I would say that one of the reasons for H&A's popularity in Oz is b/c of its beach location. Not many other dramas are set in a beach-side community, even though the beach is a big part of the Aussie lifestyle, and so very relatable. Seven also promotes the hell out of it, making sure the show is never out of people's minds. H&A has also revamped itself a lot, and moved into more of a drama territory, while Neighbours has stayed domesticated. I think 2004 was the last era that Neighbours was popular in Australia.
Neighbours has always been more popular in the UK. You could argue it's sunny, suburban setting was more relatable than a beach based soap; you could also argue that Neighbours has always had a self deprecating style, never taking itself seriously, where as H&A has always taken itself far too seriously.
In Ireland, H&A is also more popular. In fact, RTE made a documentary last year to mark the 25th anniversary and looked into how H&A has impacted on Irish culture.
Why is H&A so super popular in Ireland? What is it about the show that Irish viewers connect to?
I used to watch Neighbours when I was younger and it was on BBC One.
I haven't seen any of the episodes since it moved channels.
But I love Home and Away. It's one of the best soaps, IMO.
I used to watch it at UK pace but as I got more into it, I didn't want to have to wait several weeks to see the latest episodes so I watch it at Oz pace now.
I read quite a lot of spoilers/news etc. about soaps so I think it would just get ruined for me if I watched it at UK pace.
I think Australian soaps would do better in the UK if they were on at the same pace as they are in Australia.
I believe Neighbours is far less behind Aus pace here than Home and Away are. Perhaps that could make a difference?
I know I would watch H&A on TV rather than online, if it was only 1 to 2 weeks behind Australia.
I would say that one of the reasons for H&A's popularity in Oz is b/c of its beach location. Not many other dramas are set in a beach-side community, even though the beach is a big part of the Aussie lifestyle, and so very relatable. Seven also promotes the hell out of it, making sure the show is never out of people's minds. H&A has also revamped itself a lot, and moved into more of a drama territory, while Neighbours has stayed domesticated. I think 2004 was the last era that Neighbours was popular in Australia.
Neighbours has always been more popular in the UK. You could argue it's sunny, suburban setting was more relatable than a beach based soap; you could also argue that Neighbours has always had a self deprecating style, never taking itself seriously, where as H&A has always taken itself far too seriously.
Why is H&A so super popular in Ireland? What is it about the show that Irish viewers connect to?
I think with me, growing up ,Summer Bay seemed like another world that I could only dream off, so getting to visit there as an adult almost felt like an achievement and I know a lot of other people say the same. If you watch or read interviews with the cast they always mention the Irish fans and I've been to Palm Beach a lot of times over the years when I lived in Sydney and went back on holidays and the place is always thronged with Irish. Back in the 80's and 90's there was only two channels on Irish tv so if you didn't want to watch the news at 6.30 you watched Home and Away. I also think the reason Hollyoaks never took off in Ireland as it's on the same time as H&A. I have never once seen an episode of Holllyoaks! H&A is a national treasure in Ireland. In the past 18 months about half of the cast have toured the country doing promotional tours and in that documentary I mentioned earlier it followed Dan Ewing to an appearance and the amount of people that turned up was phenomenal!! He also opened a Summer Bay themed playground in a shopping centre in Cork last summer and people queued for hours in baking heat to see him.
I used to be a fan of both, but I gave up when Home and Away moved from ITV to Channel 5 and there was that massive gap.
With Neighbours, I have always managed to dip in and out of it, for example, I lived overseas in Italy for about six months, when I came back to the UK, I got back into Neighbours easily. It's almost like watching Neighbours is like putting on a comfortable pair of old slippers. Even if the quality dips sometimes, I will still watch it as it does bounce back. I would love to see it doing better in Oz as the show deserves it. All it needs is for some of the storylines to be ever so slightly grittier.
With Home and Away, it is not as easy. I tried watching the show on numerous occasions, but I was just too confused and gave up. Even when the whole Sally returning storyline happened there was too much going on and wasn't that great. I didn't understand who any of the characters were and I also missed the opening titles. I won't watch Home and Away again because of it sadly.
It's not surprising that Neighbours always beat Home and Away in the ratings!! Many of my friends and families prefer Neighbours than Home and Away. Home and Away has become a teen soap whereas Neighbours is for ALL age groups.[/QUOTE]
I'm 50 and much prefer Home & Away to Neighbours - always have done so certainly from my point of view age has nothing to do with it.
