Entire first season on 7Plus!

[Old H&A Fan]

6 hours ago, CaptainHulk said:

Small price to pay for the likes of Shannon and Gypsy in their Glory, Sal's transition to Adult, Flood, Earthquake, Cyclone, Mudslide, Robert Perez/David D'Angelo, Joey's Schizophrenia, Justine v Collinses ...

What you got against Kiwis anyway?

Back then, I simply found the accent annoying.

But nowadays, when they elected Jacinda Ardern to the top job........different story. By far the most despicable leader they have ever had, and in global terms up there with a similar-looking Finnish prime minister. Took awhile, but New Zealanders eventually woke up to themselves and saw fit to make Jacinda resign over one of the most repressive COVID19 regimes in the world.

[j.laur5]

It’s shame they did not  put on 1989 season and beyond on 7 plus.  
 
As era I most want to see is 1996-1998 as I like to see Pippa remaining episodes and also always be interested in seeing Barbara Stewart in 1996 and coming back being evil. 
 

I bet Ailsa no longer thought Barbara was most normal Stewart sister after that . 
 

Poor Ailsa her family were not exactly normal and her in laws weren’t much better. 

[nenehcherry2]

On 24/03/2024 at 03:57, Luigi Severus Fletcher said:

Alf seemed to be seen as the "grouchy old man" from 2000 - 2008 (maybe earlier?) and that was it. I know he'd tell someone off from 1988 - Ailsa's death, but he had more storylines then and sometimes, his anger would be due to some dimwitted mistake one of the teens or Lance, Martin and Adam made.

I feel that the "grouchification" of Alf began with the 95 revamp. He seemed to lose his sense of humour after that point. Losing the store didn't help.

[Homeandawayfan.]

Yes 1995 was when they turned him into the H&A version of Albert Tatlock/Max Ramsay.

[nenehcherry2]

53 minutes ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

Yes 1995 was when they turned him into the H&A version of Albert Tatlock/Max Ramsay.

You're always bang on with your trademark analogies! 

He was always bad tempered and had certain views RE behaviour but earlier Alf could also be funny and crack some Dad jokes when he felt like it (even very blue ones sometimes!). 

He just always seemed stressed out in the late 90s. As Ailsa did. That combo along with her holding him hostage every five minutes conveyed an unhappy marriage to me for their final few years, exacerbated by the Duncan recast! 

Edited May 26 by nenehcherry2

[nenehcherry2]

On 25/03/2024 at 03:47, Old H&A Fan said:

Back then, I simply found the accent annoying.

But nowadays, when they elected Jacinda Ardern to the top job........different story. By far the most despicable leader they have ever had, and in global terms up there with a similar-looking Finnish prime minister. Took awhile, but New Zealanders eventually woke up to themselves and saw fit to make Jacinda resign over one of the most repressive COVID19 regimes in the world.

It always surprises me that Kelly as a character wasn't referred to as Kiwi. Katrina Hobbs' Kiwi accent was so strong and very obvious to those who can distinguish New Zealand English. Whereas Roger Oakley sounded like he'd lived in Australia for many years (he'd occasionally deliver the odd "fush" instead of "feesh" but was the exception rather than the rule), so there was no need to explain Tom's "accent". 

I don't think there's ever a mention of Kelly being New Zealander? Yet Jesse was supposed to be, in spite of Ben being (and sounding) true blue Aussie. 

[Homeandawayfan.]

8 hours ago, nenehcherry2 said:

You're always bang on with your trademark analogies! 

He was always bad tempered and had certain views RE behaviour but earlier Alf could also be funny and crack some Dad jokes when he felt like it (even very blue ones sometimes!). 

He just always seemed stressed out in the late 90s. As Ailsa did. That combo along with her holding him hostage every five minutes conveyed an unhappy marriage to me for their final few years, exacerbated by the Duncan recast! 

1995 for me was when the show was starting to show darker elements, elements of what the show is today. Not like 2024 but was starting to be on the way and I guess they turned Alf into a more bitter person, same as Ailsa.

[CaptainHulk]

2 hours ago, nenehcherry2 said:

It always surprises me that Kelly as a character wasn't referred to as Kiwi. Katrina Hobbs' Kiwi accent was so strong and very obvious to those who can distinguish New Zealand English. 

Our Canberra-based friend no doubt has  many fist-waving moments when the subject of this doctor and her accent come up

 

10 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

Yes 1995 was when they turned him into the H&A version of Albert Tatlock/Max Ramsay.

Albert had lived through 2 world wars, and on a poky street all his life with everyone in everyone's business, think he EARNED the right to be grouchy.

Max at times was a bit of a bully (mostly to Danny who he suspected wasn't his from day one), he even got laid out by one of Maria's (they were separated) dates who mistook him for a rando when he went charging over. He did get Dad Points, though when he turned the Gun on Gordon Miller who caused Shane's injury and had him begging for mercy with Shane and Terry talking Max down.

[adam436]

9 hours ago, nenehcherry2 said:

He just always seemed stressed out in the late 90s. As Ailsa did. That combo along with her holding him hostage every five minutes conveyed an unhappy marriage to me for their final few years, exacerbated by the Duncan recast! 

For the early part of the 1990s, they didn't really do much. Apart from the Quinn Jackson story in 1994, did they have any major storylines at all between 1990 and 1995? 

It was only from 1995 onwards when they started having big storylines because the writers were actually using them - the car accident when Ailsa thought Alf was trying to kill her, the diner break-in and diner siege and Ailsa's subsequent PTSD, Ailsa getting stalked by her brother, the Shauna story, Alf's heart issues, their marriage breakdown around 1997/98 (I can't remember the cause, but he moved into a caravan that caught fire and met the blind woman played by Belinda Giblin). Plus SORASing Duncan created more angst for them too. 

Yes, the final years of their marriage were unhappy at times, but that's because they were actually given storylines. Look how unhappy Tom and Pippa's marriage was at times because they were at the centre of things - arguing over Danny, their 1989 fights about his job and fostering Dodge which culminated in him getting lost at sea, his post-stroke attitude, the stuff with Zac the shark hunter and then the fight they had in the lead up to his death. If they were supporting characters, they'd have just been the perfect foster parents. 

[Spinach]

^Wasn't the Quinn Jackson story in late 1995 (so after the drama started ramping up for them)?

In terms of storylines between 1990 and 1995 for Alf and Ailsa, um... Ailsa dealing with Emma's mother? Ailsa thinking Alf was having an affair with Meg's mother (can't remember her name)? Can't think of much more. Ailsa had to manage both businesses (and Karen in 1993) when Alf was away in 1993 and 1994, which was sort of a storyline... But yeah,  not much else.