Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[Jezz]

I'm getting a little sick and tired of the constant categorisation of Home and Away fans. What's with this nonsense of pro-Braxton and anti-Braxton fans. I must admit I'm a fan of the Braxtons and I haven't shied away from that but I'm also a big fan of the show in general and lately I've been watching the Early Years episodes as well and I thoroughly enjoy the show then and I enjoy it now. Sure there have been times when I haven't enjoyed it as much as I usually do at certain times but I've never given up on the show. It's up to people on whether they want to continue to watch the show or not, but I do find it a little strange that some fans are very critical of the show yet they say they've given up on watching the show all together. How do you come to the conclusion that the show is poor from your perspective currently despite 'giving up' on it? I'm not trying to be condescending but I'm just wondering how can you formulate a valid opinion about the current show if you no longer watch it?

Part of me sees watching a show like Home and Away is like barracking for your favourite sports team in the AFL, Rugby or Football (Soccer) for example. While the particular sporting team you support goes through its struggles and downtimes you never give up on it because you hope one day that it will return to its best. I find Home and Away is constantly evolving and for it to survive into the future it needs to continue to 'evolve'. I even admit the show has lost some of its roots, but at the same time I don't mind the current show that is on display to viewers at the moment and I'm always excited to see where it goes next in terms of its direction.

In regards to the original question to this thread, it really depends on how you view the show currently as it is open to several interpretations. Some will say that the show is 'ruined', but others may say it's 'fine'. For me personally I still enjoy watching it every night but that's not to say that I don't believe there isn't any flaws to it either. The show has many flaws but some people do seem to over-exaggerate it as well. James' post at the start of this thread seems to emphasis too much on the Braxtons who I agree have been the dominant characters of the show in 2011 but the show goes through phases. Between 2001-2004, the show was dominated by the Sutherlands in many aspects. From 1994-1996, the show was dominated by Shane and Angel so I don't see how this is any different to the current domination that the Braxtons have currently. I also agree that the show needs to be more balanced with its characters as well but how do you know that Ray and Lynne who play Alf and Irene respectively prefer being 'background' characters as opposed to being on the forefront of the show. I'm not saying I agree with the current approach that the producers have taken towards these characters but we don't know what goes on behind the scenes that prompts this approach. Maybe the actors who play Alf and Irene prefer being 'extras' as some would say.

Also don't forget that while some Braxton fans are those that are typically young, use social media such as Facebook and Twitter and tend to be new viewers of the show, there are also Braxton fans such as myself and I'm sure many others here such as Fyn3 and John who are big fans of the characters but they also appreciate the long and proud history that Home and Away has presented and appreciate the older characters and they have been long-term viewers for many years. I'm just sick of this stereotype that many Braxton fans are young people who have only watched the show for three years and would stop watching it when they leave. Trust me after the Braxtons leave, I'll still be watching the show as I'm interested to see what direction it takes and I'm sure there are other Braxtons fans who are just the same.

Overall, I agree the show has its flaws but when hasn't it been flawed. If you read the 1989 and 1990 episode discussion threads relating to the early years, people are even whinging then and these are even considered to be the 'golden years' of Home and Away. Some people were complaining about how poor the show was in 2005-2006 for example, yet in hindsight a lot of people like it.

Also may I add Red Ranger's post pretty much sums up my views on the current show as well. His post is fantastically summed up for those that currently enjoy the show.

[Red Ranger 1]

It's hard not to equate a belief that the show is "ruined" with a dislike of the Braxtons when most of the posts in the "Yes" side of the debate express a dislike of the Braxtons, often to an almost obsessive degree.I read the comments in here about Brax's treatment of Peta before watching yesterday's episode and expected him to grab her by the shoulders and shake her or drag her into Casey's room by the scruff of the neck and demand she do something.Instead he...took hold of her arm to stop her walking away midconversation.As evidence the show has been "ruined", that falls a little short.If the scene had played out with Indigo or Sasha in hospital and Dexter behaving in exactly the same way towards Peta(or indeed Dexter in hospital and Indigo or Sasha behaving in exactly the same way towards Peta), I doubt there would have been lengthy tracts on how terrible they are.Yes, Brax has been nasty towards a lot of people who don't deserve it(except maybe Sasha and no-one seems to mind if she's nasty to people)but if that's all it takes to "ruin" the show then it must have been "ruined" back in 1988 whenever Don or Carly or Bobby was nasty to someone.