It's not surprising that Neighbours always beat Home and Away in the ratings!! Many of my friends and families prefer Neighbours than Home and Away. Home and Away has become a teen soap whereas Neighbours is for ALL age groups.[/QUOTE]
I'm 50 and much prefer Home & Away to Neighbours - always have done so certainly from my point of view age has nothing to do with it.
I used to watch both and didn't watch Neighbours on channel 5 until last year and now I'm hooked again and I tried H & A for a couple of weeks but couldn't get back into it and so gave that up.
Another poster said it was like slipping into a pair of old slippers watching Neighbours and it is true.
I'm in my early 30s but I don't like Home and Away anymore. I wish the producers would just come out and admit that there’s blatant favouritism toward the Braxtons. The proof is there on the screen, in the promos, in just about everything related to the show, so they might as well just admit it instead of feeding us the lines about equality and balance with characters and storylines. Complaints about the Braxtons taking over have been going on since before the end of their first season, so TPTB would have to be aware of it, so how about a bit of honesty? And since every location shoot these days goes to the Braxtons, they might as well admit that they don’t think any other character is worthy of such special treatment. Sure, the Braxtons have their fans, but so do other characters and it seems like those fans matter so little to the show, even after years of dedicated viewing.
I definitely don’t like the Braxtons, largely because of the incredible amount of crimes they’ve been allowed to commit and the way this show goes about portraying their crimes in comparison to non-Braxtons, ie. those terrible people that cause trouble for them and so the Braxtons violence toward them is often excused/condoned because they’re not the bad guys. I’ve also been extremely disappointed in the way so many of their crimes are treated with such levity, ie. a non issue that they don’t even get into trouble for. Pretty much most of Brax’s actions, a lot of Heath’s drug dealing and even Casey permanently scarring a young boy, yet it was all about Casey’s feelings and there are so many other instances where is seems the Braxtons are somehow the victims even when they’re committing the crimes, just because they had a hard upbringing - it’s Summer Bay, many had hard upbringings, some worse than the Braxtons, so these grown men are not that special in terms of this show, despite what TPTB may believe.
And just what is the writers/producers stance on bullying, abuse and violence, because on the one hand they have actors and others involved with the show talking about storylines that highlight what a problem these things are, yet on the other hand, they happily romanticise the Brax character and treat his abuse and bullying as a non issue. He emotional abused Charlie (but he loved her so it’s ok), he bullies and emotionally and physically abuses his brothers (he loves them and only wants the best, so ok), he bullies and is abusive to people who happen to tell him something he doesn’t like (the poor little baby is hurting, so it’s ok) and he is violent toward people who stand in his way, yet we’re constantly made aware by other characters of what a good guy he is, when he’s actually one of the biggest bullies and most violent men on the show. If such behaviour is unacceptable with others, then why should we have to put up with this abusive bully being able to do it so often without being called on it? Oh that’s right, he’s Brax, the man deemed so special by the producers and others, that what makes other people violent bad guys makes him a good person. I just can't buy into inconsistent and at times, dishonest storytelling.
Personally, I think a lot of other characters and storylines have suffered because so much time and effort has been put into making the Braxtons the most exciting and biggest characters in the show. Sensitive storylines, like Sid’s depression, Irene’s cancer (and the list goes on) are quickly sidelined/resolved, whereas Braxton issues are given so much time, months even. How hard is it for them to treat all characters equally? And that fault lies at the hands of those in charge.
It’s not just the Braxtons I have issues with, it’s the overuse of romantic drama, in particularly triangles and the constant breakup-makeup drama. Sometimes, just about every couple was involved in a triangle at the same time and it seems like the same drama over and over - it’s like these characters are incapable of learning. And with all the infidelity, pathetic behaviour, lack of respect toward their partner and mismatched pairings, we’re actually meant to believe in these couples and that their each others greatest loves? It's like treat 'em mean to keep 'em keen at times and the women will continue to flock to these guys.
And I think the way some characters are introduced are problematic because their main purpose seems to be as a love interest and little thought seems to have been given to backgrounds or how to develop them in the long term. How many characters (Leah and the older ones excluded) can exist as an independent character outside of a romantic entanglement? Elijah, aimless once things didn’t work with Leah, Liam another who had little to do when his life was rewarded to Heath, Natalie, who was pretty much a blank canvas beyond being Brax’s latest cheerleader. Tam? A ping pong ball between two brothers and not much else. She, like Kyle, seems to have been introduced mainly to provide drama for that poor victim Casey. Why do they keep doing this?
