Does H&A need an overhaul at the moment?

[Revealed]

I sort of get the lack of high school kids. Since the early days the majority of the cast has been under 40. To keep it this way when they introduce teenager characters with their parents, the parents would have had them very young. Additionally the actors who play the teenagers are older and the ones who play the parents are presumably younger. A recent example was Mia and Chloe, completely unconvincing as a mother and daughter. With 20 something characters you no longer need the parents so can keep the cast young.

Given some of the teenage characters we've have previously such as VJ I think some of the younger cast could have just as easily played teenagers. I don't know whether it's just because I'm old but most under 30s look like teenagers to me these days.

What I will say though is the band idea is a rubbish one least of all because their music is so terrible. They remind me a bit of the Zack Attack on Saved by the Bell.

[Homeandawayfan.]

The pilot in mid January 1988 began with Tom Fletcher's 40th birthday. He said it is pretty much the end of his youth. I agree with Tom, and and now over 40 myself. At 40 you are old enough to be a grandparent, albeit a young grandparent. Yes, back then H&A had over half of its characters under 25, in the 15-20 age range. Only Neville was the "old codger" (hides) of the Bay.

[Revealed]

The first family I can think of to arrive on the show was the Nash family. I'm similar in age to Tom and Gypsy, maybe slightly older but I remember think both Natalie Nash mark 1 and 2 were too young and attractive to play the mother. I think they were in their mid-30s at the time so was old enough but started young.

When they had a 20 something Amanda (well the actress anyway) turn out to be the mother of a teenage Belle that was ridiculous. Likewise seeing one of the old episodes with Drew and his mother there clearly isn't enough of an age gap there, I looked up their DOBs and there's 8 years difference. 

I get it though, you're more likely to attract views with an actress who looks good in a bikini than one who plays a convincing mother. Though I do question why we never saw Maggie in a bikini or at least wear more revealing clothing.

[adam436]

13 hours ago, Revealed said:

I get it though, you're more likely to attract views with an actress who looks good in a bikini than one who plays a convincing mother. Though I do question why we never saw Maggie in a bikini or at least wear more revealing clothing.

It's the same with the school staff too! Pretty much all the principals have seemed far too young and unconvincing for the role except for Barry Hyde, Maggie Astoni and Murray Bartlett, the latter was only a guest character. 

The same could be said for the senior doctors and police officers too.

[j.laur5]

13 hours ago, Revealed said:

The first family I can think of to arrive on the show was the Nash family. I'm similar in age to Tom and Gypsy, maybe slightly older but I remember think both Natalie Nash mark 1 and 2 were too young and attractive to play the mother. I think they were in their mid-30s at the time so was old enough but started young.

When they had a 20 something Amanda (well the actress anyway) turn out to be the mother of a teenage Belle that was ridiculous. Likewise seeing one of the old episodes with Drew and his mother there clearly isn't enough of an age gap there, I looked up their DOBs and there's 8 years difference. 

I get it though, you're more likely to attract views with an actress who looks good in a bikini than one who plays a convincing mother. Though I do question why we never saw Maggie in a bikini or at least wear more revealing clothing.

It turns out both actors who played Rhys and Shelley were only in there 30s when they started and they seemed more like in there mid 40s. 

[zara grace]

2 hours ago, adam436 said:

It's the same with the school staff too! Pretty much all the principals have seemed far too young and unconvincing for the role except for Barry Hyde, Maggie Astoni and Murray Bartlett, the latter was only a guest character. 

The same could be said for the senior doctors and police officers too.

I think Don Fisher was convincing for a school principal

[hapitoby]

36 minutes ago, zara grace said:

I think Don Fisher was convincing for a school principal

Yes very much so. The most convincing out of all them. 

[Revealed]

My school heads were more like Fisher but I did know someone who was a school head by the time she was 30. The only unconvincing principals I can think of top of my head are Sally and Bianca. I don't know about Australia, but in the UK police officers retire really young so on that basis senior police officers can be young. Definitely agree about doctors though, given the number of years training they have to go through the Home & Away doctors are barely old enough to be let loose on patients let alone be in charge.

I had Rhys and Shelly down as being in their 30s and starting young. Shelly did seem a bit older than Natalie though, I don't think we ever saw Shelly in a swimsuit but we saw Natalie in one pretty much straight away. These days I do find 50 something Marilyn and Roo hot and wished we'd see them in bikinis. I know we saw Marilyn in one in the early days and Roo mark 1 is a different person so doesn't count.

[adam436]

15 hours ago, zara grace said:

I think Don Fisher was convincing for a school principal

Agreed. I'm thinking more the principals from mid 2000s onwards: Sally, Brad, Bianca, Sophie etc. 

Don Fisher, Barry Hyde, Murray Bartlett and all the temporary ones were convincing

[j.laur5]

13 hours ago, Revealed said:

My school heads were more like Fisher but I did know someone who was a school head by the time she was 30. The only unconvincing principals I can think of top of my head are Sally and Bianca. I don't know about Australia, but in the UK police officers retire really young so on that basis senior police officers can be young. Definitely agree about doctors though, given the number of years training they have to go through the Home & Away doctors are barely old enough to be let loose on patients let alone be in charge.

I had Rhys and Shelly down as being in their 30s and starting young. Shelly did seem a bit older than Natalie though, I don't think we ever saw Shelly in a swimsuit but we saw Natalie in one pretty much straight away. These days I do find 50 something Marilyn and Roo hot and wished we'd see them in bikinis. I know we saw Marilyn in one in the early days and Roo mark 1 is a different person so doesn't count.

Well we saw Vanessa's Pippa in a bikini once .  
 

I guess Natalie when she arrived was the same age as Pippa was in the pilot . 
 

I thought middle aged women like Judith and Gina both seemed realistic as principals even though Donald thought Judith was too young. But I guess Judith was about 10-15 years younger then Donald . 
 

I wish Judith had stayed longer but I guess the producers felt she did not have much more purpose left since only had one child who already left and they had Donald to return as principal.