Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[RI4444]

I'm dyslexic, so there may be some errors here.

This is my opinion! Home and Away is no longer a family show, it has turned into a violent action show. I can't stand the Braxtons, the Barretts, Ash or Sophie.

I don't like Maddy or the new VJ, and I don't like the storylines. The writers have done a poor jobb the past 5 years, and I do not think it's going to get better anytime soon.

I love Matt Page, Alec Snow is a great actor, I like Sasha and Jett too. I also like Alf, Leah, Irine, Roo, Marilyn and John, but they rarely get a storyline these days. Are you not a Braxton, or a relative, friend of them, or a teenager played by a 20-year-old you have nothing to do.

I miss Pippa Ross, Sally, Morag, Donald Fisher, Seb and Lucas. I miss that the characters care about each other. I miss the families, before we had the Fletchers, Sutherlands, Holdens, Hunters etc etc who were proper families and everyone belonged somewhere, and was related to each other. I also miss the friendship between the characters.

[jodlebirger]

To be honest, I don't think the show has been a family show since the mid nineties, about 96/97 seasons. And that is almost 20 years ago. Even back then there were storylines that was not exactly for small children.

The Nashes and especially the Stutherlands had storylines that was not for children at all. A show that is about adult themes as rape, seriously illness, police matters or betrayal is not for children, and those themes were touched and real digged into in the nineties and early 00's too.

The show has become too violent and it is not for young teens anymore either, but I don't think that is the only problem either.

And the problem is not only about focusing on one set of characters, or that some characters are more likable than others. It is not about some type of characters. Matt, Irene or Sasha haven't been written better than the others, they are just as hopeless, and the casting of Alec Snow isn't less wrong than the casting of Cassie as Hannah or the casting of new VJ. And Marilyn/Jett/John aren't exactly good characters these days. They are just going in circles with silly misunderstandings. The show will not be better if we cut out some characters, like Brax or the Barrets. I think that some people will like some characters and other people will like others.

But I think the point is that back in the early 2000's or in 2008 the storylines and characters overall were better written. I don't think we should think it is just fine to see violent storylines without any point, or a lot of storylines and characters without a progress and developement.

The show will not change before the overall writing changes. The show wouldn't have been less popular with better character development and better progress of the storylines and more realistic casting of the actors/actresses.

And I think the show would have attracted more older and "critical" viewers, too. I know about a lot of people here in Norway between 25-60 who has stopped watching the show during the past 10 years because of bad writing overall.

The show could have been good, even with all the current characters in it, with a better writing overall. A better progress in the storylines, better character development from the beginning, and more consistent writing of the show overall.

[RI4444]

The show could have been good, even with all the current characters in it, with a better writing overall.

I don't agree with you in this.

If the show was less violent, they would have attracted older viewers. My 74 years old father stopped watching in 2011 because of the braxtons, and of course poor writing.

[Homeandawayfan.]

I think even if the show became a bit darker in 1996 they did write a decent script and it was still light and fuzzy a lot of the time.

Neighbours in 2014 is what H&A was 1996-2008, bolder in storytelling but watchable.

[RI4444]

I think even if the show became a bit darker in 1996 they did write a decent script and it was still light and fuzzy a lot of the time.

Neighbours in 2014 is what H&A was 1996-2008, bolder in storytelling but watchable.

I can agree with you in this.

[jodlebirger]

The show could have been good, even with all the current characters in it, with a better writing overall.

I don't agree with you in this.

If the show was less violent, they would have attracted older viewers. My 74 years old father stopped watching in 2011 because of the braxtons, and of course poor writing.

Yes, but if the Braxton's violent behaviour, the gang war and criminal actions were toned more down, and the focus was more on their background and family and more consistent storylines, wouldn't he still have watched?

The main focus didn't have to be the crime behaviour and strange enemies all the time to keep the Braxtons in the show. A bit different style in the writing of those charachers would have made them more enjoyable for more people.

[RI4444]

The show could have been good, even with all the current characters in it, with a better writing overall.

I don't agree with you in this.

If the show was less violent, they would have attracted older viewers. My 74 years old father stopped watching in 2011 because of the braxtons, and of course poor writing.

Yes, but if the Braxton's violent behaviour, the gang war and criminal actions were toned more down, and the focus was more on their background and family and more consistent storylines, wouldn't he still have watched?

Perhaps, if the Braxtons had been more likeable and less violent from the beginning, but now it had been easier to replace them.

The writers have decided to create a more violent show, and if Brax, Ash and Andy were to leave, other criminals will come and replace them.

I hope you understand what I'm writing here. It had been easier for me to write in Norwegian, but no one will understand it.

[Homeandawayfan.]

That is why I think now 2 of the Braxtons have left they have bought in the likes of Andy and now Martin to replace them. And Brax is staying on as is Kyle.

And as said, if the current producers go, we may just get new ones in who are told to keep the current formula going so that Channel 7 bosses bank balances keep swelling.

[John]

Mod Comment :

Slightly off topic I know but I need to say how great it is to have members who don't have English as a first language contributing to the Forum discussion. Often their English is better than the native speakers. I spend a huge amount of time correcting errors in spelling and adding appropriate punctuation but rarely with the non English speakers..

Back to the topic.

I have stayed away from this thread for a long time because it seemed to be used by a small number of members to criticize the inclusion of a certain group of characters and to make personal attacks on writers.

Now that attention has turned to the quality of the writing in the show I would like to return to the thread.

I agree with those who lament the fact that writers did not explore the family background of those characters who were involved in crime and violence to any great extent to allow us to understand how social background and disadvantage makes life difficult for some groups in society. These groups are over represented in our prisons and their jail time does perpetuate their disadvantage and make its effects worse.

I also think that the timing of some storylines has been poor. I would like to have been introduced to Cheryl and Danny much earlier in the storylines. This would have helped us to understand how the characters had evolved.

I like the roles being performed by Alf, Roo and Irene and their interactions with the younger cast but I think this sharing of life experience across the generations could be accorded more time and effort by the writers. I think that giving the older cast separate storylines which didn't involve the younger cast would create the "two shows" effect that some people feel is there already.

The writers need to give much more thought to the writing of John, Marilyn and Jett. This opportunity to explore a blended family deserves more than superficial pieces with Marilyn going "ultra ditzy" for a couple of episodes.

I am enjoying the writing of Maddy and Neive. They are almost a different kind of villain and I know people like them in real life.

I like Matt as a character. I live in an industrial area where opportunity can sometime be hard to find and young people grow up afraid to be different and stand out from the crowd. I see that it in Matt.

[jodlebirger]

The show could have been good, even with all the current characters in it, with a better writing overall.

I don't agree with you in this.

If the show was less violent, they would have attracted older viewers. My 74 years old father stopped watching in 2011 because of the braxtons, and of course poor writing.

Yes, but if the Braxton's violent behaviour, the gang war and criminal actions were toned more down, and the focus was more on their background and family and more consistent storylines, wouldn't he still have watched?

Perhaps, if the Braxtons had been more likeable and less violent from the beginning, but now it had been easier to replace them.

The writers have decided to create a more violent show, and if Brax, Ash and Andy were to leave, other criminals will come and replace them.

I hope you understand what I'm writing here. It had been easier for me to write in Norwegian, but no one will understand it.

Hehe... as a Norwegian I understand your English-Norwegian... Mine is far worse...