Endless Summer: 30 Years of H&A - Tuesday 17th July

[CaptainTed84]

I don't understand why some people don't like this. I thought it was good

[Mattche1983]

I agree that it's difficult to make 30 years into 1 hour (especially with allowing time for commercial breaks too!) but I had hoped for a bit more of structure by telling the story how Home and Away first came about. From the initial idea from Alan Bateman to Bevan Lee's involvement and so on, through to original casting and then up to now. It's depts from the storyboards, script, rehearsals, filming, editing. From mini anecdotes like How there were actually 3 Pippas to more important points such as acknowledging Donna's storyline about domestic abuse and what an impact it had at the time. Pippa and Michaels' son Dales Cot death storyline. 

The iconic song could have had a bit of air time too. Perhaps a chat with Mike Perjanik on how he wrote the song, the incidental music for the show for many years and how his son Nick now does it. Would have loved to see them in the music studio swapping notes at the piano! How whenever a foster kid moved on they would play that infamous Fletcher Theme. How Bobby and Sophie had their own themes. Talk about how telly making has involved both visually and musically. We could never 'really' get away with those lovely themes from way back when. 

Perhaps a few fun outtakes / simply extra footage from those oh so famous opening titles would have been fun to see?

I thought there were many more interesting points that could have been covered and perhaps they could have spoken to 'Back to the Bay' and asked them what they thought we might want to try and have included in it. 

I enjoyed Steve Pennell's style and it was obvious he so enjoyed putting it all together. I didn't dislike it and I'm pretty happy it got its own celebration primetime show. Loved seeing Nicolle Dickson and Kate Ritchie but was a bit of an eye-roller when they placed the newer exit of Sally over the discussion about her first big farewell with Ray. I understand that might sound a bit picky - but I am a pretty big fan and thought about other programmes where there might be a huge 'geek' fan base like Doctor Who and Friends etc. I don't think they would allow for mistakes on those shows so why ours?

For super duper fans, they might find the below link to a very dated (but quite informative at times) documentary about the success of Home and Away (and Neighbours) in the UK in the 90's. Vanessa Downing is interviewed about the show. 

RARE H&A DOCUMENTARY (1990's)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toodtU0-m5w&t=32s
It's more Neighbours at the beginning but from about 42 mins in it's mostly Home and Away. Lovely to see!! 

Lastly - here's a little tribute video to the last 30 years of Home and Away with my piano playing and a bit of singing. It's not totally perfect but I did get to play the theme on a STEINWAY AND SONS piano which was a real thrill. An enjoyable edit all in all. Hope some of my fellow H&A fans like it. 

Here's to Home and Away. Long may it continue.

 

[Blaxland 89]

Thanks for this.  Really great job. I'll be watching this more than once. 

[Mattche1983]

1 minute ago, Blaxland 89 said:

Thanks for this.  Really great job. I'll be watching this more than once. 

ah, thanks Blaxland 89!  Glad that you like it. 

[cymbaline]

I thought there were huge holes in it and that ultimately it was less than the sum of its parts. I'd like to have seen interviews with more of the former cast (why no Tom or Pippa #1? Fisher, Stephen, Carly, Blake, Sophie, Damien, Selina, Shannon..) and visits to the likes of the Summer Bay House, the Beach House etc. There are also other actors from the show who've gone on to better things. Why just keep telling us about Chris Hemsworth and Heath Ledger? Plenty of other ex-Summer Bay residents have appeared in successful Hollywood films and TV shows. Others have carved out other careers for themselves, such as Tristan Bancks and Tempany Deckert becoming children's authors. Learning a bit more about how the show came about would've been nice too. Perhaps if the show had been given a longer running time they'd have had the chance to put something more coherent together. 

I also noticed that many of the actors just seemed to repeat the same lines Steve Pennells had said to them, as if they didn't have an original thought in their heads. Maybe acting on the show does things to one's braincells...

Melissa George didn't come across as likeable to me at all. I've never really seen her interviewed before so I don't know if she was better or worse in this than she usually is. I thought she seemed quite false and that underneath that exterior lies a not very nice person. Maybe I'm wrong but that's how I picked it up.

[sallyandflynnfan]

2 hours ago, cymbaline said:

I thought there were huge holes in it and that ultimately it was less than the sum of its parts. I'd like to have seen interviews with more of the former cast (why no Tom or Pippa #1? Fisher, Stephen, Carly, Blake, Sophie, Damien, Selina, Shannon..) and visits to the likes of the Summer Bay House, the Beach House etc. There are also other actors from the show who've gone on to better things. Why just keep telling us about Chris Hemsworth and Heath Ledger? Plenty of other ex-Summer Bay residents have appeared in successful Hollywood films and TV shows. Others have carved out other careers for themselves, such as Tristan Bancks and Tempany Deckert becoming children's authors. Learning a bit more about how the show came about would've been nice too. Perhaps if the show had been given a longer running time they'd have had the chance to put something more coherent together. 

