Why do the producers ignore Shandi Palmer?

[Red Ranger 1]

9 hours ago, Skylover said:

Home and Away actually never was about people having different surnames.

Well it definitely wasn't about everyone's long-forgotten relatives rocking up in Summer Bay.

[Skylover]

18 minutes ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

Well it definitely wasn't about everyone's long-forgotten relatives rocking up in Summer Bay.

Shandi's the only one who falls into this category.

Presumably Irene's kids and grandchildren still exist. I also assume Martha jr still exists. It's just the show doesn't acknowledge them.

[Red Ranger 1]

12 minutes ago, Skylover said:

Shandi's the only one who falls into this category.

Presumably Irene's kids and grandchildren still exist. I also assume Martha jr still exists. It's just the show doesn't acknowledge them.

If the show doesn't acknowledge them, then how are they not "long-forgotten"? Same as Ailsa's brother and sister and niece, Pippa's brother, Donald's sister and niece, Alf's sisters for most of the 90s (and quite a few periods since) and his own long lost daughter until 2017, and probably quite a few other characters who pretty much ceased to exist once the show had moved on from their storylines.

[Skylover]

So characters don't exist anymore if they're not mentioned? I think you've been watching Home and Away too long @Red Ranger 1  

[Red Ranger 1]

4 minutes ago, Skylover said:

So characters don't exist anymore if they're not mentioned? I think you've been watching Home and Away too long @Red Ranger 1  

Okay, I've completely lost track of what you're saying here...

Here's what I'm trying to say.

1. Home and Away has always been made up predominantly of unrelated characters. The show's ethos has always been that family is about more than blood. Trying to make out that flooding it with characters' old relatives is somehow turning it back into "real" Home and Away suggests you don't know what "real" Home and Away actually is.

2. You seem to be talking as if not acknowledging/mentioning/recasting and pointlessly bringing back characters' families is a new phenomenon, and probably all Lucy Addario's fault. I was trying to point out that characters' relatives leaving and never being mentioned again yet alone appearing is something that has happened in this and every other soap opera since before most of us here were born. It doesn't mean they "don't exist anymore", it just means that storyline's over.

[Skylover]

48 minutes ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

1. Home and Away has always been made up predominantly of unrelated characters. The show's ethos has always been that family is about more than blood. Trying to make out that flooding it with characters' old relatives is somehow turning it back into "real" Home and Away suggests you don't know what "real" Home and Away actually is.

That's very broad strokes. Real Home and Away was about a foster family and the surrounding community. I'm not talking about turning it back into 'real' H&A, I'm talking about taking it in a direction which will make it good and watchable again, and not the crapfest it currently is. Making it somehow a bit more credible. Surely anyone can see that the show is not in a good place right now, and that it needs a shake up.

48 minutes ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

2. You seem to be talking as if not acknowledging/mentioning/recasting and pointlessly bringing back characters' families is a new phenomenon, and probably all Lucy Addario's fault. I was trying to point out that characters' relatives leaving and never being mentioned again yet alone appearing is something that has happened in this and every other soap opera since before most of us here were born. It doesn't mean they "don't exist anymore", it just means that storyline's over.

It happens more on H&A than other soaps. You can only see over the years how much more successfully EE for example has used past characters to its benefit. Off the top of my head, in the last couple of years, they've recast Bobby Beale, Chelsea Fox, Dotty Cotton, Peter Beale, Ben Mitchell, Sam Mitchell, Louise Mitchell; brought back Keanu, Lola, Nancy, Ricky, among others, created a brother for Sharon with Zack. While EE hasn't been firing on all cylinders at times, this is how soaps should be run. John Palmer crowbarred into 3 scenes in an episode talking about his car isn't what I'd call entertainment. And it's a waste, because I like the actor.

[Red Ranger 1]

11 minutes ago, Skylover said:

in the last couple of years,

If by "in the last couple of years", you mean "since 2016", sure. Of course, they've also completely forgotten about Kathy's brother and his family, haven't featured any of Kat's original family in yonks, largely forgot about Michelle Fowler once she left apart from a disastrous recast, have a whole load of Jacksons who haven't been seen in years, and probably countless others.

Meanwhile, since 2016, Home and Away have brought back Morag Bellingham, Jett Palmer, Dimitri Poulos, Heath and Bianca, recast Quinn Jackson, created family for Alf and Roo, and Leah, had guest appearances by Justin's daughter, and brought in relatives for several other characters which you seem oddly keen to dismiss while simultaneously claiming that EE bringing in a "hot sibling" for Sharon is "how soaps should be run"!

