Home and Away
| Home and Away | |
|---|---|
| File:Home and Away Logo.jpg 2007 - present opening credits | |
| Genre | Soap opera |
| Created by | Alan Bateman |
| Country of origin |  Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 20 |
| No. of episodes | 4573 (as of 13th February 2008) |
| Production | |
| Running time | Approx 22 minutes per episode (excluding commercials) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Seven Network |
| Release | 17 January 1988 – present |
| Related | |
| Neighbours (1985 – present) | |
Home and Away (also commonly abbreviated in writing to H&A) is a Logie-winning soap opera that is produced in Sydney by the Seven Network since July 1987. It premiered on 17 January 1988 and is now one of the longest-running series on Australian television.
The show initially focused on the characters of Pippa and Tom Fletcher who ran the Summer Bay Caravan Park and lived there with a succession of foster children, but the show has expanded and now explores the lives of various characters of Summer Bay.
The success of Home and Away has caused the show to be broadcasted in many countries including United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland, Estonia, France, Norway, Sweden, Israel and many Asian countries.
Home and Away is the second most successful television series in Australian history having won 27 Logies since 1988. It sits behind A Country Practice, which won 30 Logie Awards. At the 2007 TV Week Logie Awards, Ray Meagher said that Home and Away is the most successful show the Seven Network has ever produced.
History
In 1985 the Seven Network axed the poorly-rating soap Neighbours[1], but they were unaware that Network Ten, a rival television network, was in talks with the production team to air the soap on their network in 1986.
When Neighbours returned to television on Network Ten in 1986, it initially attracted low ratings.[2] The Network worked hard to publicise Neighbours[3] and their hard work was paid off when its popularity grew, by the end of 1987 it was attracting high ratings in Australia.[4]In October 1986, Neighbours started to broadcast in the UK, where it began to attract strong viewing figures.
In late 1986, Network Seven's head of drama, Alan Bateman was tasked with creating a pilot for a soap opera that was in no way a copy of Neighbours. Bateman soon found his inspiration when he stopped in Kangaroo Point, New South Wales on a family outing. Chatting to locals, Bateman discovered that the townspeople were angered over the construction of a home for foster children from the city. Seeing the degree of conflict the plan for the new youth centre had produced within the community, Bateman recognised the drama that could be generated by this situation and began to develop it as the basis for the new soap opera.[5]
Storylines
The soap originally centered around Pippa Ross (Debra Lawrance) and foster children, right up until Pippa's departure in 1998. Notable foster children include Bobby Simpson (Nicolle Dickson), Sophie Simpson (Rebekah Elmaloglou), Carly Lucini (Sharyn Hodgson), Steven Matheson (Adam Willits), Shannon Reed (Isla Fisher), Justine Welles (Bree Desborough), and one of the longest-serving cast members, Kate Ritchie who has grown up on screen as Sally Fletcher. The Stewart family was also featured since the series' premiere. Town veteran Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher) lived in the bay with his daughter Roo Stewart (Justine Clark) and sisters Celia (Fiona Spence) and Morag (Cornelia Frances). He married Ailsa Hogan (Judy Nunn) in 1988 and this couple was a mainstay in the show up until Ailsa's death in 2000.
From 2000-2004 the show centered around the highly dramatic Sutherland family, who provided many storylines, including a mine shaft collapse, long-lost children, switched-at-birth babies, a sexual assault, criminal charges, and fake miscarriages. 2003 saw the emergance of the Hunter family and the eventual merging of these two families through the marriage marriage of Rhys Sutherland and Beth Hunter. Since the divorce of Rhys and Beth, the Sutherland-Hunter clan has seen it's numbers dwindle in the Bay; Matilda Hunter (Indiana Evans) is the sole remaining member.
In 2004, the show returned to its roots with Sally Fletcher and her now late husband Flynn Saunders (Joel McIlroy) fostering children, in a similar arc to how Pippa once fostered Sally herself. The fostered children included Alf's long-lost grandson Ric Dalby (Mark Furze) and orphan Cassie Turner (Sharni Vinson).
2005 saw Summer Bay in the clutches of the Summer Bay Stalker and Sally was later kidnapped by Zoe (aka Eve Jacobsen). Zoe was revealed to have a connection to Sarah Lewis, a psychopath who had years before shot and killed Summer Bay local Noah Lawson (Beau Brady) and then herself. Zoe later returned in 2006 to wreak havoc on Jack Holden (Paul O'Brien) and Martha Mackenzie's (Jodi Gordon) wedding, injuring many but was killed herself.
