Home and Away
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| Home and Away | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Soap opera |
| Created by | Alan Bateman |
| Starring | Current cast |
| Theme music composer | Mike Perjanik[1] |
| Opening theme | "Home and Away" (short theme) |
| Ending theme | "Home and Away" |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 26 |
| No. of episodes | 5745 (as of 16 May 2013) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | John Holmes |
| Producer(s) | Lucy Addario |
| Location(s) | Palm Beach, New South Wales |
| Running time | 21 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Red Heart Entertainment |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Seven Network |
| Picture format | 576i (4:3) (1988–2000) 576i (16:9) (2001–present) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original run | 17 January 1988 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | HeadLand |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Home and Away is an Australian television soap opera devised by Alan Bateman. It has been produced in Sydney, New South Wales since July 1987 and has aired on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running Australian drama . It originally screened as a 93-minute pilot episode, or a television film as it is known, and a day later aired at its usual time of 22 minutes. At the beginning, the show was screened on Seven at 6:30 pm and currently airs Mondays through to Thursdays at 7 pm.
Home and Away is set in the fictional town of Summer Bay, a coastal town in New South Wales, and follows the personal and professional lives of the people living in the area. The show initially focused on the Fletcher family, Pippa (Vanessa Downing) (later played by Debra Lawrance) and Tom Fletcher (Roger Oakley) and their five foster children Frank Morgan (Alex Papps), Carly Morris (Sharyn Hodgson), Steven Matheson (Adam Willits), Lynn Davenport (Helena Bozich) and Sally Keating (later Fletcher) (Kate Ritchie), who would go on to become one of the show's longest-running characters. The show also originally and currently focuses on the Stewart family. During the early 2000s, the central storylines focused on the Sutherlands and later, the Hunters. Home and Away had proved popular when it premiered in 1988 and had risen to become a hit in Australia, and after only a few weeks, the show tackled its first major and disturbing storyline, the rape of Carly Morris; it was one of the first shows to feature such storylines during the early timeslot. H&A has tackled many adult-themed and controversial storylines; something rarely found in its restricted timeslot.
H&A has seen much success in several countries. It is popular in both the UK and Ireland, being one of Channel 5 (UK) and RTÉ's most popular drama series since the Irish broadcaster began airing the show just several months after its premiere in Australia. The show remains successful in New Zealand and France, where it is titled as Summer Bay.
Home and Away is the most successful program in the history of the Logies and has earned a total of 38 Logie Awards since premiering in 1988, including Most Popular Australian Drama. The cast has earned several awards including Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television, Silver Logie Award for Most Popular Actor, and Most Popular Actress.
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History [edit]
After the Seven Network cancelled their soap opera Neighbours on 12 July 1985 due to low ratings, they watched as rival network Ten picked it up and turned it into a success.[2] A couple of years later, Seven's head of drama, Alan Bateman, became desperate to get back into the soap market and began to work out how to launch another soap that was not a copy of Neighbours.[3] While on a trip to Kangaroo Point in New South Wales with his family, Bateman began talking some locals who were "up in arms" over the construction of a foster home for children from the city.[3][4] Seeing the degree of conflict the "influx of parentless children on a tight-knit community" was having, Bateman came away with the idea for a new serial.[4] He explained "Nobody in the community wanted them to move in and I began to wonder how streetwise city kids would adapt to the new lifestyle. Suddenly I thought, there is my slice of life in a community."[3] Bateman began outlining the storyline and set the serial in the fictional town of Summer Bay. While Seven Network executives were unconvinced by the idea, audience research was positive.[3] The soap opera was initially called Refuge, but the name was changed to the "friendlier" title of Home and Away once production began.[3]
When the show began in 1988, it focused on Tom Fletcher and his wife, Pippa.[4] They had four foster children, Frank Morgan, Carly Morris, Steven Matheson, Lyn Davenport, and an adopted daughter, Sally Fletcher. They soon fostered Bobby Simpson, a local tearaway, much to the annoyance of Donald Fisher. They bought the caravan park and quickly built strong friendships with the locals, Ailsa Stewart, Alf Stewart, and Neville and Floss McPhee.
