The Seven Network has censored a same sex kiss in its soapie Home and Away.
A scene involving a kiss between Joey (Kate Bell) and Charlie (Esther Anderson) has been censored following media stories with lobby groups criticising the storyline in a ‘family’ show.
The plotline involves the arrival of a young lesbian who has become attracted to one of the show’s regular characters. As the two grow more intimate they were set to share an on-screen kiss. In last night’s episode (pictured) the two girls finished a dance with an awkward and hesitant moment before Charlie made a quick exit.
After media stories and criticism by lobby groups, Seven diminished the intensity of the romance between the two.
Seven has itself contributed to the media storm, which even led to UK press stories, first by talking to media about the upcoming plot and including debate on the subject in Today Tonight -the show that precedes the soap.
There is even the suggestion that the show has lost 100,000 viewers since the lesbian story became news.
The show’s average audience this year has been:
Week 7: 1,123,000
Week 8: 1,094,000
Week 9: 1,192,000
Week 10: 1,136,000
Week 11: 1,092,000 / (“Lesbian Story” breaks in media)
Week 12: 1,090,000
Week 13: 1,080,000
PG television allows for adult themes with limitations. A soap can depict romance as either heterosexual or homosexual. Seven fell within the boundaries of the PG ruling to include a same-sex kiss, just as it has kisses by straight characters.
The media outcry has been self-serving, with network and lobby groups each pushing their own agendas.
Family groups who attacked the storyline also did so purely on the promise of upcoming plotlines. They had not viewed the footage. Generally speaking, Seven doesn’t send previews of Home and Away.
The irony is Australia was the first country in the world to have an ongoing, sympathetic, openly gay character in Number 96 in the ’70s. Since then gay and bisexual characters have appeared on numerous soaps including Prisoner, Sons and Daughters, Pacific Drive, Water Rats, GP, Sweat, Raw FM, Breakers, The Secret Life of Us, All Saints, Rush, Love My Way, Satisfaction, The Circuit.
While not all PG representations include scenes of romance, even Neighbours covered the same terrain as Home and Away in 2004 when Lana (Bridget Neval) was attracted to Sky (Stephanie McIntosh). That aired at 6:30pm. It had gay characters as far back as 1994 when Macca (John Morris) was a builder who worked with Doug Willis (Terence Donovan).
Out of the Blue is currently screening on TEN at 5:30pm with lesbians without any fuss. Poppy and Peta are wildly in love, however out of nowhere, Peta’s husband has turned up. Peta married him before she came out, and they’ve never been divorced.
All those ‘outraged’ by the present storyline have forgotten Home and Away itself has had gay characters. In 2003 Pippa and Christopher returned in 2003 for Sally’s wedding and revealed that Christopher was gay. A kiss was averted at the time during a non-mutual attraction. Back in 2006 Eve fell in love with Sarah Lewis which jealousy led to her becoming the notorious ‘Summer Bay Stalker’. Shannon (Isla Fisher) also left Summer Bay with her older lover Mandy.
In Reality Television diverse contestants are celebrated for their individuality: So You Think You Can Dance Australia, Big Brother, The Block, Australia’s Got Talent, Dancing with the Stars, Strictly Dancing, Australian Idol amongst others.
Two same sex parents appeared years ago on Play School.
There is also a question of the H&A storyline choosing to include an attraction with a character who had previously enjoyed heterosexual storylines. Seven did not respond to questions about whether Charlie was therefore a bisexual character from the start, let alone how she is perceived by writers now.
Former Home and Away script producer Coral Drouyn has previously told backtothebay.net: “Home & Away should have a gay character. I tried several times but it ended up a debacle. It won’t happen while the present hierarchy is in place. I have found on various shows but especially H&A, often the most vehemently opposed person to a gay character is a gay person. Not from homophobia…but simply from fear of ratings.”
Ironically there are gays and lesbians workingin the Free to Air and Pay TV industry as writers, actors, directors, producers, publicists, executives and even programmers.
This smells more and more of a TV ‘gay panic’, with everyone getting last-minute nerves: the network, advertisers, lobby groups.
The missing ingredient in the decision making process is the audience.