For me, the show feels stuck in a rut, with repetitive storylines and characters. So how do we shake up the show? Just introduce another stereotypical bad guy who is clearly the worst villain to hit the Bay until the next one arrives a few months later. How do we make couples interesting? Endless cycle of break up/make up, infidelity, lies and childish behaviour. What can we do for more exciting storylines? Have another big car accident, because we haven’t done that for absolutely ages or we have another act of violence, because haven’t done that much. Any storyline really, that puts someone in hospital because we just don’t see enough of the characters in hospital with a serious injury that goes away just like that when the time is right. :whistling: I get that shows that have been on forever tend to repeat storylines, but the frequency these storylines are repeated over and over in such a short space and at times, with the same characters involved, tends to come across as writers with little imagination.
I honestly don’t view sexing the show up and introducing more violence and crime all that progressive, especially with the way they go about portraying it and in this day and age, why do the producers continue to avoid introducing more diversity? Because of criticism they create by stirring up trouble when they label storylines controversial, like they did with Charlie and Joey? What exactly is controversial about a same-sex couple? Neighbours has ethnic and gay characters and they ignored any negative complaints about these characters because they want the show to move forward. Home and Away have happily ignored all the complaints about the amount of drugs and violence on the show, so surely they’re not scared of the odd complaint about introducing a same-sex couple. Of course, that might take attention away from their precious Braxtons and would require some effort on their part to make these characters work and avoid the stereotypical portrayal, ie. gay until the next person of the opposite sex comes along and they become one of those TV bisexuals who then only sleeps with the opposite sex.
Unfortunately, instead of introducing more diversity, whether a same-sex pairing, an ethnic or indigenous family which would allow them to have some fresher storylines and potentially take the show in another direction, they’d prefer to just bring in another villain of the week, who serves their purpose, then leaves, either in a body bag, in a paddy wagon or just disappears. These days, there’s even a lack of diversity with their villains - they’re stereotypical bad guys, they’re evil, they come to shake up the Bay, blah, blah, blah.
As to whether the current producers are ruining the show, that's as subjective as a viewer's enjoyment of a show or why some people like a certain character yet others find them repulsive. For me, my enjoyment of the show has been severely dented because of the direction the producers and others have taken it in. Moving the show into the future is one thing, but it needs to maintain it’s identity and with all the violence, criminals, depressing and overbearingly heavy storylines that come one right after the other and the lack of community feel, it doesn’t have the warm feel of the Summer Bay I grew up with, where I could relate to the characters and sympathise with them. These days, there are very few characters I actually find even remotely likeable and those I do like have the incredibly annoying habit of leaving on me. By all means, the producers should be trying to attract new viewers, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of long term viewers. Balanced storyline telling and use of characters would go a long way, along with consistant storytelling (eg. violence is violence and just because a character is hot, therefore popular, doesn't make his actions any less criminal), but they don’t seem interested in doing that to any great extent - it’s all about catering to the current fad and when a lot of those viewers who love the Braxton show but find Home and Away boring fade away when the Braxtons start to leave, then they might find a bit of a problem on their hands, or do they just intend to hire another trio of hot guys, have them do a lot of bad things and masquerade it as exciting drama while manipulating us into believing they’re the good guys like they have done with the Braxtons, because while they might attract new viewers who find Braxton Mark II the hottest thing ever, they’ll probably also end up alienating other viewers as they’ve done for the past few years.
As a viewer, I don’t think it unreasonable to want storylines for the characters that I like, just as those who like the Braxton want more storylines for them and are constantly rewarded for their fandom. What about the rest though? If we’re lucky, we might occasionally get tossed some leftovers. I just don’t get the attitude of the producers. Do they just not value all their viewers or do they just think that people will continue to watch a show they no longer enjoy just because its become a habit? Neighbours learnt the hard way what happens when long term viewers no longer like the direction the show has taken and jumped ship and its never recovered.
Producers, do you hear me? Hello, I’m a viewer too, do you hear me? Hello? Yep as expected, since I don’t like the Braxtons or the direction the show has taken with all the violence and crime and dark storylines with little of the lighter moments, I pretty much have to put up and shut up or stop watching altogether because my voice is largely silent.
