Are the current producers ruining Home and Away?

[TelephotoMarigold]

I find it interesting that you didn't quote the last sentence of my post.

Why?

I find the accusations of bullying, shouting down and ridiculing rather puzzling. We all know that those things do occur from time to time on the board. If they are persistent they are dealt with under the rules. My impressions has been that those who are feeling that writing, characterisation etc. has been poor have been guilty of bullying and ridicule as often as those who find them currently acceptable.

I'm sure if you look back through posts on the board you will find that both sides of that discussion have had ample opportunities to air their views.

Really? I have been the target of personal attacks on this board. I have been accused of many times of being a Braxton-hater. Of having to defend my views. There has even been a personal attack which according to the rules should have been taken down and was never done so. I have been trolled on this board and targeted. All of this is why I rarely post in here now. That is from my viewpoint.

I say again, over recent months I have noticed a definite move toward storylines that involve a larger number of characters and also much more interaction across the age groups in the cast. The show is starting to have much more of a community feel. There are storylines such as Maddy's cancer and Hannah's recovery from spinal injury which have issues aside from the old soap staple of "making up and breaking up".

As for the introduction of new and interesting characters the jury is still out on that. There are several characters who have left recently or are about to leave so we'll have to wait and see.

So I should tune in to watch Maddy, a character I don't like, whose introduction and conception was flawed because what? She's somehow turned into the pinnacle component of the community? Or Hannah, a character I don't even know? Why would the storylines begin to involve a larger number of characters? Would that possibly have something to do with them losing certain characters because the actors have left?

If you detect sarcasm in my post you would be correct but other than that there is no malice, no intended slight to anyone or any particular group of fans. You are the one urging people to watch again, to "revisit"... so I'm asking why? Twice you have quoted Maddy as a reason. Is there nothing better than Maddy? Is the writing better? Have they begun to fix everything that was wrong before?

[Gerard]

I think unlike Neighbours, where Jason Herbison seems to do interviews several times a year, and keeps viewers informed broadly of where Neighbours is heading, and it's obvious he has a great passion for the show, there is a distinct absence of this kind of feedback from TPTB at Home and Away. There is no obligation to keep the fans informed and we can all speculate of course and draw our own conclusions, but I think a lot of fans and former fans who have been less than happy with H&A's current direction not getting the reassurance they are seeking that things are going to change for the better.

Some of us are prepared to stick with H&A and hope that things improve. I don't think anyone, apart from those working on the series, can say with any degree of certainty that H&A will be in a better place in 6 months time. We can speculate that given knowledge of behind the scenes changes, that it is likely things will get better, but until it plays out on-screen, it is speculation. There are no guarantees. On the other hand, no one is being forced to watch, and if you wish to get back 2.5 hours of your time each week, you are entitled to do that. But I can understand why viewers would try to stick with the series and criticise it in the hope it will change, rather than just walk away. It's personal choice.

Personally from what I've seen play out on screen at UK pace, I can't say I have seen any marked improvement yet - things may have got slightly better and I just haven't noticed. I think H&A has had many problems over the past few years, and I doubt that all of these will be fixed easily. There is no one solution to the problem, e.g. getting rid of the Braxtons, or any other characters, is not going to make everything better. Whatever happens, it isn't going to happen overnight.

[Homeandawayfan.]

Some of us older fans have been accused of "blowing our own trumpets" when we say we have watched the show for 20 years or more compared to people who have only watched for 4 or 5 years. I know people who were not born when the show started can watch reruns but there are probably many 10-20 year olds who dont have a clue who Neville McPhee is or Damo Roberts, Shane Parrish, Emma Jackson, Carly Morris is etc.

[John]

So I should tune in to watch Maddy, a character I don't like, whose introduction and conception was flawed because what? She's somehow turned into the pinnacle component of the community? Or Hannah, a character I don't even know? Why would the storylines begin to involve a larger number of characters? Would that possibly have something to do with them losing certain characters because the actors have left?

If you detect sarcasm in my post you would be correct but other than that there is no malice, no intended slight to anyone or any particular group of fans. You are the one urging people to watch again, to "revisit"... so I'm asking why? Twice you have quoted Maddy as a reason. Is there nothing better than Maddy? Is the writing better? Have they begun to fix everything that was wrong before?

