The 2000 season

[adam436]

We have recently been reminded, it's been 25 years since Leah first appeared on Home and Away. 

2000 is probably one of the biggest years of change, so I thought I'd start a new thread to discuss and appreciate everything that happened in that season.

For me, many of the events that occurred marked the end of the era: 

• The revamped theme music and opening credits. The first version not to  feature the "action" shots, and instead the floating boxes across the ocean background. 
• The demise of the Bayside Diner and the original Stewart home, and the introducing of the replacement Beachside Diner. 
• Ailsa's death. 
• Sam's exit, after watching him grow up on screen for 9 years.
• The arrival of the Sutherland family into Summer Bay House, well and truly heralding a new era of H&A. 
• One of, if not the, biggest year for cast turnover. The new arrivals were Nick, Leah, the Sutherland family, Noah, Jude and Brodie. The departures were Jesse, Justine, James, Sam, Joel, Natalie, Tom, Ken, Edward, Peta, Judith and then Ailsa in the finale. Admittedly many of those characters were relatively short-lived, but it was still a rollercoaster year for comings and goings, especially when you consider the show lost hugely popular characters like Marilyn, Travis, Rebecca and Chloe in late 1999 as well.  

Iconic storylines/moments: 

• Sally's non-wedding and all the returnees it brought.
• Jesse's exit
• Shauna being revealed as Ailsa's daughter. Great storyline, but it's a shame we only got a few months of their relationship before Ailsa died. 
• The landside, which used as the cliffhanger when the show went on hiatus for the Sydney Olympics. At the time, it was reportedly the biggest stunt H&A had ever done, but it pales in comparison to some of the ones that occurred in later years, but at the time it was pretty epic and high stakes drama. 
• Edward's Huntington's journey
• Ken Smith's death

Forgettable storylines/low points: 

• The Diner fire - Considering it was one of the most iconic sets from the early years, it's actual demise felt rather underwhelming. Maybe it was too close to the landside or they didn't have the budget for a second big stunt? 
• Natalie's affair and pregnancy. What was the point, when they were just going to reunite and get back together a few months later? Even if they wrote the affair as her exit storyline to later reunite with Joel, the pregnancy wasn't needed at all
• Fisher's dream sequence - Fisher had a weird dream that he was marrying Judith
• Joel and Judith's romance - clearly just a fill-in story to give both characters something to do after their families left and while they sat around waiting around for their exits. 

Edited March 29 by adam436

[CaptainHulk]

Yep. It was a see-saw Year but still managed to have a bit of early years charm to it, returns notwithstanding.

ITV pulling the plug Mid-Season was definitely a shocker after Channel 5 bought the rights which prevented it being shown for 13mths and we were fobbed off with butchered 1996/97 repeats in the daytime on ITV2. Them dropping eps leaving it sometimes at only 3 eps a week was infuriating.

The Diner fire was somewhat hilarious due to the culprit Clumsy Colleen thinking she's helping but in fact she exacerbated it (Water on an oil fire ffs!). It's just the aftermath wasn't so funny

 

[MattieBelle]

The 2000 season will always be special to me for one reason only - Edward Dunglass. I found him to be one of the most fascinating characters the show ever had and his storyline was genuinely interesting and unique at the time. I truly feel like we will never ever see a character like him on the show again. Aside from his storyline with the Huntington's disease, I also found his romance with Peta (another good character) very sweet and despite the fact they were only teenagers I found their devotion to each other very wholesome. I would love to get my hands on the episodes that feature the both of them again. 

[adam436]

Edward has always been one of my favourites too. His diagnosis meant he couldn't stay forever, but it would have been nice to see him for another couple of years.

A number of good characters were wiped out as part of that cast overhaul, but Edward was definitely the one I felt shortchanged with the most. 

[Sunny Girl]

Edward was definitely an interesting character, that's for sure. 

I always loved when 'Home and Away' didn't follow the biscuit cutter mould. 

[Zig]

I recently watched 2000 for the first time and it was such a good year because of so many early years returns which I loved, particularly Martin and Floss who had both left 10/11 years earlier.

Also as people seemed to forget to mention it was the start of the Hayley/Noah relationships which was one of the best in the history of Home and Away, if I'm honest it's one of the more iconic relationships in the show history.

I also really enjoyed watching the relationship between Vinnie and Leah develop and Sally reuniting with many of her family.

[j.laur5]

I enjoyed Judith's character but can understand why she was written out. She no longer had any children after Edward left and the principal role could easily be given back to Donald. Had Donald left the previous year with Marilyn then I could see Judith sticking around as she would at least have purpose being the principal.

As for Joel and Natalie I don’t see why they didn’t just write them out together earlier, instead of breaking them up and Natalie leaving and then returning later for them to leave together. 

I love how Pippa got a proper send off in her return guest appearance, it really made up for her dreadful exit in 1998.

The biggest shame was Judy Nunn not being able to play Ailsa in her return to her childhood home storyline, due to Judy Nunn's real life illness.

[adam436]

  On 01/04/2025 at 23:36, Zig said:

Also as people seemed to forget to mention it was the start of the Hayley/Noah relationships which was one of the best in the history of Home and Away, if I'm honest it's one of the more iconic relationships in the show history.

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I can't say I was that invested in Noah and Hayley much, mostly because I didn't like Hayley. I liked Noah as an individual though.

I was probably more invested in Jude and Shauna to be honest.

 

  On 01/04/2025 at 23:36, Zig said:

I also really enjoyed watching the relationship between Vinnie and Leah develop

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They were a really cute couple and back when Leah was more a fun character. Ada and Ryan had amazing chemistry too! 

I remember she had a HIV scare after a needle stick injury, and didn't want to marry Vinnie until she was in the clear.

[Zig]

  On 02/04/2025 at 07:01, adam436 said:

I can't say I was that invested in Noah and Hayley much, mostly because I didn't like Hayley. I liked Noah as an individual though.

I was probably more invested in Jude and Shauna to be honest.

 

They were a really cute couple and back when Leah was more a fun character. Ada and Ryan had amazing chemistry too! 

I remember she had a HIV scare after a needle stick injury, and didn't want to marry Vinnie until she was in the clear.

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Honestly Leah was so much fun back them. Your right Ada and Ryan had incredible chemistry, the only other person who Leah dated that Ada had chemistry with was Josh who played Miles.

 

Honestly Leah became so uptight after Miles left tbh

[CaptainHulk]

  On 02/04/2025 at 09:10, Zig said:

Honestly Leah was so much fun back them. Your right Ada and Ryan had incredible chemistry, the only other person who Leah dated that Ada had chemistry with was Josh who played Miles.

 

Honestly Leah became so uptight after Miles left tbh

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Tbf she had miscarried and there went her final shot of being a mum again