The end of an era (and guilty pleasures)
We all have our guilty pleasures (don’t we?). Maybe you’re a serious music fan, but have a secret stash of Shakira songs on your ipod, or maybe your main choice of reading is modern literature but if we were to check your library card you have taken out a few Sheila
O Flanagan novels. Well my guilty pleasure for the last 20 years has been Home and Away.
I was 7 when it started on Network 2, I saw that first episode and I’ve been watching religiously since. Except for a brief period in college where I thought I was above such frivolous things. But I came crawling back to Summer Bay soon after I finished college and managed to catch up on 4 years worth by reading Sally’s Blog (although it was called Sally’s Diary at the time and now it’s called Leah’s Blog).
Kate Ritchie took up the roll of Sally (what you could call the main character) at 8 years old and was in that first episode that got me hooked. Given that I was 7 and Kate/Sally was 8 at the time, I’ve always had someone to identify with (at least in terms of age) on the show so you could say I’ve grown up with Kate/Sally. It didn’t help that as a child my grandmother used to always say that I was like Sally (although now I’m beginning to think that means I am short and stocky which is not as much of a compliment as I had thought 
)
Photo of Sally at 8 years old from Seven
So when Kate announced last year that she was leaving the show I decided that maybe it was time for me to give up my guilty pleasure. I figured if she could leave after 20 years then so could I. I’ll be honest, I’ve been able to predict what will happen in the show even before I read the spoilers for ages now and I’m not sure I can stomach the new “group” and it’s so obvious that Miles will end up with Leah and I’m annoyed that nobody has mentioned that Leah’s “hang-out” idea is not a new one, Shelly set one up years ago called the Drop-In centre and it brought us characters like Flynn and Noah. So the decision was made that Kate’s last episode would also be my last episode.
I have to admit also, I was starting to become embarassed when people would ask me to meet them for lunch and I’d turn them down because I was rushing home to catch the lunchtime episode of H&A. On the days that I missed the lunchtime episode, I’d be even more embarassed as I’d have to ask my Significant Other to switch over from the News to catch up on the day’s happenings in the Bay.
So the moral of the story is, it’s time to grow up.
Photo of Sally/Kate before she left the show from Seven
Today, Kate/Sally’s last episode was aired on RTE 1 at 1.20, I’m not ashamed (well maybe a little bit) to say that I was in bits. I was even late back to work because I had to go wash my face and re-do my make-up.
So that’s it, no more lunch time TV, now I can go meet people or do some shopping and no more checking out Home and Away Ireland or the Seven Website. It really is the end of an era.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Ah Maz, janey! What will you do now?
Some things I think are better let go. Personally when Floss and Neville left it was time to start moving on, but then the whole Shane/Angel thing and Ailsa’s gost just finally did it for me.
Is Alf still in it and whatever happened to Don Fletcher?
May 14th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Aw Maz!
Hope you’re ok!
May 14th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
My boss just brought me an orange split, i’ve forgotten all about it, such a kid!!
May 14th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Darragh, Alf is still in it, he has acquired some new grandchildren to add to the cast and Don Flathead Fisher left the bay a few years ago to live with June the new woman in his life. He came back for a few weeks last year but wasn’t able to keep up with technology.
Oh and Floss was in the last few episodes she got a feeling that she should come back to the bay just before sally left.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Ah now, don’t stop watching, just join us at http://www.homeandawayireland.com for the chats! Looking forward to the episode this evening!
Here is more Sally reminiscing if you’re after it: http://backtothebay.net/sally/
May 14th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Thanks Ailsa, will be youtubing old episodes of H&A, some of the ones I missed while I was in college are up there, lots of will and dani episodes to catch up on. I’ll definitely check out that Sally stuff too. Thanks.
May 14th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I wasn’t allowed watch Home & Away because the News was on - God forbid they’d miss the weather or something, but I used to be able to watch the last 15 minutes on a Thursday because Garda Patrol was on and they didn’t mind missing that.
May 14th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Yeah the youtubing is great - you won’t have to refuse any more lunch dates!
May 14th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I watched around the time that Dannii Minogue was in it and there was a character called Viv who had been locked under the stairs with her sister by her evil religious father or something. Honestly, when Lance and Martin left I pretty gave up as the humour element was gone. And changing Pippa was unforgivable. What is this - Dallas?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Ailsa, I can’t wait to potter around town tomorrow at lunch time.
Dan, with hindsight changing pippa was a great idea, the new pippa was much more maternal, the old one was a bit too cool. Lance’s mother has been in H&A all the time, Coleen the village gossip. For some reason I don’t remember Viv under the stairs, better get onto youtube
May 15th, 2008 at 6:29 am
Well done you, a mine of useful (to somebody) information… enjoy the freedom!
May 15th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Luv, did you never hear of sky+? Seriously it broke my heart reading about this. How many years have you been dining alone to watch this trash? I’m glad, for your sake, that Sally is dead.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Awwwwwww poor you! Gave up home and away a good few years ago, although I have to admit I paid a little visit to Summer Bay when I was in Oz
May 15th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Maureen, I don’t have sky there’s enough “trash” on the free to air channels without having to shell out rediculous money for more of it.
Mary T, it was a long time coming but it’s for the best
Yeah, I remember you telling me about that, I also remember being pretty excited about it, I’d still go there if I was ever in Oz.
May 15th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I have not watched in years! Did she die or did she go to live in Yabby Creek? Please let me know I want to know what happened to her. I’m getting all nostalgic now!
May 15th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Laura, you’ll be glad to know she didn’t die or move to Yabby Creek. She left to go travelling with Pippa (her daughter) and Cassie (a pregnant and HIV positive foster child) She’s leaving all her stuff af Pippa’s (her adopted mother - in “the city” I think) so I guess she’ll be “living” there when she comes back.
Oh and before she left she signed over half the house to Milco (who turned out to be her long lost twin brother not just an imaginary friend after all) bet you’re really nostalgic now, you can read in more (and less cynical) detail on the websites I mentioned above.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Ou, good luck giving it up, I stopped watching a few years back,but then got hooked again. It’s so easy to get back in touch with all the charachters and every episode leaves you wanting more. So much so, that I watched all of the Australian episodes!
May 16th, 2008 at 11:31 am
End of an era, eh?
Nice to know that they didn’t kill Sally off and gave her a happier ending
May 16th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Thanks Maz! I hod forgotten about “the city” and Milco. You brought it all flooding back. I am addicted to those websites now!!!!I think I might take it up again after all these years!
May 16th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Victoria, it is so easy to get back into it, if Sally ever comes back into it, I might watch it again…you\’d never know!
Jen, yeah it was a really nice ending for her, especially bringing Milco into it.
Laura, don\’t do it, it\’s not what it used to be. The beginnings of the \”new group\” aren\’t half the characters of the last few groups. The Rick, Mattie, Belle, Drew, Cassie, Lucas group was great but they are either \”gone to the city\” or too old to have any worthwhile storylines.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
i bet you will be sorry you stoped watching
May 19th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
No Mother I wont, remember at Christmas when I said I was giving up Eastenders, Corrie and Fair City - I didn’t regret that!! Remember having to rush home from Ballybunion for H&A….ah the memories.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:29 pm
watch the new episodes on youtube, loads of people in australia place them up as soon as they air in Oz, although RTE are not far behind the aussies, about 30 episodes or so I think. It’s gets a primetime slot over there and some episodes are shown after 8, because of “adult themes”…
It really is a lot better than people give it credit for. I’m really loving the Roman-Jack-Martha storyline at the moment, that should be Good!!