Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[Light of the Bay]

Did you see the last part of the sentence I've extended the bold type to?

Yes I did thanks John. There certainly isn't a 100% correlation between popularity and the quality of the writing, that much is clear to me.

I would suggest that there is a large audience that doesn't know what good writing is, or doesn't care for it. They want male characters to spend a minimum of 50% of each episode partly dressed, caricature villains, and a good proportion of simplistic, crime-related storylines. These people watch X-Factor and Big Brother all day, read TV Week and then vote for Most Popular Drama.

I often wince watching H&A these days, at the plot holes, character assassination and inattention to detail.

To give you an example, today's UK episode was the aftermath of Zac and Bianca sleeping together again, and Bianca's decision to leave for London with Ricky.

A couple of weeks ago they set up this new MacGuire/Wilson family, which was quite interesting, an unusual situation where the relatives of two teenagers come together to provide a safe and secure family home for them. I like Zac, and I think it's an interesting storyline concept which played out nicely. Fast-forward 20 or so episodes, and Zac has decided to reject a relationship with Hannah to focus on the twins, so Hannah moves on with Andy. This situation suddenly leaves Zac so distraught that he sleeps with Bianca, refusing the next morning to give any explanation as to where he had been all night to his housemate, or the children in their care. In fact he tells them to mind their own business.

Then there is Bianca, who after admitting that it probably wasn't fair to ask Heath to choose between her and his own child, decides to just hop on the plane and accompany Ricky to London. A quick throwaway line about getting some time off from the school department is all that we, as viewers, are given. So, the headmistress of a high school is able to take holiday at a moments notice, with absolutely no indication of when she may return? Somehow she also gets a ticket on the same flight as Ricky.

In my view this is not especially convincing script-writing. Which is why H&A wins the Logie for most popular drama, not most outstanding drama.

Disclaimer: I am not targeting any particular group of board members with my comments here. If you really wish to take offence to my opinions that says more about you than me.

Well said Cadyctslover. You sum up my thoughts exactly!

[Blaxland 89]

Did you see the last part of the sentence I've extended the bold type to?

Yes I did thanks John. There certainly isn't a 100% correlation between popularity and the quality of the writing, that much is clear to me.

I would suggest that there is a large audience that doesn't know what good writing is, or doesn't care for it. They want male characters to spend a minimum of 50% of each episode partly dressed, caricature villains, and a good proportion of simplistic, crime-related storylines. These people watch X-Factor and Big Brother all day, read TV Week and then vote for Most Popular Drama.

I often wince watching H&A these days, at the plot holes, character assassination and inattention to detail.

To give you an example, today's UK episode was the aftermath of Zac and Bianca sleeping together again, and Bianca's decision to leave for London with Ricky.

A couple of weeks ago they set up this new MacGuire/Wilson family, which was quite interesting, an unusual situation where the relatives of two teenagers come together to provide a safe and secure family home for them. I like Zac, and I think it's an interesting storyline concept which played out nicely. Fast-forward 20 or so episodes, and Zac has decided to reject a relationship with Hannah to focus on the twins, so Hannah moves on with Andy. This situation suddenly leaves Zac so distraught that he sleeps with Bianca, refusing the next morning to give any explanation as to where he had been all night to his housemate, or the children in their care. In fact he tells them to mind their own business.

Then there is Bianca, who after admitting that it probably wasn't fair to ask Heath to choose between her and his own child, decides to just hop on the plane and accompany Ricky to London. A quick throwaway line about getting some time off from the school department is all that we, as viewers, are given. So, the headmistress of a high school is able to take holiday at a moments notice, with absolutely no indication of when she may return? Somehow she also gets a ticket on the same flight as Ricky.

In my view this is not especially convincing script-writing. Which is why H&A wins the Logie for most popular drama, not most outstanding drama.

Disclaimer: I am not targeting any particular group of board members with my comments here. If you really wish to take offence to my opinions that says more about you than me.

Yes. Excellent analysis of the current show.

[John]

Did you see the last part of the sentence I've extended the bold type to?

Yes I did thanks John. There certainly isn't a 100% correlation between popularity and the quality of the writing, that much is clear to me.

I would suggest that there is a large audience that doesn't know what good writing is, or doesn't care for it. They want male characters to spend a minimum of 50% of each episode partly dressed, caricature villains, and a good proportion of simplistic, crime-related storylines. These people watch X-Factor and Big Brother all day, read TV Week and then vote for Most Popular Drama.

I often wince watching H&A these days, at the plot holes, character assassination and inattention to detail.

To give you an example, today's UK episode was the aftermath of Zac and Bianca sleeping together again, and Bianca's decision to leave for London with Ricky.

