Ben

Thanks Amello, for the scoop. I guess we saw the start of that this week, with the Ryan/Stacey kiss. Well, someone had to say it. It's not like I don't like them, b/c I do, just not over exposed in this way. Storylines are all over the place, b/c one half of the show doesn't work, while the other half does. Continuity, pacing and balance are off in a big way, and Kat & Alfie are a part of that. ITA with Alvin - the show does pick a character trait and magnify that by 100, whenever a character returns. This doesn't do them any favours, and has so far worked against Kat. Her and Alfie's return story was unnecessary and their backstory was overly cluttered; the pregnancy would have been enough. Then... BAM! Alfie's not the dad. BAM! Michael arrives (new character alert) and is the dad. BAM! Michael wants to runaway with Kat. BAM! Kalfie reunited. It's just been too much in a short space of time, that I've not cared about a single one of their stories. I don't get why its had to be so rushed. BK has put in a lot of effort in bringing back the community feel to the show; he's given Darren a reason to exist, fleshed out the Brannings/Jacksons, given other characters, like Pat, Janine, Carol, Glenda... more prominence/depth/development. But, I think it's glaringly obvious that continuity has slipped by the wayside. Why was there no police investigation into the Vic fire? Why does Phil act like he owns the pub, when really it's Roxy? Why build an industrial kitchen in place of the toilets? So random and so unnecessary. Maybe it was the actor, but Lauren didn't seem to have the weight of the world on her before she went to summer camp. She seemed to be a lot more excepting and chilled out with things. Then, she smokes a bit of dope (or whatever), gets her heart broken, and acts like the walking dead, being rude and dissing Dot, acting so petulant, moody, miserable, etc. I just don't see any reason for her to be acting like this. That's not good enough, and not really a valid reason. I know the actors have probably been on a 2 month vacation, but their holiday time should be more spread out. How am I supposed to invest in Jane's revenge if it all plays off screen? 2 months ago, Jane revealed her plan to fleece Ian, and this week, she's 'fessing up to Christian, and Ian's finding the bank statement. Where's all the other beats to the plot? Its bad storytelling.

I can't be bothered to watch; is it to do with... I haven't posted in here for a long time, but I will quickly say that I've loved the Carol story, and its psychological complexities; loved seeing Janine striped back to what the character is all about (something Santa never really got); loved seeing Alan & Blossom return, and really wish Alan (especially) could be made permanent, or at least recurring, as he was one of my favourite characters and still is - he really would add something different to the male half of the show; love everything about Kim; I even liked the possibilities of a story between Roxy/Christian/Syed, as I think that could've been quite relatable to a lot of people (best friend gets another half, and you're left out in the cold; the whole dynamic changes), but it was only a one episode wonder, and pretty pointless. However, I haven't been enjoying the huge focus on Kat & Alfie, who are eating the show. Not thrilled about the possibilities of more Moons either. Don't like how terrible the pacing is still, and how a lot of characters are on the backburner doing nothing for months (Denise (whose story has ended too abruptly), Patrick, Masood, Zainab, Tamwar, Ian, Jane, Syed, Christian, Heather, Shirley, Mo, Greg (some scenes with Tanya would be nice, so we can asses them as a couple), Ronnie (who has vanished without a mention from anyone else). I also want to like Vanessa, but I find her very distracting (the horrible hair, always wearing beige/white), and very hard to care about this story with Jodie's paternity - not investing much air time in Harry, doesn't warm me to his pain, either. ETA: nuLauren also bugs me - why is she so full of moody angst since she's been away? She wasn't like this before she left.