Ironically, Brax being nice to people is also held up as a sign the show has been "ruined".Well, yes, basically that was an attempt to show people what a great guy he is.If people don't want to accept that, and I doubt the audience knowing Brax was responsible but Alf remaining oblivious would have made a difference, that's fair enough, I wasn't too happy myself when I first heard about that plot twist but I think it was handled in a believable manner.Brax has helped people out before(sorting out a single mother when he first turned up, apparently helping out at Elijah's mission, helping get things ready for Dexter when he came out of hospital)and the fund was explicitly set up by Heath and Bianca in memory of his nephew.It is stretching things a bit to believe he had $80,000 lying around but then Ricky transferred $100,000 out of the business account without anyone really noticing, if he got that back(which is possible but hasn't been explicitily stated)then it makes perfect sense.Haven't seen much further at UK pace so don't know if Winston donating the money instead would affect his storyline much or not.

I guess the question is subjective and we all have our different opinions on whether the show is still worth watching.Personally, I'm still watching it and enjoying it, even if, as ever, there are things about it I don't like, so I think they must be doing something right.

[alexx]

James' post at the start of this thread seems to emphasis too much on the Braxtons who I agree have been the dominant characters of the show in 2011 but the show goes through phases. Between 2001-2004, the show was dominated by the Sutherlands in many aspects. From 1994-1996, the show was dominated by Shane and Angel so I don't see how this is any different to the current domination that the Braxtons have currently.

I think the difference is, like I said in my post, even when there were popular characters used fairly consistently in the past, the producers didn't simply stop giving other characters juicy material. Whereas from what I've seen that is not the case these days. It wasn't up when I officially stopped watching a few months ago anyway. Other characters storylines seem halfhearted and mundane. But having said that, I think even the Braxton storylines are repetitive and boring too.

I have given up on the show, but I still tune for a couple of weeks from time to time to see how it is going. When I say I have given up, I mean I've given up going to the same lengths as I used to I.e regularly discussing the show here and I've lost any passion I had for it.

[Red Ranger 1]

Okay, this probably belongs in UK or 5* Discussion, but I saw Brax snap at Dexter and frankly, while I wouldn't have used those exact words, I might well have done the same and so would a lot of other people.And I don't think Dexter's past experience had anything to do with it.Not everyone who's worried about a relative facing up to a disability is going to be charmed by a nurse who think he's a comedian doing a quirky routine about hospital tourist attractions.Many of them are going to find it irritating.I did.

[John]

As a Moderator I am very reluctant to comment in threads like this as we get accused of bias whenever we have to deal with members who hold a different view to ours breaking the rules of the Board.

That isn't fair or justified but it happens.

In this case I would just like to say that both Jezz and Red Ranger have admirably summed up my views.

[b2sb09]

I wish the producers would just come out and admit that there’s blatant favouritism toward the Braxtons. The proof is there on the screen, in the promos, in just about everything related to the show, so they might as well just admit it instead of feeding us the lines about equality and balance with characters and storylines. Complaints about the Braxtons taking over have been going on since before the end of their first season, so TPTB would have to be aware of it, so how about a bit of honesty? And since every location shoot these days goes to the Braxtons, they might as well admit that they don’t think any other character is worthy of such special treatment. Sure, the Braxtons have their fans, but so do other characters and it seems like those fans matter so little to the show, even after years of dedicated viewing.

