Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[Jamie!]

I just don't understand why the Home and Away producers are so reluctant to bring back permanent returnees? Last time a character returned to Home and Away as a regular was Marilyn in 2010. I really hope that when Lucy Addario and Louise Bowes leave the show, hopefully the new producers can sort out the mess and give ALL characters EQUAL screentime. Hopefully they won't continue to overuse the Braxtons (I bet all the Braxtons will leave in early 2015). I honestly can't wait for Home and Away after the Braxtons leave.. It is NOT an American soap show.

I wouldn't be surprised if Steve Peacocke stays on the show. He has openly said that he loves his job and wants to stay, (with the amount of storylines he has, I'm not surprised he loves his job). I know that actors in the past have said that they're not leaving when they are, but it wouldn't surprise me if he stays where he is.

I would agree that the imminent departure of the Braxton's won't solve the issues with H&A. The producers have recognised that 'bad boy' characters that engage in violent/criminal behaviour appeals to a key demographic. So with the first Braxton's beginning to sign off, they're already introducing carbon copies in the form of Heath Andy and Casey Josh.

From what I've read of the comments on the H&A facebook page (trust me, I'm ashamed to admit that) the Barrett's have not been as immediately successful as the Braxton's were upon their introduction, and they don't seem hugely popular here either. I think that the success of the Braxton's was that they were so unusual after such a vanilla 2010 season, and that it will be difficult to replicate that success now because the audience is more intelligent than the producers give them credit for.

I suspect that once all of the Braxton's have departed that the ratings will begin to slide, and it could result (eventually) in Channel 7 deciding to take the show in a different direction (again) and take the show 'back to it's roots' (again). As long as the storylines are interesting, and the writing is engaging this could work (this time).

I did think at the time of the Barretts' introduction, that the reason the producers introduced them was so they could be the "new Braxtons".

In order for the show to go back to how it used to be if/when all the Braxtons leave, what I would do is bring back some past characters full-time, have them the owners of Summer Bay House and get them to foster. Maybe Carly and her husband Ben. I don't know if Sharyn Hodgson is acting any more, or whether she would ever want to return full time, but she has obvious links with the Fletcher family and also has a family of her own with Ben. I know that Julian McMahon couldn't come back because of his successful career in America, but seeing as how Ben was only in the show for a year, they could very easily replace him with another actor.

With the 2010 season, the reason I think it wasn't deemed as successful was because just like 2009 mainly focused on the mystery storyline, 2010 just mostly focused on characters falling in and out of love with each other. It had a much gentler pace. For the first few months or so, I loved what I was seeing. It felt really lovely and at times, it did almost resemble the Home and Away I know and love. But when it became clear that all they were going to be mainly focusing on was relationships forming and breaking, that's when it became as tiresome as the mystery storyline. It's not that I don't want these type of storylines. I much prefer the character driven storylines where the characters fit the storylines rather than the storylines fitting the characters. I just want there to be a balance between the character driven and the plot driven storylines and for the show to not mainly focus on a single theme or group of characters.

[cadyctslover]

^ Don't get me wrong, 2010 is actually one of my favourite seasons, it just didn't go down well with a lot of other fans.

[JamesC10]

I've been looking at the credits this week and I've noticed that Holly Lyons is script producer. I wonder if Louise Bowes is no longer script producer anymore?

[Light of the Bay]

Holly Lyons has been heavily involved in the script writing process in the last couple of years I think?? Louise seems to be credited as Script Producer for a period and then as an 'Executive'.

[JamesC10]

Ah yes this makes sense. She is still working in Home and Away according to her twitter account. I think Louise takes some weeks off because a script producer is a very demanding job!

[cadyctslover]

I've been looking at the credits this week and I've noticed that Holly Lyons is script producer. I wonder if Louise Bowes is no longer script producer anymore?

I believe that has been the case for a while now James. I wish there was a database of the change in Script Producers over time, as there are interesting correlations between SP and storyline direction.

[John]

Interesting to note that Home and Away won the Logie for Most Popular Drama.

Now I know there isn't a 100% correlation between popularity and the quality of the writing or the appropriateness of the content but at least some of the voters must be finding both of these acceptable to bother voting.

It would also be a little strange that a show that was being "ruined by its current producers" would be popular enough to attract enough votes to win that category.

Perhaps in fact, it isn't being ruined at all.

[alexx]

^I think it kind of goes back to what I was saying a few posts back. They have created a new show, new style of wrting, a new style of casting etc. and in doing that they have attracted a lot of new viewers that seem to have replaced some of the older viewers who have switched off.

So whilst H&A may be popular and well liked by the current audience, to those that have switched off it's been 'ruined' or gone downhill. The producers wont care about those who have switched off now though because they have a new audience and if they're wining logies then the show won't be seen as 'ruined' by any of the producers.

I decided to give it a shot and watch all of last week. Bit's of it were good, but I found it pretty bland and boring for the most part to be honest. Even the stuff that was supposed to be 'emotional' seemed quite cold and blaze. I just think that the qualty of the writing could be so much better and the characters could be far more intersting and well defined - but most people switching on will just take it as it is and won't be thinking about it in that way.

I'd say that it's definitly a youth focused and prodemintely relationship/romance focused show now. So I've just accepted that I don't like or enjoy it, it's not intersting enough for me and I've pretty much moved on from it. Still, I think it's a shame.

[John]

I understand that the show has moved away from some fans. I think that is inevitable as the show seeks to reinvent itself and attract and retain a new audience which will take it into its future.

I consider myself very fortunate that I have been able to appreciate and enjoy the show since the early 90's.

[Homeandawayfan.]

^I think it kind of goes back to what I was saying a few posts back. They have created a new show, new style of wrting, a new style of casting etc. and in doing that they have attracted a lot of new viewers that seem to have replaced some of the older viewers who have switched off.

So whilst H&A may be popular and well liked by the current audience, to those that have switched off it's been 'ruined' or gone downhill. The producers wont care about those who have switched off now though because they have a new audience and if they're wining logies then the show won't be seen as 'ruined' by any of the producers.

I decided to give it a shot and watch all of last week. Bit's of it were good, but I found it pretty bland and boring for the most part to be honest. Even the stuff that was supposed to be 'emotional' seemed quite cold and blaze. As a Screen Writing student, I just think the qualty of the writing could be so much better and the characters could be far more intersting and well defined - but most people switching on will just take it as it is and won't be thinking about it in that way.

I'd say that it's definitly a youth focused and prodemintely relationship/romance focused show now. So I've just accepted that I don't like or enjoy it, it's not intersting enough for me and I've pretty much moved on from it. Still, I think it's a shame.

BIB you have said that a couple of times but I disagree to an extent. I think to say the current episodes are a new show and H&A has ended is an opinion which is going against facts. Facts distorted to suit a personal opinion.

Every episode has followed on from the previous episode since 1988, it is set in the same town, has the same title, same characters, it is the same show. None of the production team have said it is a separate show and I find opinions that say "H&A ended for me years ago" a bit odd. I dont think H&A has lost its roots entierly, it still has a lot of its original basis.

Sorry I had to say this. Home And Away has its errors and it can be too Braxton orientated but it is still the same show that began in 1988 no matter what personal opinions are. Same with Neighbours.