I take no offence at your comments. I see no reason to. As a staff member we tend to get accused of bias by both "sides" of any discussion and cop abuse from all sides. It goes with the territory. Nobody is forcing us to be here.

No. I am not urging you or anyone else to revisit the show to watch Maddy or Hannah because they are great characters whose journey in the show has been uniformly well written. That's not the case.

I am saying that I find the storyline involving Maddy, Roo, Alf, Marilyn, Oscar, Spencer and others around Maddy's cancer interesting because of the interaction between all of those characters as they deal with the situation. Roo is trying to be a sustitute parent but is doing a very poor job. She is far too emotional and soft. This is in character. She has no experience and her own life hasn't shown great judgement in many of her choices.

Alf on the other hand is doing a really good job. He has been unfailingly supportive of Maddy but not afraid to be tough when she has needed it. I see Maddy gravitating more to Alf as a rock than to Roo. In this we are seeing that softer side of Alf which has always been lurking beneath his gruff exterior.

Oscar from the younger cast has seen Maddy for the person she is. Immature, needy and prone to run away from difficulties ... and relationships. He doesn't want to be a part of that merry go round. But, with the maturity which has been part of his character he sees Maddy as a friend who needs his support and he's prepared to cop the abuse involved in giving it.

Other community members have become involved in activities such as the Colour Run.

I find Hannah interesting because her accident has provided the opportunity for Andy to be involved and to grow as a character as that happens. I don't write him off because he is a Barrett and involved with the Braxtons.

There are other storylines emerging at the moment that show promise for me. I understand that the above is a personal view.

If the show is improving then those who have elected not to watch for whatever reason will miss that improvement. If they watch at least their decisions will be informed.

[Slade]

My view is that whilst I wouldn't go as far as saying that the producers are ruining the show, I certainly don't think it's as good as it was before. Although I've thought that for many years now, ever since the 2000-2004 period ended. However there is a clear difference in the storylines for me from when I first joined the forum in 2008 and over the last 2-3 years. Back then whilst not my favourite period, it was still for the most part quite enjoyable. I wanted to post about the episodes almost every day whereas now I'm more of a lurker and only feel motivated to post when there's a particular part of the episode worth discussing (although I suppose it doesn't help that my job has become more demanding also so I don't have as much time). Home and Away is not my favourite soap anymore and watching some of the episodes now feels like a chore. Not quite sure where it's gone wrong TBH (Yes I know the whole premise of this thread is about the producers and people have their opinions but they are just that - opinions). But I just don't care enough about most of the characters and I would say the vast majority, I feel indifferent. Even in the character discussion threads, I rarely comment on a character I really like because I just don't feel the same way about them as some of the ones in the past. And I only post to have a rant about a character that I find annoying which I suppose in a way is sad. About a year and a half ago I said to myself, if it wasn't for the fact that I was a member of this forum I would have stopped watching the show for sure. But I stopped posting here for a few months and was still watching every episode anyway. I guess I'm one of those viewers that keeps hoping things will get better. But I'm not I'm expecting anything to happen anytime in the foreseeable.

[Homeandawayfan.]

I did flick through a few bits of tonights episode and it just highlighted everything I dislike about H&A right now. Brax up in court, a creepy stalker, a fistfight in the recap. And as I said, the unbearable harsh music in the background adds to the dark and macabre tone the show has. It is now the same as one of those rubbish American thriller series where everyone's lives are in danger, then a ex lover shoots them in the head or drowns them. ATM H&A is the most unwatchable of all the drama series and that is no exaggeration.

[Red Ranger 1]

I think the “River Boy era” as such was basically over by the middle of 2012. The problem is it’s cast a long shadow. The “crime and drugs” storylines seem so entrenched in the format of the show that even losing most of the original Braxtons hasn’t done much to stop them, if anything the show is more about that now than it was this time last year. And they seem to be bringing in new characters to carry on that side of the show: I hope I’m wrong, because the likes of Kyle and Ash have potential as characters in their own right and it would be a shame to see them thrown away by being treated as direct replacements for popular characters.

I am enjoying the Maddy storyline, although possibly for different reasons to some people. It’s the sort of inclusive character drama that the show should do more of: A girl who isn’t the most emotionally mature person in the world having to deal with something very adult, her mood veering from a determination to live as normal a life as possible, to self-destructive denial, to quiet bravery, to wanting to curl up in a ball and pretend it isn’t happening. A reaffirmation of the show’s credo that family isn’t just about blood, with Roo’s utter unconditional love for the girl she sees as her daughter. And Maddy’s friends and peers, faced with something horrible and grown-up and doing their best to help out even though in practical terms there’s nothing they can do.