In early 2006, Flynn died from skin cancer, with Alf Stewart moving in to help run the Caravan Park. Sally later found love with Brad Armstrong (Chris Sadrinna). In the 2006 season finale she was stabbed; a culmination of Sally fostering a young teen, Rocco, whose family had connections to gangs and who pressured him to rid Sally from their lives. By the end of 2006, Jack and Martha had also separated.
As 2007 drew to a close, Dan Baker (Tim Campbell) departed Summer Bay, Brad Armstrong left Summer Bay for a teaching job in Tasmania along with his half-sister Tamsyn and her mother Heather McCabe, while Jack and his new love Sam were wed, despite there being unresolved feelings between Jack and Martha, his ex-wife. Meanwhile, Ric's relationship with Matilda was all but over after newcomer Viv Anderson, who successfully lured Ric from her, fell pregnant with Ric's child. Matilda found out at Jack and Sam's wedding, and told Ric to stay out of her life for good.
In 2008, long-time resident Sally Fletcher will depart Summer Bay with daughter Pippa. Lucas leaves to go to university, whereas Sharni Vinson will also be departing the series as Cassie, though how she departs remains to be known. Villian Johnny Cooper returns to get revenge on th Sally and Ric, whilst the latter struggles to cope after his ex, Matilda, chooses to be with classmate Aden Jeffries instead of him, leading to his departure. Floss McPhee will return to live in the Bay. Also, Sam Holden will be murdered, Two new girls both receive the attraction of Geoff, forming a love triangle and Amanda Baker (Holly Brisley) returning with Martin Bartlett (Bob Baines) taking on Sally's job at Summer Bay High School from February 2008. Finally, Lots of new characters will be introduced into the show due to the amount departing this year. Also Sally Fletcher's foster dad Tom Fletcher will return from the dead in February 2008.
Cast
Credited cast
| Actor | Character | Years in Show |
|---|---|---|
| Kate Ritchie | Sally Fletcher | 1988 - 2008 |
| Ray Meagher | Alf Stewart | 1988 - Present |
| Lynne McGranger | Irene Roberts | 1992 - Present |
| Lyn Collingwood | Colleen Smart | 1988 - 1989, 1997, 1999 - Present |
| Ada Nicodemou | Leah Patterson-Baker | 2000 - Present |
| Indiana Evans | Matilda Hunter | 2004 - Present |
| Mark Furze | Ric Dalby | 2004 - Present |
| Sharni Vinson | Cassie Turner | 2005 - 2008 |
| Jodi Gordon | Martha MacKenzie | 2005 - Present |
| Todd Lasance | Aden Jefferies | 2005, 2007 - Present |
| Jon Sivewright | Tony Holden | 2005 - Present |
| Paul O'Brien | Jack Holden | 2005 - Present |
| Rhys Wakefield | Lucas Holden | 2005 - 2008 |
| Amy Matthews | Dr. Rachel Armstrong | 2006 - Present |
| Jessica Tovey | Belle Taylor | 2006 - Present |
| Bobby Morley | Drew Curtis | 2006 - Present |
| Charlotte Best | Annie Campbell | 2007 - Present |
| Lincoln Lewis | Geoff Campbell | 2007 - Present |
| Conrad Coleby | Roman Harris | 2007 - Present |
| Josh Quong Tart | Miles Copeland | 2007 - Present |
| Bob Baines | Martin Bartlett | 2008 - Present |
Recurring cast members
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Jessica Chapnik | Sam Holden |
| Felix Dean | V. J. Patterson |
| Cornelia Frances | Morag Bellingham |
| Rebecca George | Const. Lara Fitzgerald |
| Lisa Hayson-Phillips | Nurse Julie Cooper |
| Kim Knuckley | Sgt. Darren McGrath |
| Chloe Marshall | Pippa Saunders |
| Callan Mulvey | Johnny Cooper |
| Sam North | Dom Moran |
| Jack Richard | Rory Tolhurst |
| Paul Tassone | Rev. John Hall |
Upcoming
| Actor | Character | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Roger Oakley | Tom Fletcher | Returns 18 February 2008 |
| Debra Lawrance | Pippa Ross | Returns February 2008 |
| Holly Brisley | Amanda Vale | Returns 26 February 2008 |
| Rachel Gordon | Jazz Curtis | Returns 26 February 2008 |
| Sheila Kennelly | Floss McPhee | Returns April 2008 |
| Celeste Dodwell | Melissa | Debuts April 2008 |
| Victoria Thaine | Kat Fields | Debuts May 2008 |
| Matthew Newton | Russell O'Toole | Debuts May 2008 |
| Brittany Byrnes | Bailey Dalton | Debuts June 2008 |
| Sam Atwell | Kane Phillips | Returns June 2008 |
| Christie Hayes | Kirsty Phillips | Returns June 2008 |
Departing
| Actor | Character | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Rhys Wakefield | Lucas Holden | Departs 14 February 2008 |
| Jessica Chapnik | Sam Holden | Departs March 2008 |
| Jack Richard | Rory Tolhurst | Departs March 2008 |
| Kate Ritchie | Sally Fletcher | Departs April 2008 |
| Chloe Marshall | Pippa Saunders | Departs April 2008 |
| Sharni Vinson | Cassie Turner | Departs April 2008 |
Deceased cast members
