Home and Away

35 years young:.
Such a big achievement.

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In resent years there has been a lot more respect for both shows within the industry.

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Home and Away is much more like a drama these days than 35 years ago when I feel it was more like a soap, in storylines, presentation etc.

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Surprised to hear that Ray has signed on for another five years. Good on him, though.

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I used to really like Home and Away when it really focused on issues involving the foster kids, but then somewhere along the line IT JUST didn’t feel the same and became the opposite - became quite over dramatic. Any milestone for a soap is good in my opinion. Congrats!

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As a Brit I always preferred it to Neighbours growing up and until about a decade ago. The initial River Boys storyline gave it a boost but then they went far too down that route at the expense of it’s foster family roots. Have enjoyed watching the classic episodes released for the anniversary though.

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The big move in recent years is that Summer Bay High no longer exists… and in fact at the moment there’s no school age children.

There’s also no school principal, which was always a key cast member. And as a consequence Roo has actually been unemployed for a number of years.

They prefer storylines based around Salt, the Diner, the police station or the hospital, rather than the school.

If they need a refreshed storyline, surely a return to Summer Bay High would be welcome.

I can only imagine the reason why they dont is the number of extras they need to fill a classroom.

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They don’t even really need the school - just the people who go to it.

I know it’s easy for people who grew up with the soaps being massive in the 90s to be overly nostalgic about it but you do have to wonder whether giving up on school age characters is also giving up on school age viewers, and hence building an audience for the future. Yes, obviously some of the older characters will appeal (right up to Alf) but I think the looking back at Neighbours when it ended last year showed how each generation connected with their generation of characters.

Need actors to play teens so younger than the current late 20s early 30’s … and that age group tends to want to leave eg Kawa Kawa Fox.

See older actors like Emily Weir in her 30s she started filming in December 2018 and appeared on screen in June 2019 , so she might be on for a while yet ? Maybe 5 years ?

The audience who watches Home and Away have got older too ? So might not want to see school storylines ?

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Sorry for going back to Neighbours, but they were using their high school scenes less and less over the years too. Didn’t cut it out completely as there was a principal living on the street. But they always used the same classroom for all the classes, no matter what was taught, and what grade it was. And all the students in the street did the same subjects. And as for other students, there were like, 5 extras per classroom scene, and an extra 3-5 in the walkways near the lockers.

Im assuming that would be the same for Home and Away and many soapies going around. lol.

They could still do school scenes without needing to do them in the classroom with 20 extras. Just set the scenes in the hallways between classes, the playground, library, principal’s office etc.

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I thought the mobile number they use was meant to be fake…the one supplied by Gabe on the 17th is from an actual business

0491 570 156 jimmys car direct molendinar lol

Life and death on Home and Away

A new arrival and a sinister showdown hit Summer Bay

Aussie TV’s hottest couple gets a new addition as Home and Away sees the highly anticipated arrival of Dean (Paddy O’Connor) and Ziggy’s (Sophie Dillman) baby.

But as Ziggy’s rollercoaster pregnancy approaches an end, the couple are shocked by a more unexpected arrival: Dean’s overbearing mother, Karen (Georgia Adamson). Before Dean and Ziggy can hatch a plan to send her packing, Ziggy’s water breaks.

As the terrified mum-to-be goes into labour, Dean is left to tend to his mother, who has set up camp at the birthing suite. Despite Karen’s interference, it’s smiles all around when Baby Thompson is welcomed to the world. But the happiness is short-lived when the new parents are faced with their toughest challenge yet. Will their happy ending take a dark turn?

Just as one life begins, could another be coming to an untimely close?

Cop-turned-vigilante Cash Newman (Nicholas Cartwright), finds his life hanging by a thread when he is kidnapped and taken to a secret location at the behest of bikie top-dog, Tex (Lucas Linehan).

Tex, who has escaped prison and has a score to settle with Cash, holds Summer Bay’s resident officer at gunpoint for a brutal final showdown. Lost and with no one to rescue him from the merciless thugs, all hope seems lost. Will Cash’s war against the bikies cost him his life?

Highs and lows will come crashing ashore in Australia’s #1 drama. Don’t miss Home and Away, airing 7.00pm Monday to Thursday on Channel 7 and 7plus.

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Yawn…

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My thoughts exactly.

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Hollyoaks here in the UK had moved away from them for a few years but in the last year or so built up a school group again and doing scenes filled with extras now covid protocols aren’t what they were. The thing is too these scenes do reasonate with the older audience because it’s what they remember the show being about - just because they’re 20 years older now doesn’t mean they want to watch storylines based around people their own age. Part of the appeal is the show reminding them of their youth.

What really is noteable with the recent reruns and looking at the teen pin ups of the day back in the 90s is how young many of the big stars actually were - 15-17 on screen and off.

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Even the younger characters in recent times like Ryder the actor playing him was in he’s mid 20’s where he was like 18 on the show.

I think they need to do what Neighbours and a lot of other similar shows and have a permanent gay couple on the show yet Home and Away haven’t. That needs to change. Some of their plot lines are repetitive and boring.

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I believe the Home & Away classics Fast channel on 7plus is new. Some great 90s and early 00s episodes.

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Like a car crash every 2 years ?

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A kidnap or hostage situation every month? :wink:

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