I definitely don’t like the Braxtons, largely because of the incredible amount of crimes they’ve been allowed to commit and the way this show goes about portraying their crimes in comparison to non-Braxtons, ie. those terrible people that cause trouble for them and so the Braxtons violence toward them is often excused/condoned because they’re not the bad guys. I’ve also been extremely disappointed in the way so many of their crimes are treated with such levity, ie. a non issue that they don’t even get into trouble for. Pretty much most of Brax’s actions, a lot of Heath’s drug dealing and even Casey permanently scarring a young boy, yet it was all about Casey’s feelings and there are so many other instances where is seems the Braxtons are somehow the victims even when they’re committing the crimes, just because they had a hard upbringing - it’s Summer Bay, many had hard upbringings, some worse than the Braxtons, so these grown men are not that special in terms of this show, despite what TPTB may believe.

And just what is the writers/producers stance on bullying, abuse and violence, because on the one hand they have actors and others involved with the show talking about storylines that highlight what a problem these things are, yet on the other hand, they happily romanticise the Brax character and treat his abuse and bullying as a non issue. He emotional abused Charlie (but he loved her so it’s ok), he bullies and emotionally and physically abuses his brothers (he loves them and only wants the best, so ok), he bullies and is abusive to people who happen to tell him something he doesn’t like (the poor little baby is hurting, so it’s ok) and he is violent toward people who stand in his way, yet we’re constantly made aware by other characters of what a good guy he is, when he’s actually one of the biggest bullies and most violent men on the show. If such behaviour is unacceptable with others, then why should we have to put up with this abusive bully being able to do it so often without being called on it? Oh that’s right, he’s Brax, the man deemed so special by the producers and others, that what makes other people violent bad guys makes him a good person. I just can't buy into inconsistent and at times, dishonest storytelling.

Personally, I think a lot of other characters and storylines have suffered because so much time and effort has been put into making the Braxtons the most exciting and biggest characters in the show. Sensitive storylines, like Sid’s depression, Irene’s cancer (and the list goes on) are quickly sidelined/resolved, whereas Braxton issues are given so much time, months even. How hard is it for them to treat all characters equally? And that fault lies at the hands of those in charge.

It’s not just the Braxtons I have issues with, it’s the overuse of romantic drama, in particularly triangles and the constant breakup-makeup drama. Sometimes, just about every couple was involved in a triangle at the same time and it seems like the same drama over and over - it’s like these characters are incapable of learning. And with all the infidelity, pathetic behaviour, lack of respect toward their partner and mismatched pairings, we’re actually meant to believe in these couples and that their each others greatest loves? It's like treat 'em mean to keep 'em keen at times and the women will continue to flock to these guys.

And I think the way some characters are introduced are problematic because their main purpose seems to be as a love interest and little thought seems to have been given to backgrounds or how to develop them in the long term. How many characters (Leah and the older ones excluded) can exist as an independent character outside of a romantic entanglement? Elijah, aimless once things didn’t work with Leah, Liam another who had little to do when his life was rewarded to Heath, Natalie, who was pretty much a blank canvas beyond being Brax’s latest cheerleader. Tam? A ping pong ball between two brothers and not much else. She, like Kyle, seems to have been introduced mainly to provide drama for that poor victim Casey. Why do they keep doing this?

For me, the show feels stuck in a rut, with repetitive storylines and characters. So how do we shake up the show? Just introduce another stereotypical bad guy who is clearly the worst villain to hit the Bay until the next one arrives a few months later. How do we make couples interesting? Endless cycle of break up/make up, infidelity, lies and childish behaviour. What can we do for more exciting storylines? Have another big car accident, because we haven’t done that for absolutely ages or we have another act of violence, because haven’t done that much. Any storyline really, that puts someone in hospital because we just don’t see enough of the characters in hospital with a serious injury that goes away just like that when the time is right. I get that shows that have been on forever tend to repeat storylines, but the frequency these storylines are repeated over and over in such a short space and at times, with the same characters involved, tends to come across as writers with little imagination.

