Rewatching The Early Years

[Sb boy]

I started watching aged about  10 so 1996 onwards

My first memory is of the storm. Death of Michael  but those memories I have since I have seen all 1988 to 1993  and  1997 onwards  again 

[Homeandawayfan.]

1997 was an underrated year. It did feel fresh though as it was the first full year without Shane and Angel, and 1997 was a new era for the show. To think 1997 is almost 30 years ago now so that was deffo vintage H&A, yet seems like only yesterday the eps were originally broadcast. We also saw the Toadie of H&A bought in - Vinnie Patterson, and it was later established he was a cousin of Alison Patterson who of course was long long gone by 1997. Not 100% sure if the cousin revelation was revealed in 1997 or 2000.

[cymbaline]

I watched from 1989 until 1996, though I wasn't tuning in as frequently after 1994 or so. I stopped watching altogether just after they killed Michael off. It wasn't because I was a die-hard Michael fan or anything, but because it felt like a good place to stop. Many of the old faces had moved on and I never took to the newer ones (e.g. Chloe, Alex). When Liam arrived, I realised I had no interest in getting to know him. Also, Michael being bumped off felt like deja vu. I'd already seen Pippa being widowed once and knew exactly how she'd react. By the time you're thinking that, it probably is time to move on.

[Sb boy]

1997 did feel like a new era mainly because as said  Shane and angel had  gone. Shannon later that year and selina. At the tale end  I much prefer the next set of teens  after Liam. Casey and joey . I was. 12 in January 1998  and  liked gypsy   Vinnie and Sam. And Hayley  the. Teens that I was same age. As were. Nick Duncan. After he was soarsed. And  jade. And Kirsty    But I leaft high school in 2003. And they were still there.  Lol

[j.laur5]

8 hours ago, cymbaline said:

I watched from 1989 until 1996, though I wasn't tuning in as frequently after 1994 or so. I stopped watching altogether just after they killed Michael off. It wasn't because I was a die-hard Michael fan or anything, but because it felt like a good place to stop. Many of the old faces had moved on and I never took to the newer ones (e.g. Chloe, Alex). When Liam arrived, I realised I had no interest in getting to know him. Also, Michael being bumped off felt like deja vu. I'd already seen Pippa being widowed once and knew exactly how she'd react. By the time you're thinking that, it probably is time to move on.

I can’t help but wonder if Debra Lawrence felt that her character run had her course as it would felt like deja vu when Ian arrived. She'd thinking all know they are going to marry me off with him and kill him in a few years later in the next Summer Bay disaster. 
 

I actually can't imagine Pippa in more dramatic eras of H&A and certainly can't imagine Pippa in Irene storyline’s if Irene left instead. 
 

But who knows maybe if Pippa stayed show might not move into such dramatic direction so soon. 
 

Debra herself said she understands why stories had be more dramatic as know one wants to watch anything too simple at 7pm anymore. 

[adam436]

On 24/01/2025 at 20:27, Sb boy said:

My first memory is of the storm. Death of Michael  but those memories I have since I have seen all 1988 to 1993  and  1997 onwards  again 

I think I must have started watching not long after Michael died - I have some vauge memories of 1996 like the earthquake, Don and Mariyln's wedding and the 1996 finale (which terrified me at the time!). 

The first major death I remember is Stephanie Mboto. An insignificant character in the grand scheme on H&A, but as a 9 year old, it was quite confronting because it was unexpected and had never seen a main character killed off on H&A before and she had been around for my entire viewing period. 

[Sb boy]

1996 was a year of change that is for sure  1997 will be remembered as the year we lost some of the most popular teens ever Shannon selina  Curtis. Although Liam  Casey and Steph wouldn’t be as missed  by many fans  I liked joey and Vinnie of the 1996 1997  intake  and we still had the mainstays Alf AIlsa  Don Sally pippa etc I think 1998 was better a year than 1997 personally  as vinnie and gypsy and Hayley  stood out especially  it was sad to see pippa leave  but she didn’t really fit in with the newer direction the show was taking at that time we still had the fostering theme with Irene and the stewert family taking in kids 

[adam436]

2 hours ago, Sb boy said:

1996 was a year of change that is for sure  1997 will be remembered as the year we lost some of the most popular teens ever Shannon selina  Curtis. Although Liam  Casey and Steph wouldn’t be as missed  by many fans

That teen group was very hit and miss. We had characters like Joey, Justine and to a lesser extent Tiegan that are still fondly remembered, and others like Liam, Aaron and Casey who were not. That group found their groove a little more once some of them left and others like Will, Gypsy, Tom and Hayley were brought in. 

If you compare them to other teen groups like Shannon/Curtis/Selina/Jack and and to a lesser extent the Jade/Kirsty/Nick/Seb who just seemed to immediately click with each other and resonated with the audience. 

 

3 hours ago, Sb boy said:

it was sad to see pippa leave  but she didn’t really fit in with the newer direction the show was taking at that time we still had the fostering theme with Irene and the stewert family taking in kids 

We also had Rebecca and Travis pick up Pippa's leftovers, and after they left, Justine stuck around with Joel and Natalie, and they also fostered Peta. 

I've said it before, but in hindsight 1998-2000 is very much like a transitional period between the Pippa and the Sutherlands. They are some of my favourite years of the show, but looking at it now, the show is was in limbo. The fostering was left to the previously-secondary foster parents, and whilst Travis and Rebecca inherited Justine, Tiegan and possibly Sam (I can't remember at what point he moved in with Don and Marilyn?), it seems like they were just there to see out the existing foster kids rather than to see them foster new characters from scratch.

I think part of the in limbo status also came down to Pippa's exit being written as "temporary". Pippa just went off on a road trip leaving the kids and Caravan Park with Travis and Rebecca while she was away, with Ian returning later to say they'd settled in the Carrington Ranges. I never understood why they didn't just "rip the band-aid off" from the beginning and have her sell up, since Debra was done by this point. Did the producers think it might soften the blow of losing such a popular character or did the producers think they could persuade Debra to come back after she'd had some time off

The Nash family were meant to be the big new family of the show, but by the time they were given free reign of Summer Bay House (when Travis and Rebecca left in August 1999), they'd been around for nearly 2 years. Maybe had Pippa's exit been "permanent" from the start, they could have moved in there much earlier and been given a better chance. Joel is a character who should have kept going for years, especially with his role as the local town cop. 

Side note: Justine must be one of the few characters to 3 sets of fosters parents, not a bad achievement for a character around less than 3 years: Pippa, Travis and Rebecca, Joel and Natalie. I guess Sam had just as many, if not more, but stayed for much longer. 

[Homeandawayfan.]

The Tug, Damo, Sarah, Shane and Angel teen group was brilliant. I guess they would be a hard act to follow with their successors such as Tiegen, Liam, Aaron and Joey. Curtis, Jack, Shannon and Selina were the nearest we had to Tug, Damo, Shane, Angel and Sarah. Jack Wilson was kind of like the rebel, the outsider as I remember he fought with Tug and Shane numerous times.

I did like Jade, Kirsty Nick and Seb in the early Noughties.

Edited Sunday at 14:21 by Homeandawayfan.

[Sb boy]

 Jack and Shane had a short feud in 1994 after  jack arrives