Home and Away celebrated its 21st year in production with a celebration in Sydney on 23 July 2009.[5] The mayor of Sydney's Pittwater Council presented cast members with the key to Palm Beach, the filming location for the show.[5]
In preparation for the show's 25th anniversary, Seven's new digital channel 7Two began airing episodes from the very beginning. Channel 5 announced similar plans to celebrate the show's 25th anniversary by on showing on digital channel 5*, the best of certain classic episodes of the show (as voted for by viewers) showing 2 episodes a day from each year the series has been on air, beginning with the 1988 Pilot to the present.[6]
Characters [edit]
Former cast [edit]
Notable former cast members include Heath Ledger (Scott Irwin), Isla Fisher (Shannon Reed), Melissa George (Angel Parrish), Julian McMahon (Ben Lucini), Dannii Minogue (Emma Jackson), Chris Hemsworth (Kim Hyde) Simon Baker (James Healy), Guy Pearce (David Croft), Jason Clarke (Kick Johnson), Ryan Kwanten (Vinnie Patterson), Sharni Vinson (Cassie Turner) and Naomi Watts (Julie Gibson).[7] According to Kip Gamblin (Scott Hunter, 2003–2005), "the acting apprenticeship so many had received on the set of Home and Away had paved the way for their success."[7]
Production [edit]
All interiors for the show were taped at Seven Sydney's Epping studios until 2010. Following the closure of these studios in early 2010, episodes have been taped at the Australian Technology Park in Redfern. Exterior scenes are taped on location, mainly at Palm Beach, and at Fisherman's Beach, Collaroy in Sydney's Northern Beaches district. The show has filmed in Melbourne twice.[8]
Home and Away was filmed in video (PAL) from the pilot episode up until mid-2003 when it was changed to high-definition video, this now gives the show a film look even while watching in standard-definition. In 2007, Seven HD launched and the show was available to watch in full HD (1080i), although this practice ended on September 25, 2010 when Seven HD made way for 7mate.
Storylines [edit]
Home and Away has, over the years dealt with some very controversial issues over the years, whilst the show has had a number of light hearted or comical storyline there has also been a number of storylines concerned with more adult themes, including domestic violence, bullying (inside and outside of school), gambling addiction, teenage pregnancy, racism, sexualt assault, drug dependency, adultery, wrongful imprisonment, suicide, murder, incest and child abuse.
Broadcast and viewership [edit]
Australia [edit]
Home and Away is broadcast in Australia weeknights at 19:00 on the Seven Network. The show rates well and is often the highest rating programme in its time slot, usually receiving between 1 and 1.4 million viewers per episode (nightly).[9] The weeks episodes are repeated Sunday mornings around 06:00 on Seven's free-to-air digital channel, 7Two. The show airs for 46 weeks each year (except for occasions where worldwide events take priority such as the Australian Open). Each new season usually begins on the second Monday in January and the season finale usually airs on the last Friday of November. In Adelaide and Perth only, to make way for Seven's Friday night AFL coverage, a double episode is aired on Thursday nights at 7:00pm.
7Two began repeating the show in November 2009 from episode one, airing each weekday at 09:00. Episode 792 airs 28 January 2013. Prime7 previously repeated the show from the beginning in 1999 ceasing in 2002. Foxtel aired the show from the beginning on their now-defunct channel Fox Kids, and later on Fox Soap between 1996 and 1998.
International [edit]
France [edit]
The digital network NT1 commenced airing episodes on Monday, 4 September 2006. The series is titled Summer Bay in France. The show is currently on the 2007 season (season 20).
Belgium [edit]
The show has been showing in Flanders (northern Belgium, with Dutch language subtitles) since Kanaal Twee (VTM's commercial sister channel, renamed 2BE in 2008) opened in 1995. Episodes currently being shown aired 8 months earlier in Australia. The show originally aired once a day at 18:30 but since January 2008, airs twice a day; currently, each 25-minute episode first shows at 17:55 and is repeated the next day about 7:45 on VTM.
Ireland [edit]
In the Republic of Ireland, the national state broadcaster, RTÉ, has shown the programme since its inception – 1988. The show airs Monday to Friday at 1:25 pm on RTÉ One, repeating at 6:30 pm on RTÉ Two. A repeat of the weeks episodes airs on Saturday and Sunday on RTÉ Two. The show has consistently been RTÉ Two's most popular televised drama, regularly topping the ratings. Average ratings for the 6.30 pm screening on RTÉ Two are in the region of 250,000 viewers, with 130,000 for the RTÉ One 1:25 pm screening. Due to the UK's Channel 5 having the rights to premiere the show in Europe, RTÉ cannot screen episodes ahead of Channel 5. RTÉ are currently 22 episodes (4 weeks and 2 days) behind the Australian broadcast. Previous episodes of the show are available for Irish viewers to re-watch on the RTÉ Player.
