breezer Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Hi Everyone! I am new here and have just signed up but anyway. I have been a fan of Home and Away for as long as I can remember (about 1991 onwards). I am 18 but wish I was a few years older so I could remember the whole show from the start. I did watch repeats when they were shown from mid 1988 - 1991 a few years back. My favourite characters were - Bobby - My favourite of all time. Does anyone else agree? Finlay Selina Shane and Angel Sophie - not to start with, but probably in her last year as a regular cast member on the show. Marilyn - Although I don't think they did her justice in the end. I also really liked Carly, Roo and Frank who were original characters but all left by 1991 (But Carly and Frank have appeared since) In more recent years I would say - Irene Jude Charlotte - I think her voice was a little annoying yes, but there was something about her that Ijust found compelling, I was really disappointed when she was axed after just a year, although I think they made good use of her whilst she was around and her death affected a lot of characters. Shauna Gypsy Vinnie Josie/Angie Shelley Sutherland (again, ruined her character for the sake of an exit) I really liked Ailsa, she mellowed a lot after the first few years though, in the early years she was so gutsy and had such substance, she was well explored as a character. I do feel that her death wasn't well delivered with the whole Shauna - heart defect storyline, it all seemed just too convienient that Ailsa would die so suddenly just to fit with the storyline of finding Shauna. I did enjoy the overall storyline with Shauna though and was glad that it was explored before Judy Nunn left at the end of 2000. And I LOVE Morag - but she needs to be nastier like she used to be! Nuff said. In terms of the show now and where it is going, I am not going to bash it - Yes I enjoy it, but it is lacking the realism it used to have. i think it has gradually been losing it in the last 3 years. I like the out of the ordinary storylines - such as ghostly returns etc. But there just used to be so much more to the show than who the next phyco was or who was out to get who next. It is much less character based these days, instead the writers seem to think of the most outrageous plot just to keep us shocked and guessing..... This IS a good thing, but surely they could strike a balance? I just wish it was more 'real' I don't find myself relating to the characters as much as I could in the past as they are all just so changeable - just to fit in with the current storylines. I think the format is a little tired, but should NOT completely die out. The caravan park should remain forever, as should Sally and Alf. All shows have to move on, otherwise they do become extinct. There is always new ground to explore, but Home and Away doesn't really seem to achieve it as much as in the past. They seem to just run the same storylines over and over again, just with different characters. TRY SOMETHING NEW! BUT KEEP IT BELIEVABLE, BUT STILL RAISE SOME EYEBROWS - DIFFICULT YES, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. I Loved the conclusion to the stalker storyline and thought it was one of the best ever episodes of Home and Away - this gives me hope for the future, but I hope the writers just don't kill the show with utterly ridiculous plots 100% of the time, The basics of what I am (trying) to say is - keep it real, I want stronger characters WITH HISTORY that is not trampled on and erased every other week. Yes I love the slightlly outrageous, but not the whole time, it is not an American soap. Anyway, lots of you will hate me now I guess but despite what it sounds like I do love the show and am acting in its best interests. I hope I will have lots of (less long) posts to come here. I am a nice guy I promise! Breezer xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ste Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Welcome Breezer and thanks for posting probably the most intelligent post I've seen on here for a long time. I'm going to reply bit by bit so bear with me Bobby - My favourite of all time. Does anyone else agree? wink.gif Finlay Selina Shane and Angel Sophie - not to start with, but probably in her last year as a regular cast member on the show. Marilyn - Although I don't think they did her justice in the end. I also really liked Carly, Roo and Frank who were original characters but all left by 1991 (But Carly and Frank have appeared since) I totally agree with all with the possible exception of Finlay. I just don't think she stands out as a classic character the way others do. I think she was always second fiddle to Sophie, who was the big star of the show at the time. But having said that, she DID bring us one major character. If Finlay hadn't been written into the show all those years ago, we would never have had Irene! (A character who in my opinion is starting to get tired). Marilyn was a fantastic character and I think people forget this. It's so easy to look back and remember that she was this blonde bimbo who had a load of funny lines, that it's easy not to remember what a great character she was, how she influenced the mood of every scene she was in, and how the individual way all the other characters reacted to her. For example Pippa and Ailsa were always extra nice to her, obviously seeing her as a bit simple, whereas Irene was totally sarcastic around her. It's a shame Roo