Yet if you don’t like or care about Maddy, as some audience members don’t, then the storyline’s going to fall flat and has done for some people. And I’m kind of in that situation with Hannah. I can see on paper why it should be a good storyline, a potentially life-changing injury, the pressure it puts on her family… but Hannah’s such a shallow and annoying character that I just don’t care. And then they put too little focus on her family and too much on her relationship with Andy, and my interest level drops further. I don’t care about Andy’s surname, if it was Josh or Kyle or even Brax standing by a disabled girlfriend I wouldn’t think twice about it, but I care that Andy’s a murderer, and that’s the true legacy of the “drugs and crime” storylines and the most damning indictment of the current producers: Andy has gone too far for a shallow retread of Heath’s “redeemed by love” storyline to be enough, and so I can’t accept the attempt to make the audience and the characters see him as a saint who would suddenly become a full-time carer to his on-off girlfriend.

And if you don’t know the characters…well, that’s a Catch-22 situation. You don’t watch the show because you don’t know the characters and you don’t know the characters because you don’t watch the show. It doesn’t feature Ric, Cassie, Matilda and Lucas or Aden, Belle, Nicole and Geoff or Romeo, Indi, April and Dexter, it features Maddy, Josh, Evelyn and Oscar. So people who haven’t watched the show in three years will need to watch a few episodes to see if the latest incarnation of bitchy but vulnerable blonde, brooding loner, bolshy brunette and kind-hearted geek match up to earlier ones and if they can invest in them. Unfortunately, those fans will probably look at the listings and trailers, see Brax is accused of murder and decide not to bother. If those storylines do continue, fans who don’t like them will have to pick and choose their episodes, fast forward through the bits with characters they don’t like, grin and bear it in the hope that it’s over soon or switch off altogether. There are people trying all four but the longer it goes on the more fragmented the audience will become. And sadly, the downside of internet forums is that they encourage fans to have very crystallised opinions on what they like and don’t like.

[630si]

I think there is definite promise for the year ahead. And as a fan for many many years, Im willing to stick with it, like in previous slumps. every now and then there will be an episode that just feels like Home and Away. Trouble is that isnt very often. Maddy's cancer is one of the main story arcs at the moment and it is helping with that community feel, and character led stuff that most us crave so much. With the Braxtons pretty much over, the other characters may be pretty much forced to be developed more. Isnt that what we wanted?!

Sometimes it seems the producers are damned if they do and damned if they dont. What I will say though, is that if folk switch off in their droves, they'll be a gang back in the bay kidnapping Irene before you could say HOOROO!

[Homeandawayfan.]

Some say that drugs and guns and stalkers is not all of H&A, maybe not but 85% of it is about those stories. When the dust settled after the bus crash I had high hopes of an improvement with the exterior of SBH back and more caravan park scenes plus Jett being caught riding a buggy in old school H&A style of pranksters but then after a few more episodes, whoomf, back to the usual relentless miserable stalker and gang storylines. I said this before and will say it again, Alan Bateman would be turning in his grave at what the current producers have done to his creation.

I have had people on other forums as well as this one who are my generation who are watching old episodes again and saying when H&A was watchable. If they dont improve things soon then I am going to wash my hands completely of the current show for good, when Neighbours finishes, I shall always switch over the remote.

[TelephotoMarigold]

I feel that there are a lot of assumptions going on about why people no longer watch the show.

This isn't a slump. This isn't because favourite characters have left. This isn't because the river boys took over or the focus of the show morphed into crime and drugs. No, I no longer watch because the writing is dire. I don't long for "feel good" factor of previous eras or miss my favourite characters.

I don't watch because in my opinion the show has overused certain characters without giving them decent characterisation. They brought them to the forefront of the show at the expense of other characters. They relied on them to carry the show. They didn't develop them or their back stories.

I don't watch the show because they had chance after chance to produce good drama and failed.

I don't want to watch Maddy because I can't stand her. Maybe if they hadn't focused on that other set of characters then her introduction would have been better and she might have been likeable, instead she's just a brat. Again, in my opinion.