I watched Home & Away from about 1995 to 2005 - so, about 10 years. During this time, my dad worked closely with the show. One of the things I loved about it was how realistic it was. Not everyone was drop-dead gorgeous, tanned and thin wearing a different outfit every scene. I started to lose faith in the show when my dad told me that they had been given orders to not feature the older characters such as Alf, Colleen, Morag, Donald, Ailsa, Irene or Rhys in the promos - because they weren't young and attractive enough. I also strongly believe that if Kate Richie were to audition for Home & Away as a teenager today, she wouldn't even get a call-back. Simply because she doesn't fit that 'mould' that they seem to follow on the show with new actors.
The storylines they are having are getting downright ridiculous. I can remember around 1998/1999 one of the storylines they had was Sam and a friend graffitiing buildings and his friend fell off the balcolny and died. Immediately after on the News Update they reported a story uncannily similar with a graffitiing teenager killed after falling off a building. They were things that could happen to a teenager.
Or the sibling fight between Tom and Gypsy over a lottery ticket. They were simple storylines, but far more realistic than what they have today. It should also be noted that this was when Home & Away was in its prime.
The storyline when Hayley & Peta entered the Clean & Clear Best Friends competition was also notable. They didn't win, but it was mirroring something that other teenage girls were doing at the time. If they'd done that storyline today, with someone like Cassie & Matilda, of course they'd have to win and have complete product placements and competitions and junk like that.
And when was the last time they mentioned Henry on Home & Away? They just shipped him off to boarding school and we never heard a thing about him again. He didn't even come back for his mother's funeral!
The Sutherland family's entrance in the show, I feel, just lead to a downward spiral in characters and storylines. When was the last time they had a surfing competition on Home & Away, like they used to? The beach is just being used as another 'set' to film at rather than being a part of the show as it previously was.
Martha's entrance was the last straw. I instantly recognised her as being a model in Girlfriend & Dolly magazine. She wasn't hired for her acting technique at all - she was just another pretty face that would boost their ratings in the male demographic.
