Rewatching The Early Years

[Homeandawayfan.]

It does feel a shame when you watch 1988 H&A and think how it bears virtually no resemblance to today's show. The fostering element which was the shows basis has now been abandoned and it went from a show about fostering and fixing wayward teens and children to a crime/disaster/medical/music show just using the Home And Away name.

Emmerdale is another show that was founded on farming and a farming family, and that has also been totally eradicated now. They seemed to have changed their formats because they felt like it.

[cymbaline]

On 24/12/2023 at 01:10, early years fan said:

Episode 186, John Farnham visiting Sally. Classic 
Bad timing for the chicken pox, back in the days when most kids had it.

Nowadays you'd have members of the anti-everything brigade berating the grown-ups for keeping young Sally at home. 

[CaptainHulk]

5 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

It does feel a shame when you watch 1988 H&A and think how it bears virtually no resemblance to today's show. The fostering element which was the shows basis has now been abandoned and it went from a show about fostering and fixing wayward teens and children to a crime/disaster/medical/music show just using the Home And Away name.

Emmerdale is another show that was founded on farming and a farming family, and that has also been totally eradicated now. They seemed to have changed their formats because they felt like it.

It was a slow change. By the 80s, Beckindale was the focus more than Emmerdale Farm and the cast had ballooned from the 9 they started with and ⅔ were Male at!

 

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by CaptainHulk

[early years fan]

So I have finished watching all of 1988!

yay that’s ticked off the bucket list.

i agree todays episodes haves moved away so far from their roots.  It’s been great to reminisce and look at it all through 2023 adult eyes, many laughs. 

also reinforced how much I did prefer the old Pippa and Tom, and the original cast members 

really hoping they release subsequent years episodes 

[adam436]

On 22/12/2023 at 16:02, early years fan said:

Pity he was killed off as he was a good actor and interesting character.

Agreed! I suspect if the producers knew that Don would stay another 15 years, they wouldn't have killed him off so early. The anyriusm trigger could have pulled at any time when the actor wanted to leave.

You can never predict these things though.

[CaptainHulk]

15 hours ago, early years fan said:

So I have finished watching all of 1988!

yay that’s ticked off the bucket list.

i agree todays episodes haves moved away so far from their roots.  It’s been great to reminisce and look at it all through 2023 adult eyes, many laughs. 

also reinforced how much I did prefer the old Pippa and Tom, and the original cast members 

really hoping they release subsequent years episodes 

Casting Seb down the track was a master stroke though.

(Depends on who you ask)

[cymbaline]

18 hours ago, adam436 said:

Agreed! I suspect if the producers knew that Don would stay another 15 years, they wouldn't have killed him off so early. The anyriusm trigger could have pulled at any time when the actor wanted to leave.

You can never predict these things though.

It was also very early in the show's run so they were still figuring the formula out. They didn't get Donald right for a while either IMHO but at least he was given time to develop and move past the awful cardboard cutout he was at the beginning. Back in the day, there was talk of trying to bring Simon Kay back somehow. If that's true, it suggests that the powers-that-be regretted killing him off. It's a sliding doors moment, isn't it? Would they still have given Bobby the parents she had if Alan had stayed? 

[j.laur5]

On 30/12/2023 at 10:37, early years fan said:

So I have finished watching all of 1988!

yay that’s ticked off the bucket list.

i agree todays episodes haves moved away so far from their roots.  It’s been great to reminisce and look at it all through 2023 adult eyes, many laughs. 

also reinforced how much I did prefer the old Pippa and Tom, and the original cast members 

really hoping they release subsequent years episodes 

Even though I prefer Tom and Vanessa,Pippa but do feel Micheal and Debra ,Pippa did bring more natural presence on screen due to being married in real life marriage as it made them feel like such believable couple even though Michael and Debra ,Pippa were more harsh at times then Tom and Vanessa ,Pippa. 
 

I can very easy imagine Tom and Debra,Pippa  together but I have more trouble imagining Vanessa ,Pippa and Michael together. 

[CaptainHulk]

11 hours ago, j.laur5 said:

Even though I prefer Tom and Vanessa,Pippa but do feel Micheal and Debra ,Pippa did bring more natural presence on screen due to being married in real life marriage as it made them feel like such believable couple even though Michael and Debra ,Pippa were more harsh at times then Tom and Vanessa ,Pippa. 
 

I can very easy imagine Tom and Debra,Pippa  together but I have more trouble imagining Vanessa ,Pippa and Michael together. 

They were roughly the same Height (Dennis probably slightly smaller) but ya, I get you.

[Homeandawayfan.]

On 30/12/2023 at 00:37, early years fan said:

i agree todays episodes haves moved away so far from their roots.  It’s been great to reminisce and look at it all through 2023 adult eyes, many laughs. 

Oh yes, H&A is 100% deviated from its roots. The fostering element which the entire original show was based on has been totally abandoned for crime/medical or music.