How awesome was last night's episode? That's got to be the best ep I've seen of ED this year, and a big reason why this show is great. Even when it dips in quality for a few eps, they'll surprise you with a brilliant climax to a long running story. The acting was on fire from all concerned, and I was surprised that that kid (Will) can do real tears (kids can be a bit dodgy with this kind of stuff). Amanda was an asset to the show, and her and Natasha will be missed. I knew it had to be drastic for Natasha to crack and 'fess up, b/c Natasha has kept that secret for so long, that her own fear would never have let her speak up. Maisie wanting to bash Nathan's brains in, and refusing to believe that her Mum was the killer, were tense and surprising - I really think she would've done it too, and Cain would've let her. I don't think I could've made the choice that Maisie did, and shop my mother to the cops, but I guess if Natasha had been staying, she wouldn't of. I'm glad she reminded Maisie that she'll have to live with that decision for the rest of her life. Also liked how nasty Nathan showed that no matter how vile he can be, he just wanted his Mum to stay safe and out of prison, even to the end, he was begging for her to skip the country. That last scene of Natasha walking out to the cops, in the middle of nowhere, was very cinematic, and reminded me of a scene from an old movie. The Wyldes have been a big part of the show for a long time, and even though I'm new to them, I'm seriously gonna miss them when they eventually all leave. (I know that's not what I said in the beginning...) Elsewhere... I'm liking the Jai/Charity partnership, and sort of liking the Paddy/Rhona/Marlon triangle, even though something is lacking from it. Still not that fussed about Chas/Carl/Eve, but maybe that'll change once the truth comes out. I'm glad they're taking the drugs story a little further, as it feels more real now that they're putting Holly on methadone. As for Aaron/Jackson, I don't think they have the guts to make Jackson a paraplegic, considering it will be very limiting in story terms, and a tad too depressing. Plus, I'm not buying the whole love story that these two have going on, so that sorts of taints it all. Maybe it would've be better if Jackson had died?

But will she be gone in a few months, or will she resign and extend her stay? I actually like Brenda, but as a returning viewer, I just don't get her and Terry's relationship, in fact, I barely know that they're a couple. I've also noticed the lack of screen time for Val & Pollard as a couple, and I fail to see what the point was in having Jimmy & Nicola manage the Woolpack for the summer. So many characters are just twisting in the wind.

There wasn't really anything AFAICR. We knew about Eleven, and then one day there was the rumour that Ten were going be extending their news and revamping the pre-7pm timeslots, which they then assured fans that Neighbours was safe (remember, they issued that statement about their love for the show), and then suddenly, it was being moved. I'm not sure how far in advance the show knew, but they must have had a heads up, and heard whispers long before.

Me to. But, they never would've fired her. They know how popular Rebecca is, and the asset she was to the show. The move to digital was always going to cause some cast members to re-evaluate, considering it'll mean less exposure within the industry.

ITA. And that is the saving grace of this story, b/c Jackson is hollow, and I struggled to care about all those long Aaron/Jackson scenes that involved their relationship angst. The stunt was awesome, and had real depth and character behind it, but I hate the way they're writing Aaron & Jackson as a love story, as if this life and death situation will make Aaron realize he loves Jackson, when in reality, I just want Aaron to feel really guilty, but for his feelings to stay unchanged. Jackson should be a stop gap before Aaron finds the real thing. It's an unrequited love story for Jackson, who needs to realize that he and Aaron aren't soul mates. I fear that's how they're gonna play this, seeing as Jackson's sticking around. I hope I'm wrong. Since I've resumed watching, I've noticed that there seems to be several Viv clones hanging around. There's Brenda, and now Hazel, and both can easily fill Viv's role. I've also noticed that they don't use Brenda very much, and I struggled to remember her name, as all she does is say some random lines propping up the bar/café, while Hazel is shoved down our throats. Hazel doesn't do much, either, yet she's in 4 out of 6 eps a week, and doesn't have much character to her at all. I've yet to see any meaningful Terry/Brenda scenes as a couple, and the possible pairing of Bob/Lizzie had more potential, than the pointless Bob/Hazel. I'm not surprised that Viv is going, as she does nothing, but as you've pointed out, neither does half the cast. In fact, ED has too many characters, and yet they keep adding in new ones, without developing the ones they've got. This is frustrating, as the show could actually be awesome in all corners if they just tried. The Sharmas do nothing at all, and I struggle to see the point of Jai/Faye. I love Faye, and I like Jai and Nikhil, but I wish they were utilized and integrated more - the same goes for Adam, Victoria, Val, Eric, Terry, Brenda, Zak, Lisa, Adele, Lizzie, etc. It sucks that a link to the past is being lost, but I've become accustomed to that in soaps over the last several years. ETA: I think Natalie Robb and John Thornton are the saving grace of this drugs story, as the Holly chick just can't manage the complexities that this story demands. Good job to them. I'm also surprised that I actually like Hannah. Not sure on Isaac, though. I'm also not getting this Carl/Eve affair, or the way their characters (+ Chas) are being written; something isn't working. Lacks spark.

