Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[LondonF4]

Even if new producers did take over, there is a good chance that they would be told to continue with the current formula as it is still delivering. Unfortunately, for those of us who dislike it, we could be stuck with the current H&A format for years to come.

Possibly, although I would be surprised if they could find a worse set of producers after Lucy and Louise.

It took over three years, a 50% drop in ratings and a channel change before Network TEN showed Susan Bower and Neil Kingston the door. But that allowed Richard Jasek and Alan Hardy to come in and turn the show around with probably very little interference from TEN. And they turned it around very quickly.

The difference with H&A is that Lucy and Louise are in the twilight of a successful (ratings-wise) period, and they're sticking with it through the departure of the Braxton's. Hopefully they stick around for another year or two until the ratings are really in the toilet, at which point Network 7 might hire some decent talent that understands the soap opera genre.

It's hard to know what the real story is but I agree that things will probably need to get worse before they get better. Over at Neighbours SuBo ran the show into the ground over 4 years - in fact the rot began before her with the botched 2007 revamp but people forget that - and though fans were getting riled it took blooming forever for action to be taken. The networks dont seem to care very much about the soaps in Aus which is unlike the UK where swift action is taken when things go awry.

[Homeandawayfan.]

I think the current format really set in when the River Boys arrived, yes it had problems before but I feel it still had a good community feeling. Watching a 2005 episode the other day, I found just how much more calmer H&A was just those 9 years ago. The fuzziness was adamant. I also will hold on to hope that the show improves, it will not happen overnight but I am not yet ready to accept that the current style will be the style going forward. Neighbours pulled itself out of the dark and destructive phase it went through, I am confident H&A can do the same.

[hward]

I've never been so disappointed with the show in all the time I've watched it as I am right now, I think it's been a poor year and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. There's only one or two characters I seem to have anything positive to say about nowadays and I feel as though I'm on the verge of washing my hands of H&A and not bothering anymore. Some of the storylines are just ridiculous and some characters are totally unlikable, it's a downright shame what the writers/producers are doing to what used to be such a fantastic show.

[alexx]

I think the current format really set in when the River Boys arrived, yes it had problems before but I feel it still had a good community feeling. Watching a 2005 episode the other day, I found just how much more calmer H&A was just those 9 years ago. The fuzziness was adamant. I also will hold on to hope that the show improves, it will not happen overnight but I am not yet ready to accept that the current style will be the style going forward. Neighbours pulled itself out of the dark and destructive phase it went through, I am confident H&A can do the same.

I think the difference is that the ratings plummeted during it's 'dark and destructive' phase, whereas H&A's ratings haven't really... so 'they' won't see it as a downward spiral, the network/producers see it as a positive that the show's format has changed. Unless the ratings take a drastic nose dive, or a new producer takes over, I doubt the format will be altered very much going forward.

[sindikatas]

I think the current format really set in when the River Boys arrived, yes it had problems before but I feel it still had a good community feeling. Watching a 2005 episode the other day, I found just how much more calmer H&A was just those 9 years ago. The fuzziness was adamant. I also will hold on to hope that the show improves, it will not happen overnight but I am not yet ready to accept that the current style will be the style going forward. Neighbours pulled itself out of the dark and destructive phase it went through, I am confident H&A can do the same.

I don't know if it's true. I recently took a look at the first episode of 2010 and it had harsh music, storylines about shooting and the general feeling that everything is very serious and everyone is in danger.

[Homeandawayfan.]

Some say that H&A started to become the show it is now in about 2005/2006. If so then that was 9 years ago, and that unfortunately could be an indication that the show as we know it now is going to be the show going forward. With Neighbours it was just a phase (2006-2009ish) and it managed to pull itself out from its dark and destructive phase.

[Gerard]

Possibly, although I would be surprised if they could find a worse set of producers after Lucy and Louise.

It took over three years, a 50% drop in ratings and a channel change before Network TEN showed Susan Bower and Neil Kingston the door. But that allowed Richard Jasek and Alan Hardy to come in and turn the show around with probably very little interference from TEN. And they turned it around very quickly.

The difference with H&A is that Lucy and Louise are in the twilight of a successful (ratings-wise) period, and they're sticking with it through the departure of the Braxton's. Hopefully they stick around for another year or two until the ratings are really in the toilet, at which point Network 7 might hire some decent talent that understands the soap opera genre.

I remember people commenting how bad the show was before the current producers came along, so there's no guarantee the next producers will actually improve things either. But it can't possibly get much worse surely, It will be interesting to see if the ratings hold up in the post-Braxton-dominated era. I can see them trying something even more OTT before they would resort to the formula that worked for the first 17 or 18 years. These days if the format is delivering ratings, I can't see them risking that by altering it, so it will be business as usual until ratings fall to an extent that the network is not making so much of a profit from advertising etc.

The new characters who have come in over the past months haven't really set the screen alight in my opinion. Barely a week goes by now when there isn't some kind of life-or-death scenario. It's bound to get tired sooner or later. It may as well be a completely different show just with the name "Home and Away".

[Homeandawayfan.]

It is practically The Braxton Show now, regarding the show feeling like a new show. I did hear that Lucy worked under Cameron Welsh and he was someone who started this new format of crimes and endless love triangles. But regarding the big bosses at Channel 7, there is no room for quality as far as they are concerned as long as the show is making them much profit. I am not sure if Lucy and Louise are completely ruining H&A for new fans but for the longer term viewers they probably are ruining the show.

[Blaxland 89]

I tuned in yesterday, and within 5 minutes, Kyle was aggressively pinning a guy down on the pool table. Boring and yawn. Everytime I try to watch it its the same. The show has not developed in years Just goes round and round in cirlces. Yes, the show is ruined. Who's fault it is I dont exactly know and whether or not it will be fixed one day remains to be seen.

At least before it always felt like it was going somewhere.

[Gerard]

It's a fair point that probably many of those who have been watching the series only for the past 5 years or less, would think the current Summer Bay antics are just great.

The longer they stick to the format, in theory, the more of the audience who will identify with it, then it will get to the point where they couldn't go back since they'd lose the current audience. Creating high drama by having aggressive one-dimensional characters, and keeping everyone else happy with endless love triangles and "Who's the father?" type storylines shows a real lack of imagination. Concentrating on certain characters they see as "viewer favourites" and sidelining others,

I agree, it is stuck in a rut, just going around in circles these days. Viewers are fickle and bound to get bored eventually. High drama that used to shock and entrall us years ago just becomes run-of-the-mill. It will be interesting to see where we are in a few years time...