I honestly don’t view sexing the show up and introducing more violence and crime all that progressive, especially with the way they go about portraying it and in this day and age, why do the producers continue to avoid introducing more diversity? Because of criticism they create by stirring up trouble when they label storylines controversial, like they did with Charlie and Joey? What exactly is controversial about a same-sex couple? Neighbours has ethnic and gay characters and they ignored any negative complaints about these characters because they want the show to move forward. Home and Away have happily ignored all the complaints about the amount of drugs and violence on the show, so surely they’re not scared of the odd complaint about introducing a same-sex couple. Of course, that might take attention away from their precious Braxtons and would require some effort on their part to make these characters work and avoid the stereotypical portrayal, ie. gay until the next person of the opposite sex comes along and they become one of those TV bisexuals who then only sleeps with the opposite sex.

Unfortunately, instead of introducing more diversity, whether a same-sex pairing, an ethnic or indigenous family which would allow them to have some fresher storylines and potentially take the show in another direction, they’d prefer to just bring in another villain of the week, who serves their purpose, then leaves, either in a body bag, in a paddy wagon or just disappears. These days, there’s even a lack of diversity with their villains - they’re stereotypical bad guys, they’re evil, they come to shake up the Bay, blah, blah, blah.

As to whether the current producers are ruining the show, that's as subjective as a viewer's enjoyment of a show or why some people like a certain character yet others find them repulsive. For me, my enjoyment of the show has been severely dented because of the direction the producers and others have taken it in. Moving the show into the future is one thing, but it needs to maintain it’s identity and with all the violence, criminals, depressing and overbearingly heavy storylines that come one right after the other and the lack of community feel, it doesn’t have the warm feel of the Summer Bay I grew up with, where I could relate to the characters and sympathise with them. These days, there are very few characters I actually find even remotely likeable and those I do like have the incredibly annoying habit of leaving on me. By all means, the producers should be trying to attract new viewers, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of long term viewers. Balanced storyline telling and use of characters would go a long way, along with consistant storytelling (eg. violence is violence and just because a character is hot, therefore popular, doesn't make his actions any less criminal), but they don’t seem interested in doing that to any great extent - it’s all about catering to the current fad and when a lot of those viewers who love the Braxton show but find Home and Away boring fade away when the Braxtons start to leave, then they might find a bit of a problem on their hands, or do they just intend to hire another trio of hot guys, have them do a lot of bad things and masquerade it as exciting drama while manipulating us into believing they’re the good guys like they have done with the Braxtons, because while they might attract new viewers who find Braxton Mark II the hottest thing ever, they’ll probably also end up alienating other viewers as they’ve done for the past few years.

As a viewer, I don’t think it unreasonable to want storylines for the characters that I like, just as those who like the Braxton want more storylines for them and are constantly rewarded for their fandom. What about the rest though? If we’re lucky, we might occasionally get tossed some leftovers. I just don’t get the attitude of the producers. Do they just not value all their viewers or do they just think that people will continue to watch a show they no longer enjoy just because its become a habit? Neighbours learnt the hard way what happens when long term viewers no longer like the direction the show has taken and jumped ship and its never recovered.

Producers, do you hear me? Hello, I’m a viewer too, do you hear me? Hello? Yep as expected, since I don’t like the Braxtons or the direction the show has taken with all the violence and crime and dark storylines with little of the lighter moments, I pretty much have to put up and shut up or stop watching altogether because my voice is largely silent.

[Bobby Forever Missed]

I wish the producers would just come out and admit that there’s blatant favouritism toward the Braxtons. The proof is there on the screen, in the promos, in just about everything related to the show, so they might as well just admit it instead of feeding us the lines about equality and balance with characters and storylines. Complaints about the Braxtons taking over have been going on since before the end of their first season, so TPTB would have to be aware of it, so how about a bit of honesty? And since every location shoot these days goes to the Braxtons, they might as well admit that they don’t think any other character is worthy of such special treatment. Sure, the Braxtons have their fans, but so do other characters and it seems like those fans matter so little to the show, even after years of dedicated viewing.

