Did the show calm down again by 1997?

[Homeandawayfan.]

I know 1995 saw a hike in the drama and darker tone, and 1996 but I feel from watching the episodes at the time, that the show did return to pre 1995 levels by 1997. Do you think the show calmed down again after 2 manic years or did it carry on with a darker tone? 1997-1999 are often seen as slightly limp years but they are a trillion times better than 2011 onwards.

The 2000 revamp was a good thing IMHO for me as it saw the new Sutherland family and it gave the show a much needed facelift.

[Red Ranger 1]

No, I wouldn't say that.You had the commune fire and Saul's subsequent back from the dead storyline, Pippa in a coma, Stephanie falling off a cliff...It's possibly considered forgettable because most of the classic mid-90s characters left around that time, being replaced by a bunch of less-remembered short-term teens, but the storylines carried on in a similar vein.

[Homeandawayfan.]

And when the Sutherland family arrived in 2000, they were involved in big drama, and there was also the mudslide of 2000.

[adam436]

On 14/02/2022 at 21:26, Red Ranger 1 said:

No, I wouldn't say that.You had the commune fire and Saul's subsequent back from the dead storyline, Pippa in a coma, Stephanie falling off a cliff...

There was the stuff with the Nashes and the Robert Perez drama too. That's the story that has stayed with me all these years. Having originally watched those episodes as a 10 year old, Robert was quite scary.

 

On 14/02/2022 at 21:26, Red Ranger 1 said:

It's possibly considered forgettable because most of the classic mid-90s characters left around that time, being replaced by a bunch of less-remembered short-term teens, but the storylines carried on in a similar vein.

I liked 1998-2000 and would love to watch it again, but in hindsight, it was really felt like an awkward transitional period between Pippa leaving and the Sutherlands arriving. They tried to make it "business as usual", but it was obvious the producers were at a bit of a loss having lost Pippa, and then Travis and Rebecca, her successors at Summer Bay House, the following year. 

[j.laur5]

I  wondered why they did not have Joel and Natalie move in after Pippa left instead of having Rebecca and Travis moving in. 

I never get over what a bad exit episode they gave Pippa and not even her closest friends like Ailsa and Irene said goodbye to her. 

[BobbyFridge]

47 minutes ago, adam436 said:

There was the stuff with the Nashes and the Robert Perez drama too. That's the story that has stayed with me all these years. Having originally watched those episodes as a 10 year old, Robert was quite scary.

 

 

Was that the storyline when Gypsy was kidnapped? I think in the UK this was heavily edited. I seem to remember the 1998 season ending with the cliff-hanger of Gypsy being kidnapped and then when it came back on it had skipped forwards to her being back home. I think itv cut a lot out and edited some episodes to include a few flashbacks 

[Red Ranger 1]

4 hours ago, BobbyFridge said:

I think in the UK this was heavily edited. I seem to remember the 1998 season ending with the cliff-hanger of Gypsy being kidnapped and then when it came back on it had skipped forwards to her being back home. I think itv cut a lot out and edited some episodes to include a few flashbacks 

There were a lot of misconceptions about that storytelling device at the time but no. They actually made it like that. There was a time skip of three months between seasons and they included flashbacks to show what happened while Gypsy was held captive and how she was rescued. The fact that ITV went straight on without a break didn't help viewers get their heads round it: One minute Gypsy was driving off with Robert, the next we were told she'd been kidnapped by him but was now back.

[BobbyFridge]

3 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

There were a lot of misconceptions about that storytelling device at the time but no. They actually made it like that. There was a time skip of three months between seasons and they included flashbacks to show what happened while Gypsy was held captive and how she was rescued. The fact that ITV went straight on without a break didn't help viewers get their heads round it: One minute Gypsy was driving off with Robert, the next we were told she'd been kidnapped by/ him but was now back.

That is disappointing then. If they build up to something big they should have had the guts to follow it through properly. I always rated Home & Away above neighbours because it would go that bit further and be more daring and dark. They had a very dark story there with Gypsy being kidnapped and they  didn't do it justice. We should have seen Gypsy being held captive and the whole ordeal. H&A did dark stories so well, why chicken out here? 

[Red Ranger 1]

4 hours ago, BobbyFridge said:

That is disappointing then. If they build up to something big they should have had the guts to follow it through properly. I always rated Home & Away above neighbours because it would go that bit further and be more daring and dark. They had a very dark story there with Gypsy being kidnapped and they  didn't do it justice. We should have seen Gypsy being held captive and the whole ordeal. H&A did dark stories so well, why chicken out here? 

I dunno, because they thought it'd be dull and skipped to the important bits? I admit it was a bit jarring to miss out on so much, not just with the kidnapping but with other storylines where characters were suddenly in different places, but I wouldn't say they didn't do it justice, we got to see enough to see what it was like and the aftermath.

[Dag Dog]

26 minutes ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

I dunno, because they thought it'd be dull and skipped to the important bits? I admit it was a bit jarring to miss out on so much, not just with the kidnapping but with other storylines where characters were suddenly in different places, but I wouldn't say they didn't do it justice, we got to see enough to see what it was like and the aftermath.

And then with Robert's return later on, it brought the story full circle in a very natural way.