Is a delay acceptable in this day and age?

[sindikatas]

This is a big problem for me, as I just can't help but spoil myself with what's going on at Aus-pace, but it makes it far less enjoyable later on. So if the broadcasts here and in Australia were the same we wouldn't have this problem. However, unified Aus/UK episode discussions here on BTTB would be interesting. To have the end-of-season cliffhanger on the same day before a 6-week break in both countries would increase activity here I'm sure. I find it so easy to lose track as it is!

I think it would unite the community worldwide. It's a shame we have to have separate discussions. I love to read what other people think of storylines but by the time I get to discuss them, it's all a distant memory for the Australians!

By the time episodes have aired in non-English speaking countries, it's all a distant memory for members from Australia, UK, Ireland and New Zealand as the episodes have to be translated, subtitles have to be added or voices have to be dubbed so there will always be a delay for us.

When I joined BttB, Belgium was about two years behind the episodes airing in Australia. I couldn't go in a thread without reading spoilers. I don't mind reading the occasional spoiler but reading spoilers that were only going to happen on my screen in two years was a bit much. Fortunately, it was summer and the weather sucked so I started watching the occasional episode on youtube because I couldn't go outside because of the crappy weather and I was really bored.

The good thing with being far behind is that we don't need breaks! We are slowly catching up so one day, we will have to have breaks too.

Similary we are 6 years behind Australian episodes, so not only we don't have breaks(unless our TV network hasn't bought newer episodes yet)but we also get double episodes every work day

[caroline77]

I wish Channel 5 would not take so long a break in the summer and have a longer break at Christmas. At Christmas there is usually plenty of other good tv programmes to try and keep up with. I think Channel 5 should try and keep about a week and half behind Australia. If they didn't show it on bank holidays that would help keep up the slight delay. With Home and Away being availible on the internet it seems a bit silly for Channel 5 to have such a long lag behind.

Its bugging me this year as I shall be away on holiday just as an ep that aired in Australia this week and I shall want to see it again. I watch online as well as on Channel 5 when it is on. (Does this mean I am addicted to Home and Away).

[baystar]

Just to add to this, the average episode on Demand 5 gets about 3,300 views in the UK. Episode 5551, which hasn't aired in the UK yet because we're on a break here, has 88,000 views on a popular video streaming website.

Well, 88,001 now.

[Dan F]

5551 has already aired, Channel 5 ended ended on 5555.

[ter06]

There was actually a time in the 90's when H&A was broadcast in Ireland before Australia. I think RTE got in a lot of trouble over it though.

I think it should be on Five the same day as Australia (with the time difference it would still air first in Australia) and then the following day in Ireland. It would surely boost H&A's ratings a hell of a lot in both the UK and Ireland if this happened as a big chunk of viewers now watch it online Australian pace rather than wait the time for it to be shown here.

I know the show goes on a summer break in Australia, but it goes off for two weeks here at Xmas too so I would rather have it go off for the six week period at Christmas and see it at the same time as Australia rather than waiting two months for the episodes to air. And commercially it has to make sense for Five and RTE to do this as they are losing thousands of viewers to online sites.

[caroline77]

I e-mailed Channel 5 about the delay and the summer break. The response was that Neighbours produces more episodes than Home And away so they don't need a summer break. I think I would rather not be so far behind Australia and have a longer break at Christmas. Maybe they could put more of the older episodes on at Christmas.

I am surprised that Channel 5 have not put the older episodes on one of the other channels much like they do with some of the American cop Shows. You can always find old CSI's of whatever variety on most days and NCIS seems to be on permanant show as well.

[vanillak]

I like most others that have commented feel that the delay is rather pointless in the advanced times we live in so to speak. It merely results in a significant loss of ratings for both Five and RTE here in Ireland as I like many others simply tune in to the Oz episodes online a few hours after they have been aired. As regards to the breaks I feel your pain, I remember in the days before high speed internet when I followed it on RTE the xmas, summer and completely random breaks during the year use to be very frustrating.

[Alison C]

I prefer the long break in the summer. I am more likely to go out to the garden or walk the dog while it is still warm.

I hate the break in the winter when it is so cold and I just want to sit inside.

I also think that if we are going to be behind Australia then I'd rather be further back. I like reading all the spoilers and always loved JosieTash's recaps but when we got too close then there was no point in actually watching as I knew exactly what happened.

So I am happy with the way things are now.