Home and Away
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Home and Away | |
|---|---|
| Image:Home and Away Logo.gif Opening Title Screen </small> | |
| Genre | Soap opera |
| Picture format | 16:9 HD |
| Running time | approx 0:22 |
| Creator(s) | Alan Bateman |
| Starring | See Cast below |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original channel | Seven Network |
| Original run | 17 January 1988–Present |
| No. of episodes | 4330 (as of December 1 2006) |
| IMDb profile | |
Home and Away is an Australian weeknightly half-hour television soap opera produced in Sydney by the Seven Network since January 1988. It is broadcast on the Seven Network and its affiliates in Australia and is exported to many countries, most notably the United Kingdom, where it briefly became the subject of a bidding war between ITV and Five which Five won. The show has more overall viewers in the larger UK market than it has in its home market, but a higher proportion of viewers in Australia, due to Australia's smaller population. The shift in the UK from ITV to Five damaged its ratings; contract obligations kept it off air in the UK for a year and the smaller audience share five has is believed to contribute to the show achieving ratings significantly lower than those it enjoyed on ITV. Its UK ratings are significantly lower than those of Neighbours on BBC One, both shows are shown twice every weekday. Five funds more than half of the production costs, and it is officially Five's second highest rated show.
Contents |
[edit] History
Home and Away was created by the Seven Network's then Head of Drama, Alan Bateman in the late 1980s. A telemovie pilot episode was filmed in 1987 and aired in January 1988. Ratings were low in the beginning but soon improved and gradually the show's popularity grew. The original series of Home and Away focused primarily on Pippa and Tom who ran the Summer Bay Caravan Park and lived there with a succession of foster children, but eventually the show's focus broadened to focus on the lives and loves of the inhabitants of the rest of Summer Bay. Next year in 2007 Home and Away will celebrate its 20th year.
[edit] Cast
See main articles:
[edit] Current cast members
| Actor | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Bishop | Peter Baker | 2004-2005, 2006- |
| Holly Brisley | Amanda Vale | 2005- |
| Tim Campbell | Dan Baker | 2004- |
| Lyn Collingwood | Colleen Smart | 1988-1989, 1997, 1999- |
| Indiana Evans | Matilda Hunter | 2004- |
| Mark Furze | Ric Dalby | 2004- |
| Jodi Gordon | Martha Mackenzie Holden | 2005- |
| Chris Hemsworth | Kim Hyde | 2004- |
| Clarissa House | Beth Hunter | 2003- |
| Amy Mathews | Dr. Rachel Armstrong | 2006- |
| Lynne McGranger | Irene Roberts | 1992- |
| Ray Meagher | Alf Stewart | 1988- |
| Bobby Morley | Drew Curtis | 2006- |
| Ada Nicodemou | Leah Patterson Baker | 2000- |
| Paul O'Brien | Jack Holden | 2005- |
| Kate Ritchie | Sally Fletcher | 1988- |
| Chris Sadrinna | Brad Armstrong | 2006- |
| Jon Sivewright | Tony Holden | 2005- |
| Jessica Tovey | Belle Taylor | 2006- |
| Rhys Wakefield | Lucas Holden | 2005- |
[edit] Recurring cast members
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Cornelia Frances | Morag Bellingham |
| Peter Vroom | Lance Smart |
| Ben Geurens | Ash Nader |
| Lotte St. Clair | Rianna Nader |
| Jessica Chapnick | Samantha Tolhurst |
| Ian Meadows | Rocco Cooper |
| Callan Mulvey | Johnny Cooper |
| Amy Mizzi | Kit Hunter |
| Isaac Gorman | Ryan Baker |
| Ed Wills | Rory Tolhurst |
| Cooper Scott | VJ Patterson |
[edit] Deceased cast members
Belinda Emmett, who played Rebecca Fisher/Nash from 1996 until 1999, died of cancer on 11 November 2006. When Emmett temporarily left the show in 1998 for cancer treatment, the role was recast, with actor Megan Connolly assuming the role. Connolly is also deceased, having died of a heroin overdose in 2001.
