Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[dee123]

3 hours ago, Gerard said:

I agree. H&A in the early days was very much character driven. OK we maybe had some "stereotypes" like Celia the busybody, Floss and Neville, the older couple, Lance and Martin, the no-hopers, and they were only the "supporting characters" besides the Fletchers and the Stewarts. Pretty much every character was unique and well-defined, had their own backstory which was reflected in their current issues.

Nowadays, most characters are interchangable and bland, and are more defined by who they're going with that week, than any actual character traits. To make up for this we get explosions and planes being brought down in a slightly desperate attempt to keep us watching.

This perfectly sums up H&A of the past and of today. Well said

[harrietjames]

11 hours ago, Blaxland 89 said:

But that's what I said?

Yeah - I was using your point to put mine into context rather than disagreeing with you...

[Luke39]

True but their are a few exceptions where H and A can be character driven. I do feel at times, h and a threw characters into random storylines with no real payoff. Or the era of throwing any random woman into a Braxton Storyline. Natalie, Charlie, Ruby, Tamara, and of course Bianca come to mind. So I feel the storylines are interchangble too. Few exceptions though over the years. I've enjoyed the Billie Pregnancy storyline, despite its poor writing at times. Tessa De Josslin. Has portrayed Billie with such sensitivity and empathy. I find it hard to dislike her despite all the bad decisions she has made.

 Spoiler possibly for UK ppl.

Spoiler

Enjoyed the Witness protection storyline. Despite its poor writing at times. Like referring to a mole as a rat. But it was generally played out really well. And I do like the depth they are giving Justin's character. With his daughter Ava.

I think Characters Like Chris and Matt. Even Justin are few of the exceptions. But I think H and A may need a chshge of the guard. To inforce real change.

I do think H and A found a better balance and consistency latter half of the year. So I think 2017 we'll be pretty good. I actually disagree. Or would prefer them not to do stuff they did in the past regarding storyline. I think society has changed. And the current format fits that. I guess you see psycho teenagers, and unplanned pregnancies these days.

So that has changed. H and A with the set designs. Does feel like a show in 2016/2017. I guess balance is the answer. I don't get why The Early Years gets regularly mentioned in regards to the current show. It's irrelevant. The Early Years is their for nostalgics. So I understand ones individual interpretation. I just personally don't see the relevance between the two. Past and present. Probably unpopular. But rather they focus on the current show more. Which is fine. As while I agree. Issues back in say 1995. Are still current today. But I don't think the showrunners have a reason to change the current format. Seeing it's performing. It's fine for an individual to go "They are abandoning their roots". But ratings are still good. And I think can I suggest. So much focus on how the past was so great. People often don't see the good stuff about the present show. Jmo.

[harrietjames]

7 hours ago, Luke39 said:

I don't get why The Early Years gets regularly mentioned in regards to the current show. It's irrelevant. 

No it is very relevant to this discussion because it it what Home and Away SHOULD be. Break Home and Away down to it's most basic elements, most important parts and the early years still had it, the current show has doesn't so much.

 

If we look at the top 5 most popular characters, none of them would be cast by the current Powers that be. With the exception of Sally, they are all too old and Marilyn only returned for the nostalgia factor. (Teenage) Kate Richie would not have been cast as a teen - not "teen heart throb" enough. When was the last time they had a parent in the main cast that wasn't a teen pregnancy? 

 

[Homeandawayfan.]

When Alan Bateman died, and it was put on various news websites, one commenter said "Sadly the Home And Away he created died some years ago".

It may be yet another subjective thing but you do wonder that the commenter who said that has a point.

[sindikatas]

Storylines from the 90s could have happened in any other small town, whereas current storylines are unique for a disastrous Summer Bay. The show is utterly ridiculous. The stories are laughable. A complete fantasy land. I had made a few months break this year. What lured me back in was the return of Duncan. It was ok, but that storyline with plane falling down was totally unnecessary. And even if it did have to happen, why did the plane had to explode as well? Speaking of being over the top. I hate it. When Bianca had a baby, he was so often rushed to hospital that it was hard to believe that he died from SIDS and not because he was a weak baby. And if I had a dollar for every time Billy had a pregnancy scare, I would be a millionaire by now. And then Brody running around freely when there was a storyline about possibility of losing a leg. Josh waking up from being brain-dead. Brax getting out without being charged with faking his death and breaking out of custody.

Spoiler

Eye for an eye movie being tied in into the show. There is no way Gunno could have survived falling down from that cliff. Let alone coming back completely recovered.

What we need is real people with real relatable storylines. However I do not believe that TPTB really care about what the show really is. It's business and if doing what they're doing now makes money, that's all there is to it.

[Blaxland 89]

3 hours ago, sindikatas said:

Storylines from the 90s could have happened in any other small town, whereas current storylines are unique for a disastrous Summer Bay. The show is utterly ridiculous. The stories are laughable. A complete fantasy land. I had made a few months break this year. What lured me back in was the return of Duncan. It was ok, but that storyline with plane falling down was totally unnecessary. And even if it did have to happen, why did the plane had to explode as well? Speaking of being over the top. I hate it. When Bianca had a baby, he was so often rushed to hospital that it was hard to believe that he died from SIDS and not because he was a weak baby. And if I had a dollar for every time Billy had a pregnancy scare, I would be a millionaire by now. And then Brody running around freely when there was a storyline about possibility of losing a leg. Josh waking up from being brain-dead. Brax getting out without being charged with faking his death and breaking out of custody.

  Hide contents

Eye for an eye movie being tied in into the show. There is no way Gunno could have survived falling down from that cliff. Let alone coming back completely recovered.

What we need is real people with real relatable storylines. However I do not believe that TPTB really care about what the show really is. It's business and if doing what they're doing now makes money, that's all there is to it.

Exactly. And it's a lot harder to write real identifiable people. 

[dee123]

On 26/12/2016 at 8:15 AM, Luke39 said:

But I don't think the showrunners have a reason to change the current format. Seeing it's performing. It's fine for an individual to go "They are abandoning their roots". But ratings are still good. And I think can I suggest. So much focus on how the past was so great. People often don't see the good stuff about the present show. Jmo.

It's not all about the ratings. And good stuff about the present ??? I can count all of that on one hand.

[Matt]

44 minutes ago, dee123 said:

It's not all about the ratings.

It is.

[Gerard]

15 hours ago, dee123 said:

It's not all about the ratings. And good stuff about the present ??? I can count all of that on one hand.

 

14 hours ago, Matt said:

It is.

I agree, and that really is the issue in a nutshell, sadly. H&A is not made for the fans, and certainly not for long-term die-hard nostalic fans. It is clearly about getting maximum viewers on a commercial network. If that means any sense of reality has to take a back seat - so be it. It's a shame, but those are the times we live in. It doesn't really have so much to do with "outdated old-fashioned values" as with what the executives perceive will gain the most viewers, and therefore the most profit. Obviously H&A has the budget to deliver carnage and mayhem on a weekly basis, so it does it, whether or not it's what many of us actually want.