Jane Hall chose to quit, so it's not like TPTB are writing her out. I always felt like she was going to be a main stayer, but I guess the move to digital had her rethink her time with the show. It's sad, and a real blow to the show, but that's life. Rebecca will be missed. My guess is, that once Jane decided to quit, they decided to write out NuDeclan too, as he really isn't working as well as what he should have. I do like how her and Declan's exits will involve the returning Oliver & Carmella. Zeke is a bit of a mystery, as it could've been his decision or TPTB's. I think he lost some fans during the time he dominated story with his rubbish love interests, and nonsensical moments in Sunny and Mia, which is probably why he's been a supporting character for most of 2010. I won't really miss him at all. This, though, does present an interesting opportunity for the Kennedy's, as they're gonna be without any one to look after, and a good time for TPTB to move Chris into their care. But, it has been reported that the writers are struggling with long-term story for their first gay character outside of love interests and relationship angst, which I guess they don't want to tackle due to the classification restrictions. These are definitely make or break times for show, as it will leave a lot of characters swinging in the wind. I do wonder how much longer Scott Major and Janet Andrewartha will stay with the show... and how much life Neighbours has left in it.

Thanks for that! I think that can be taken as confirmation of her admitting the show was too teen-centric, and how she talked a load of BS when fielding this question during this time. But, I do agree with her, that this is a weird time to bring this question up, as the show has made an active attempt to address the teen issue, and the dumbing down of the show. Interview with Carla Bonner (Steph) Does anyone else thing that Carla's decision to leave was in part due to the storyline and the negative fan reaction to her character? Also, I'm unsure what to think of her exit being out-of-character - not that surprises me, but I hope the writing supports this kind of exit.

I wondered that about the Masoods as well. It seemed like they were there so Zainab could save Syed, and move that plot on. It looked like Ian & Jane had just returned from a trip out, as he was wearing a coat, and she was in a long green dress. As I said, I liked that aspect of other residents coming out of their homes, but it just seemed odd not to have Ian & Jane at the reception, and instead use Ian for that random scene at the end where he's shouting at Peggy as if he's about to speak, but ends up saying nothing. It all felt weird to me. And it wasn't Glenda's appearance that bothered me, it was the lack of follow up, which made it seem random and pointless. It didn't make any sense at all. ETA: I will add that Steve McFadden is turning in some very awesome performances. I think this is his best work to date. I haven't been disturbed by any of the drug story, but when he was going through withdrawals, that really freaked me out. They were full on disturbing.

