Home and Away: Discussion Thread

[Dion]

They kept this version of the song up until the end of 1999, changing it in 2000.

IIRC correctly they actually changed the song partway through 1995 rather than at the beginning of the year. Here's what I think is the first 1995 theme (with Sam with Rob rather than Fisher and no Marilyn as she hadn't returned yet):

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Shane and Angel actually kiss for most of the year in their shot, but in the one you posted (1995, version 3) they just hug and then go back to kissing in version 4. Donna left not long after, so Irene was placed with Marilyn (who returned in version 3 in a solo shot). This style continued into 1996, with one version featuring both Pippa and Angel in solo shots as they had both been widowed (and with Kelly throwing a tennis ball at Steven and Travis) before the more famous style of the late 90s was introduced.

The poster actually had this in playlist form though I think they've mislabeled one (featuring Pippa and Michael, but Angel solo) as being from version 5 from 1995 when it actually might be from early 1996 after Shane died.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Dion

[DRW50]

Thanks.

Who was Donna? Was she similar to Marilyn?

[Dion]

No she was more similar to Rebecca Fisher. She came on in November 1994 as an ex high school girlfriend of Rob's and began working at the schhool as a teacher, sparking the jealousy of Rob's girlfriend Roxy, who had breast cancer at the time. Donna moved in with Michael and Pippa (and the foster kids) and Jack walked in on her in the shower.

After Roxy left, it looked like Donna and Rob may reconcile, but then Donna's ex boyfriend Andrew turned up (who had previously beat her) and she reconciled with him. Andrew got jealous of Donna's friendships with Rob and Travis (who had been introduced as another high school friend of Rob and Donna's) and hit her, giving her a black eye. Andrew fled town and Donna hooked up with Travis. Donna's brother Gus turned up and caused some trouble before Travis and Donna decided to go on a whale watching trip to Canada in June 1995, but months later Travis returned alone having broken up with Donna.

[DRW50]

Thanks. So I guess she wasn't around long.

[NothinButAttitude]

OMG. So weird that y'all post those intro clips of Home and Away today when I was listening to the theme earlier.

I watched H&A on and off for most of 07/08 but once they killed Jack, I was out. I've tried getting into it again but the Braxton brothers, though they are extremely hot, have killed the show for me. Plus, there is no Fletcher character to be the central character of the show and the foster aspect of the show is practically nonexistent.

I do wish I could go back and watch the show from its inception till about around the time I quit.

[DRW50]

I think a lot of the episodes are on Youtube if you want to go back. I never do get around to watching.

I think most of the Braxtons are gone or going.

What do people think of the current credits?

They had some nice ones in the past (I especially like the 2000/2001 one here).

Seeing boring Melissa George amuses me, given that she supposedly hates being tied to this show.

What were Fisher and Alisa like? Were they big fan favorites? Did the actors want to leave?

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[DRW50]

Some of those 90's characters stayed longer than I'd realized - it's interesting seeing them year by year by year (Selina, Shannon).

It's also interesting seeing which geeky characters suddenly get showcased as hot prime beef if they aged the right way (like that Joey guy).

[NothinButAttitude]

Yeah I know Steve Peacocke (Darryl) is about to follow Dan Ewing (Heath) in trying his hand at Hollywood. I wish them both the best as they are both attractive and talented. I just didn't care for their characters. Shocked that Lincoln Younes (Casey) hasn't made the move, but I am sure he will eventually. I think they all have potential to follow the Hemsworth boys as being hot Aussie commodity in Hollywood.

I'm not shocked that a lot of the cast members stayed long as they did b/c the show was a hit early on, and the work isn't as demanding. I've always said that our soaps needs to develop UK/Australian models. One, they need to be reduced to 3-4 days a week instead of five. We also need to have a hiatus like Neighbours and H&A have in December.

From H&A fans I've talked too, Fisher and Ailsa are extremely popular. I just know that Fisher was a light villain the first couple of years of the show, and Ailsa was fave b/c people hated how her stepdaughter, Roo, treated her. I know that people were also distraught when she was killed off back in the early 00s. But I think both actors chose to leave.

