jodlebirger Posted February 20, 2015 Report Posted February 20, 2015 Ray Meagher wouldn't have stayed 27 years on the show if he was that disappointed with it. It has been violent since 2004-05, so that's nothing new. I feel that what happened with Robert Mammone makes more impression on me. He said what he meant, and also in media and just got punished for it. But at least he was trying to do something about it!
alexx Posted February 20, 2015 Report Posted February 20, 2015 Ray Meagher has just spoken out against the show saying he has been unhappy with the current format of the show for a while. Read the article here: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/television/long-time-home-away-actor-says-theres-too-much-sex-drugs-and-rocknroll-in-show/story-fni0cc2b-1227232337033 He has said that earlier on too... at the end of 2009 season. So this is nothing new. He has been quiet for some years and the show has been more violent than ever. Why is he talking again now? I have always thought that his statements in the media in late 2009 was a part of a strategy to make people believe that the show had changed after the string of criticism the show got. I remember how the show became when they changed direction in a way that Ray Meagher was more satisfied with...The terrible 2010 season when they were supposed to go back to the roots. The storylines were going even in more circles, and Alf threatening to kill someone wasn't exactly pleasant viewing for me... It did not became less violent.. There is speculation that a new producer has come back on board so perhaps he feels free to say what he thinks now (maybe the producer has discussed the changes he wants to make). Also like I said before, they said in 2009 that they were going to try and get back to basics, but they didn't actually do that. Really, they made the show revolve around romance with the whole 'Bay of Love' theme. That isn't what H&A is about, just as it shouldn't be all about crime (or hospitals come to that). Another article expands on it with him saying: "For 27 years, I didn't ever have a word apart from to say, 'Thanks for that mate, that was a great scene, I really enjoyed that the other day'. But about six months ago, I had a fairly severe word. "[it was] along the lines of what I was just saying to you - the balance has gone the wrong way on the show, the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll is 80% of the show now. If it was 50% or if the bad things happening were 50 or below, that's fine. Look, a lot of people agreed." When radio host Ben Fordham pointed out that the Home and Away team may not have liked hearing his comments, Meagher agreed: "They don't - particularly if they've written it!" Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s15/home-and-away/news/a630347/home-and-aways-ray-meagher-i-had-a-severe-word-with-producers.html#ixzz3SKMw8BRh
Gerard Posted February 20, 2015 Report Posted February 20, 2015 "For 27 years, I didn't ever have a word apart from to say, 'Thanks for that mate, that was a great scene, I really enjoyed that the other day'. But about six months ago, I had a fairly severe word. "[it was] along the lines of what I was just saying to you - the balance has gone the wrong way on the show, the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll is 80% of the show now. If it was 50% or if the bad things happening were 50 or below, that's fine. Look, a lot of people agreed." When radio host Ben Fordham pointed out that the Home and Away team may not have liked hearing his comments, Meagher agreed: "They don't - particularly if they've written it!" Good on Ray for speaking out. It does make it sound like he reached a point where he felt he had to say something, so either this has just been building over time, or he felt there was an opportunity to say something and be heard. Having dedicated more than 25 years to his job, I'm sure he wouldn't decide to just quit because he didn't like what was going on. It would make sense he would "have a word" and try to change things rather than just throw in the towel. However if H&A continued futher down its current path of crime etc. and Ray Meagher felt his comments had been completely ignored, it would not be a total shock if in the next few years he did decide it was time to retire. Hopefully it won't come to that. It will be interesting to see if there are any further developments with this story, or if it will conveniently be forgotten about.
jodlebirger Posted February 21, 2015 Report Posted February 21, 2015 It is very telling that an original cast member feels this way and isn't afraid to speak out against it. It would be interesting to know Lynne, Ada and Emily - the only other cast members from H&A's heyday - have a similar view. I wonder if he will leave soon if things don't change. He may contemplate retirement soon, so being unhappy with the show may be the deciding factor. Ian Smith retired from Neighbours partly because he wasn't happy with the direction things with going. The show has been violent since 2005 and he is still in it. If he was that disappointed in the show I think he would have left long time ago... And he was also happy the way things turning in 2010 when popular characters were written out i a terrible way, and Marilyn returned just to have a storyline where she was lying about having cancer for 6 months... and Alf was in a storyline when he was threatening to kill someone who was really disturbed. Lynne was also once complaining in an interview I watched on youtube (from 2007), she didn't like the stalker stuff. But the next thing she said, was that she wanted an another Corey storyline for irene. The younger actors have often a lot of more storylines than the older ones. And it seems to me that he/Meagher is not satisfied with that and I feel like he is very disappointed in that. In a way I can understand that, but they have had juicer storylines earlier. I do agree that the show is too violent, though.. and the storylines is always over the top, and the love triangles are going in circles. But the show hasn't been about fostering children in a very long time... not in that way it was in 1989-98. The problem is the way of storytelling and the lack of character development, and somehow that changed for the worse in 2010 - the season we were supposed to believe that they were going back to the roots.
