Does H&A need an overhaul at the moment?

[Skylover]

It's literally awful, when are the current producers going to get sacked? I've been watching the 35th anniversary classic episodes on My5 and it makes me angry to think how they've totally destroyed the show. The latest storyline about Marilyn having a kid off-screen that wants to kill her is just so offensively bad that I don't think I'll ever watch Home and Away again. The producers would be better off leaving the entertainment business altogether, especially Lucy Addario. No wonder she never does interviews, she must know she's crap at the job.

[Homeandawayfan.]

22 hours ago, Skylover said:

It's literally awful, when are the current producers going to get sacked? I've been watching the 35th anniversary classic episodes on My5 and it makes me angry to think how they've totally destroyed the show. The latest storyline about Marilyn having a kid off-screen that wants to kill her is just so offensively bad that I don't think I'll ever watch Home and Away again. The producers would be better off leaving the entertainment business altogether, especially Lucy Addario. No wonder she never does interviews, she must know she's crap at the job.

Lucy Addario is long, long overdue her resignation from the show. 11 years almost. H&A is just a shell of its former self and is 35 years old in title only, and perhaps 1 character, Alf.

[hapitoby]

16 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

Lucy Addario is long, long overdue her resignation from the show. 11 years almost. H&A is just a shell of its former self and is 35 years old in title only, and perhaps 1 character, Alf.

11 years. Wow! Almost a third of its lifespan...wow

[Homeandawayfan.]

Coronation Street is also going the very same way as H&A has gone. EastEnders did years ago. EE is 37 years old in title only, and Sharon and Kathy perhaps, now Ian has gone.

[adam436]

On 30/11/2022 at 06:11, Skylover said:

The latest storyline about Marilyn having a kid off-screen that wants to kill her is just so offensively bad that I don't think I'll ever watch Home and Away again.

Alf, Irene and Mairlyn have all suffered from terrible retcons in recent years - Irene with Mick, Alf with Martha and Marilyn with Heather. The Alf one is insulting because he and Ailsa were such a long-term couple. 

There was also no long-term gain from the Irene and Marilyn ones either. At least when Ailsa had a long-lost child, she was a regular and became part of the Stewart family, it was just unfortunate timing that Judy Nunn left soon after. I've no doubt that Heather will be wheeled out every year or so to terrorise Marilyn/Summer Bay whenever she needs a storyline, but Marilyn's yearning for a child has always been such an integral part of her character. 

 

On 01/12/2022 at 04:31, Homeandawayfan. said:

Lucy Addario is long, long overdue her resignation from the show. 11 years almost. H&A is just a shell of its former self and is 35 years old in title only, and perhaps 1 character, Alf.

I'd say it's not the same Alf either, as he suffered greatly suffered from the Martha story too. If we look at the four mainstays, I'd say Leah is probably the one that has suffered the least under Lucy Addario. Irene lacks purpose these days other than running the Diner and Marilyn and Alf have been ruined by unforgivable retcons. Leah has been neglected by producers, but at least (so far!) hasn't had to endure a retcon and she still serves some purpose as a mother figure to Theo. 

11 years is a long time to be EP of a soap opera. I feel like all EPs on soaps should be given a limited run from the outset to stop shows getting too stale. H&A was kept fresh in the first 20-25 years because there was a constant change in producers. There were definitely times when the show got a little lost in the nineties (mid 1990 through to mid/late 1991, most of 1994) and then again in 2008-2010 as it tried to adapt to losing to Sally, but ultimately it didn't become stale for an extended period of time like it has in the last 6-7 years. There have definitely been some highlights in that time in terms of characters and storylines in that time - Ben's depression, Maggie's cancer, the 2019 finale - but I'd say ultimately things started to go downhill when there was the mass exodus in 2016/early 2017 and it never really bounced back. 

Neighbours also suffered toward the end because the EP had been there too long and had a very one-track mind of what the show should be. 

[homeandawayroxsomuch.]

What's the difference between Series Producer and Executive Producer?  Lucy is actually listed as the Series Producer while the Executive Producer is Julie McGauran (wife of Cameron Welsh).

[Homeandawayfan.]

Lucy Addario is the Susan Bower of H&A, as SuBo did not have a clue what Neighbours was, and she trashed the show with the Ramsay Retcon. Luckily SuBo was not the EP for 11 years.

 

[CaptainHulk]

On 04/12/2022 at 01:32, adam436 said:

Alf, Irene and Mairlyn have all suffered from terrible retcons in recent years - Irene with Mick, Alf with Martha and Marilyn with Heather. The Alf one is insulting because he and Ailsa were such a long-term couple. 

There was also no long-term gain from the Irene and Marilyn ones either. At least when Ailsa had a long-lost child, she was a regular and became part of the Stewart family, it was just unfortunate timing that Judy Nunn left soon after. I've no doubt that Heather will be wheeled out every year or so to terrorise Marilyn/Summer Bay whenever she needs a storyline, but Marilyn's yearning for a child has always been such an integral part of her character. 

 

I'd say it's not the same Alf either, as he suffered greatly suffered from the Martha story too. If we look at the four mainstays, I'd say Leah is probably the one that has suffered the least under Lucy Addario. Irene lacks purpose these days other than running the Diner and Marilyn and Alf have been ruined by unforgivable retcons. Leah has been neglected by producers, but at least (so far!) hasn't had to endure a retcon and she still serves some purpose as a mother figure to Theo. 

11 years is a long time to be EP of a soap opera. I feel like all EPs on soaps should be given a limited run from the outset to stop shows getting too stale. H&A was kept fresh in the first 20-25 years because there was a constant change in producers. There were definitely times when the show got a little lost in the nineties (mid 1990 through to mid/late 1991, most of 1994) and then again in 2008-2010 as it tried to adapt to losing to Sally, but ultimately it didn't become stale for an extended period of time like it has in the last 6-7 years. There have definitely been some highlights in that time in terms of characters and storylines in that time - Ben's depression, Maggie's cancer, the 2019 finale - but I'd say ultimately things started to go downhill when there was the mass exodus in 2016/early 2017 and it never really bounced back. 

Neighbours also suffered toward the end because the EP had been there too long and had a very one-track mind of what the show should be. 

Herbison was hemmed up and left restricted after C5 and Fremantle threw the show to the sharks. 

[Skylover]

Leah was ruined by Addario too because of that appalling recast with the VJ who was way too old. I can't wait until she's booted out the door, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Edited December 5, 2022 by Skylover

[Homeandawayfan.]

3 hours ago, Skylover said:

Leah was ruined by Addario too because of that appalling recast with the VJ who was way too old. I can't wait until she's booted out the door, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Addario has destroyed Irene, Alf and Marilyn.