A couple of weeks ago they set up this new MacGuire/Wilson family, which was quite interesting, an unusual situation where the relatives of two teenagers come together to provide a safe and secure family home for them. I like Zac, and I think it's an interesting storyline concept which played out nicely. Fast-forward 20 or so episodes, and Zac has decided to reject a relationship with Hannah to focus on the twins, so Hannah moves on with Andy. This situation suddenly leaves Zac so distraught that he sleeps with Bianca, refusing the next morning to give any explanation as to where he had been all night to his housemate, or the children in their care. In fact he tells them to mind their own business.

Then there is Bianca, who after admitting that it probably wasn't fair to ask Heath to choose between her and his own child, decides to just hop on the plane and accompany Ricky to London. A quick throwaway line about getting some time off from the school department is all that we, as viewers, are given. So, the headmistress of a high school is able to take holiday at a moments notice, with absolutely no indication of when she may return? Somehow she also gets a ticket on the same flight as Ricky.

In my view this is not especially convincing script-writing. Which is why H&A wins the Logie for most popular drama, not most outstanding drama.

Disclaimer: I am not targeting any particular group of board members with my comments here. If you really wish to take offence to my opinions that says more about you than me.

Good post Cadyctslover. I've never argued that the writing of Home and Away is uniformly good. In fact I have argued that in many cases the introduction of information for us to understand characters and timing is almost uniformly poor.

That's why the show will probably never win Most Outstanding Drama.

However the fact that enough people find the show enjoyable to vote it Most Popular Drama must mean they find the writing and storylines at least acceptable. I think if we simply dismiss those people completely as "not knowing any better" in contrast to us who are able to judge what is good and bad writing we are being a little unfair.

In the long run ratings are essentially a popularity contest. While the show rates well enough to win a popularity vote it wont change.

So what we are really arguing about is what the Topic starter meant by "ruined"'.

As for the people running around in beach wear i.e swimming togs,, shorts etc. this is show set in a mythical beachside town of Summer Bay. The way people dress is typical of what you would see in any Australian seaside place during summer. It doesn't come across as gratuitous at least to us in Oz who enjoy our seaside holidays.

[Blaxland 89]

Did you see the last part of the sentence I've extended the bold type to?

Yes I did thanks John. There certainly isn't a 100% correlation between popularity and the quality of the writing, that much is clear to me.

I would suggest that there is a large audience that doesn't know what good writing is, or doesn't care for it. They want male characters to spend a minimum of 50% of each episode partly dressed, caricature villains, and a good proportion of simplistic, crime-related storylines. These people watch X-Factor and Big Brother all day, read TV Week and then vote for Most Popular Drama.

I often wince watching H&A these days, at the plot holes, character assassination and inattention to detail.

To give you an example, today's UK episode was the aftermath of Zac and Bianca sleeping together again, and Bianca's decision to leave for London with Ricky.

A couple of weeks ago they set up this new MacGuire/Wilson family, which was quite interesting, an unusual situation where the relatives of two teenagers come together to provide a safe and secure family home for them. I like Zac, and I think it's an interesting storyline concept which played out nicely. Fast-forward 20 or so episodes, and Zac has decided to reject a relationship with Hannah to focus on the twins, so Hannah moves on with Andy. This situation suddenly leaves Zac so distraught that he sleeps with Bianca, refusing the next morning to give any explanation as to where he had been all night to his housemate, or the children in their care. In fact he tells them to mind their own business.

Then there is Bianca, who after admitting that it probably wasn't fair to ask Heath to choose between her and his own child, decides to just hop on the plane and accompany Ricky to London. A quick throwaway line about getting some time off from the school department is all that we, as viewers, are given. So, the headmistress of a high school is able to take holiday at a moments notice, with absolutely no indication of when she may return? Somehow she also gets a ticket on the same flight as Ricky.

In my view this is not especially convincing script-writing. Which is why H&A wins the Logie for most popular drama, not most outstanding drama.

Disclaimer: I am not targeting any particular group of board members with my comments here. If you really wish to take offence to my opinions that says more about you than me.

Good post Cadyctslover. I've never argued that the writing of Home and Away is uniformly good. In fact I have argued that in many cases the introduction of information for us to understand characters and timing is almost uniformly poor.

That's why the show will probably never win Most Outstanding Drama.

However the fact that enough people find the show enjoyable to vote it Most Popular Drama must mean they find the writing and storylines at least acceptable. I think if we simply dismiss those people completely as "not knowing any better" in contrast to us who are able to judge what is good and bad writing we are being a little unfair.