Gerard Posted February 21, 2015 Report Posted February 21, 2015 I'm sure after nearly 30 years Ray Meagher would rightly feel some degree of guardianship for Home and Away, and rightly so. Yes, like anyone in a job, if they don't like it they can leave (subject to their contract), but my feeling is that he is unhappy with H&A's direction, not so unhappy he would resign, but yet at the point where he feels he needs to speak out. I assume he is speaking out so that it could spark a discussion over H&A's current state and might help drive the change he desires. H&A storylines have always been biased towards the younger cast, with the older members there largely to support and advise and pick up the pieces when things go wrong. H&A's "moral compass" has shifted over the years however to the point where in a general sense "bad behaviour" goes unpunished and the older cast are sidelined in the process.
Jamie! Posted February 21, 2015 Report Posted February 21, 2015 Ray Meagher has just spoken out against the show saying he has been unhappy with the current format of the show for a while. Read the article here: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/television/long-time-home-away-actor-says-theres-too-much-sex-drugs-and-rocknroll-in-show/story-fni0cc2b-1227232337033 He has said that earlier on too... at the end of 2009 season. So this is nothing new. He has been quiet for some years and the show has been more violent than ever. Why is he talking again now? I have always thought that his statements in the media in late 2009 was a part of a strategy to make people believe that the show had changed after the string of criticism the show got. I remember how the show became when they changed direction in a way that Ray Meagher was more satisfied with...The terrible 2010 season when they were supposed to go back to the roots. The storylines were going even in more circles, and Alf threatening to kill someone wasn't exactly pleasant viewing for me... It did not became less violent.. There is speculation that a new producer has come back on board so perhaps he feels free to say what he thinks now (maybe the producer has discussed the changes he wants to make). Also like I said before, they said in 2009 that they were going to try and get back to basics, but they didn't actually do that. Really, they made the show revolve around romance with the whole 'Bay of Love' theme. That isn't what H&A is about, just as it shouldn't be all about crime (or hospitals come to that). Another article expands on it with him saying: "For 27 years, I didn't ever have a word apart from to say, 'Thanks for that mate, that was a great scene, I really enjoyed that the other day'. But about six months ago, I had a fairly severe word. "[it was] along the lines of what I was just saying to you - the balance has gone the wrong way on the show, the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll is 80% of the show now. If it was 50% or if the bad things happening were 50 or below, that's fine. Look, a lot of people agreed." When radio host Ben Fordham pointed out that the Home and Away team may not have liked hearing his comments, Meagher agreed: "They don't - particularly if they've written it!" Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s15/home-and-away/news/a630347/home-and-aways-ray-meagher-i-had-a-severe-word-with-producers.html#ixzz3SKMw8BRh He says in the article that he thinks there's now a genuine effort to try and bring back the balance of the show. So if that really is the case and he had a word with the producers about six months ago, then that would mean that it'll be round about now that we'll be seeing more of a balance in the show.
adam436 Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 As well as removing the crime violence aspect of the show, I say bring it back to its roots. They've tried a few times before in recent years - 2004/2005 with Sally and Flynn and 2013 with Roo and Harvey. If Zac and Leah become a stable couple, they could be the ideal foster parents. Leah can't have anymore children (a la Pippa and Sally) and they can obviously both relate to young people. I don't think we will ever see a full-house again like we did with Pippa and Tom/Michael, but it would be good. I also think a large family needs to move into Summer Bay House, as it's always been the centre of the show. Instead, it is now the smallest household (tying with the Palmers) while the Braxton/Barrett and Maguire households are the largest.
Gerard Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 Home and Away worked best when it revolved around Summer Bay House as the central family, then you had Alf & Ailsa and Fisher as the other adults, and later Irene, who all at times fostered children (and in a more family sense than just letting out a room to a teenager, which seems to be what happens now). All the families had a close connection to the Summer Bay community and integrated with each other naturally. Now the households are kind of random. OK, you can associate Leah and Zac with the school, and Irene has a long history, as does Marilyn, but why should the Braxtons and Barretts be there at all (for the most part living in their own bubble)? What makes them part of the Summer Bay story?
gutterboy Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 Good on Ray - glad someone that at least should have some input has said it, as the producers sure aren't listening to their fans.
Homeandawayfan. Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 Will they heed Ray Meagher's words or just brush it under the carpet and just satisfy the target audience of viewers who are under 20 years old and carry on the endless tiresome crime stories and OTT pregnancy plots and love triangles. Lots of younger viewers like the direction of the show whereas us bunch of older fans who watched the show 20+ years ago find it is something they no longer recognise. Mischievous and fun teens of our day such as Damo and Shane replaced with violent hardened criminals like the Braxtons and Andy Barrett. Dan Bennett seems to be back but whether this will lessen the violence and sensationalism in the show remains to be seen.
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