Yes I don't understand why she wont bring titles back. I really don't see why 30 - 35 seconds can actually make a difference to the episode.
Take a look at the 2005 titles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3kp01xcRi4
Only 33 seconds, but I use to love the titles just to see when they changed with the cast, and it was just generally a breathe of fresh air
Snap! I love H&A I think British soaps could also learn a lot from them.. IMO its never boring there's always something happening.. & its never predictable
One reason could be that H&A keeps getting further behind in the UK. Next week H&A takes another break for two weeks putting it 2 months behind Australia pace.
If they keep messing with the UK scheduling times, then even loyal H&A fans will turn away from it.
One reason could be that H&A keeps getting further behind in the UK. Next week H&A takes another break for two weeks putting it 2 months behind Australia pace. If they keep messing with the UK scheduling times, then even loyal H&A fans will turn away from it.
BiB: Why do you think that? I don't take any notice of the scheduling, how far UK pace is behind Oz pace - I just watch it like I would any other soap. I've watched it right from the start and I certainly won't turn away from it because of the scheduling.
The 80's era of Neighbours and early 90's triggers alot of memories and makes the show more memorable than Home and Away. Neighbours in its day was massive and often beat the big guns EastEnders and Coronation Street in the ratings which was phenomenal considering the timeslot. On that basis it has nostalgia, Home and Away never reached those heights.
Nowadays, both shows have lost a huge amount of their audience, Neighbours having lost the most but its ratings have remained steady on Channel 5, H & A seem to have fluctuating ratings.
I was a big Neighbours fine, i now occasionally tune in, Home and Away i occasionally watched years ago but havnt watched it in years.
Snap! I love H&A I think British soaps could also learn a lot from them.. IMO its never boring there's always something happening.. & its never predictable
I think Aussie soaps could learn from UK soaps to be honest. Home and Away are always using the Braxtons a lot. It is "The Braxton Show", not Home and Away. I feel they ruined the show because they cast only good looking actors. When was the last time Home and Away cast an "older" regular? 2011? Home and Away is very predictable these days. When people are on relationships, we know they won't last. When the Braxtons commit crimes, we know they will get away with it...
A true fact is that Home And Away had lost a LOT of loyal fans. They have gained lots of NEW viewers who tune in for "good looking men" aka the Braxtons. That seems very harsh and I'm sorry if I offended anyone but it's the truth sadly. But of course, there are some who watches Home and Away for all characters,
Im fascinated to know how the budgets of both shows compare. IMO Neighbours is the far superior show these days but it looks like its made on the smell of an oily rag compared to H&A, which to its credit has become very slick and almost like an American TV show. Maybe Aussie TV audiences prefer the shiny package that H&A comes in but over here we don't mind that Ramsay Street looks dull by comparison and overall the characters and story lines are more like people we know?
I'm in my early 30s but I don't like Home and Away anymore.
[...]
Awesome post, Sarah!
I agree with the majority of it - even if it was kinda long!
H&A's problems go far beyond the overuse of the Braxtons. Tuning in randomly, and one notices that all the new characters are quite identikit in many ways, with similar personalities and storylines. Sasha is the only young female to have a distinct identity (and possibly Tamara), but Maddy, Hannah, Phoebe, the twin and her random sister are all interchangeable and non-descript. The guys don't fair much better, either, with probably only Kyle, and maybe Chris and Zac having some form of identities. Their storylines are carbon copies of each other, with little effort to make them any different.
When I last watched semi-consistently for a couple of weeks, Tamara had amnesia, and was flip-flopping between Casey and Kyle. Fair enough. But to tune in recently to find that she's no longer with either of them and is in storyline-limbo, make that triangle totally pointless. Maddy and Spencer's whole reason for being in the Bay was completely wiped clean the moment they had them break-up. How are viewers meant to invest in these characters and their stories when they constantly change and never develop.
I guess the Aussie's, and seemingly the Irish aren't bothered by shoddy storytelling and characterisation?
I think with me, growing up ,Summer Bay seemed like another world that I could only dream off, so getting to visit there as an adult almost felt like an achievement and I know a lot of other people say the same. Back in the 80's and 90's there was only two channels on Irish tv so if you didn't want to watch the news at 6.30 you watched Home and Away. H&A is a national treasure in Ireland. In the past 18 months about half of the cast have toured the country doing promotional tours and in that documentary I mentioned earlier it followed Dan Ewing to an appearance and the amount of people that turned up was phenomenal!! He also opened a Summer Bay themed playground in a shopping centre in Cork last summer and people queued for hours in baking heat to see him.