Source: The Australian
I honestly don’t think that Lesbians kissing is inappropriate for a show like this. Teenagers watch this, and I think drugs is bad for the show, since having them is actually a bad thing, but censoring this is just beyond rediculous. Too bad if homophobes or ignorant gay haters don’t like it- It’s life! I mean, what about years ago when the character Kane raped Dani Sutherland? And you’re telling me that’s something teenagers should hear about rather than Lesbians? I also don’t understand why it has lost viewers. For a gay person to see something like this, and I believe there are gay teengagers who watch this show, is very comfortable for them. I mean, what about black people? I’m sure black people would want to see their own kind on the show when they watch it, and that’s fine with viewers. I’m not seeing filtering inappropriate things here, I’m seeing ignorance over something that is normal. That’s right, being Lesbian or gay is totally normal. Homosexual people have as much right as hetorsexual people have to be seen on tv, despite what homophobic people think. Wake up channel 7. We live in a world with all different people.
I dont think shows aimed at children and adolescents alike should be promoting or advocating homosexuality or casual sex of any form, hetro or homosexual. Im 28, when i was an adolescent people my age kissed and at most fondled over the clothes…anyone that did more outside a longlasting relationship was deemed a slapper or hoar….People valued each other more and there was respect for each other…Since then the media has been selling sex to children continuously and well..dont know bout your country but in mine its resulted in increased levels of casual sex, unwanted pregnancy and a rise in sexual diseases,….all because kids havee to live up to their role models…and the have to live like their actors becaus after all..that is how people carry on…they think!
I have seena case of a quite guy who was 100% hetro sexual and now says he’s gay to his female friends…yet neither they nor me believe it to be the case..he’s quite and feels he must say he is to get attention…after all the perception is hes more open minded and acceptable than the ordinary hetrosexual!….a token…
Heey I loveeeee Home and Away
Hot lesbians are bad for ratings? Since when?!
See earlier comments. Think you will find it is now an edited kiss.
Guys, the rumors are not true this website confirms that they are still going ahead with it as planned lol….it would’ve made no sense that the Freya and Nicole kiss aired and not this….
Sooooo rape, substance abuse, arson and the like are perfectly fine for family viewing?
Hypocrisy at its best.
God I hate family groups. Who says being hetrosexual is the ‘norm’. I know of people with homosexual parents, are they not considered a fmaily just because there are 2 mum’s or 2 dad’s?
Home and Away is a show many young people watch, and it should be allowed to deal with circumstances that arise in everyday society.
Or is the Family group trying to breed a whole new generation of homophobes…..
Seven and the producers of H&A need to grow some balls and tackle this storyline without having to censor an already tame PG rated programme.
This whole debacle is honestly one of the most pathetic stories going around at the moment. In this day and age, it really should not matter if a character is gay or straight, or bi-sexual or is experimenting with their sexuality.
And with the show being shot in Sydney, one of the biggest gay captials on the planet its really ignorant by the family council.
It stuns me how many so called liberal minded people are mouthing off here without any idea of what has actually been done to the “offending” scene. They’re as bad as the conservatives, who are going on about the damaging potential of the story to young minds without any knowledge of what it contains. I repeat what I did in my earlier post, this story has been beautifully handled until now and it stuns me that so many people. who from the tone of their posts have seen none of what the program makers have done with the story so far, assume they are in such a position to judge the choices made. Broad minded posters please, in your zeal to champion liberality, don’t repeat the mistake of the closed minded conservatives of judging without giving a fair go. On all the evidence of how the story has been handled so far, I expect to be pleasantly surprised when I watch on Tuesday. And anyone who is only watching on Tuesday night for the lesbian kiss, all I can say is Puh-lease. This kiss will work or not in the context of the whole gentle, lovely story. You cannot judge it either way if you come for a single moment of girl on girl lip lock. If that’s your thing, go hire a porn.
Spineless move by Seven.
Pathetic show.
Pathetic network.
Pressured not into equality but prejudice.
This is all so strange as Christian said, Neighbours have shown it fine (there was some outrage I recall from some with the first time, but the latter times once it had already been done, things were fine).
Home & Away get your asses into gear! I was thinking of tuning in to watch the show just for the lesbian kiss, but hearing that you have ‘censored’ it – well, it’s just pathetic.
Poor decision Channel 7! With 10% of the country being gay, and Sydney being a ‘gay’ capital of the world…lesbian storylines are only going to help your show.
Mikey
The Melrose incident was a male same-sex kiss between gay regular Matt (Doug Savant) and a college roommate of Billys who had turned up for Billy’s wedding to Allison. Billy didnt know his roommate was gay and was supposed to see him kissing Matt in the Melrose courtyard through the blinds in his apartment. A proper kiss was filmed and was supposed to go to air. Fox promoted the hell out of it but then got cold feet just before it aired and edited it (sound familiar?). What actually aired was Matt and the guy leaning in for a kiss and Billy then closed the blinds.
