What should they do for the 35th anniversary?.

[CaptainHulk]

Bastards.

[hapitoby]

FFS that an awful excuse. Why even bother acknowledging you're not acknowledging the milestone lol. I really don't understand why they're embarrassed of its age. Isn't this something to be proud of? Currently the longest running Australian series/soap...Ray Meagher being the longest serving actor in any Australian show (pretty sure he's also in some hall of fame), multiple Logie awards, ex cast members making it big in Hollywood etc...they should be bragging about this...instead they're treating it like an embarrassment. The fact that they think people will react badly knowing it's 35 years old (like that's somehow a bad thing) really speaks volumes of the shallowness of what it's become and the target audience. They actually think people will be turned away from its age so deliberately avoid acknowledging its history..so they're clearly not even aiming at long time or even newer fans but it sounds like casual fans...which explains a lot about recent writing. It just reinforces the idea that they're not interested in maintaining its legacy, or creating memorable characters or well writing storylines but just what they deem as exciting and being in the moment. Dramatic stuff with bo real substance. It's a  shame. 

So far I've enjoyed this year but this just further confirms that they've no intention of improving things. So far2023 had been better that'll 2022 (very low bar) and I hope it continues at least. I am sad about their attitude towards it..It's exactly what I expected but still disappointed  ..oh well...rant over lol

[Homeandawayfan.]

Just goes to show they are embarrassed by the fact the show is 35 years old. Seven do not want it to be broadcast that it is 35 years old as they worry it will "age" the show. They want us to think the show begun in 2011 with the River Boy format as opposed to 1988. A total two fingers up to the shows history.

[homeandawayroxsomuch.]

What the actual heck is this attitude from them?

[atrus]

I'm genuinely ropeable about this. Reading that quote made me want to give up on the show altogether, to be honest. I won't, because it's been with me too long, but that's the whole point - I'm a lifelong devoted viewer - and this absolutely bizarre position of "we'd best not acknowledge we're 35 years old too loudly" makes me think the network has less than zero interest in fans like me and others here who've supported the show come what may. It's one thing having suspected that they've been living by this strange 'bin the past' mantra for some time now, but quite another to hear an executive actually acknowledge it out loud.

Still, a glimmer of open-mindedness at least when he admits: "Maybe we're reading this wrong."

[hapitoby]

6 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

Just goes to show they are embarrassed by the fact the show is 35 years old. Seven do not want it to be broadcast that it is 35 years old as they worry it will "age" the show. They want us to think the show begun in 2011 with the River Boy format as opposed to 1988. A total two fingers up to the shows history.

It's pretty insulting for people long term fans as well as cast and crew that were pre 2011.

 

28 minutes ago, atrus said:

I'm genuinely ropeable about this. Reading that quote made me want to give up on the show altogether, to be honest. I won't, because it's been with me too long, but that's the whole point - I'm a lifelong devoted viewer - and this absolutely bizarre position of "we'd best not acknowledge we're 35 years old too loudly" makes me think the network has less than zero interest in fans like me and others here who've supported the show come what may. It's one thing having suspected that they've been living by this strange 'bin the past' mantra for some time now, but quite another to hear an executive actually acknowledge it out loud.

Still, a glimmer of open-mindedness at least when he admits: "Maybe we're reading this wrong."

This 1000% it makes me want to just quit the show but like it's been with me too long. It's insulting to hear them acknowledge it.

[adam436]

It's an odd statement to make; why would a network not be proud of reaching it's 35th anniversary in a age when series, particularly Australian ones, are lucky to make it past two or three.

[hapitoby]

3 hours ago, adam436 said:

It's an odd statement to make; why would a network not be proud of reaching it's 35th anniversary in a age when series, particularly Australian ones, are lucky to make it past two or three.

This. They should be using the opportunity to celebrate the show and boast how well its done for creating jobs, doing well internationally and their big stars making it into Hollywood as well. It's just very very odd like they don't want people to know how successful it's been. It's so bizarre.

[atrus]

9 hours ago, hapitoby said:

It's pretty insulting for people long term fans as well as cast and crew that were pre 2011.

Yes, it is - while at the same time managing to insult their current target audience whom they appear to be implying have the attention span of goldfish, being "fickle" and wanting everything "shiny and new". I'd be fascinated to know what research they've done into this and why they've come to such a completely opposite conclusion to the one Neighbours has come to (I'd say to its credit) over recent years, about respecting and celebrating the legacy.

Reading between the lines and trying to put myself in their shoes/mindset for a minute, my only thought would be that Seven is maybe jittery about the prospect of not being able to pull in new viewers, since H&A is so important to fulfilling its drama quota obligations. And to an extent I could understand the idea that you don't want new people tuning in and being completely bamboozled by intricate backstories and inter-relationships dating back 35 years that might impede them getting to grips with a show. Possibly you could understand that mentality if we were talking one of the big UK soaps with 50+ characters, where it can genuinely take some time to understand everything and everybody - but this is a cast of 20, for heaven's sake, most of which refreshes completely pretty reliably every three years and of which the senior cast don't really have any current inter-relationships or storylines beyond hanging out together in the Diner. It's not exactly War and Peace, and actually it never has been. I feel like if anything, new viewers might be a bit curious to know about the history and family situation of the likes of Alf and Irene, because they certainly wouldn't get any of it while watching the current show. So they might be quite intrigued to get some storylines that draw on the legacy and bring some old faces back. The show certainly seems to have no intention of removing the veterans altogether, and there must be a good reason for that - therefore, why would it not also want to celebrate the long history that they represent? I don't think people expect or are asking for a show that revolves entirely and constantly around exhuming storylines and characters from 30 years ago, but on special occasions it can only be a good thing to celebrate your roots, surely?

[hapitoby]

2 hours ago, hapitoby said: