Ryan

The introduction of the diner certainly seems to be one of these things the annotates that it's really not 1988 any more. Probably not quite a complete change in the show, but certianly one of those things that are different, and recognisable.

Have to agree with Lance, chipmunking the song has spoilt it. To link this with the current show and Liam and Ruby's endeavours, it's perhaps disappointing that Colleen doesn't mention that her son once got to No. 2 in the charts.

I'lll try and convince you back in a year or so time that Greg is actually worth watching. I don't think the racism storyline worked in the last episode. Whether or not Floss or Neville were clumsy or uncertain, if it was racist, at least it was well-mannered and good intenioned racism rather than antagonistic stuff.

I hope they burn those horrible racists Floss and Nev at the stake! I thought todays was certainly a better episode, besides what almost seemed a Public Broadcast on racism in the David scenes. Carly moving out, the Fletcher's having started the year with six are down to two children and you can see the groundwork of Bobby's parentage being laid.

I feel Liam's appartment works in well with the theme of Summer Bay. However, I have to say that I think the use of that quarry a week or two back does detract from that feeling of community and as if we've seen enough locations for it to be a medium sized town.

So, just one single week and the ultra-dramatic end of year cliffhanger will have us on the edge of our seats over the weekend. I have to say since the very quick resolution of the Gary Samuels arc, I just can't get away from the end of term feel. I would take it as this moment they knew the show was getting renewed into 1989, but there is just the feeling that there is very little going on at the moment compared to the breathless energy of the 100-200 episode block.

Were David and Frank wearing the same shirt? We've already had Alison and Carly wear the same dress this week. Either there's been a fire in wardrobe department or the show is in financial dire straights, it may not have long left.

I think to be fair to Roo here, her motives are completely different to those that she had throughout the rest of the season. I don't quite know whether to say it's selfless, but they're definitely not selfish such as the deceit and dirty tricks she played throughout the season. If I am correct, Matt is now here for the next 700 episodes, where we still can't remember a single storyline he is involved in. Bizarrely with his premature apppearnance on the credits earlier this year, it's mid-1990 by the time he gets back on them. Oh, and it did have the completely and utterly bizarre appearance of Floss and Neville at the school prom. At least though, there was a reason for them being there, unlike in later years when the entire town seemed to go along to them.

I wonder who the mystery guest is! (Actually I know, but I'll wait till Monday). So, that's goodbye to the Samuels now and Alex Petersons dodgy acting, I have to say that whole crime business was wrapped up very quickly. I have to say I'm with Sally more than the rest on the song. It's sang badly, but it's certainly better than the dirges Frank wrote. Can't believe there's only two weeks left of the season.

Gemma Ramsay, Madge' s neice, in Neighbours, oh, and it's Alan Fisher. Alan Fletcher plays Dr Karl.

Yeah, it's quite strange to think we've got just 12 episodes left now of the year, especially when it's a year you thought might have been "lost" forever and now a lot of us now have complete. Better episode today, though the crime seems to have been closed pretty quickly it feels. There still however feels a slight lack of urgency currently though.

13 more episodes.

Didn't particularly enjoy todays episode (214), it just felt a bit flat, almost as if it was winding down towards the end of the season. I believe that's the final appearance of Alyce. All that longing Steven had for her, she goes to Alan's party with him and then the story sort of disappears like this. I'd like to blame the producers of Neighbours, but that's 18 months off and where she gets together with a character whose name is scarily similiar to the name of the actor who played Steven. Yeah, so not the most exciting episode.

Also scene count and I think the 1988 workaholic is decided. Bobby 759 Frank 660 Carly 646 Tom 627 Pippa 617 Steven 519 Lance 442 Lynn 441 Ailsa 435 Alf 423 Roo 411 Martin 405 Floss 325 Celia 319 Fisher 307 Sally 294 Neville 291 Matt 100 Longest episode streaks are Bobby (17 episodes) followed by Narelle (15 episodes)

I'd heard rumours about a dummy (not Nico) being involved in these re-creations. That Philip/Gary confrontation was absolutely brilliant and a sign of a show that isn't taking itself too seriously.

Got to be the best ending of an episode so far!!

Sometimes I think the numbers begin to play with your head. When uploading the summaries to the site I'd do 50 episodes in a night and think I'd done well, and then I'd remember that was 1% of all episode aired, I still had to do that again another 50 times. I look at certain characters and think we're over halfway through their stints or so, and then I think, well that's actually next March, but then in the same time, when news of these episodes first broke around this time last year, did we ever think that we'd get to the stage where we'd have seen the whole year and it seems so long since say Sandra left and she is slowly going back to being a forgotten character of the show, rarely mentioned again.

Ah, so Inspectors Matheson and Macklin have discovered what's going on and we got our usual does of McPhee action. I had never realised they were so completely and utterly pointless by this stage. I'd imagine if BTTB had been around in 1989 we'd have struggled to find enough stuff to make a departure feature on them, and again not many opening credited characters (but Philip does 150 episodes as a guest and Stacey 275 or so) so they're really actually quite long term characters. Add to the fact the clip from the previous episode had nothing to do with todays episode.

What a bizzare episode no. 206 was, with a brief montage covering a whole week, between Bobby getting out of hospital and her first exam. And I want a suit like that male invigilator.

Please tell me we never hear that song again.

http://www.backtothebay.net/characters/horton_mr.shtml Everyones favourite District Inspector has made the site!

Roo pretends Frank is the father originally because Brett wants nothing to do with the pregnancy, but once he becomes sterile after the mumps, he changes his mind.

How did you gather Frank is Martha's mother from my post. Brett is Martha's father.

Perhaps it's knowing the outcome, but I'd picked up that Frank and Bobby were huge, and to be honest, I've been quite underwhelmed by their romance to date. Perhaps in the next 100 episodes, which are extremely Bobby-heavy, is when it really becomes "magic".