When do the Early Years finish?

[Ryan]

This is not a question about the airing of the show, more a feel on when as viewers we feel the show stops being the Early Years. Since the original 2000 repeats stop in about a month or two time, there's always been a definitive mark. Kind of like, those episodes that were repeated and those that hadn't. But on it's own 623 is not a particularly remarkable episode and nothing changes from 624. Had that episode aired one imagines it would still be thought of as the early years.

If we break the show up into pieces, say 1/3's, the Early Years lasts till 1818, an episode that can be seen on Youtube, in which Selina gets hit in the face by a volleyball. Dodge and Steven have just went over the cliff and in a few weeks Shane gets hit on his bike. However, I look at this point and when I started watching it about the 2/3 moment and even as time has elongated, I still can't think of Shane, Shannon, Angel, Selina as the Early Years they were always a different to Carly, Roo, Frank.

Or is it the cast. Only 8 really remain from those first episodes (Carly, Sally, Bobby, Steven, Alf, Ailsa, Fisher & Matt). Pippa exists, but in a different form and it's this one I tend to go with. Perhaps maybe you can argue what we are now going into, but I feel as though with Carly's wedding and the changing of the Pippa, added to the 5 departures recently and the addition of the Beach House, we've now left the Early Years and have entered a new era.

Quite difficult to come up with a snappy slogan and one wonders if whilst showing great dedication to the cause, in 2030 we see the events of 2011 referred to as the Early Years, but I kind of begin to feel as though the episodes now shown as The Early Years are no longer the episodes I'd group as The Early Years, kind of The Fletcher Era

[Skylover]

Well...I feel like I can't make an informed opinion because I haven't seen the following couple of seasons but I do feel like the show has changed considerably since it started.

I think cast changes obviously lead to an overall change in the tone of the show. For me the first significant change was Roo and Frank leaving, as well as the Diner being introduced. I really loved Hogan's Store in 1988 but I'm not going to lie - I don't see Roo or Frank as 'classic' characters, both of them were quite wet IMO - I know Roo was good because she gave the show a bitchy character from the off but I've never been a fan of her and much prefer Georgie Parker's incarnation. When Hogan's Store was the meeting place for locals the show seemed much more of a small community out in the sticks, whereas the Diner makes the area seem much larger - that has a lot to do with the change of the show IMO. And after Roo and Frank's departure, there was the introduction of quite a few new characters; Emma, Viv, Adam.

The next change comes when Celia, Lance, Martin and Tom leave and I'm guessing Pippa #2 arriving will mark the start of a new era for me. A lot of the pivotal characters have left in 1990 and I think this season marks the start of a new era for the show.

As I've said before though, I can't really make an informed opinion - however, the departure of Carly, Steven and Bobby will be instrumental in the end of the early years comes 1992/3 IMO. I think that is when it can stop being considered the 'early years'.

[Lulu1978]

I think 1993 was the end of the early years.Most of the original cast and other major characters from the late 80's/early 90's era were gone by the end of 1993.

[Skylover]

I think 1993 was the end of the early years.Most of the original cast and other major characters from the late 80's/early 90's era were gone by the end of 1993.

ITA. Perhaps Bobby's death is the defining moment which ends the 'early years'.

[alexx]

Yes^ I always saw Bobby's departure as the beginning of the end of the 'early years' and then it seems to be well and truly in its next phase once the piano based incidental music drifts off late 1994/early 1995. But I'd say 1993 is when I think 'the early years' have come to a close.

Although these days I'm more inclined to see all of the 80's and 90's until 2000 as the early years.

Edited February 18, 2012 by alexx

[Skylover]

Because it all went crap after that?

I don't know why I started watching the show again in 2006. I haven't truly enjoyed it apart from 2008 and Marilyn/Roo's returns.

Someone I was talking to about Home and Away a year ago said that all the newspapers at the time of Bobby's death had headlines such as 'Can Home and Away continue without Bobby?' etc...Maybe I read that on here actually. But still, she was and is one of the main characters for its first 5 years.

If there was a 'Most Popular Character' vote now, I think I would only include characters from the early years now with the exception of Irene.

[Lulu1978]

I think 1993 was the end of the early years.Most of the original cast and other major characters from the late 80's/early 90's era were gone by the end of 1993.

ITA. Perhaps Bobby's death is the defining moment which ends the 'early years'.

I agree about Bobby's death marking the end of the early years.It felt like a new era without Bobby,Marilyn,Sophie,Blake(who all left in either 1992/1993)on the show.1993 was also the beginning of Shane and Angel so definitely the end of one era during that year and the beginning of another which I think ended in 1998 with Pippa's departure.

[Lulu1978]

Because it all went crap after that?

I don't know why I started watching the show again in 2006. I haven't truly enjoyed it apart from 2008 and Marilyn/Roo's returns.

Someone I was talking to about Home and Away a year ago said that all the newspapers at the time of Bobby's death had headlines such as 'Can Home and Away continue without Bobby?' etc...Maybe I read that on here actually. But still, she was and is one of the main characters for its first 5 years.

If there was a 'Most Popular Character' vote now, I think I would only include characters from the early years now with the exception of Irene.

I remember how popular Bobby was.She's a legendary character.H&A was lucky at that time that they had Shane and Angel become popular around the time Bobby was killed off.The show was well written back then too.They did a great job with Bobby's death story and the aftermath.

I don't watch the current episodes,and I haven't been a regular viewer for the last 10 years so there are some characters that I have never seen or not seen much of.I remember how popular H&A and its stars were in the 90's though and I don't think any modern era character except for the classic characters like Alf,Marilyn,Irene and Sally when she was on the show would even come close to the level of popularity that the shows 90's stars had.I think the most popular characters ever are Bobby,Marilyn,Angel,Shane,Pippa,Alf,Ailsa,Fisher,Irene,Sophie,Blake,Sally.I know some others like Chloe,Shannon,Selina,Gypsy were popular but not as huge as some of the others I mentioned.

[Dibble Investments Inc]

Because it all went crap after that?

I don't know why I started watching the show again in 2006. I haven't truly enjoyed it apart from 2008 and Marilyn/Roo's returns.

Someone I was talking to about Home and Away a year ago said that all the newspapers at the time of Bobby's death had headlines such as 'Can Home and Away continue without Bobby?' etc...Maybe I read that on here actually. But still, she was and is one of the main characters for its first 5 years.

If there was a 'Most Popular Character' vote now, I think I would only include characters from the early years now with the exception of Irene.

I would love to include Martin & Lance in your 'Most Popular Character' awards Edward but sadly I seem to be their only fan

[beau_t]

Because it all went crap after that?

I don't know why I started watching the show again in 2006. I haven't truly enjoyed it apart from 2008 and Marilyn/Roo's returns.

Someone I was talking to about Home and Away a year ago said that all the newspapers at the time of Bobby's death had headlines such as 'Can Home and Away continue without Bobby?' etc...Maybe I read that on here actually. But still, she was and is one of the main characters for its first 5 years.

If there was a 'Most Popular Character' vote now, I think I would only include characters from the early years now with the exception of Irene.

I would love to include Martin & Lance in your 'Most Popular Character' awards Edward but sadly I seem to be their only fan

I liked Lance and Martin too, I just don't feel the need to mention them in every post I make