Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[cadyctslover]

Yes I saw that tweet from Daniel:

@LauraJean1992 Nothing in the pipeline, but if @lucyaddario was interested in giving us a *detailed* interview we'd always be up for it.

Makes it sound like DS are well up for it, but Lucy Blair Prescott Brown Addario may be being difficult.

Interesting that he emphasises the word 'detailed', perhaps they tried recently and she would only give brief answers, or perhaps she refused to answer certain questions.

[TelephotoMarigold]

What is the point of Lucy doing an interview? Surely it is well documented in previous interviews that she doesn't know the history of the show, doesn't understand the fans, and couldn't care about either of those things as long as she still gets plaudits for introducing certain characters.

[Homeandawayfan.]

I think H&A did become a bit racier in 2005 but watching 2007 episodes on YT the show was still pretty much the relaxed show it once was. It had a better balance of light and shade. In 2011, Lucy changed all that and turned it into EastEnders And Midsomer Murders Of Sydney when she bought in The River Boys. I wish Alan Bateman was still alive to come and see Lucy and tell her to pull her socks up.

I still live in hope that soon I can say "The Lucy Addario era is now gone".

[jodlebirger]

Cameron Welsch was still the producer when the Braxton boys arrived. And we complained about him too.

To be honest, I don't think replacing Lucy Addario and Louise Bowes with others will help. I think that the producers and writers are controlled by greedy and powerful Channel seven bosses. I think their work is very restricted by those bosses, who will be sure of that the show is a success rating wise. I have a feeling that these bosses don't care about the storylines at all as long the show rates well (and it still does!) and the vibe around it is positive.

The show got some negative press in 2009, and it seemed to me that Australian media was after to "hurt" H&A in a way. Because they complained about criminal storylines (it is worse now) and the actors behaviour. After that the show has been more mechanic and steered in a certain way. It feels like they want to be in more control of what people think of the show, so every criticism has been put down. And it has probably lead to more positive view on the show in the Australian media.

I also think that the viewers is to blame. In general television viewers all over the world is much less critical to violence, sloppy storytelling and endless predictable love triangles now, than they used to be. In general most show are not that well written now as tv shows used to be. The show is still popular all around where it is aired. So this trend with violence, triangles and so on will not change until something drastic happens rating wise.

[cadyctslover]

^ Absolutely right. Lucy Addario and Louise Bowes would only be replaced by carbon copies, tasked with taking the show in an even more ludicrous, crime-focussed direction.

This is what Channel 7 think keeps viewers interested, and in part they're correct. But really, they just hit the jackpot with a group of very well-received characters that have been widely popular with the audience. What position this leaves the program in following their departure is a serious concern.

But going back to the current producers, they may be forced into taking the show in a certain direction by the network, but surely no one is forcing them to create badly-written storylines and dull characters? I want to see fresh writers and producers, no one could be any worse.

[Homeandawayfan.]

I dont think most shows are more badly written than they used to be and I do not always get this "good old days" cliche but I think with H&A it was better written 15-20 years ago to say the least even if it still had some cheesy stories and characters. A cliffhanger years ago in H&A used to be someone like Shane or Damo nicking water bottles from the store or Shane crashing his car into Alf's wall in a hilarious way and no human harm done. Some shows are more badly written than they used to be but many are still quite well written such as Neighbours and Coronation Street. I think Home And Away has become a victim of its own success. It has become the "Coronation Street" of Oz in terms of legacy and iconic status, and the greedy bosses want the show to be plot driven crime focused to gain the ratings.

Due to H&A running rings around Neighbours, Neighbours does not suffer and remains the warm and cosy show that H&A also used to be. I dont think the bosses are pushing the show to become plot driven and crime filled.

[JamesC10]

I'd like to think that the show will improve when the new producers take over the reigns but Channel Seven might want the show to be sexier and darker. If the new producers continue to explore love triangles, repetitive storylines and introduce more bad boy characters from Mangrove River, I may stop watching the show for good. It would be a shame if I stopped watching Home and Away because I've watched the show since the early 90s. But there's still hope for the future.

[Homeandawayfan.]

As said it may be an improvement that will never come but I remain hopeful that it may pull itself out of the gutter. I am a regular viewers of Neighbours but not of H&A, I dip in and out now. With N I can sit down to a fairly relaxed show, with everyday life stories, H&A is it weapons of mass destruction, endless crime and misery. Neighbours is now head and shoulders above H&A now. I think it is easy to blame Lucy and Louise but it could be their bosses pushing for the current style to keep it in the ratings.

Someone on here did say Alan Bateman will be turning in his grave at the current style and I agree. He'd not be happy at all at the way his creation has turned out.

One thing I hate is the harsh music. The latest UK episode shown tonight made me wince, kidnap, gory road accident, so unlike the light and fluffy Shane, Angel, Sarah, Tug and Damo era, and the era of the famous man in my avatar dressed in punk clothing, one of his best ever scene which is why I have that avatar. Glad I have Neighbours to sit and relax to.

[Red Ranger 1]

I think that's somewhat unfair, the latest UK episode was ultimately focused almost entirely on the kind of family and character-orientated storylines that people claim are absent from the current show. In fact, the odd punch-up and Brax and Andy stealing a photo aside, I'm struggling to remember the last time the show had what would be considered a genuine crime storyline, you possibly have to go back to the fallout from the cliffhanger at the start of the year.On the other hand, Neighbours and the UK soaps all seem to be focusing on murders, beatings and violent robberies at the moment.It may not be light and fluffy all that often but when you strip it down Home and Away actually seems to be dealing with the kind of everyday issues that soaps should.The "kidnap" is hardly a kidnap in the dictionary definition of the word, it's a child running away because she's unhappy with her home life.Similarly, the road accident(which we don't even see, we just see the aftermath)is just a plot device in the story of a boy trying to do what he thinks is best for his family and having the situation spiral out of control.I think they're both soap opera staples which wouldn't look out of place at any point in the show's early history.

[Blaxland 89]

I have to agree about the music. I tuned in the other day and rather than enhancing the scene, it was over powering it and not adding a thing.