hasn't returned, but in a way maybe it's for the best. I think Carly's character has in a way been ruined by her constant returns. I used to remember her as this really fiesty and moody young woman and now she's nothing like that. It's still been great to have her return for special episodes, but what's the point if she's not even the same character anymore? Might as well have a complete stranger. I'd hate for Roo to return only to find out she's now as nice as pie. I really liked Ailsa, she mellowed a lot after the first few years though, in the early years she was so gutsy and had such substance, she was well explored as a character. I do feel that her death wasn't well delivered with the whole Shauna - heart defect storyline, it all seemed just too convienient that Ailsa would die so suddenly just to fit with the storyline of finding Shauna. I did enjoy the overall storyline with Shauna though and was glad that it was explored before Judy Nunn left at the end of 2000. Totally agree. Ailsa was definately a lot "harder" in the early years. Not only did they make her softer in later years, they also made her "posher". She used to be quite common (not in a bad way). They also pushed her to the background a lot throughout most of the 90s. Her death was pathetic, I think most people now agree with that. The storyline with Shauna *was* well done, however they should have found another way to kill her. You're right it was far too convenient that she happened to die from the same condition as her long lost daughter a couple of months after finding her, despite living healthily for decades beforehand. Out of interest, what did you think of her return as Evil Ailsa in 2003? And I LOVE Morag - but she needs to be nastier like she used to be! Nuff said. Yeah she's nowhere near the villain she used to be. They obviously feel that having her as a regular character, she can't be nasty! (They need to watch some British soaps!). She is still one of the best characters on the show though, and I'd rather have her mellowed, than not have her at all. Also, it's been far too long since she last said "you stupid woman!" to Colleen. What happened to that? TRY SOMETHING NEW! BUT KEEP IT BELIEVABLE, BUT STILL RAISE SOME EYEBROWS - DIFFICULT YES, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. huh.gif The basics of what I am (trying) to say is - keep it real, I want stronger characters WITH HISTORY that is not trampled on and erased every other week. Yes I love the slightlly outrageous, but not the whole time, it is not an American soap. I quite like the current style to be honest. It took a bit of adjusting and getting used to, but I do still miss the slightly calmer show. Having loads of drama is great on one hand, but it gets predictable on the other. For example, we've just seen Josie being pushed over a cliff. Ten, or even five, years ago, this would have been a huge episode. Today, it's just a blink and you miss it scene. The characters also don't seem as "real" as they used to be to me. They are more like pawns, acting in storylines as and when needed, and then shoved to the background again when they're not. There's no continuity in who's suppsed to be close friends with who, who likes who, and who hates who. For example, the character of Beth was recently so "hurt" because her "best friend" Irene was jumping to conclusions about her. I had seen no evidence over the past year that these two characters were more than passing aquaintences, and now we're supposed to believe they're close friends? Just because this storyline suddenly calls for them to be? Ailsa and Pippa - THEY were close friends. Because we actually saw them acting as such even when the storyline didn't call for it. Another example would be Robbie and Kim - supposed best mates. Whether you like the characters or not (and I know a lot of people on here don't which is why I'm saying this before they do), they ARE supposed to be best friends. So it's ludicrous that we never see this unless the writers just happen to write a scene where they need to have Kim or Robbie talk to someone who isn't Hayley/Tasha. That's the only time this so called "friendship" is ever used. The rest of the time it's totally ignored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I always wondered, ie, Morag's mellowingm whether it had to do with Bobby's death, though when you think about it that would have made her even more bitter and twisted. Anyway, what I'm thinking was that Morag did really love Bobby, but didn't want Bobby to see this. Therefore even though Morag isn't naturally the nicest of people, the uber-horridness of the first few years was to keep Bobby away, coupled maybe with the bitterness that she gave Bobby away. Since Bobby died she then no longer needed to put on this "act" and became the Morag we see and some of us love today. I'm going to stop now before I talk even more rubbish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ste Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 I think you're right, however I don't think it was an act as such. I think she was just bitter in general. She was kind of like the black sheep of the family, and she was ashamed of her "sordid history" as she once put it. After Bobby's death, she was still pretty mean, but then she disappeared for about 10 years. When she came back I think she was still the same bitter woman, but she no longer had the burden of the "Bobby fiasco" on her shoulders. She had finally moved on from that, but she was still a pretty unsociable person. It was only after she moved in with Alf and made Summer Bay her home again that she really mellowed, probably due to the fact she finally felt "welcome" somewhere, to an extent. Or, you know, because the writers found it too hard to keep her nasty. On a side note, I think it's pretty lame that for once we get a newbie on this forum who makes an intelligent and well written post (as opposed to the usual kind of newbie everyone complains about) yet nobody has bothered to dignify him with a response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