[edit] Locations
Aside from the residents' houses Summer Bay has several well-known locations including:
The Surf Club - As with many real life Australian beaches Summer Bay has its own Surf and Lifesaving Centre. Over the years as well as serving its purpose as a centre for sea and land rescues it has been a place for the young people of the Bay to relax and socialise. Town meetings are often held in the Surf Club. It has also been used as a polling station and a private party/formal venue and has housed various food outlets. Several characters have been trained as lifeguards over the years and surf competitions take place occasionally.
Noah's Bar - Located in and joined to the Surf Club. Originally intended to be a business venture between newly-weds Noah Lawson and Hayley Lawson the bar was renamed after Noah's tragic death and changed hands after Hayley's move to France with Scott Hunter. The only known licensed premises regularly shown on the show, it is also used for private functions. Beth, Alf and Martha run the bar.
Summer Bay Super Bods - The gym is also located next to the Surf Club. Currently owned by Amanda Vale, and run by Tony Holden. Previous employees include Jesse McGregor, Hayley Lawson and Kim Hyde.
The Beachside Diner - More commonly known simply as The Diner. Previously owned by Alf Stewart and his wife Ailsa Stewart, currently by Leah Patterson-Baker and Irene Roberts, although Alf still owns half the building, with Leah owning the other half. It was gutted by fire in the late-1990s and had to move location. Above is a two-bedroomed flat. The Diner is the first port of call for any residents of the Bay who wish to have a "chocy milkshake", laid-back dinner or take-away.
Summer Bay High - The local co-ed high school. It is also used as a shelter in extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes and has been the scene of a hostage situation. Most of the younger characters attend the school, and many of the adult characters have worked there including Donald Fisher, Sally Fletcher, Irene Roberts, Amanda Vale, Tony Holden and Noah Lawson.
The Beach - The beach is an important part of the Bay and several major storylines have revolved around it. It is the main outdoor location, often used for casual encounters between characters. It also serves to showcase the looks of the cast, who are often seen wearing beachwear. There is a small salt-water swimming pool at one end of the beach which is used occasionally.
The Police Station - Since the Zoe McAllistar saga began Summer Bay Police Station has been an increasingly popular setting for scenes. Two current major characters work at the station, Dectective Peter Baker and PC Jack Holden. Other police officials are reccuring characters (PC Lara Fitzgerald, PC Ashton Nader, Detective Ken Harper and Senior Constable Darren McGrath) and regular viewers will know of their simple but recognisable characteristics i.e. good cop, bad cop.
[edit] Production & 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. A normal shooting day is 7:00am to 6:00pm, but can go later if shooting goes over time. There are 3 to 4 months between shooting and airing the program. The interior shots are filmed at a permanent set for the show in Seven Sydney's Epping studio. The exterior scenes are filmed on location at Palm Beach and at Long Reef Beach in Sydney's Northern Beaches region. Filming normally takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays here.
[edit] Australian broadcast
Home And Away is broadcast in Australia on weekdays at 7:00pm. The show airs for 46 weeks each year (except for occasions where worldwide events take priority such as tennis and Olympic Games). Each new season begins on the second Monday in January (an exception to this was the 2006 season where it returned on the third Monday), and the season finale airs on the last Friday of the ratings period (usually the last Friday in November, although this will not be the case in 2006 as it will be aired on the first Friday of December). The show rates very well in its timeslot, receiving between 1.1 and 1.5 million viewers per episode. The show's main rival is Temptation on the Nine Network, which often comes first in this timeslot. In this timeslot Network Ten screens, at various times of the year, programs such as the Big Brother Australia Daily Show, The Biggest Loser, or repeats of The Simpsons, which usually come third in ratings behind networks Seven and Nine.
