. With that attitude I'm not surprised she hasn't given one since.

I just hope there'll be a change in leadership soon. Lucy is the SuBo of Home and Away.

[Gerard]

The show does seem to go around in circles, but then you could probably accuse any soap drama of doing that. But sometimes it does feel like an endless cycle of make-ups and break-ups to the point where you don't know, or really care, who is going out with who any more. There are so few long term couples to invest time in at the moment.

Also, and I don't just think H&A is guilty of this, but the appetite seems to be for misery and misfortune rather than upbeat and optimistic. Perhaps that's just how the world in general seems these days? But it is good to get some escapism.

Regarding Brax's "happy ending", and also goes for the Barretts and the current crop of "shadier" characters, the morality of the series has changed. It used to be all about the bad being nurtured into good human beings (and by "bad" I mean stealing a car, not shooting someone dead). Now the bad folks usually get a pat on the back and thumb their noses at the police on their way out of town.

The Morgans seem like a less extreme version of the Braxtons, although I am struggling a bit to understand their back story. It's a shame that just about every newcomer these days has to have some kind of "dark secret". No doubt if Pippa returned under the current regime we would discover she has just got out on parole for benefit fraud or something, has a drug habit, and some dangerous criminal she met in jail would turn up on the run looking for shelter or revenge (I'd better not be giving TPTB ideas!).

There are plenty of directions they could take H&A which don't involve criminality. If they feel they have run out of family stories they should just accept the series has run its course.

It was refreshing to read Jason Herbison admitting that certain things could have been done better in Neighbours this year. I would be nice to read from TPTB at H&A that there is also room for improvement and everything isn't perfect.

 

[Homeandawayfan.]

I think it is Lucy who is obsessed with crime stories more than the writers. She has been at the helm for almost 5 years now. Every character in the past 5 years has been in hospital more times than I have had hot dinners, had more stalkers than I have had hot dinners and been involved in more crimes than I have had hot dinners. All the guest characters are sinister villains. Yabbie Creek Hospital even has a ward and rooms reserved for Summer Bay residents.

[Skylover]

22 minutes ago, Gerard said:

The show does seem to go around in circles, but then you could probably accuse any soap drama of doing that. But sometimes it does feel like an endless cycle of make-ups and break-ups to the point where you don't know, or really care, who is going out with who any more.

I do feel like the 1995 teens are the same in regard to making up and breaking up! The difference is I actually like them! I do really like Hunter and Olivia incidentally, but that doesn't alter the fact that Hunter burned down Leah's house. ETA: I can't stand VJ or Billie.

22 minutes ago, Gerard said:

The Morgans seem like a less extreme version of the Braxtons, although I am struggling a bit to understand their back story.

I don't really understand their backstory, nor do I particularly care. I only tend to enjoy them when Tori is involved in scenes with Duncan or Nate, or Mason is having scenes with Evie. Likewise Justin and Phoebe. They do have interesting backstories if you deduct the witness protection from it. Jason has a kid (and wife?) he was forced to leave, Tori had a very difficult relationship which has made her wary of relationships. Not sure so much about Mason's backstory. The way Brody became interested in cooking as a way of feeling close to his mum after her death is really moving and you could believe this is something that perhaps the 1995 writers would have come up with.

I do actually think the day-to-day scriptwriting for the show is fairly strong. The way Evie has dealt the deaths of most of her family is pretty realistic. It's just the storylines the characters are given. It makes me wonder whether the producers are being ordered from above to make it a crime drama.

I don't believe that family storylines aren't relevant in 2016. They definitely are. It just has to be written well.

The more and more I think about current H&A the sadder it makes me feel. Watching the 1995 episodes is so addictive and such a joy (notice how much I've been posting lol) but it's just overshadowed by the fact that the show eventually turns to crap around 2009. It's not just Lucy's reign; admittedly hers is the worst, but I'd kill for a 2008 right now, even if it meant having to go through 2005-2007 again.

ETA: I would have liked your post but I've reached my limit for the day, that'll teach me trawling through hundreds of pages of Character Discussion

[Homeandawayfan.]

From what I heard about a past character in Neighbours it just represents how much more interested they are about their history than H&A now.

[John]

I think my point in asking what Lucy Addario would gain from an interview was that she and her bosses might feel that she is doing ok and that she will simply be 'abused" by a minority of viewers who don't agree with the direction the show is taking.  After all ratings are quite good, even if not at the levels of some previous years, and ratings in the world of commercial TV are what it is all about and certainly what Lucy's longevity in her job rely on.

Please note:  I make no comment on perceptions of show quality or whether it has "departed from its roots".  These are very individual perceptions which don't necessarily have much effect on commercial realities. 

[Luke39]

Yeah I agree Lucy has nothing to gain from it. I know it's very popular to put the axe in. And blame Lucy for the state of the show. But some need to stop comparing it to 20 years ago. The climates changed. Society has changed. And I think the format currently reflects that. H and A was never just a family drama. But the Audience want more then that these days. But am I the only one who thinks 2016 has been very good? Particularly the second half of the year? I think theirs been better balance and consistency. I don't think it's as bad as ppl say it is. Jmo.   Commercially the show is still doing well. That's Lucy's job. And she's doing it. Whether they have departed from the past too much. I agree with John is an individual opinion.

[Skylover]

16 minutes ago, Luke39 said:

But am I the only one who thinks 2016 has been very good? Particularly the second half of the year?

Yes, it's been better since Ricky left. And the focus on the Stewarts has been welcome. There's still a way to go though in my opinion. Less focus on crime stories and we'll be on our way. Saying people need to stop comparing it to 20 years ago isn't right though IMO - modern times don't mean that soaps have to become crime shows... that's what crime shows are for 

[Dan F]

17 minutes ago, John said:

I think my point in asking what Lucy Addario would gain from an interview was that she and her bosses might feel that she is doing ok and that she will simply be 'abused" by a minority of viewers who don't agree with the direction the show is taking.

I don't think abuse would come into it really - say if we were going to ask people to submit questions for a BTTB interview with her (highly unlikely unfortunately), a few people may send a barrage of insults rather than anything constructive, but we'd just ignore it. It's not like we'd pass it on and say "What do you think of this?". Same would go for any other worthwhile site/press.

Of course there would probably be the odd questions about negative points raised, but all the other major UK/Aus soaps are happy to answer those sort of questions, and put their hands up accordingly if they agree something didn't pan out as well as they'd hoped. If they believe all is good then they respectfully stand by their views.

Personally I think a lot can come out of producer interviews and, if done right rather than avoiding the questions, they can gain a huge amount of respect from the viewers for taking the time to do it.

[Skylover]

2 minutes ago, Dan F said:

Personally I think a lot can come out of producer interviews and, if done right rather than avoiding the questions, they can gain a huge amount of respect from the viewers for taking the time to do it.

This is the thing. Jason Herbison just did a DS interview for Neighbours - and after what many people would consider a poor 2016 season, not me I hasten to add, his responses have really made viewers look forward to 2017 and he is very well-respected. As much as Susan Bower was disliked, she quite often did interviews from what I remember. Jason admits that certain stories didn't work as well as he'd liked.