That's very enlightening BR. Thanks. I had no idea that Irish TV only consisted of two channels, so it kinda makes sense that H&A would become popular. Although, it's a true testament to the Irish fanbase that they have stuck with the show so passionately and consistently throughout the show's revamps, especially with the Braxton Show.
That's very enlightening BR. Thanks. I had no idea that Irish TV only consisted of two channels, so it kinda makes sense that H&A would become popular. Although, it's a true testament to the Irish fanbase that they have stuck with the show so passionately and consistently throughout the show's revamps, especially with the Braxton Show.
What is the history of Neighbours in Ireland?
I agree that timeslot and TV station has a lot to do with it. Neighbours doesn't stand a chance down under more since its move to Channel Eleven so H&A comparisons there are totally unfair. As an outsider reading Aussie TV blogs etc you wouldn't even know Channel Eleven exists.
In the UK I think it's more fair to compare the two since both are on Channel Five but I agree H&A has faced more obstacles in the past such as when it went off air for a year. But even so it's ratings since being on Five seem to have fallen at a more rapid rate than Neighbours.
It sounds like H&A has has the better timeslot and TV station in Ireland but then its also possible the Irish have more of a pining for sand and sunshine!
I agree that timeslot and TV station has a lot to do with it. Neighbours doesn't stand a chance down under more since its move to Channel Eleven so H&A comparisons there are totally unfair. As an outsider reading Aussie TV blogs etc you wouldn't even know Channel Eleven exists.
In the UK I think it's more fair to compare the two since both are on Channel Five but I agree H&A has faced more obstacles in the past such as when it went off air for a year. But even so it's ratings since being on Five seem to have fallen at a more rapid rate than Neighbours.
It sounds like H&A has has the better timeslot and TV station in Ireland but then its also possible the Irish have more of a pining for sand and sunshine!
Neighbours was only ever on BBC1 in Ireland until about 10 or so years ago when RTE also acquired it. I think they broadcast the same episode as the BBC but it's never rated well in Ireland and I don't know anybody who watches it. Obviously people do as it would have been axed but it's nowhere near as popular as H&A.
Just tonight Lincoln Younes (Casey, H&A) has tweeted he is on his way to Ireland. They earn a fortune for these tours!! I heard of one venue charging €15 for entry to meet Dan Ewing and other €5 for a signed pic
Just tonight Lincoln Younes (Casey, H&A) has tweeted he is on his way to Ireland. They earn a fortune for these tours!! I heard of one venue charging €15 for entry to meet Dan Ewing and other €5 for a signed pic
You have to wonder why they didn't choose Dublin for their international location shoot, instead of London, given the Irish popularity. I guess London is more internationally recognisable - and cooler. ;-)
You have to wonder why they didn't choose Dublin for their international location shoot, instead of London, given the Irish popularity. I guess London is more internationally recognisable - and cooler. ;-)
Channel Five part funds the production of Home & Away. I imagine that's why London was used.
Comments
Neighbours has always been more popular in the UK. You could argue it's sunny, suburban setting was more relatable than a beach based soap; you could also argue that Neighbours has always had a self deprecating style, never taking itself seriously, where as H&A has always taken itself far too seriously.
Why is H&A so super popular in Ireland? What is it about the show that Irish viewers connect to?
I haven't seen any of the episodes since it moved channels.
But I love Home and Away. It's one of the best soaps, IMO.
I used to watch it at UK pace but as I got more into it, I didn't want to have to wait several weeks to see the latest episodes so I watch it at Oz pace now.
I read quite a lot of spoilers/news etc. about soaps so I think it would just get ruined for me if I watched it at UK pace.
I think Australian soaps would do better in the UK if they were on at the same pace as they are in Australia.
I believe Neighbours is far less behind Aus pace here than Home and Away are. Perhaps that could make a difference?
I know I would watch H&A on TV rather than online, if it was only 1 to 2 weeks behind Australia.