During the broadcast there are three ad-breaks and immediately following the broadcast of each episode is a short promotional trailer for the next episode.
Repeat episodes of the series were broadcast between 1999 and 2002, with a one-year break in 2000. The first 623 episodes (except for Episode 469, which was overlooked when Seven were showing the tennis in September 2001) were shown in this run, before it was taken off in May 2002, and so far has never returned.
[edit] International broadcasts
As of 2006, in the UK, the show is broadcast weekdays at 6:00pm, (repeated 12.00pm the following weekday) on Five. In accordance with European Union regulations for shows of this time-length, only one ad break is inserted into the programme at approximately the halfway point. An omnibus edition aired on Saturday mornings when that week's episodes were all repeated. As of October 2005, there has been no airing of the omnibus, however Five will re-broadcast omnibus editions from October this year on its new digital channel Five Life. In addition to this there will be episodes that have not yet been aired on Five.
Home And Away was first shown on Five on Monday, July 16, 2001. At this stage, it found itself 50 weeks (250 episodes) behind Australia. Due to the breaks in transmission in Australia, it has been catching up in the UK ever since and is currently only 17 weeks behind. By the time the programme returns from its six-week break in Australia on Monday, January 15, 2007, UK viewers will only be 11 weeks behind.
Providing transmission patterns stay the same, on Monday, January 14, 2008, UK viewers will only be five weeks behind, and then only three weeks behind following the two-week break in transmission on Seven later that year for the Olympic Games. Providing there are no gaps in transmission in the UK, Five viewers would have completely caught up with Australian viewers exactly midway through the six-week break on the Seven Network in December 2008.
In New Zealand, the show used to be broadcast on TV 2 but now screens on TV3 on weekdays at 5:30pm, (repeated 10:30am on weekdays and an omnibus airs on Sundays at 10:15am). 1997 episodes were briefly shown on Prime TV at 3:30pm weekdays.
In Ireland the show is broadcast weekdays at 1:25pm on RTÉ One and repeated at 6:30pm on RTÉ Two regularly getting into the top 5 ratings for that week. It is approximately six months behind Australia.
Estonia is quite behind various other countries. Currently episodes from 2002 are shown on Kanal 2 every weekday at 6:30pm. In summertime (June-August), two episodes are shown instead of one.
Other countries that broadcast Home And Away include: Belgium on Kanaal Twee; Denmark; Iceland; Israel; Lithuania; Norway; Poland; Serbia; South Africa; Sweden; France.
The series is also broadcast in the following countries via the Australia Network: American Samoa; Cambodia; Cook Islands; East Timor; Federated States of Micronesia; Fiji; French Polynesia; Guam; Hong Kong; India; Indonesia; Japan; Kiribati; Laos; Macau; Malaysia; Maldives; Marshall Islands; Mongolia; Niue; Northern Mariana Islands; Pakistan; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Samoa; Singapore; Solomon Islands; South Korea; Sri Lanka; Taiwan; Thailand; Tonga; Vanuatu; Vietnam.
[edit] Popularity
Home and Away has seen a resurgence in popularity since 2003, beginning with the Angela Russell storyline. "The Summer Bay Stalker" storyline in 2005 was also another storyline that was wildly successful, attracting many new viewers to the show. Recently season finales have become more tragic and exciting therefore attracting a larger audience. The show also started airing more risky material in 2006 with storylines including drug use, violence and family love triangles, which proved to be popular with audience and a few times pushed the show which is normally rated G into a PG rating.
The show has often broken in to the weekly top ten most watched shows in Australia according to OzTam. The success of the show was seen at the Logie Awards of 2006 with the soap's actors winning many awards and Home and Away winning the award for outstanding Australian drama series.
The 2006 season final aired December 1, 2006 and attracted a total audience of 1,220,000 making it the fifth most watched show in Australia on the day and the most watched soap on the day.[1]. The week
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Official
Fan Sites
