Rewatching The Early Years

[Homeandawayfan.]

Scary to think 1997/1998 is heading on for 30 years ago. 1997 was still part of the Golden era for H&A with the introduction of Vinnie and other great stories, it was the first full year without the Royal Couple - Shane and Angel. Much of 1998 was not so great, or 1999 until the revamp in 2000 which was a huge shot in the arm I think, the arrival of the Sutherland's. Even if we did see the exit of the Diner and Alf's house. I feel Ailsa had run her course by then so was not worried to see her go actually.

 

Edited December 17 by Homeandawayfan.

[adam436]

4 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

Much of 1998 was not so great, or 1999 until the revamp in 2000 which was a huge shot in the arm I think, the arrival of the Sutherland's.

I've said it before, but 1998-mid 2000 were very much transitional years for the show between Pippa and the foster kids, and the nuclear Sutherland family. I think the Nash family were meant to be the post-Pippa "shot in the arm", but it took them a year to move into Summer Bay House, and even longer before they were the sole parenting couple of the house. 

I imagine Travis and Rebecca were brought in as a gentle transition post-Pippa, rather than ripping off the band-aid and instilling a nuclear family in there from the start. Eventually it transitioned into the nuclear Nash family (plus foster kids Peta and Justine), but that took over 18 months. 

I'm not sure what went wrong - I liked all of them, but they were pretty much all written out in favour of the Sutherlands. I'd still take Joel, Peta and Justine over Rhys and the girls any day! 

[christine king]

I was just recently watching some 1994 episodes and yeah they really don’t make the show that good anymore do they? The golden years were so much better.

[nenehcherry2]

23 hours ago, adam436 said:

I've said it before, but 1998-mid 2000 were very much transitional years for the show between Pippa and the foster kids, and the nuclear Sutherland family. I think the Nash family were meant to be the post-Pippa "shot in the arm", but it took them a year to move into Summer Bay House, and even longer before they were the sole parenting couple of the house. 

I imagine Travis and Rebecca were brought in as a gentle transition post-Pippa, rather than ripping off the band-aid and instilling a nuclear family in there from the start. Eventually it transitioned into the nuclear Nash family (plus foster kids Peta and Justine), but that took over 18 months. 

I'm not sure what went wrong - I liked all of them, but they were pretty much all written out in favour of the Sutherlands. I'd still take Joel, Peta and Justine over Rhys and the girls any day! 

Completely agree! I've always used the term "sticking plaster" when evaluating and describing the impact of Rebecca and Travis' era. 

So said, I really do have a (somewhat recently rediscovered) fondness for many of the characters introduced in that 98/99 era who didn't last long into the Sutherland era... Especially Edward, Judith, Joel, Shauna, Natalie 2 and Mitch. I miss them all when they're gone (which I cannot say for many of the post-2000 introductions, especially the Sutherlands themselves). 

On 14/12/2024 at 23:55, cymbaline said:

It's such a 1990's scenario, isn't it? The beeper and the spectre of HIV. I've read that doctors still use pagers in some hospitals, but I'm sure they've long since ditched them at the Northern District Hospital. Where would the program makers be without text conversations on a screen? I checked for when HIV became treatable and saw that it was in 1996. I assume Kelly's HIV scare happened before this breakthrough? 

 

On 17/12/2024 at 15:38, Homeandawayfan. said:

Scary to think 1997/1998 is heading on for 30 years ago. 1997 was still part of the Golden era for H&A with the introduction of Vinnie and other great stories, it was the first full year without the Royal Couple - Shane and Angel. Much of 1998 was not so great, or 1999 until the revamp in 2000 which was a huge shot in the arm I think, the arrival of the Sutherland's. Even if we did see the exit of the Diner and Alf's house. I feel Ailsa had run her course by then so was not worried to see her go actually.

 

As much as it pains for me to admit it, I have to agree RE Ailsa. The writers had damaged her characterisation & role (irreparably so) in the community / show so much by the late 90s that I don't miss her when she's gone (it's more a case of missing her as she WAS, especially in the first year but even still a bit until about 94/5). Ailsa left for good for me in about 1994. She's more often than not pretty unlikeable from then onwards and, whilst her having more storylines again was great (and well performed by Judy), there's only so many times you can be held up at gunpoint, have car accidents and nervous breakdowns. 

Edited December 18 by nenehcherry2

[CaptainHulk]

1999 especially felt like the writers were trying to Mash her up.

Edited Saturday at 09:10 by CaptainHulk

[cymbaline]

They don't seem to do long-term older couples, though I'm happy to be corrected on that. Before that they'd widowed Pippa for a 2nd time. Then they killed Ailsa off. Fisher's marriage to June ended offscreen. If you move forward to the present day, Alf is effectively single again. Irene and John are on their own. 

[nenehcherry2]

15 hours ago, cymbaline said:

They don't seem to do long-term older couples, though I'm happy to be corrected on that. Before that they'd widowed Pippa for a 2nd time. Then they killed Ailsa off. Fisher's marriage to June ended offscreen. If you move forward to the present day, Alf is effectively single again. Irene and John are on their own. 

If you also count the Sutherlands and the Nashes (who were significantly younger than Alf/Ailsa and Pippa/2 husbands) then that's definitely the case. 

[Red Ranger 1]

4 hours ago, nenehcherry2 said:

If you also count the Sutherlands and the Nashes (who were significantly younger than Alf/Ailsa and Pippa/2 husbands) then that's definitely the case. 

Although to be pedantic, both got back together for their exits.

[nenehcherry2]

17 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

Although to be pedantic, both got back together for their exits.

Pedantic indeed but it's Christmas! (or for the Aussies & Kiwis in the house!).

Only joking, very true point.

[cymbaline]

They only reunited these couples when the writers knew the actors were heading for the door, right?