I think with me, growing up ,Summer Bay seemed like another world that I could only dream off, so getting to visit there as an adult almost felt like an achievement and I know a lot of other people say the same. If you watch or read interviews with the cast they always mention the Irish fans and I've been to Palm Beach a lot of times over the years when I lived in Sydney and went back on holidays and the place is always thronged with Irish. Back in the 80's and 90's there was only two channels on Irish tv so if you didn't want to watch the news at 6.30 you watched Home and Away. I also think the reason Hollyoaks never took off in Ireland as it's on the same time as H&A. I have never once seen an episode of Holllyoaks! H&A is a national treasure in Ireland. In the past 18 months about half of the cast have toured the country doing promotional tours and in that documentary I mentioned earlier it followed Dan Ewing to an appearance and the amount of people that turned up was phenomenal!! He also opened a Summer Bay themed playground in a shopping centre in Cork last summer and people queued for hours in baking heat to see him.
With Neighbours, I have always managed to dip in and out of it, for example, I lived overseas in Italy for about six months, when I came back to the UK, I got back into Neighbours easily. It's almost like watching Neighbours is like putting on a comfortable pair of old slippers. Even if the quality dips sometimes, I will still watch it as it does bounce back. I would love to see it doing better in Oz as the show deserves it. All it needs is for some of the storylines to be ever so slightly grittier.
With Home and Away, it is not as easy. I tried watching the show on numerous occasions, but I was just too confused and gave up. Even when the whole Sally returning storyline happened there was too much going on and wasn't that great. I didn't understand who any of the characters were and I also missed the opening titles. I won't watch Home and Away again because of it sadly.
Another poster said it was like slipping into a pair of old slippers watching Neighbours and it is true.
I definitely don’t like the Braxtons, largely because of the incredible amount of crimes they’ve been allowed to commit and the way this show goes about portraying their crimes in comparison to non-Braxtons, ie. those terrible people that cause trouble for them and so the Braxtons violence toward them is often excused/condoned because they’re not the bad guys. I’ve also been extremely disappointed in the way so many of their crimes are treated with such levity, ie. a non issue that they don’t even get into trouble for. Pretty much most of Brax’s actions, a lot of Heath’s drug dealing and even Casey permanently scarring a young boy, yet it was all about Casey’s feelings and there are so many other instances where is seems the Braxtons are somehow the victims even when they’re committing the crimes, just because they had a hard upbringing - it’s Summer Bay, many had hard upbringings, some worse than the Braxtons, so these grown men are not that special in terms of this show, despite what TPTB may believe.
And just what is the writers/producers stance on bullying, abuse and violence, because on the one hand they have actors and others involved with the show talking about storylines that highlight what a problem these things are, yet on the other hand, they happily romanticise the Brax character and treat his abuse and bullying as a non issue. He emotional abused Charlie (but he loved her so it’s ok), he bullies and emotionally and physically abuses his brothers (he loves them and only wants the best, so ok), he bullies and is abusive to people who happen to tell him something he doesn’t like (the poor little baby is hurting, so it’s ok) and he is violent toward people who stand in his way, yet we’re constantly made aware by other characters of what a good guy he is, when he’s actually one of the biggest bullies and most violent men on the show. If such behaviour is unacceptable with others, then why should we have to put up with this abusive bully being able to do it so often without being called on it? Oh that’s right, he’s Brax, the man deemed so special by the producers and others, that what makes other people violent bad guys makes him a good person. I just can't buy into inconsistent and at times, dishonest storytelling.
Personally, I think a lot of other characters and storylines have suffered because so much time and effort has been put into making the Braxtons the most exciting and biggest characters in the show. Sensitive storylines, like Sid’s depression, Irene’s cancer (and the list goes on) are quickly sidelined/resolved, whereas Braxton issues are given so much time, months even. How hard is it for them to treat all characters equally? And that fault lies at the hands of those in charge.
It’s not just the Braxtons I have issues with, it’s the overuse of romantic drama, in particularly triangles and the constant breakup-makeup drama. Sometimes, just about every couple was involved in a triangle at the same time and it seems like the same drama over and over - it’s like these characters are incapable of learning. And with all the infidelity, pathetic behaviour, lack of respect toward their partner and mismatched pairings, we’re actually meant to believe in these couples and that their each others greatest loves? It's like treat 'em mean to keep 'em keen at times and the women will continue to flock to these guys.
And I think the way some characters are introduced are problematic because their main purpose seems to be as a love interest and little thought seems to have been given to backgrounds or how to develop them in the long term. How many characters (Leah and the older ones excluded) can exist as an independent character outside of a romantic entanglement? Elijah, aimless once things didn’t work with Leah, Liam another who had little to do when his life was rewarded to Heath, Natalie, who was pretty much a blank canvas beyond being Brax’s latest cheerleader. Tam? A ping pong ball between two brothers and not much else. She, like Kyle, seems to have been introduced mainly to provide drama for that poor victim Casey. Why do they keep doing this?
