Why were so many characters in background in early years?.

[Homeandawayfan.]

I do think the show did lose its comedy element when Des Monaghan took over. It became a much more serious show by the end of 1989 and seemed to stay that way. Neighbours never lost its comedy element.

[CaptainHulk]

2 hours ago, Homeandawayfan. said:

I do think the show did lose its comedy element when Des Monaghan took over. It became a much more serious show by the end of 1989 and seemed to stay that way. Neighbours never lost its comedy element.

Except briefly when Hazza took a swim to Tazzie unexpectedly and Joe and Mel took off to England. There was that lengthy period of flatness until Beth, David turned up in their "Oh crap, we've killed pervy stepdad" storyline and the fallout from Glen's accident.

In 1995, they overdid the comedy, though.

[Summer's Bay]

On 31/08/2020 at 12:48, j.laur5 said:

Floss and Neville-Fun and warm characters but I think anyone can see why they did not last distance. 

Martin and Lance -After there band storyline they pretty much were sidelined for rest of there time. 

Celia-Her character had potential but she was basically used for background things like hamburger stand and taken over selling  Morag house up etc 

Matt Wilson- I think would be better if they married Carly and Ben and not bought in Bens character as Matt character was basically background character.

Nick-Was basically just around to give punishments to Shane in his final months or so.

Finlay -Basically floating in back in her final months like Nick.

 

 

I agree. I think they could’ve easily made Matt a main character, and the hunk of the show.

[BobbyFridge]

Just finished watching 1988 again. Celia, Floss, Neville, Martin and Matt are definitely underused and more like supporting characters. Lance to a lesser degree, it feels like he gets a bit more screen time than those others. Its strange they are in the opening titles when in the second half of 1988 particularly the show seems to be taken over by characters who never got in the opening titles. Stacey, Philip, the Samuels brothers, Alison become quite prominent for a while but Floss and Nev never really rise above being background characters.

Its a shame Celia in particular is underused i really like Fiona Spence.

[Homeandawayfan.]

April-June 1988 it felt like The Carly Morris Show. Then it became The Stacey Macklin Show. I have watched the 1988 season at least twice through now.

[cymbaline]

On 18/08/2021 at 06:50, BobbyFridge said:

Just finished watching 1988 again. Celia, Floss, Neville, Martin and Matt are definitely underused and more like supporting characters. Lance to a lesser degree, it feels like he gets a bit more screen time than those others. Its strange they are in the opening titles when in the second half of 1988 particularly the show seems to be taken over by characters who never got in the opening titles. Stacey, Philip, the Samuels brothers, Alison become quite prominent for a while but Floss and Nev never really rise above being background characters.

Its a shame Celia in particular is underused i really like Fiona Spence.

I've been watching those 1988 episodes for the first time and it looks like it took them several months to figure out what way the show as going. I'm only speculating here but I get the impression they got stuck with some characters in the main cast whose faces didn't fit after a while. I think Lynn was hard done by and that her character shouldn't have been written out. But for some of the others, I genuinely wonder were they actors whose contracts they couldn't easily terminate? Lance and Martin, in particular, are extremely irritating, implausible and one-dimensional. They should have been binned long before they actually were and it makes sense that they were put on the back burner. Floss and Neville are likeable but quickly became pointless. After the storyline with their grandson, they largely turned into characters who randomly popped up in the Fletcher's or other places around Summer Bay when there were no other adults around. Stacey, Philip, the Samuels and Alison are more mature and interesting characters. You'd wonder why Stacey never made the opening credits because she was around for a long time. 

You're right about Fiona Spence. They really underused her talents and didn't give her character the storylines or the writing she deserved. I sort of remember Celia from when I watched Home and Away as a youngster but just thought she was a prudish, meddling old bag. Watching as an adult, I see her very differently and wish she had been given more depth. Matt is another one who's underserved, though I don't think Greg Benson was as strong an actor as Fiona Spence. They didn't seem to know what to do with a character who was level-headed and normal. Nick Parrish also fell prey to this, as did Travis Nash after him. 

[Homeandawayfan.]

I have watched the entire 1988 season and it was a smashing year but by mid 1988 Tom and Pippa were becoming background characters as it felt like The Carly Morris Show then The Gary Samuels Show and the Stacey Macklin Show. Gazza and Stacey were never more than supporting characters yet they seemed to dominate much of August-December 1988.

Right from the pilot the show always focused on the younger characters more such as Carly, Bobby, Roo, Lance, Stevo, Frank, Lyn and Sally with Tom and Pippa being their foster parents but Tom and Pippa were also foreground characters. Ailsa, Alf, Don and Celia seemed to take time to become prominent.