One thing I can say about Australian soaps, much like the British, seem to appreciate and adore their elder characters.

Most H&A fans speak highly of characters that were on the show up till about 07/08, which is where they feel the show went downhill.

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Those were my favorite opening credits, which is funny b/c many people hated versions. I loved it. I wish that AMC would've done something similar (i.e. the picture frames). I hate that this was the show's last opening featuring the cast. Now I hear they don't have an opening at all.

[DRW50]

I like the pictures, not so much the goaty singing.

Why did they stop having an opening? Money? Or shame?

[NothinButAttitude]

From what I've collected, to cut down on time much like our soaps. They don't even do the credits anymore either. Australia has adopted our marginalized credits. I don't think H&A have had an official closing since about '09. Only place you can see their closing is in the UK.

[DRW50]

Doesn't Neighbours still have credits?

It's a shame how these soaps, theirs and ours, have moved so far away from what people watch them for.

[Dion]

Neighbours still has a more traditional opening and closing credits (and even has a longer version of the close on fridays).

But yeah, H&A (and Shortland Street too actually even though its New Zealand) has ditched its credits.

[Ben]

Out of all of the picture frame credits, I much preferred the 2004-2006 versions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3kp01xcRi4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s633BotQWWs

I hated the blue fishes opening credits from 2000-01. I think they just represented a change in the show that I didn't like as much, and things got kinda boring around this period.

Fisher and Alisa were fan favourites, and I think Alisa had slightly more support. Fisher was one half of a very popular couple with Marilyn, which was quite unexpected, considering the age gap at the time. Judy Nunn has spoken about her wanting to leave the show at the time, so she could concentrate on writing her books. Alisa's death came as quite a shock to many fans. I think it was Norman Coburn's decision to leave, which was a shame, but at the time, it did feel like TPTB didn't really know where to take his character. Apparently, as it says on IMDb, he decided to leave after his dog died (he'd had it since he started on the show), which made him realize how long he'd been on H&A. Make of that what you will.

I thought he would have gone straight to Hollywood, but he chose to take Aussie roles instead. He has appeared on several dramas since leaving H&A, like Love Child, which he's still contracted to.

There was a time when Neighbours tried moving away from older characters, and flooded the show with random teens, but thankfully that's been rectified now. H&A has completely moved away from giving their older characters any kind of development (unless, like Alf, his portrayer goes public). They've struggled to give Irene, Roo and Leah any kind of story for a long time (Leah especially gets thrown the same old storyline every few months: failed relationship/health scare), while Alf is just an active counsellor to all the teens (his recent PTSD story is the first time Alf's had anything meaty to do for years); John & Marilyn are the only older couple that the show focuses on, but all they get is dull subplots involving moving house or questioning Jett's report card - nothing big.

The show right now has the worst cast in a long time.

@ the shame comment.

They ditched the opening in favour of a title card b/c at the time, it was the latest fad to come out of Hollywood. The official statement was that it would free up much needed drama time. Now, instead of opening credits, they have a 60 second recap. Viewers aren't even getting any new scenes to fill the space, just extra recap. Fans want the opening back, but they're too stubborn to cave on the subject.

This show used to have great closing credits to match the opening. The UK never got to see them, as ITV used to cut them down to 10 seconds for no apparent reason. Now, all Oz gets is credits superimposed over a promo - the same as the US. International broadcasts still get end credits, but they're pretty generic, and not as fun as the late-90s set was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDbPX0f7RQU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gslxe1tWNWY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux_hOwj8QRU

Yeah, Neighbours has thankfully kept their closing credits, which may have something to do with the fan base. They're very well aware that ditching the credits would be a bad move.

Edited May 14, 2015 by Ben

[DRW50]

Is the VJ recast as bad as I keep hearing?

[Ben]

Yes, it really is bad.

This sums it up nicely.