OK, I think I'm probably going to be the minority when I say that I didn't really like the fire episode. I thought the fire itself was awesomely done; very realistic, especially in that scene with Stacey trapped in the living room, and the flames were on the wall and ceiling - very chilling. But, I felt the details were lacking, which really tested my ability to disbelieve. The only pre-conceived idea I had was that it was going to end on a cliffhanger, instead of being a self contained episode, which was disappointing. By the end, I was comparing it to the Neighbours fire (2004 season finale), when they burnt down Lassisters (the pub and coffee show were iconic), and the emotional connection I had. It was moving. I could feel Lou & Harold's pain at seeing their businesses go up in flames; I could empathize with Toadie, as he eagerly awaited for Stuart & Sindi to emerge from the burning pub, and the shock at seeing it crumble with them trapped inside. I didn't feel that with this disaster - in fact, it felt very much like a stunt. The panic felt real, if not a little OTT, but I didn't mind that. I also loved how Zainab stayed behind, even though she was traumatised by her own memories of that kitchen fire, to save Syed. I liked how Janine was genuinely worried for Pat and Ryan; how Denise, Kim, Patrick and Carol appeared to see what was going on. At the point when Stacey, Peggy, Phil and Billy were trapped in the flames, I didn't feel that emotional connection of danger. Barbara Winsor's very OTT acting didn't help, and instead totally distracted from the drama (I know she's an OTT character, but was really bad acting from her - or maybe that's the problem: I felt she was acting, instead of it being more natural. Then there were the sloppy details, like the ladder not being underneath the window, making it impossible for Ryan to climb down with Stacey thrown over his shoulder; how did Peggy and Billy free Phil from under the bar? He was pinned under, and it was on fire, yet Peggy & Billy managed to pull him out without any burns at all!? Why did Glenda randomly appear, but not feature or get mentioned in the next episode? Why was Ian & Jane not at the reception, but shoved into the end of the episode in such a random fashion? Who was babysitting Kamil, when all of the Masoods were at the pub? Oh, and why didn't the Vic have a smoke alarm? If I had been emotionally invested in what was going on, I probably wouldn't have noticed half of the details (that some may say are minor). I'm also one of those people that didn't mind no-one dying - I think it would've detracted from the iconic Vic dying. Again, I don't have any real sadness for this loss, as it will just be rebuilt with a new face. Unlike Neighbours, as Lassisters has never been the same since the fire - it had lasting effects, but will this? Did anyone notice how Patsy Palmer disappeared? I guess this was b/c of her RL pregnancy... Peggy's actual departure was much better. I loved the family scenes with the Mitchells, but more importantly, it showed how rounded Peggy is as a character. The scenes with Stacey showed how vile Peggy can be, and really reminded me of why I don't really like her, but then she had those genuine moments with Ronnie, Sam, Phil and Billy, which demonstrated that she can be a decent human being. I loved how she acknowledge her treatment of Billy, and how she realized that she had been suffocating Phil for her own needs. I think her not saying goodbye to Pat, really showed what she truly thought of her, and how they didn't really have a genuine friendship (at least not on Peggy's part). I do think this was the right time for Peggy to leave, b/c really, she was eating show. Over the years they have slowly made her the centre of all things EastEnders, but hopefully the other families can take more centre stage, now.

I tuned into Roy & Hayley's wedding eps, and they definitely show an improvement. I recommend watching from there, especially the second ep, which is really good. Then, I didn't bother to follow them up, and the last ep I watched was this Monday's, where Molly gave birth, and again, it showed the show has made significant changes for the better. It's not as bad as it was. Corrie's not on fire or anything, and its yet to coax me into wanting to watch regularly again, but episodes are no longer painful to sit through. So yeah, give it another go and see what you think.

Thanks Carl, for posting that. This was from an era that I really loved, and featured some of my all-time favourite characters - Jesse, Chloe, Selina, Curtis, Travis, Kelly, Alisa; so good seeing this again. And the old Diner, too! LOL at the car rolling down the hill, while Curtis and Chloe kissed. Really wish they would bring some of these characters back; just a shame they pointlessly killed off Chloe.

In regards to the bold part, I do have to wonder if Aussie's do prefer the teen domination, to that of a more multi-generational cast. If they did, wouldn't the ratings be higher? Wouldn't it be the topic of conversation with teens? Wouldn't they actually think of it as being relevant, instead of obsolete? Packed To The Rafters is a multi-generational show and they pull in high numbers and is popular with all, so why change what Neighbours all ways was, for something that is new and clearly not working?

It definitely takes away the shows security, as on Ten, it always formed the majority of their local drama quota, but digital channels don't have such restrictions. In terms of the show, it will allow it to become PG rated, instead of G, which can only be a good thing, as long as Susan Bower implements it into the show. I guess in the long run, it can't be a good move, unless it does exceptionally well in ratings/demos/audience share.