I definitely don’t like the Braxtons, largely because of the incredible amount of crimes they’ve been allowed to commit and the way this show goes about portraying their crimes in comparison to non-Braxtons, ie. those terrible people that cause trouble for them and so the Braxtons violence toward them is often excused/condoned because they’re not the bad guys. I’ve also been extremely disappointed in the way so many of their crimes are treated with such levity, ie. a non issue that they don’t even get into trouble for. Pretty much most of Brax’s actions, a lot of Heath’s drug dealing and even Casey permanently scarring a young boy, yet it was all about Casey’s feelings and there are so many other instances where is seems the Braxtons are somehow the victims even when they’re committing the crimes, just because they had a hard upbringing - it’s Summer Bay, many had hard upbringings, some worse than the Braxtons, so these grown men are not that special in terms of this show, despite what TPTB may believe.

And just what is the writers/producers stance on bullying, abuse and violence, because on the one hand they have actors and others involved with the show talking about storylines that highlight what a problem these things are, yet on the other hand, they happily romanticise the Brax character and treat his abuse and bullying as a non issue. He emotional abused Charlie (but he loved her so it’s ok), he bullies and emotionally and physically abuses his brothers (he loves them and only wants the best, so ok), he bullies and is abusive to people who happen to tell him something he doesn’t like (the poor little baby is hurting, so it’s ok) and he is violent toward people who stand in his way, yet we’re constantly made aware by other characters of what a good guy he is, when he’s actually one of the biggest bullies and most violent men on the show. If such behaviour is unacceptable with others, then why should we have to put up with this abusive bully being able to do it so often without being called on it? Oh that’s right, he’s Brax, the man deemed so special by the producers and others, that what makes other people violent bad guys makes him a good person. I just can't buy into inconsistent and at times, dishonest storytelling.

Personally, I think a lot of other characters and storylines have suffered because so much time and effort has been put into making the Braxtons the most exciting and biggest characters in the show. Sensitive storylines, like Sid’s depression, Irene’s cancer (and the list goes on) are quickly sidelined/resolved, whereas Braxton issues are given so much time, months even. How hard is it for them to treat all characters equally? And that fault lies at the hands of those in charge.

It’s not just the Braxtons I have issues with, it’s the overuse of romantic drama, in particularly triangles and the constant breakup-makeup drama. Sometimes, just about every couple was involved in a triangle at the same time and it seems like the same drama over and over - it’s like these characters are incapable of learning. And with all the infidelity, pathetic behaviour, lack of respect toward their partner and mismatched pairings, we’re actually meant to believe in these couples and that their each others greatest loves? It's like treat 'em mean to keep 'em keen at times and the women will continue to flock to these guys.

And I think the way some characters are introduced are problematic because their main purpose seems to be as a love interest and little thought seems to have been given to backgrounds or how to develop them in the long term. How many characters (Leah and the older ones excluded) can exist as an independent character outside of a romantic entanglement? Elijah, aimless once things didn’t work with Leah, Liam another who had little to do when his life was rewarded to Heath, Natalie, who was pretty much a blank canvas beyond being Brax’s latest cheerleader. Tam? A ping pong ball between two brothers and not much else. She, like Kyle, seems to have been introduced mainly to provide drama for that poor victim Casey. Why do they keep doing this?

For me, the show feels stuck in a rut, with repetitive storylines and characters. So how do we shake up the show? Just introduce another stereotypical bad guy who is clearly the worst villain to hit the Bay until the next one arrives a few months later. How do we make couples interesting? Endless cycle of break up/make up, infidelity, lies and childish behaviour. What can we do for more exciting storylines? Have another big car accident, because we haven’t done that for absolutely ages or we have another act of violence, because haven’t done that much. Any storyline really, that puts someone in hospital because we just don’t see enough of the characters in hospital with a serious injury that goes away just like that when the time is right. I get that shows that have been on forever tend to repeat storylines, but the frequency these storylines are repeated over and over in such a short space and at times, with the same characters involved, tends to come across as writers with little imagination.

