Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[Jezz]

I can't believe I'm going to say this but I judge it as I see it and at the moment the show isn't in a good state and I'm someone who always tries to find positives in the show even when I'm struggling to do so.

The Braxtons are all over the shop. Heath and Casey are gone and it seems like the writers have no idea what to do with Brax now. They aren't developing his brotherly relationship with Kyle and it just seems out of character that he's so forgiving towards Andy and he's embracing the likes of Andy and Josh into his home. Andy and Ricky seem to have had personality transplants since Casey died.

Matt and Sasha are too isolated from everyone else at the moment. At least Matt went on the fishing trip with Alf, Zac, Spencer and VJ and I liked his brief chat with Alf the other week.

John and Marilyn are going around in circles with their constant misunderstandings.

They're a married couple and they've officially adopted Jett so they should start acting more mature for once without the comical element taking over their characters.

The likes of Spencer, Zac, Maddy, Evie, Oscar, Hannah and Denny are all bland characters with little personality between the three of them. I see potential for Oscar and Denny but the others are a lost cause at the moment. You could almost include Josh onto this list but I like his character though.

I'm trying to do my best to buy into the new VJ and I think Matt Little is a good actor especially after seeing him on Neighbours early in the year but the problem is he just seems too old for the role and therefore it doesn't seem plausible that he's Leah's son. I could understand him being SORAS'ed about two years so he could be friends with Jett and while he hasn't been SORAS'ed the actor is too old.

Nate, Sophie and Hannah are also boring characters. The sooner Sophie is gone the better.

In regards to the positives, the show isn't completely a lost cause but definitely needs a spark of some kind whether that's an overhaul of the production team, an overhaul of the cast or just better storylines with more character-driven elements to them. I'm not giving up on the show but something needs to change sooner rather than later. I understand people have been critical for years, but I never thought the show was in a terrible state in the last year but ever since Casey died there's been too much I've disliked about the show and it needs to change sooner rather than later.

Hopefully it improves!

[pembie]

I wouldn't agree that Maddy is a bland character I find her the most interesting teen to watch at the moment. The only downside for me is her skipping

Denny I find very bland seems like she was only brought in for Casey Its good to see her hanging around with her own family a bit more now though.

[gutterboy]

...and I'm sorry (ok, I'm not), but how cringeworthy was it when... ....

Ash got back to the bay after his "couple of days away"!? This is pretty much what the show has come down to these days....... "oh, theres a new bad boy in the bay, we better make sure we show how cool and irresistable he is to all our teenage viewers, so yeah...... let's um, make him rock up in some chicks car who just happened to offer to drive him all the way back in her car and show how swag he is".......

......does anyone have a bucket!?

[JamesC10]

I think its the worst ever period at the moment. Most of the new characters introduced by Lucy Addario and Louise Bowes have been dull. I'm that close to stop watching Home and Away for good and I've been watching for many years. I really think its time for Lucy and Louise to leave Home and Away and get a new producer who truly understands the show well. It is not fair for long-term fans and I fear for the show's future.

[j.laur5]

I don't think so.

I quite like way the show is as long as they balance drama and happy moments.

But the problem is they can't write the show how it was 20 years ago as everyone wants dramatic drama now!

[Blaxland 89]

Having just seen Terry Donovan and Rebekah Elmaloglou together in Neighbours and seeing they are still both willing to do a bit of soap makes me wish so much they brought Sophie back when Sally left. We could of had a fantastic story with her Dad coming out of prison. It could of involved Alf too. Give him something to do. Anyway, weird to see them together but so much older. He could even be linked with the Braxtons somehow. Maybe knowing their Dad from prison My other idea is bringing in Irene's two grandson to stay with her. I've said this before. And maybe them finding out that one was a surrogate.Maybe Finn decided not to tell the but Irene wanted too. Chole's Olivia also a good character to bring. And maybe Rachel McGregor.

If only the current producers could think outside the box and be a little more imaginative. And consider the shows history to move the show on a bit. Rather then the rut of duplicate characters and revenge storylines and all the other things we fans complain about.

[Homeandawayfan.]

They should never have killed off Bobby Marshall, imagine if she was still around today. One idea to think outside the box would be to bring in a distant cousin of Alf on the Stewart side, a second cousin, with a wife and children, a new Stewart family. Just a thought. Or bring back Sam Marshall or Rebecca Nash.

I was watching an old ep from 1999 on VHS last night where Vinnie and Sam played a trick on Joey Rainbow (similar to Lance and Martin winding up vulnerable Nico in 1988) about pretending there was a trapped girl in a drain and back then the show was light and fuzzy and character driven like Neighbours. Just the occasional darker plot thrown in for good measure. In 2014 at present very little of that humour and charm remains.

[Blaxland 89]

Yes. Be good to have Sam and Greg in partnership at a new boat shed. Could have Sandy and their child in it too.

I remember that story you are referring to. Wasn't it a trick for Sally but Joey walked past instead?

[cadyctslover]

I don't think so.

I quite like way the show is as long as they balance drama and happy moments.

But the problem is they can't write the show how it was 20 years ago as everyone wants dramatic drama now!

Maybe not, but no one is asking for slopping writing.

[alexx]

I don't think so.

I quite like way the show is as long as they balance drama and happy moments.

But the problem is they can't write the show how it was 20 years ago as everyone wants dramatic drama now!

Maybe not, but no one is asking for slopping writing.

Yep and I think we've discussed this earlier in the thread... No one has ever said that they want the show to be written like it was 20 years ago.

At the moment I don't think there is a decent balance of drama (real drama that is actually thrilling and engaging) and happy moments (genuine character driven moments that bring a smile to your face).