I really hope this week was not the last we'll see of Glenda (and I hope she doesn't return only to be killed in the fire, either), as she has become a bit of a favourite character of mine. I think she's quite a fascinating character, what with her complicated psychology. She likes to live in a fantasy world, as her many lies have demonstrated, which is quite an interesting trait. But, I don't like how a lot of people are painting her as some kind of monster on the scale of Archie (an abuser), while Peggy is quickly forgiven (a woman who knew her sons were being beaten and did nothing to stop it), as opposed to Glenda, who suspected, but never actually knew. People seem to forget that Glenda was Archie's wife, and was probably just as much a victim of his psychological manipulation as Peggy was, which is probably why she believed he was replacing her with Ronnie (that doesn't have to be sexual, either... but still twisted); she chose to run away b/c she couldn't face thinking of her husband as an abuser, just like Peggy did - who would? It was the worst thing she could do, but there are reasons why she did it. There are lots of people who take this approach and choose to go into denial, b/c they aren't strong enough to face their darkest fears and confront the situation; it's horrible, and Ronnie's reaction is right, but I do hope she can move on from it, and try to build bridges with Glenda, just like she has with Peggy. It's a shame they decided to take the character in this direction, as it's a very difficult road to come back from, but it's not impossible. And if Peggy can be forgiven, then surely Glenda can, too?... Or maybe I'm just biased as I liked the character before all of this, and don't want to see potential wasted.

Don't jinx it, James! That preview was awesome. The music they used to showcase the whodunit was very affective, and really shows that they don't need to be using a whole bunch of fancy effects, like they do for the recap and previews. Less is more. I'm a fan of business stories, and this one is OK. Tighter writing would make it seem less contrived and random in places, but I'm just happy that they have two long running stories going on at the same time. Maybe this is why the teens are working better, b/c Declan, Kate, Donna and Ringo are now involved in more mature stories, and Natasha/Andrew/Summer/Chris aren't saddled with lame plots, either. The balance is better. So far, Diana is pretty cool. I know Jane Badler has said that her first 2 days were pretty nerve racking for her. It's been a long time since the show has had a "super bitch", so her stint should be interesting.

********** I haven't been watching Corrie for weeks, but I did watch one of last Friday's eps, and every scene annoyed or aggravated me. It was painful. This stupid John story is such a rushed mess; it's like a bad US soap storyline, not one that should be on Corrie... or at least not written like this. And what's up with this crazy Charlotte chick? She ingratiated herself into John's lies, and now she's claiming she's an innocent party! What I don't get is, why doesn't John just point out that she's a freaking accessory to everything, especially the burying of Colin's body? That would shut her up for 5 minutes. Oh, and I hate the Fiz twist. And then there's the Audrey/Lewis/Deirdre mess, that seems to have left Audrey without her brains. Nasty Nick is still sleazing over Leanne - the woman he claims to still be in love with, yet ignored for several months. I don't care about this Lloyd/Cheryl/Chris story or the characters involved. Don't care about this Owen, either. Feels like there's one to many builders on this tiny street. I wish Janice wasn't leaving, but I'm glad it was her decision, and she wasn't fired. Yep, the show sucks, big time.

I think he does know what Janine is like. He learnt that the hard way with her treatment of Stacey, and still he's stuck by her, b/c he loves her. I like how Janine proposing is b/c she fears he will leave her, which is based in her insecurity of loosing the people she loves, like Frank. I really do love these two as a couple, and I think they can go far together. Janine is the more extreme version of Ryan, which I think will make finding out about Lily, all the more interesting.