I honestly don’t view sexing the show up and introducing more violence and crime all that progressive, especially with the way they go about portraying it and in this day and age, why do the producers continue to avoid introducing more diversity? Because of criticism they create by stirring up trouble when they label storylines controversial, like they did with Charlie and Joey? What exactly is controversial about a same-sex couple? Neighbours has ethnic and gay characters and they ignored any negative complaints about these characters because they want the show to move forward. Home and Away have happily ignored all the complaints about the amount of drugs and violence on the show, so surely they’re not scared of the odd complaint about introducing a same-sex couple. Of course, that might take attention away from their precious Braxtons and would require some effort on their part to make these characters work and avoid the stereotypical portrayal, ie. gay until the next person of the opposite sex comes along and they become one of those TV bisexuals who then only sleeps with the opposite sex.

Unfortunately, instead of introducing more diversity, whether a same-sex pairing, an ethnic or indigenous family which would allow them to have some fresher storylines and potentially take the show in another direction, they’d prefer to just bring in another villain of the week, who serves their purpose, then leaves, either in a body bag, in a paddy wagon or just disappears. These days, there’s even a lack of diversity with their villains - they’re stereotypical bad guys, they’re evil, they come to shake up the Bay, blah, blah, blah.

As to whether the current producers are ruining the show, that's as subjective as a viewer's enjoyment of a show or why some people like a certain character yet others find them repulsive. For me, my enjoyment of the show has been severely dented because of the direction the producers and others have taken it in. Moving the show into the future is one thing, but it needs to maintain it’s identity and with all the violence, criminals, depressing and overbearingly heavy storylines that come one right after the other and the lack of community feel, it doesn’t have the warm feel of the Summer Bay I grew up with, where I could relate to the characters and sympathise with them. These days, there are very few characters I actually find even remotely likeable and those I do like have the incredibly annoying habit of leaving on me. By all means, the producers should be trying to attract new viewers, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of long term viewers. Balanced storyline telling and use of characters would go a long way, along with consistant storytelling (eg. violence is violence and just because a character is hot, therefore popular, doesn't make his actions any less criminal), but they don’t seem interested in doing that to any great extent - it’s all about catering to the current fad and when a lot of those viewers who love the Braxton show but find Home and Away boring fade away when the Braxtons start to leave, then they might find a bit of a problem on their hands, or do they just intend to hire another trio of hot guys, have them do a lot of bad things and masquerade it as exciting drama while manipulating us into believing they’re the good guys like they have done with the Braxtons, because while they might attract new viewers who find Braxton Mark II the hottest thing ever, they’ll probably also end up alienating other viewers as they’ve done for the past few years.

As a viewer, I don’t think it unreasonable to want storylines for the characters that I like, just as those who like the Braxton want more storylines for them and are constantly rewarded for their fandom. What about the rest though? If we’re lucky, we might occasionally get tossed some leftovers. I just don’t get the attitude of the producers. Do they just not value all their viewers or do they just think that people will continue to watch a show they no longer enjoy just because its become a habit? Neighbours learnt the hard way what happens when long term viewers no longer like the direction the show has taken and jumped ship and its never recovered.

Producers, do you hear me? Hello, I’m a viewer too, do you hear me? Hello? Yep as expected, since I don’t like the Braxtons or the direction the show has taken with all the violence and crime and dark storylines with little of the lighter moments, I pretty much have to put up and shut up or stop watching altogether because my voice is largely silent.

Here here! I agree 100%

[Light of the Bay]

Me too.

Best post of the year I think!!!