In the long run ratings are essentially a popularity contest. While the show rates well enough to win a popularity vote it wont change.

So what we are really arguing about is what the Topic starter meant by "ruined"'.

As for the people running around in beach wear i.e swimming togs,, shorts etc. this is show set in a mythical beachside town of Summer Bay. The way people dress is typical of what you would see in any Australian seaside place during summer. It doesn't come across as gratuitous at least to us in Oz who enjoy our seaside holidays.

On the contrary, once again the way the character are dressed has changed in recent times and its always been a seaside towns.

They were once all dressed very individually to express the personality of the character. But now as they're all carbon copies of one another that has been lost.

Also as it is (was) a slightly backward chilled out town with locals that weren't loaded with cash the clothes reflected that. A contrast to the city. Now the women especially, are done up to the nines just walking by the sea!

All these little things are why people say its not the same show any more. And I agree. Not because the show has changed because all shows have to. But because I personally feel that the heart or core of the show is no longer there.

[alexx]

They were once all dressed very individually to express the personality of the character. But now as they're all carbon copies of own another that has been lost.

Also as it is (was) a slighty backward town the chilled out town the clothes with locals that weren't loaded with cash reflected that. A contrast to the city. Now the woman especially are done up to the nines just walking by the sea!

All these little things are why people say its not the same show any more. And I agree. Not because the show has changed because all shows have to. But because I personally feel that the heart or core of the show is longer there.

Exactly.

I'm not bothered about guys with their tops off here and there because that's always been the case and reflects the seaside town (I do think that there may be more of a focus on it now, espeically in the marketing because of the new found audience) - but I completely agree that all of the characters are now pretty much very 'polished' which I find boring and not like the H&A I enjoyed at all. I think that started happening years ago though not to the same extent. The dialogue isnt unique to certain characters either I.e they all sound like each other.

It now feels like a very busy inner city seaside resort or a trendy resort on the Gold Coast or something. Again, not the H&A I enjoyed.

All of these elements, including the type of storylines and how characters are written, it all keeps changing but every time it goes further and further away from what the show used to be instead of building on what it already was.

[cadyctslover]

However the fact that enough people find the show enjoyable to vote it Most Popular Drama must mean they find the writing and storylines at least acceptable. I think if we simply dismiss those people completely as "not knowing any better" in contrast to us who are able to judge what is good and bad writing we are being a little unfair.

It might not be very nice, but it is fair to say the type of viewer I describe is unable to judge good or bad writing.

In the long run ratings are essentially a popularity contest. While the show rates well enough to win a popularity vote it wont change.

So what we are really arguing about is what the Topic starter meant by "ruined"'.

The tragedy of that is programming that focuses on 'hot' actors and poorly-conceived, sensationalist plots instead of engaging, realistic drama. That's what upsets me when I remember H&A's 'glory ' days, and why I struggle to understand why the show can't modernise and maintain a minimum script/plot standard.

[Homeandawayfan.]

When Donald Fisher left the show was fast becoming an even more mainly younger persons show. Donald was one of the most authentic characters ever in H&A and the show of now lacks someone like him. You may say we have Alf but Don was a lot different to Alf. Don always had storylines right up to his 2003 exit. Alf used to have storylines but now is just an extra as the hot totty takes centre stage in the character balance.

Unfortunatley the days of Flathead handing out detentions to prankster pupils like Shane, Angel, Jack, Sam etc are long gone.

[Blaxland 89]

Losing Donald Fisher certainly was a turning point for me. But I'm thankful he left when he did. Would hate to see him go the way Alf has. And I like to ignore the 2007 return.

[j.laur5]

What's wrong with Alf?.

I know he has been a bit moody lately.

[Homeandawayfan.]

I do agree that even though it has changed a lot, Neighbours has much of the time built on what it once was. In 1985 the show was about families in a Aussie cul de sac and in 2014 it still has the same basic premise. H&A has the basic premise of troubled teens but in the 1980s and 1990s the teens in H&A were mainly pranksters who were being fostered and well looked after. And others like Shane and Damo and Jack in the 1990s never got up to any real harm, they maybe nicked a car for joyriding and hilariously crashed into Alf or Don's front wall and drove off with just a graze or two, or two timing ended up with someone getting a black eye and people taking the mickey for days afterwards, now in 2014 two timing in Addarioised H&A often ends up with someone being killed or seriously injured.

I appreciate a juicy murder plot in a show as much as the next bloke but as long as they are quite isolated events, not to the excess H&A does them now. H&A can do lighthearted stuff well but it is outweighed by the heavy stuff. 20 years ago it was the other way round.