I also noticed that many of the actors just seemed to repeat the same lines Steve Pennells had said to them, as if they didn't have an original thought in their heads. Maybe acting on the show does things to one's braincells...

Melissa George didn't come across as likeable to me at all. I've never really seen her interviewed before so I don't know if she was better or worse in this than she usually is. I thought she seemed quite false and that underneath that exterior lies a not very nice person. Maybe I'm wrong but that's how I picked it up.

I agree Pippa 1 and Tom  should of been in it as the show began because of then. Fisher, Carly and Steven should also been there as they were there from day one. It would also been nice to see Selina and Damien also I would liked to see Noah and Flynn as they were both parts of iconic couples

[j.laur5]

Honestly sometimes it’s feels like people think show started with Michael and Pippa#2.

[Mattche1983]

10 hours ago, cymbaline said:

I thought there were huge holes in it and that ultimately it was less than the sum of its parts. I'd like to have seen interviews with more of the former cast (why no Tom or Pippa #1? Fisher, Stephen, Carly, Blake, Sophie, Damien, Selina, Shannon..) and visits to the likes of the Summer Bay House, the Beach House etc. There are also other actors from the show who've gone on to better things. Why just keep telling us about Chris Hemsworth and Heath Ledger? Plenty of other ex-Summer Bay residents have appeared in successful Hollywood films and TV shows. Others have carved out other careers for themselves, such as Tristan Bancks and Tempany Deckert becoming children's authors. Learning a bit more about how the show came about would've been nice too. Perhaps if the show had been given a longer running time they'd have had the chance to put something more coherent together. 

I also noticed that many of the actors just seemed to repeat the same lines Steve Pennells had said to them, as if they didn't have an original thought in their heads. Maybe acting on the show does things to one's braincells...

Melissa George didn't come across as likeable to me at all. I've never really seen her interviewed before so I don't know if she was better or worse in this than she usually is. I thought she seemed quite false and that underneath that exterior lies a not very nice person. Maybe I'm wrong but that's how I picked it up.

I wish they had got the original Fletcher family together on a sofa to watch highlights from the pilot (or eps from early years). Show them the new set. Hear about how different it all is now. A quick way to acknowledge the beginning. I once read that Alan Bateman had been working on the idea of the show for 2-3 years before it was made. It was a stand-alone tv movie piece. Plus the early storylines really focused on hard-hitting storylines that other shows (at the time)  avoided. 

Yes, I appreciate that CH and HL started on H&A but I was more interested in the show rather than the fact that it was a platform for Hollywood. (as good as that is). 

Yes - huge holes. I would have liked Judy Nunn to have mentioned that her real-life husband spoke the first line in Home and Away at the very beginning! Perhaps she did. It felt very "edited". I would have liked them to have acknowledged this forum or at least Back to The Bay!

Also - I think it was a shame to make out the initial idea of the show was so simple. It wasn't just a change of scene for the Fletcher family that made them move house in the pilot. It was the story of keeping the family together when Tom (the foster dad) lost his job. How the kids were going to be taken away. How Bobby saved the family from being split apart. I often wonder if the song "you know we belong together" was about the family. Perhaps I am going a bit deep there though! 

Perhaps the fans should make there own documentary! HA x

[jaybok1]

Did anybody notice they said ‘the wedding between Pippa and Ross’ instead of Pippa and Micheal. Lol what an F up. But I very much enjoyed it none the less. I’d love To know when Dani and Melissa were asked back, and it’s re assuring that they have asked ex cast members to return 

[marriedaniac]

On 23/07/2018 at 05:22, Mattche1983 said:

I agree that it's difficult to make 30 years into 1 hour (especially with allowing time for commercial breaks too!) but I had hoped for a bit more of structure by telling the story how Home and Away first came about. From the initial idea from Alan Bateman to Bevan Lee's involvement and so on, through to original casting and then up to now. It's depts from the storyboards, script, rehearsals, filming, editing. From mini anecdotes like How there were actually 3 Pippas to more important points such as acknowledging Donna's storyline about domestic abuse and what an impact it had at the time. Pippa and Michaels' son Dales Cot death storyline.

For super duper fans, they might find the below link to a very dated (but quite informative at times) documentary about the success of Home and Away (and Neighbours) in the UK in the 90's. Vanessa Downing is interviewed about the show. 

RARE H&A DOCUMENTARY (1990's)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toodtU0-m5w&t=32s
It's more Neighbours at the beginning but from about 42 mins in it's mostly Home and Away. Lovely to see!! 
 

I agree, I would have loved to see/hear more about the show's origins and casting. Maybe there needs to be a "H&A: The First Decade" special.

Apropos of that, thanks for posting that link! I've seen the doco before years ago, but nice to see it again and appreciate it more. If you ever find other long lost docos from the 90s, please let us know.