H&A's UK success compared to Neighbours.

[Homeandawayfan.]

In Feb 1989, H&A started running on ITV, I think it was bought in to rival Neighbours on the BBC but it is said that it never was the success that ITV wanted it to be. In 1989/1990 the viewing figures for H&A was about 12 million on average whereas Neighbours was about 17-18 million, even hitting 21 million in early 1990.

Neighbours was extremely popular in the late 1980s and 1990s and secured a place in TV history that equals Corrie and EastEnders. 30 years on, everyone seems to remember Scott and Charlene, so much so that Neighbours has cultural refs in shows and in public. H&A never had such a regard or fondness. I suppose because Neighbours was set in a suburb and featured families, whereas H&A was set in a remote seaside town that focus on one family mainly, and the British audience just preferred Neighbours.

[baywatcher]

I don't recall there ever being the same buzz for H&A in the UK, despite the high viewing figures.

Over the early years of both shows I flip-flopped as to which was my favourite.  I used to get sent VHS tapes of both series when they were many months ahead, I couldn't wait to find out what happened and was often privy to new characters and opening titles well in advance of the UK viewers .

I must admit that Neighbours has been my overall favourite and I didn't watch H&A for much longer stints BUT saying that, I stopped watching Neighbours nearly 18 months ago because of stupid storylines and I can't see me ever watching again, whereas I now watch H&A every day.

[voyager50]

I watched both of them from the very start in the UK but, whilst I have always watched H & A,  after the first 13 years of Neighbours I had on and off periods with it, sometimes not watching it for a couple of years at a time.  I think it must be at least 7 years since I last watched it with the exception of a couple of episodes around the 30th anniversary so I could see some of the old characters like Des again.

When i was at school, all of my friends watched Neighbours but only a couple watched H & A.  I only know two other people who watched H & A now so I like coming on here as I have no one to talk about it with.

I don't know whay H & A hasn't been as popular as Neighbours - apart from anytjing else it has much better scenery!

 

 

 

 

[Homeandawayfan.]

Usually when I was at school, people spoke about Neighbours as well, instead of H&A. H&A did get relatively high figures, 12 million was quite good but not phenominal like Neighbours was at 18 million. Emmerdale got over 18 million for the plane crash and Neighbours 20 million for Scott and Charlene's wedding. H&A never got such figures for a memorable episode.

As said I suppose it was the setup for H&A, it was more about waifs and strays who lived in an isolated seaside town in the Australian bush, whereas Neighbours was about families in a Australian suburb, so got more viewers. I think Scott and Charlene added a huge factor to the shows success.

[Lunar]

I think H&A was (possibly) more popular in Ireland for a while. When some of the actors have come over to do club appearances etc, it seems they mostly go there?

I think part of it could also be that Neighbours seems to get more promo (like some of the actors have been on This Morning etc to do interviews), where as H&A don't (possibly because they don't rely on the Channel 5 deal as much as Neighbours, so aren't as bothered about international promo). 

Nowadays I also think it could be because Neighbours is a bit more out there and willing to be more inclusive. (Which is probably why they have a big LGBT following)

[Homeandawayfan.]

According to a BARB ratings list from week ending 2 December 1990, H&A got at most that week, 12 million viewers, and Neighbours got at least that week, 17 million viewers. So on average Neighbours got about 5 to 6 million more viewers than H&A.

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm not entirely convinced by this argument.I think in its 90s heyday Home and Away was pretty popular in the UK: People of a certain age will talk about Shane and Angel or Isla Fisher or Alf Stewart in the same way they'll talk about Scott and Charlene or Jim Robinson and Helen Daniels. I think both of them have taken a huge knock since the turn of the century (Inside Soap long ago stopped pretending they could compete with the big UK soaps in polls and shunted them into a separate Daytime Soap category with Doctors), possibly Home and Away more than Neighbours.I think the year gap with the move to Channel 5 meant that a lot of people thought the show had actually finished and still think that.Neighbours possibly hasn't disappeared from the public consciousness quite as much but it's still hard to find someone in the UK who still watches it.

I do think it got lower ratings even at its height, but twelve million viewers is nothing to be sniffed at.I do remember that Neighbours was always in the Top 10 BBC programmes for the week and Home and Away was hardly ever in the equivalent table for ITV. That said, even then ITV had two big soaps which tended to take up all the slots, plus they had a lot of popular long-running dramas in those days, so being in their Top 10 might have required more effort.

[Homeandawayfan.]

3 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

I'm not entirely convinced by this argument.I think in its 90s heyday Home and Away was pretty popular in the UK: People of a certain age will talk about Shane and Angel or Isla Fisher or Alf Stewart in the same way they'll talk about Scott and Charlene or Jim Robinson and Helen Daniels. I think both of them have taken a huge knock since the turn of the century (Inside Soap long ago stopped pretending they could compete with the big UK soaps in polls and shunted them into a separate Daytime Soap category with Doctors), possibly Home and Away more than Neighbours.I think the year gap with the move to Channel 5 meant that a lot of people thought the show had actually finished and still think that.Neighbours possibly hasn't disappeared from the public consciousness quite as much but it's still hard to find someone in the UK who still watches it.

I do think it got lower ratings even at its height, but twelve million viewers is nothing to be sniffed at.I do remembers that Neighbours was always in the Top 10 BBC programmes for the week and Home and Away was hardly ever in the equivalent table for ITV. That said, even then ITV had two big soaps which tended to take up all the slots, plus they had a lot of popular long-running dramas in those days, so being in their Top 10 might have required more effort.

In 1994, (and a few times in 1992 and 1993) H&A did actually get 14 million viewers, so an increase on 12 in 1990. Not sure what was the highest ever figures for H&A. You could say 1990 was not as popular as 1994-1995 for H&A which is when the show was at its peak in the UK, and was probably a threat to Corrie. When you say 2 big soaps on ITV outside H&A, do you mean Corrie and Emmerdale?

In fairness I do know Alf Stewart is a UK icon, even people who never watch H&A know of Alf, and hia flamin galah phrase.

Also timing may be a factor. I suppose ITV had more soaps and drama than BBC and that weighed down H&A's success.

In 1994-1995 you could even argue that H&A was more talked about than Neighbours.

[Red Ranger 1]

On ‎21‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 21:41, Homeandawayfan. said:

When you say 2 big soaps on ITV outside H&A, do you mean Corrie and Emmerdale?

Yep, those are the ones. If they're both on three days a week (as they were for some of the 90s), then that's over half the slots in the Top 10 likely to be taken up.