[JamesC10]

Excellent post b2sb09. Completely agree with everything. I do accept that the producers are trying to attract new viewers but they shouldn't be alientating some long-term fans as some of them won't like it. I really can't wait for Lucy Addario and Louise Bowes to leave the show and I'm hoping it's soon. I would like a new producer to take over the show soon and understand what Home and Away is truly about. All I want is balance, that's all. I'm not saying "axe the Braxtons, or scrap violence and crime" etc. I just want ALL of the characters to have EQUAL screentime. Cameron Welsh did a much better job than Lucy Addario. He may have introduced many "young" people but he introduced several older characters, gave Irene a few major storylines, etc. Lucy Addario had not introduced any regular character over the age of 40!! She introduced so many new teens and overused the Braxtons, and created bland new characters IMO. The only character she did well are Jett and Ricky I think. We've recently lost Gina, Sid and

possibly Harvey

and they replaced the "older" characters with more teens :/

[Fyn3]

I'm getting a little sick and tired of the constant categorisation of Home and Away fans. What's with this nonsense of pro-Braxton and anti-Braxton fans. I must admit I'm a fan of the Braxtons and I haven't shied away from that but I'm also a big fan of the show in general and lately I've been watching the Early Years episodes as well and I thoroughly enjoy the show then and I enjoy it now. Sure there have been times when I haven't enjoyed it as much as I usually do at certain times but I've never given up on the show. It's up to people on whether they want to continue to watch the show or not, but I do find it a little strange that some fans are very critical of the show yet they say they've given up on watching the show all together. How do you come to the conclusion that the show is poor from your perspective currently despite 'giving up' on it? I'm not trying to be condescending but I'm just wondering how can you formulate a valid opinion about the current show if you no longer watch it?

Part of me sees watching a show like Home and Away is like barracking for your favourite sports team in the AFL, Rugby or Football (Soccer) for example. While the particular sporting team you support goes through its struggles and downtimes you never give up on it because you hope one day that it will return to its best. I find Home and Away is constantly evolving and for it to survive into the future it needs to continue to 'evolve'. I even admit the show has lost some of its roots, but at the same time I don't mind the current show that is on display to viewers at the moment and I'm always excited to see where it goes next in terms of its direction.

In regards to the original question to this thread, it really depends on how you view the show currently as it is open to several interpretations. Some will say that the show is 'ruined', but others may say it's 'fine'. For me personally I still enjoy watching it every night but that's not to say that I don't believe there isn't any flaws to it either. The show has many flaws but some people do seem to over-exaggerate it as well. James' post at the start of this thread seems to emphasis too much on the Braxtons who I agree have been the dominant characters of the show in 2011 but the show goes through phases. Between 2001-2004, the show was dominated by the Sutherlands in many aspects. From 1994-1996, the show was dominated by Shane and Angel so I don't see how this is any different to the current domination that the Braxtons have currently. I also agree that the show needs to be more balanced with its characters as well but how do you know that Ray and Lynne who play Alf and Irene respectively prefer being 'background' characters as opposed to being on the forefront of the show. I'm not saying I agree with the current approach that the producers have taken towards these characters but we don't know what goes on behind the scenes that prompts this approach. Maybe the actors who play Alf and Irene prefer being 'extras' as some would say.

Also don't forget that while some Braxton fans are those that are typically young, use social media such as Facebook and Twitter and tend to be new viewers of the show, there are also Braxton fans such as myself and I'm sure many others here such as Fyn3 and John who are big fans of the characters but they also appreciate the long and proud history that Home and Away has presented and appreciate the older characters and they have been long-term viewers for many years. I'm just sick of this stereotype that many Braxton fans are young people who have only watched the show for three years and would stop watching it when they leave. Trust me after the Braxtons leave, I'll still be watching the show as I'm interested to see what direction it takes and I'm sure there are other Braxtons fans who are just the same.

Overall, I agree the show has its flaws but when hasn't it been flawed. If you read the 1989 and 1990 episode discussion threads relating to the early years, people are even whinging then and these are even considered to be the 'golden years' of Home and Away. Some people were complaining about how poor the show was in 2005-2006 for example, yet in hindsight a lot of people like it.

Also may I add Red Ranger's post pretty much sums up my views on the current show as well. His post is fantastically summed up for those that currently enjoy the show.

This post sums up my thoughts on this discussion! Great post Jezz!