OK, BadBoy, here goes... #22 - The Robinsons & Napiers: Paul Robinson is in the midst of a financial crisis - he owns the local newspaper, Erinsborough News, and bought the local indie radio station, PirateNet, to help keep Lassisters Hotel from going under. He used to be a shareholder in Lassisters, but those assets were taken from him, and he appears to be in a managerial position, now (the business structure is kinda confusing). Lassisters is/was losing money; the newspaper's circulation is down, and PirateNet is haemorrhaging cash (a business that is in his wife Rebecca's name). Rebecca's unaware of the true extent of Paul's financial woes, but did agree to him doing whatever it takes to save their businesses... Paul's son Andrew, is jealous of step-bro Declan, and has schemed to undermine him and win his father's acceptance. Declan distrusts him and Paul, but puts up with them for Rebecca's sake. When one of Andrew's pathetic plots went awry, that cost the hotel several long-term clients, Paul decided to refurbish Lassisters by installing a mezzanine terrace, and using the reopening as a publicity stunt to bring in new clientèle. But, Paul wanted to save money by not paying Dolan (the builders), who later threatened to sue. Paul spontaneously decided to sabotage Dolan's construction site, but was interrupted by Declan. Paul's actions nearly cost Donna her life, when the scaffolding that he tampered with, came crashing down on top of her. To cover it all up, Paul and Dolan signed a confidentiality agreement with Paul having to pay the builder what he owed. During a corporate dinner for advertisers, Declan got into a fight with an important ad exec, who was harassing his girlfriend (and Paul's niece) Kate Ramsay, and subsequently lost a valuable client. Needing money fast, Paul transferred $100,000 from Lassisters into PirateNet's account, under the guise of paying Dolan the money he owed. When Declan found CCTV footage from the construction site, he realized that Paul had doctored it to make it look like Declan was the saboteur. Declan asked local lawyer Toadie Rebecchi to help clear his name (who's also Paul's lawyer), and together they uncovered Paul's embezzlement. Toadie wanted to go to the cops, but Declan decided to keep it in house in order to protect Rebecca; Declan contacted Diana Marshall - one of the Lassisters execs in New York - who has now launched an investigation, and will soon be making a surprise visit. Meanwhile, Kate discovered that money from her trust fund (set-up by Paul) was mysteriously being withdrawn and put back a day-or-so later. After Declan's baby daughter, India, stopped breathing, Paul saved her life, and reaffirmed his love for all his family. Delcan decided to hand over all his ammo to Paul, who pointed out that if he goes down, then so does an oblivious Rebecca. #24 & #30 - Steph/Toadie/Sonya/Lucas/Lyn: Basically, Steph had a one-night stand with her best friend Libby's husband Dan Fitzgerald, after seeing Libby lock lips with Lucas Fitzgerald (Steph's love interest), and is now pregnant with Dan's baby. Dan & Libby had separated after the surrogacy saga tore them apart, and Dan subsequently left town. Steph and Lucas got together, but when she learned she was pregnant, she left town. Fearing losing Libby's love and friendship, and unable to have a termination due to previously battling breast cancer, her best friend Toadie decided to claim the baby as his - in order to protect Libby (she is like a sister to him). So, they concocted a fake relationship, which broke Lucas' and Toadie's current love, Sonya's hearts. But Steph's mum Lyn, found the DVD of her ultrasound, and realized that Steph was lying about her conception date. Backed into a corner, Steph told Lyn everything, who struggled with the secret, especially from best friend Susan (Libby's mother). After having a cancer scare, and seeing how Lyn couldn't be trusted to abide by her wishes, Toadie proposed, under the guise of making him her next of kin in case the cancer was to return. Unhappy with the sanctity of marriage being desecrated under the mountain of lies, Lyn refused to go along with it, until she spoke to the priest who assured her that friendship is the most important part of a relationship, and love can follow later. This inspired Lyn to scheme to make them fall in love for real, by planning a huge romantic wedding. Meanwhile, Sonya decided to move away; knowing that her and Toadie would split 6 months after the baby's birth, Steph decided to stop her from going, by explaining that Toadie is not her baby daddy. Sonya soon figured out that Dan was the real father. On the day of the wedding, Sonya and Lucas showed up, where she agreed to wait for Toadie. Lyn was far from pleased. To complicate matters, Libby is dating Dr. Doug Harris - Steph's doctor. Libby also saw Toadie & Sonya kiss, and isn't happy that he's still in contact with her. Elsewhere: Ringo & Donna are getting married (they're being billed as the new Scott & Charlene - but they're not). They had opposition in the form of Donna's new-found dad Nick, but after she realized that she doesn't need his approval on everything, and he's still going to love her, she agreed to marry Ringo. There is history between Ringo/Donna/Andrew, as the later had an affair with Donna at the start of the year. Susan's suspicious about the Dolan cover-up, and believes Paul is involved in something dodgy. She wrote a uni assignment about her suspicions, and posted it on Facebook, where she received a very personal, slightly stalker-y reply... Michael & Natasha Williams have a very tumultuous father-daughter relationship. His wife/her mother is dead, and Natasha reminds him a lot of her. She wants to be a model, and is currently the face of PirateNet. That ad campaign didn't go down to well with Michael, who started feuding with Paul. Natasha is the female version of Andrew, and constantly plots and schemes, which totally gets at Michael; he doesn't know how to handle her, which she takes as him not caring. One heated argument ended in Natasha slapping him, in order to get a rise out of him. Natasha and Andrew are dating, and she loves to pay out Summer. Summer Hoyland (Steph's ex-step daughter) is currently in a slow burning relationship with Chris Papas. But he has a secret... Summer hates bitchy Natasha. Lucas is best mates with Michael, and has recently got a second job teaching the kids mechanics. Kate recently set-up her dance instructor Terry, with Lyn, who he fancies, but she loathes. Lyn is beginning to soften towards him. The Kennedy's pet Galah, Dahl, recently escaped, and is now missing. This story will be brought back up, soon. Also, Dr. Karl doesn't get on with his boss and daughter Libby's boyfriend, Doug. Lou Carpenter was the Ramsays legal guardian until Kate turned 18. Now he simply lives with Kate, Sophie and until recently Harry, as their surrogate grandpa. He's currently in Sydeny helping Harry adjust to city life.