New Zealand [edit]
In New Zealand, Home and Away airs weekdays at 17:30 on TV3. Currently, Home and Away episodes are screened one week after they air in Australia. The previous day's episode airs the following afternoon at 12:30, with the exception of Friday's episode, which airs the following Monday afternoon. That week's episodes are re-screened as an omnibus on Sunday mornings at 10:00. New Zealand began screening Home and Away in November 1989, coinciding with the launch of TV3. The show was dropped by TV3 in 1992 and picked up by TVNZ in 1993, initially screening weekday afternoons on TV1 later moving to TV2 screening at 5pm. TVNZ ceased screening Home and Away in 2002 and a week later the show was picked up again by TV3.
United Kingdom [edit]
Home and Away debuted on British television, on ITV, in most regions, on Saturday, 11 February 1989 (however, some showed the pilot episode a day later on Sunday, 12 February). It was broadcast on ITV for 11-and-a-half years, episodes 1–2840. The last ITV-broadcast episode aired on Thursday, 8 June 2000. At the time, ITV were nine episodes behind Australia, therefore there were regular breaks at Christmas and Easter. This continues with the Channel 5 broadcast.
After a delay in screening, Home and Away made its début on Channel 5 on Monday, 16 July 2001.[10] At this point, there were still 24 weeks worth of episodes from 2000 to air. In addition to this, the programme's end credits returned. The night before the first episode premiered on Channel 5 on Sunday, 15 July 2001, a new hour-long special recapped events from when screenings stopped, and previewed upcoming stories. Home and Away is one of Channel 5's highest rated shows.
Channel 5 are currently 20 episodes (4 weeks) behind the Australian Broadcast. 5* are currently 19 episode (3 weeks, 4 days) behind the Australian broadcast. Sky Living repeated Home and Away from 1999-2002 and Trouble from Summer 2002 - early 2003.
Norway [edit]
In Norway, the show airs on weekdays on TV2 at 16:00 till 17:00. The channel is currently airing episodes from 2011.
Lithuania [edit]
In Lithuania, the show airs every work day the best time before news on LNK until 2007 (from episode 1). Later on TV1. In 2011, it started on BTV (2005-2007 years seasons).
Greece [edit]
In Greece, the show is entitled 'Το σπίτι της καρδιάς μας' (The Home of our Hearts) and airs Monday to Friday at 16:00 on Skai TV. The show broadcasts in English with Greek subtitles. The first Greek episode was Australia's 3761–3762 episodes. It got cancelled due to low ratings four months after its premiere.
Estonia [edit]
In Estonia, the show is called "Kodus ja võõrsil" and it airs on weekdays on Kanal 2 at 17:30. The channel is currently airing episodes from 2012
Theme song [edit]
The theme's lyrics have remained the same since the pilot episode, but have been gradually reduced in length to keep newer versions of the song at a shorter length. The theme was released as a single in the UK in 1989 and peaked at No.73 on the UK single charts.[11]
The single track includes the opening and closing themes and an additional saxophone section. Since the launch of the 1995 version of the theme tune, extracts from the second verse of the full-length soundtrack have been used to close the show, as opposed to an edited version of the opening song which was used until this point. The theme was shortened in 1996, and again in 2004. John Holmes, executive producer of Home and Away, explained the erosion of theme music in 2007. He said: "That's been a casualty of the accelerated flow which is the abolition of opening credits and having our closing credits condensed to such an extent that they are put on the screen at the same time as we are promoting the next episode."[12]
The 2007–2008 theme was recorded by 20-year-old actor and musician Luke Dolahenty. Originally, Israel Cannan sang the theme in early 2007, but due to complaints from fans, Network Seven decided to re-record it, making it the shortest running theme song in the programme's history.
The Home and Away theme is also used as an instrumental underscore on special occasions. It was last used during Sally's final scene and was heard several times throughout the storyline (most notably Sally and Flynn's wedding). In the early years, it was used for commercial break bumpers.
In 2009, the show debuted with a revamped opening and closing theme; however, for timing reasons the lyrics have been shortened slightly and the tune now runs at 15 seconds. The theme has returned to a male/female duet, after eight years of male group/solo singers. As it is much shorter, the theme will once again play at the start of every episode. From June 2006 to November 2008, the opening titles were played occasionally, depending on the episodes' length. The theme is accompanied by the show's first set of cast-less opening titles. The design of the titles is that of a collage, made up from many pictures of Palm Beach, the location used as Summer Bay. The opening theme has not been played since the end of the 2009 season although the closing theme tune still remains for international viewers.
For the 6 second opening titles that have been in use since 2010, short versions of the theme have been in use:
In 2010, the 1988 opening notes which were used right at the very beginning of the theme tune. In 2011, another version of the music was introduced, this was a much more upbeat and more recognizable version of the opening notes of the 1988 theme. Mid 2012, saw a brand new arrangement of the opening music this time the "Closer Each, Home and Away" section of the theme is heard at the beginning.