[Skylover]

8 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

Meanwhile, since 2016, Home and Away have brought back Morag Bellingham, Jett Palmer, Dimitri Poulos, Heath and Bianca, recast Quinn Jackson, created family for Alf and Roo, and Leah, had guest appearances by Justin's daughter, and brought in relatives for several other characters which you seem oddly keen to dismiss while simultaneously claiming that EE bringing in a "hot sibling" for Sharon is "how soaps should be run"!

That H&A list of returnees is weak in comparison to EE. All those people you mention were guests other than Theo and Ryder who were new characters. I had to think for a moment who Dmitri Poulos even was. He and Quinn's only purpose was to facilitate the introductions of Theo and Ryder, before they were quickly dispatched again. It's practically nothing compared to what EastEnders has done.

8 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

If by "in the last couple of years", you mean "since 2016", sure. Of course, they've also completely forgotten about Kathy's brother and his family, haven't featured any of Kat's original family in yonks, largely forgot about Michelle Fowler once she left apart from a disastrous recast, have a whole load of Jacksons who haven't been seen in years, and probably countless others.

If we're talking since 2016, they actually brought back and recast Kat's sister Belinda Peacock in 2016. They have also since introduced Little Mo's son Freddie Slater, brought back Alfie Moon as a regular, had Sean Slater back for guest stints, also had Big Mo back for guest stints as recently as 2022. That seems pretty sufficient, it's not like Kat has been isolated as a character, as she has all her kids on screen, and Jean, Stacey and her kids. Elaine Lordan (Lyn) has given up acting, Kacey Ainsworth is clearly busy with other roles and Michelle Ryan has made it clear she doesn't want to return. In terms of the Jacksons, they actually have brought back Bianca Jackson on a number of occasions, in 2019, and attempted to in 2020 (which didn't make it to air due to the pandemic). They also brought back Robbie Jackson as a regular character from 2017 to 2019. They brought back Tiffany as a regular for a few years. They brought back Lauren Branning for Dot's funeral. Speaking of Dot's funeral, they brought back Disa, Colin, Barry, Lauren, Mary, Lofty etc for her funeral, whereas Morag Bellingham just hasn't been mentioned after her actor's passing. Kathy's brother's family is actually a good shout, and I do think they should do more with them or acknowledge Kathy's 'missing' years more. But the facts above speak for themselves when it comes to the difference between EE and H&A in how they invest in their established families and characters. EE actively makes an effort to, H&A actively makes an effort not to.

[Red Ranger 1]

1 hour ago, Skylover said:

Morag Bellingham just hasn't been mentioned after her actor's passing.

Technically she has, but only in ambiguous terms. I've been trying to think of what the EastEnders equivalent is and the truth is, there isn't one, mainly because they don't let as many characters live to retire. (Dot was a notable exception and mainly down to actor power.) If a former actor dies, in about 90% of the cases, their character died years ago anyway, and in most of the other 10%, they were so obscure that it'd be jarring to make a big deal about their death and/or none of the current cast really knew them anyway. In soaps that are less bloodthirsty, this sort of thing is far more common: Emmerdale failing to acknowledge Zoe Tate since the actress died, for instance, in a way that borders on character bashing.

 

1 hour ago, Skylover said:

EE and H&A in how they invest in their established families and characters. EE actively makes an effort to, H&A actively makes an effort not to.

That's because they're very different shows and always have been. Home and Away is about people with no family being accepted into a community. EastEnders is mostly about a small number of large families and how they're all related to each other, bringing in new never-before-mentioned relatives and bringing back old ones (recast if necessary) whenever their numbers run short. Home and Away also has a much more tight knit cast. EastEnders can afford to have about a dozen characters related to Phil Mitchell by blood or marriage. If you did that in Home and Away, that's over half the cast and it'd be even more obviously incestuous.

[Homeandawayfan.]

I think Emmerdale also tends to ignore any characters prior to the Dingles. They could bring back Sam Skilbeck, the son of Matt and Dolly, or children of Sandie Merrick, or cousins of Jack Sugden/Amos and Mr Wilks etc. Yet they seem to neglect this and just keep rapidly expanding the Dingle demographic.

Corrie, EE and Neighbours always bring back past characters or relatives of them. Seems odd why Emmerdale and H&A are hell bent on ignoring their past.