For me, the show feels stuck in a rut, with repetitive storylines and characters. So how do we shake up the show? Just introduce another stereotypical bad guy who is clearly the worst villain to hit the Bay until the next one arrives a few months later. How do we make couples interesting? Endless cycle of break up/make up, infidelity, lies and childish behaviour. What can we do for more exciting storylines? Have another big car accident, because we haven’t done that for absolutely ages or we have another act of violence, because haven’t done that much. Any storyline really, that puts someone in hospital because we just don’t see enough of the characters in hospital with a serious injury that goes away just like that when the time is right. :whistling: I get that shows that have been on forever tend to repeat storylines, but the frequency these storylines are repeated over and over in such a short space and at times, with the same characters involved, tends to come across as writers with little imagination.
I honestly don’t view sexing the show up and introducing more violence and crime all that progressive, especially with the way they go about portraying it and in this day and age, why do the producers continue to avoid introducing more diversity? Because of criticism they create by stirring up trouble when they label storylines controversial, like they did with Charlie and Joey? What exactly is controversial about a same-sex couple? Neighbours has ethnic and gay characters and they ignored any negative complaints about these characters because they want the show to move forward. Home and Away have happily ignored all the complaints about the amount of drugs and violence on the show, so surely they’re not scared of the odd complaint about introducing a same-sex couple. Of course, that might take attention away from their precious Braxtons and would require some effort on their part to make these characters work and avoid the stereotypical portrayal, ie. gay until the next person of the opposite sex comes along and they become one of those TV bisexuals who then only sleeps with the opposite sex.
Unfortunately, instead of introducing more diversity, whether a same-sex pairing, an ethnic or indigenous family which would allow them to have some fresher storylines and potentially take the show in another direction, they’d prefer to just bring in another villain of the week, who serves their purpose, then leaves, either in a body bag, in a paddy wagon or just disappears. These days, there’s even a lack of diversity with their villains - they’re stereotypical bad guys, they’re evil, they come to shake up the Bay, blah, blah, blah.
As to whether the current producers are ruining the show, that's as subjective as a viewer's enjoyment of a show or why some people like a certain character yet others find them repulsive. For me, my enjoyment of the show has been severely dented because of the direction the producers and others have taken it in. Moving the show into the future is one thing, but it needs to maintain it’s identity and with all the violence, criminals, depressing and overbearingly heavy storylines that come one right after the other and the lack of community feel, it doesn’t have the warm feel of the Summer Bay I grew up with, where I could relate to the characters and sympathise with them. These days, there are very few characters I actually find even remotely likeable and those I do like have the incredibly annoying habit of leaving on me. By all means, the producers should be trying to attract new viewers, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of long term viewers. Balanced storyline telling and use of characters would go a long way, along with consistant storytelling (eg. violence is violence and just because a character is hot, therefore popular, doesn't make his actions any less criminal), but they don’t seem interested in doing that to any great extent - it’s all about catering to the current fad and when a lot of those viewers who love the Braxton show but find Home and Away boring fade away when the Braxtons start to leave, then they might find a bit of a problem on their hands, or do they just intend to hire another trio of hot guys, have them do a lot of bad things and masquerade it as exciting drama while manipulating us into believing they’re the good guys like they have done with the Braxtons, because while they might attract new viewers who find Braxton Mark II the hottest thing ever, they’ll probably also end up alienating other viewers as they’ve done for the past few years.
As a viewer, I don’t think it unreasonable to want storylines for the characters that I like, just as those who like the Braxton want more storylines for them and are constantly rewarded for their fandom. What about the rest though? If we’re lucky, we might occasionally get tossed some leftovers. I just don’t get the attitude of the producers. Do they just not value all their viewers or do they just think that people will continue to watch a show they no longer enjoy just because its become a habit? Neighbours learnt the hard way what happens when long term viewers no longer like the direction the show has taken and jumped ship and its never recovered.
Producers, do you hear me? Hello, I’m a viewer too, do you hear me? Hello? Yep as expected, since I don’t like the Braxtons or the direction the show has taken with all the violence and crime and dark storylines with little of the lighter moments, I pretty much have to put up and shut up or stop watching altogether because my voice is largely silent.