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Controversies [edit]
Home and Away is one of the most complained about shows on Australian television. From 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006, there were 23 written complaints about the show as viewers thought it was inappropriate for it to be shown in its 19:00 timeslot. Home and Away was the 8th most complained about show on Australian television and was the only drama in the top ten complaint list.[13]
In March 2009, it was alleged that the Seven Network agreed to censor a scene with a lesbian kiss, after pressure from religious groups. This action was publicly condemned by several parties, including media commentator David Knox. Bevan Lee, Seven Network's Head of Creative Drama, later denied the censorship allegations, calling it a media beat up.[14][15]
In July 2009, former Home and Away actor Bryan Wiseman wrote in The Sunday Telegraph alleging a culture of drug and alcohol abuse among the younger members of the cast. The allegations followed incidents involving cast members Jodi Gordon and Lincoln Lewis. Lewis was "disciplined" by Channel Seven after it became public that he had filmed himself and a "starlet" engaged in a sexual act and then shown the film to Home and Away colleagues. Gordon and a male friend reported to police that they had seen, on a security camera, men armed with guns in the backyard of the friend's home. No men were found and the pair later admitted to police that they had consumed drugs during that day. No charges were laid.[16][17][18][19]
Merchandise [edit]
Books and magazines [edit]
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(official collector's edition)[23] |
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(official collector's edition)[24] |
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DVD, VHS & soundtracks [edit]
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(includes pilot episode) |
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Other [edit]
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Awards and nominations [edit]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Parker, Helen (22 August 2012). "Life's a beach: The real story behind soapie hit". Herald Sun (The Herald and Weekly Times). Retrieved 24 August 2012.
- ^ Mercado 2004, p.205.
- ^ a b c d e Mercado 2004, p.251.
- ^ a b c Rand, Hannah (25 January 2009). "Home and Away in LA". The Daily Telegraph (News Limited). Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- ^ a b Field, Katherine (23 July 2009). "Happy birthday for Home and Away". The Australian. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
- ^ "Home and Away UK summer break confirmed classic episodes to air". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. 21 June 2012.
- ^ a b Kent, Melissa (8 February 2009). "Cast and fans of Home and Away well on the way to belonging forever and ever". The Age (Australia). Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2012/06/home-away-films-in-melbourne.html
- ^ Ratings :TV Tonight
- ^ "Home and Away: Q&A". bbc.co.uk. 16 July 2001. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
- ^ "Home and Away single". www.chartstats.com. Retrieved 31 October 2007.
- ^ Elder, Bruce (5 November 2007). "Themes tuned out". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
- ^ "Home and Away tops complaint list". backtothebay.net. 6 March 2007. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ Meade, Amanda The Australian, 28 March 2009.
- ^ "Christian Taylor, www.samesame.com.au". samesame.com.au. Retrieved 2012-06-10.
- ^ Moran, Jonathon (26 July 2009). "Home and Away's culture of cocaine, sex". The Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
- ^ "Lincoln Lewis' sex tape was not as bad as having cancer, says mum". The Daily Telegraph. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
- ^ Ramachandran, Arjun (5 June 2009). "False report: Home and Away star Jodi Gordon off hook". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
- ^ Lawrence, Kara; Barrett, David (5 June 2009). "Jodi Gordon's bizarre police raid". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
- ^ "Home and Away: Hearts Divided / Leon F Saunders". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ "Home and Away 2: Dani on Trial". Google Books. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ "Home and away : Prisoner No. 2549971/ Leon Saunders". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
- ^ "Home and Away celebrates 21 years". Yahoo!7. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ "Celebrating 25 years". Yahoo!7. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
- ^ "Home and Away – Secrets and the City @ EzyDVD". Ezydvd.com.au. Retrieved 2012-06-10.
- Mercado, Andrew (2004). Super Aussie Soaps. Pluto Press Australia. ISBN 978-1-86403-191-1.
External links [edit]
- Official website
- Home and Away at Channel 5 (UK)
- Home and Away at RTÉ (Ireland)
- Home and Away at TV3 (New Zealand)
- Home and Away at the Internet Movie Database
- Back to the Bay
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- Australian television soap operas
- Seven Network shows
- Channel 5 (UK) television programmes
- 1988 Australian television series debuts
- 1980s Australian television series
- 1990s Australian television series
- 2000s Australian television series
- 2010s Australian television series
- English-language television series
- Television series shot in high-definition video
- Television shows set in New South Wales
