This it, Episode 4000 has arrived and it's going to be a biggie.
So we, at Back to the Bay had wondered what your favourite moments
were from the previous 3999 episodes. There has been just over 100
characters on the opening credits, deaths, births, marriages and
Angie Russell.
So, through members personal experiences, certain episodes seemed to
be mentioned more than a few times.
From those who remember the memorable relationship between Shane and
Angel to others who still can't forget the sinking of the Mirigini.
So here are ten of the most memorable moments in Home and Away
history.
The Pilot Episode (1988)
The episode where it all began.
The episode begins with Tom celebrating his 40th birthday, but is soon
retrenched. The Fletcher's (Tom, Pippa, Frank, Steven, Carly, Lynn and Sally),
had to find a new cheaper home to be able to stay together and they looked at
caravan park in Summer Bay, owned by Alf Stewart. The Fletcher's then took in
troubled teen Bobby.
The first half of the pilot episode is downloadable
here.
Meg's Death - Episode 976 (1992)
Blake fell for Meg in the early nineties. The only trouble was that Meg was
critically ill with leukaemia and didn't have long left. Meg died a peaceful
death on the beach after watching the sun rise over the bay in one of Home and
Away's highest ranking episodes ever.
Dale's Death - Episode 1221 (1993)
Dale, Pippa's second child that was actually hers, was found dead by Bobby in
his cot. He had died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
James Martin commented on this episode by saying, that despite being
young himself said that that the unexpectedness really brought the feelings
home.
Angel and Shane Marry - Episode 1662(1995)
A golden TV couple of the mid 90's, this is what the past two years had been
building up to. But there were other things that made the wedding a memorable
moment. Alf had hit Angel a few months before and there were doubts over whether
Angel would be able to walk again. But she managed it, and surprised Shane when
she walked down the aisle. Godfrey Soapfish gives a small explanation
about what made this episode great.
It was just so fantastic how she had worked towards it and managed to do it
for such a special day - with Fisher by her side, if I remember correctly.
Halfway Point - Episode 2000 (1996)
Well, this today will officially mark the halfway point of Home and Away. Seems
a long way away doesn't it.
Angel had been one of the major characters of Home and Away for the previous
years and this episode centred on her departure from the bay with new boyfriend
Simon to England. This episode closed the Shane/Angel era of Home and Away.
A clip of Angel leaving the bay can be found
here.
2000 Olympic Cliffhanger - Episode 2920 (2000)
It's Ailsa's fiftieth birthday and Alf has organised a surprise party.
Unfortunately Summer Bay has been hit be the heaviest rain in years. Trees have
been removed from above The Stewart House and a landslide leaves the house
destroyed with Ailsa, Shauna, Duncan and Jade trapped inside.
A two week break for the Sydney Olympics in Australia left viewers wondering
whether they would get out alive.
Bec tells us why he liked this episode.
First, is the landslide. These episodes are what made me watch Home & Away
regularly. Before, I watched on and off but I was born a true fan here. The
acting was superb, the writing was top notch and it was the end of an era with
the destruction of the Stewart house. Although Shauna's married lover was the
only casualty, it was still an absolutely riveting story and I loved every
minute of it.
Coincidentally it is the same episode as the one that started me watching the
show.
Mirigini sinks - Episode 3284 (2002)
Several old favourites have returned to the bay for Summer Bay's sesquicentenary.
A cruise is organised, but whilst out in the bay a storm brews up and the boat
sinks leaving several of the Bay's residents, past and present in trouble. Most
interestingly it threw Kirsty and Kane together.
Again Bec explains why it was such a great moment in his eyes.
It's true that there were no casualties here but the story was still great.
Having all the old characters back was a delight and it was the beginning of the
infamous KK storyline. Shelley/Kirsty/Kane made it work. Their acting was
brilliant and I was hooked by their fight for survival. But, despite all this,
what stands out about this storyline is all the waiting for news the characters
did back at the Surf Club. It was so real, we could see everything the
characters were going through and you could believe every second. It was quite
simply, a whirlwind of emotion.
Fisher Leaves - Episode 3455 (2003)
After 15 years, mostly as headmaster of Summer Bay High, Donald Fisher, one of
three remaining original characters decided to leave. A truly moving episode and
I will leave it to iluvgypsynash to sum it up.
What absolutely made the episode for me, was the series of flashbacks Don
experienced, from throughout his life in Summer Bay. They were all very
appropriate and beautifully edited together. The very best of these flashbacks
however, came separately, when Don made his final eye-contact with Sally. We
were taken back to the very first time that Don met Sally in the pilot ep. He
looked at little Sally, ("Charming") and she gave him one of the dirtiest looks
I've ever seen. To analyse just how much their relationship has grown since that
moment and how close the pair are, brought more tears to my eyes, than ever
before.
A clip of Don's final moments in the bay is available
here.
A script of Don's final episode is available
here.
Angie's Walk of Shame - Episode 3485 (2003)
Angie had became increasingly mad and after faking an attack on her, that
resulted in Nick Smith being thrown out of school. However him and his mates
came up with a plan to corner her, by showing a video of her admitting the truth
in front of a class. Shamed, Angie was told to leave the school and she had the
indignity of the students lining the corridor as she did so.
2004 Olympic Cliffhanger - Episode 3805 (2004)
Another Olympics, another huge cliffhanger, this one involving a drugged up
Sarah holding almost half the cast hostage in Leah's house. A tense wait ensued
to see who Sarah had shot, the victim revealed after the break as Noah.
So, that's 4000 episodes done and dusted, check out the Episode Summaries for
reviews on a larger number of episodes. Let's hope that similar 5000 Not Out
features will need to be written come 2009.