girlsrulz44 Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 hi welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarMar Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 I have to say, that is one of the better posts ever on this board, and you hit the nail straight on its head Welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zx50 Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 Answering the first post.......I didn't like Shauna at all. She seemed to always think that Nick should have just shrugged off what the fellas used to say to her when she was working as a builder. I just found her to be very awkward really, I just felt like shouting at her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 I think you're right, however I don't think it was an act as such. I think she was just bitter in general. She was kind of like the black sheep of the family, and she was ashamed of her "sordid history" as she once put it. After Bobby's death, she was still pretty mean, but then she disappeared for about 10 years. When she came back I think she was still the same bitter woman, but she no longer had the burden of the "Bobby fiasco" on her shoulders. She had finally moved on from that, but she was still a pretty unsociable person. It was only after she moved in with Alf and made Summer Bay her home again that she really mellowed, probably due to the fact she finally felt "welcome" somewhere, to an extent. Or, you know, because the writers found it too hard to keep her nasty. On a side note, I think it's pretty lame that for once we get a newbie on this forum who makes an intelligent and well written post (as opposed to the usual kind of newbie everyone complains about) yet nobody has bothered to dignify him with a response. (except Ryan of course <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hmmm,hmmmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ste Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 Answering the first post.......I didn't like Shauna at all. She seemed to always think that Nick should have just shrugged off what the fellas used to say to her when she was working as a builder. I just found her to be very awkward really, I just felt like shouting at her. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I think you're confusing Shauna with Lucinda?? Lucinda was Don's tomboy niece who had a relationship with Nick and an affair with Ryan somebody. I remember she took a job as a builder which Nick wasn't happy about because of the comments they made. Shauna was the lifeguard years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breezer Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 Hi Again! Well thanks to everyone who read my message and replied, especially 'Ste' and 'Ryan'. Feel welcome to PM me. That post was pretty long and I didn't say all that I wanted to! For those that are interested you will just have to keep tracks on me to see what I come up with next! I enjoyed today's episode though, Kate Ritchie delivered a really good performance on what must be a difficult storyline. I also, in the end surprised myself by how much I liked the twist at the end when Robbie ran down Matilda, as I just wasn't expecting it. I was actually disappointed in the beginning as I just thought it was the whole Kirsty/drug taking storyline all over again, but I was pleased it was done from a slightly different angle. I also thought it was quite raw, real and slightly gritty, which is what I would love to see more of. Although I know that is hard to achieve because of the time it is on and the cencership issues. I think maybe Home and Away should maybe do a few late night specials to explore further depths with the characters that otherwise cannot be shown. The only problem with that being it could alienate younger viewers, and it may not have any long term effect on the characters and storylines - much like the Secrets and the City DVD episode. Well there is my rant - I will start to just have general chats in time instead of writing essays - I just have to get things off my chest first! O and by the way 'Ste' I absolutely LOVED the 'evil' Ailsa in 2003. Although it has suffered the same fate as most of the storylines in recent years in that it seems to have been erased from human memory, I still thought it was innovative and a bit daring so I am glad it was done. It was whacky but it was done very well. Having said that I hated it when 'The Stranger' was showing Alf what life would be without him - although the idea was good, I think they could have used Ailsa to show him or maybe another deceased person from the past - Bobby maybe? Although I am biased in saying that of course! The ending of the storyline just overstepped the mark a tad. Breezer xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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