Home and Away hurt their legacy with recast actors to play other Characters

[Red Ranger 1]

What was wrong with giving John Adam a job on the show as a character who actually served a purpose rather than as a one scene joke which most people wouldn't get?

Some people take offence far too easily.

[Homeandawayfan.]

John played Dave Porter in 1990, a minor character now lost in the mists of time. He appeared from Eps 482-489, 30 years ago.

Nicola Quilter appeared in 1 episode in 1989 in 1 scene before returning 5 years later as Donna Bishop, a regualr role.

Jeff Truman played Sam Barlow then Matthew Thompson a few years later. Both were guest characters anyway.

 

[Inactive.User]

Personally, if a character was a regular, than I would be opposed to the same actor appearing as a different character later. Sometimes it can work, but most times it doesn't. If the actor is not a regular, or is only filling in for another actor who is sick, then coming in as a different character is ok, take Nancye Hayes, who filled in for Ailsa whilst Judy Nunn was sick in 2000, she could come back as a different character. 
Rohan Nichol is ok to be playing Ben because his role was only minor previously.

[j.laur5]

1 hour ago, David Deex said:

Personally, if a character was a regular, than I would be opposed to the same actor appearing as a different character later. Sometimes it can work, but most times it doesn't. If the actor is not a regular, or is only filling in for another actor who is sick, then coming in as a different character is ok, take Nancye Hayes, who filled in for Ailsa whilst Judy Nunn was sick in 2000, she could come back as a different character. 
Rohan Nichol is ok to be playing Ben because his role was only minor previously.

How funny would been if Nancy Hayes  has played   Martha. 

I think people need to remember the difference between actor and character.

[cymbaline]

Has anybody ever done any research to work out what age most of H&A's viewers are? I could be wrong here but I have a strong suspicion they'll be mostly teenagers and people in their twenties. All people who'll have no recollection of the Belinda Giblins and the John Adams of this world when they were around in the early 90s. The powers that be have never paid any great attention to consistency or legacy either so I don't see why we should care either. Anybody who has watched H&A for any length of time will be able to tell you about characters who mysteriously age overnight, birthdays and anniversaries moving all over the place, only children who suddenly have siblings etc. Some of it is pure sloppiness.

[Homeandawayfan.]

On 24/12/2019 at 15:58, cymbaline said:

Has anybody ever done any research to work out what age most of H&A's viewers are? I could be wrong here but I have a strong suspicion they'll be mostly teenagers and people in their twenties. All people who'll have no recollection of the Belinda Giblins and the John Adams of this world when they were around in the early 90s. The powers that be have never paid any great attention to consistency or legacy either so I don't see why we should care either. Anybody who has watched H&A for any length of time will be able to tell you about characters who mysteriously age overnight, birthdays and anniversaries moving all over the place, only children who suddenly have siblings etc. Some of it is pure sloppiness.

Alf was 45 in 1988, and 47 in 1995. Hope I age as slowly as that.

I think Don was about the same age as the actor when the show begun, as he had been teaching for 25 years by 1988 (started teaching about 1963), yet later sources say he was born in 1945, thus making him just 18 when he started teaching - rather young. Sloppily researched storylines that tie in with storylines of the 1980s and 1990s happen too. Martha retcon for example.

Roo's recast works for me as she was away for 21 years. As I said, the longer the character is away, the more a recast works. Unlike Pippa who booked a last minute appointment at the head transplant clinic in 1990 and was seen straight away, and was OK by the next morning and back at Summer Bay.

 

[Lunar]

I guess it depends on how popular the character was and how long its been since they played it. I think if the character was just a guest, and then they come back as a different character but as a regular, then its not really a big deal (like Rohan). I mean I imagine acting jobs are quite limited in Australia as it is (hence why so many have appeared on both H&A and Neighbours), so if an audition comes up then they're going to go for it, regardless of whether or not they were on the show before.

I think recasting is trickier as sometimes its so jarring (as Homeandawayfan pointed out), but if the character has been away then its fine. I didn't like VJ's recast as it felt too jarring and very 'Hollywood', where its obvious the actor is twenty-something but playing a teenager.

[Red Ranger 1]

To be fair, VJ was standing next to half a dozen other teenagers played by twenty-somethings, so he didn't look that out of place!

[c120701]

On 04/01/2020 at 09:59, Red Ranger 1 said:

To be fair, VJ was standing next to half a dozen other teenagers played by twenty-somethings, so he didn't look that out of place!

Looks wise Matt Little did seem like an older version of Felix Dean to me, so the casting wouldn’t have bothered me so much if say Matt was one or two years older than Felix but five years took some getting used to as VJ went from boy to man overnight unlike Steven or Sam for example - Felix was more like Ryan Clark who looked younger than his age whereas Matt looked his age. It was when he had scenes with Will McDonald that it became more jarring.

That said, I grew to enjoy VJ as a character and accepted Matt was VJ. Where it fell down for me was afterwards - they aged VJ up which would put Leah more to do, but then gave her Matt, Oscar & Evie - and then Hunter - who did that too. When it came to VJ’s time to leave (after all of the others) rather than recast when Matt left as he’d become a central character we lost VJ and therefore Leah was left childless long before her time. We could have Justin, Leah and their two high school kids now but we don’t. Admittedly VJ would be in his last year of High School this year though.

I think all soaps are often very short sighted and maybe Australian soaps have a bit more excuse as no dramas in Australia have run for as long as Neighbours & Home and Away but given Coronation Street’s longevity they should really learn that there’s every chance a character could be around in another 10, 20, 30 or 40 years - particularly once they’ve been around for a decade already but still they make decisions based solely on the here & now rather than considering what it will mean down the track. Ok, maybe they’ve future proofed Leah & Irene with Luc - but given the lack of use of Irene’s other grandkids, maybe not - but look at Roo, she’d been away for 20 years and could have had a couple more kids out there. Then then had to bring back Quinn - only briefly though - to introduce Ryder, so she’s only got one kid. What’s going to happen to Alf if Georgie Parker leaves? Quinn won’t give him any story so we’re left with Duncan and Bryce or else Martha or Ric (likely recast) and bring in any family they may have had in the intervening years and in Ric’s case possibly recast Matilda too.

[Red Ranger 1]

4 hours ago, c120701 said:

We could have Justin, Leah and their two high school kids now but we don’t. Admittedly VJ would be in his last year of High School this year though.

Well, VJ had already been in high school for three years before the recast (in the same year as Jett), and they actually had him repeat Year 12 to keep him in school longer.So hiring another actor or keeping Felix Dean on wouldn't have kept VJ in high school until now.