| Actor | Role | Duration | Year of death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megan Connolly | Rebecca Nash | 1998 (temporary recast) | 2001 |
| Gwen Plumb | Doris Peters | 1988 (guest) | 2002 |
| Belinda Emmett | Rebecca Nash | 1996-1999 | 2006 |
| Richard Morgan | Donahue | 1989 (guest) | 2006 |
| Heath Ledger | Scott Irwin | 1997 (guest) | 2008 |
Production and broadcast schedule
The show is filmed five days a week for 46 weeks of the year. The crew is given a four week holiday at Christmas and a two week break for recuperation mid-year. There are an average of eight weeks between shooting and airing the program. All interiors for the show are filmed at Seven Sydney's Epping studios. The exterior scenes are filmed on location mainly at Palm Beach and at Fisherman's Beach, Collaroy in Sydney's Northern Beaches region.
Home and Away is broadcast in Australia on weekdays at 7:00 p.m. The show airs for 46 weeks each year (except for occasions where worldwide events take priority such as the Olympic Games). Each new season usually begins on the second Monday in January, and the season finale airs on the last Friday of the [[Australian <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="television%20ratings" onmouseover="window.status='television ratings'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=; return true;">television ratings</a>|ratings period]], at the end of November (the 2006 season started and finished one week later than this schedule). The 2008 season will begin in the last week in January, on January 28 with episode 4561.
The show rates very well in its time slot, receiving between 1.1 and 1.5 million viewers per episode.
Home and Away in the UK will commence airing the new season on 3 March 2008 on Five. Five normally gets through each season in 46 weeks, but the 2007 season has taken 50 weeks to get through, due to some abnormal patterns in the schedule. I.e. Taking it off twice in May and once in August for Bank holiday's. Then taking it off for 7 days over the Christmas period. Prior to 2007, Home and Away has been airing over Christmas and New Year in the UK during its run on Five.
Five restarted airing episodes on January 2 2008 with a repeat of the episode that had aired on December 21 2007.
When Neighbours starts on Five on February 11 2008, Home and Away will be shown at 2:15pm and 6:00pm.
- IMPORTANT NOTICE*- Thanks to Neighbours move to Five, the Home and away repeat slot will now move to the 6pm show with the episode having aired previously at 2.15pm that day. This will come into effect on 11 February and will now also mean that the Five Life 5.30pm slot will be removed permanently for the foreseeable future. The last episode to be repeated will be 4544 on 8 February at 12.00noon. Otherwise, all episodes will be repeated with the normal omnibus at the normal time every week but will be airing against Neighbours Saturday Five Omnibus who will have 2 showings of it's omnibus compared to Home and away's one on Saturday.
The new episodes will air on 4th February, 2007, but because the episodes ended last season earlier, so the actual 2007 finale of Home And Away has not been aired yet to keep track that NZ is about 6 weeks behind Australia. So when it is back on air on 5:30pm (with replays on 10:30am the following morning, and a week's worth of omnibus from 10:15am on Sunday), the story will pick up from aftermath of when Tam was drugged by Aden.
Theme song
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 #73 on the UK single charts. [6] 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.
- Version 1: Mark Williams and Karen Boddington (1988-1995)
- Version 2: Doug Williams and Erana Clark (1995-1999)
- Version 3: The Robertson Brothers (2000-2003)
- Version 4: The Robertson Brothers (2004-2006)
- Version 5: Israel Cannan (2007)
- Version 6: Luke Dolahenty (2007-)
The current 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 program history. Complaints about the current recording are also surfacing. This has forced the network to re-think the situation completely. No confirmation regarding the theme has thus far been announced.
Awards and accolades
Home and Away has been nominated for, and won numerous awards throughout its twenty year broadcast history. Most notably, the show has won 27 Logie Awards.
References
- ^ "Home and Away". tvweek.ninemsn.com.au. Retrieved October 31 2007.
- ^ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 208
- ^ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 208-9
- ^ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN 1-86403-191-3 p 231
- ^ "Home and Away". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved December 8, 2007.
- ^ "Home And Away single". www.chartstats.com. Retrieved October 31 2007.