Yes I don't understand why she wont bring titles back. I really don't see why 30 - 35 seconds can actually make a difference to the episode.
Take a look at the 2005 titles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3kp01xcRi4
Only 33 seconds, but I use to love the titles just to see when they changed with the cast, and it was just generally a breathe of fresh air
Snap! I love H&A I think British soaps could also learn a lot from them.. IMO its never boring there's always something happening.. & its never predictable
If they keep messing with the UK scheduling times, then even loyal H&A fans will turn away from it.
BiB: Why do you think that? I don't take any notice of the scheduling, how far UK pace is behind Oz pace - I just watch it like I would any other soap. I've watched it right from the start and I certainly won't turn away from it because of the scheduling.
Nowadays, both shows have lost a huge amount of their audience, Neighbours having lost the most but its ratings have remained steady on Channel 5, H & A seem to have fluctuating ratings.
I was a big Neighbours fine, i now occasionally tune in, Home and Away i occasionally watched years ago but havnt watched it in years.
I think Aussie soaps could learn from UK soaps to be honest. Home and Away are always using the Braxtons a lot. It is "The Braxton Show", not Home and Away. I feel they ruined the show because they cast only good looking actors. When was the last time Home and Away cast an "older" regular? 2011? Home and Away is very predictable these days. When people are on relationships, we know they won't last. When the Braxtons commit crimes, we know they will get away with it...
A true fact is that Home And Away had lost a LOT of loyal fans. They have gained lots of NEW viewers who tune in for "good looking men" aka the Braxtons. That seems very harsh and I'm sorry if I offended anyone but it's the truth sadly. But of course, there are some who watches Home and Away for all characters,
Neighbours has a steady audience in the old BBC 1 slot and some of these followed it to Channel 5.
I agree with the majority of it - even if it was kinda long!
H&A's problems go far beyond the overuse of the Braxtons. Tuning in randomly, and one notices that all the new characters are quite identikit in many ways, with similar personalities and storylines. Sasha is the only young female to have a distinct identity (and possibly Tamara), but Maddy, Hannah, Phoebe, the twin and her random sister are all interchangeable and non-descript. The guys don't fair much better, either, with probably only Kyle, and maybe Chris and Zac having some form of identities. Their storylines are carbon copies of each other, with little effort to make them any different.
When I last watched semi-consistently for a couple of weeks, Tamara had amnesia, and was flip-flopping between Casey and Kyle. Fair enough. But to tune in recently to find that she's no longer with either of them and is in storyline-limbo, make that triangle totally pointless. Maddy and Spencer's whole reason for being in the Bay was completely wiped clean the moment they had them break-up. How are viewers meant to invest in these characters and their stories when they constantly change and never develop.
I guess the Aussie's, and seemingly the Irish aren't bothered by shoddy storytelling and characterisation?
That's very enlightening BR. Thanks. I had no idea that Irish TV only consisted of two channels, so it kinda makes sense that H&A would become popular. Although, it's a true testament to the Irish fanbase that they have stuck with the show so passionately and consistently throughout the show's revamps, especially with the Braxton Show.
Good taste?
What is the history of Neighbours in Ireland?
I agree that timeslot and TV station has a lot to do with it. Neighbours doesn't stand a chance down under more since its move to Channel Eleven so H&A comparisons there are totally unfair. As an outsider reading Aussie TV blogs etc you wouldn't even know Channel Eleven exists.
In the UK I think it's more fair to compare the two since both are on Channel Five but I agree H&A has faced more obstacles in the past such as when it went off air for a year. But even so it's ratings since being on Five seem to have fallen at a more rapid rate than Neighbours.
It sounds like H&A has has the better timeslot and TV station in Ireland but then its also possible the Irish have more of a pining for sand and sunshine!
Neighbours was only ever on BBC1 in Ireland until about 10 or so years ago when RTE also acquired it. I think they broadcast the same episode as the BBC but it's never rated well in Ireland and I don't know anybody who watches it. Obviously people do as it would have been axed but it's nowhere near as popular as H&A.
Just tonight Lincoln Younes (Casey, H&A) has tweeted he is on his way to Ireland. They earn a fortune for these tours!! I heard of one venue charging €15 for entry to meet Dan Ewing and other €5 for a signed pic
Channel Five part funds the production of Home & Away. I imagine that's why London was used.