Do you think Melissa George will try and stop The Early Years showing?

[ter06]

I doubt she'll try and stop it as she said being referred to as an ex H&A star makes her ill and not want to return to Australia so she wouldnt be able to turn up for the court case!! :-)))

[jldraw]

Somewhat of a related question: Does anyone else think the reason H&A has never been syndicated (at least to my knowledge) in any form in the United States is because most of the actors that make the transition from Australia to the United States don't want their earlier work known? Obviously this would only apply to archival episodes but I can see how running some of the classic H&A episodes could be quite damaging to a lot of the actors that have now made the transition to the United States. I remember Chris Hemsworth saying that he was so embarassed as to his acting capablities when he was on H&A that he was surprised anyone gave him a job after that or something to that effect.

I guess I just find it odd that a show so successful in almost every other country in the world where it's syndicated has never been able to break the US market. It's not a language/culture barrier thing either as many UK shows are syndicated in the United States currently and have been for years. I really wonder if there is a connection with the H&A actors in general not wanting the show syndicated in the country where they are aspiring to further their careers?

[alexx]

I don't think the actors would have a say in the matter unless it was in their initial contract. I think the reason is more likely because none of the networks think it would rate well.

[CaptainHulk]

In all fairness on H&A, Hemsworth was a block of wood a lot of the time.

America has more than enough soaps of their own anyhow.

[samdanfan]

I remember back in the 90s our FOX network ran the series for a short time here in the USA and I remember Melissa (Angel) from one of the episodes at a party?

With Youtube and other opitions Its easy to watch Ausie shows past and present.

Im disapointed any actor would be ashamed being on a series liek H&A. Yet I heard that from others as well as they are some Ungrateful stars both here in America and Down Under which disapoints me. IF you think Melissa was out of line I heard worse!

[jldraw]

In all fairness on H&A, Hemsworth was a block of wood a lot of the time.

America has more than enough soaps of their own anyhow.

In my opinion I'm not sure how much he's improved since then. I went to see "Red Dawn" last year primarily because I thought it would be cool to see him and Isabel Lucas in a big screen feature and both of them really didn't differentiate themselves all that much from "Tasha & Kim" in that film. It's hardly a unique critcism though on my part as I feel a number of Hollywood's leading men are a little bit wooden up there led by Mr. Channing Tatum.

I know H&A got a bit of a run in Canada but for the life of me I can't remember it airing in the United States. I'll take your word on it though. The United States certainly has enough soaps but as I mentioned with satellite packages and whatnot there are options for other countries to get their programming syndicated on US television. Something like "Home & Away" certainly wouldn't compete head up with the US soaps on the major networks but would likely air exclusively on this cable or satellite network. A few years ago I would be more negative about the prospects of "Home & Away" or "Neighbours" rating well enough to justify US syndication but "H20: Just Add Water" did surprisingly well and while that was a kids show, it proved that the language/culture barrier was a pretty much non factor as the show enjoyed success on both sides of the water.

[Ryan]

But it could just be that kids are less judgemental about things like that.

[samdanfan]

Yes H20 and Alien Surf Girls (Lighnig Point to the Aussies) brought Aussie TV back to US screens yet I noticed how they tried to make those young actors "American Like?" so it would be nice to see N or H&A on here yet I doubt it will happen. Oh a cable channel yes! I wished they was an Totally Aussie TV channel (Shows soaps and movies) much as we have the BBC in America!

[jldraw]

It's unfortunate though that so many miss out on some solid programming but like it was noted there is YouTube. There has been some highly enjoyable programming coming out of Australia the past couple of years with things like "Puberty Blues" which for me really was the sort of R rated version of "The Wonder Years". While "The Wonder Years" tended to romanticize the decade of the sixties in the United States in a coming of age type setting, "Puberty Blues" did the same for Australia casting the spotlight on the decade of the seventies but without the rosy colored glasses.

Likewise there was another Aussie soap that was around a few years back called "Out Of The Blue" which for me reminded me about what I enjoyed so much about the first few seasons of "Melrose Place" back in the early nineties. It was incredibly well produced and I'm surprised only got one season but I guess it didn't draw as well as expected.

Ryan makes a good point about kids being less judgmental but I disagree about the characters in "H20: Just Add Water" being more in line with Americans because to me the show seemed pretty Aussie. What is a travesty is now that Claire Holt and Phoebe Tonkin are over in the United States full time they have both had to adapt these really contrived American accents. It's unfortunate that audiences across the world are so adverse to actors speaking in their own natural dilect. Phoebe Tonkin and Claire Holt are Australian, let their characters have Australian accents. Likewise around a decade ago when Melissa George was on "Alias" and was cast as Briton, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to allow her character to be part of the ASIS instead of British Intelligence so that she could use her natural accent. Although to be fair for some reason I've yet to figure out, whenever Melissa George gives interviews, she seems to favor a British accent rather than an Australian accent. Same with Caitlin Stasey from "Neighbours".

[samdanfan]

Much like When Kylie did STREET FIGHTER she was a British Solider!

It makes us think the Aussies who do that are ashamed of their past?

I would love to see some pure Aussie project. Now theres a new series coming out this year called REEF DOCTORS with Former SEA PATROL Lisa McCune as a Doctor on the Great Barrier Reef. Something like that is what i would like to see more of going back to the classic Aussie 80s ideas.