I'll come back later to fill you in (unless someone else beats me to it), as I have to go out, now.

Not at the moment. Martha was a loved or loathed kinda character, and I don't think fans would buy a recast this soon after Jodi's exit. Plus, her exit was very final, and really, the only way they could bring her back is if Hugo died... but then there'd still be the issue of the people behind the people smuggling and them wanting Hugo & Martha dead. Also, what is there left for Martha to do? She's been through almost every tragedy possible, some twice over! ETA: I've always felt that H&A don't do enough to keep their past present, especially in the past, where characters would leave and never be mentioned again, or storylines would be forgotten about, even though a similar one is going on. Grated, they talk about Alf's, Leah's and Colleen's pasts a lot, but everyone else is forgotten about. When was the last time Miles talked about Sally? Or Irene remembered she has bio children, or even the ones she's fostered? They don't even have Irene share many scenes with Marilyn, even though they used to be close.

Wise to bring back Roo? Or wise to cast Georgie Parker? Georgie is awesome, and a casting coop for H&A. She played Terri in All Saints, and is truly a gifted actor. She'll bring her fan base with her, as she is very popular; and the show needs all the fans it can get, what with its falling ratings. I don't think they're bringing Roo back for the sake of it. I think that Penn is probably her son, or something, which is why he has this weird vendetta against Alf. I think they originally intended for Martha to still be with the show when Roo arrives, but some exec high up in network Seven wanted Jodi Gordon gone (due to her very public non-family friendly dramas - drugs, lap-dancing clubs...) and this has made it all seem weird - TPTB were fine with her staying, as she signed a 1 yr contract not long after the drugs scandal. Hopefully Morag returns to help Roo's return along, and they come up with a good reason for her returning, as she hasn't bothered to come back for her daughter's past numerous tragedies, so why bother now?

I'm gonna bunch all my comments together. The Sharma's sweet factory is so weird looking. That has got to be the slowest conveyor belt ever. I don't know how they make their orders at the rate they make/pack boxes. And, do they really need all those employees for one machine? Nikhil & Maisie make a really cute couple. Now I'm disappointed that she's leaving. I'm glad Natasha & Nathan are framing Faye instead of the predictable Ryan. It gives Faye more to do, which is a good thing. I don't think Jackson suited being all witty and cocky with Charity. Is this how his character is normally? I don't really picture him as the funny-guy type. I still haven't seen all that much of Eve, but what I have, she reminds me a bit of early Katie, when she used to be all bitchy and stuff. Shadrach's death was so sad. It wasn't over sensational, just normal, and right. You can see why they heap all this tragedy on Marlon, as the actor can really do emotional scenes. So, Charlie was a con man after all. That took me buy surprise. I really hope Viv and her sleeping pills aren't going to lead to a drug addiction plot... I could really see Night-time Hope suiting Viv as a story. It's the right side of OTT drama that would suit Viv's character - and there are a lot of men that she could bash. Emmerdale, of course, would inject depth and sell it to the viewer in a way that Dena Higley can't. Maybe they should start producing a few pieces of incidental music, instead of relying on commercial tracks?