If it had actually gone to air it wouldve been the first male same-sex kiss in an American network drama series ever. Because it was edited out that honour went to Dawsons Creek a few years later!
What a spineless crock! Seven is not only irresponsible by pandering to the uneducated narrow minded idiots that bring down and hold back the society, they are sending a very clear message to gay and lesbian people. In particular I feel so badly for young people and those having trouble coming out that it’s not ok, that it should be hidden away.
Home And Away is a great vehicle to show every part of society, not just a society seen through the eyes of conservative Christian morons who want nothing more than to dictate their own personal belief system.
While the show can be influencial, people can not be influenced to be gay or to be someone they are not. What it is meant to do is show a character someone might just idenify with, somone they see a truth of their own in, not brainwash them into something that’s not in them.
By doing this, Seven is abusing the privellege of sending out a positive message, and instead are turning the clock back 25 years. Young kids who watch this show and follow the news take notice, and what could have been a few scared people seeing that it’s actually ok to be who you are, may now see that they just need to shut up and live a lie.
Absolute idiots.
seven must b loving all this publicity.
The article is not true, the kiss won’t be censored.
This is ridiculous. Even the OFLC eventually dismissed homosexuality as an “adult theme” in and of itself circa 1994, allowing for homosexuality (including romantic same sex kisses) to be accomodated under the G rating. A kiss alone does not constitute an “adult theme” nor a “sexual reference” as far as I’m concerned. If there is a film which deals with homophobia or “coming out”, then I can understand the need for a PG rating as these themes can be confusing or upsetting for younger viewers, but as far as I’m concerned, a same-sex kiss is no more or less inappropriate between a heterosexual kiss.
The fact that we’re living in the 21st century is irrelevant as there will *always* be bigots in the world (and there are still many countries where homosexuality can be punishable by corporal/capital punishment). However, my issue is that we’re living in a (for legal purposes) “secular” society which abhors discrimination, and this censorship by Seven, is invariably a form of discrimination against the GLBT community.
If a G rated soap like Neighbours can get await with it (and actually stick to the storyline), then H&A have no reason not to as well.
“Family groups who attacked the storyline also did so purely on the promise of upcoming plotlines. They had not viewed the footage. Generally speaking, Seven doesn’t send previews of Home and Away.”
Family groups and parents who don’t want their children to watch this simply need need to get over it and turn their tvs off. If Neighbours can have a same sex kiss why not Home and Away?
@Geoff Rodgers Who was involved in the Melrose ‘incident’? I always wished Alison and Amanda got it on.
jf they had let the relationship develop rather than sensationalising the whole thing, it wouldnt be such an issue,
Wow ….. Deja Vu Melrose Place over ten years ago …… c’mon ….. even America has advanced far enough to have same sex ksses in Brothers & Sisters.
Do we really wanna slip behind America in the progressive stakes.
The early evening UK soaps have gay storylines and kisses, why can’t we??? This issue has been pushed to the side for far too long.
Why is it that you can have a young boy and girl on Home And Away engaging in hot steamy sex (an equally bad immoral role model for young kids), but we can’t show an affectionate and loving kiss between two women.
Grow up Ch 7 and enter the 21st century.
A lot of the people posting on this issue don’t seem to have watched the show. This story has been very delicately handled up till now and I’m certainly reserving judgement until I see the supposedly offending (some say muted) scene next week. Both sides of this argument seem to be guilty of the same thing, catastrophising about something they haven’t even seen yet. Given how well and openly the story has been handled until now, I would be surprised if does not continue in that vein this week. And as to Seven “hyping” this issue up. It seems to be the printed media doing most of that. All I’ve seen is a very sweet story about two women exploring their attraction to each other. Frankly I hope the kissing is scene is more sweet than graphic and lustful. It will be much more in keeping with the tone of the story up until now, rather than some form of gratuitous, extended girl on girl action.
Lol Leo, it may be of interest to some people, but it would hardly rate through the roof. After all, the consensus here seems to be that it isn’t that big of a deal. If they took it some step further…….
I thiink it would be ok if Seven treated the lesbian relationship as routine and not shocking.
Rather than hype it up as a big event and a taboo broken.
If channel 7 didn’t have theballs to go through with this plot properly, they shouldn’t have done it at all. Doing a half arsed attempt at this story line is insulting to it’s Gay viewers! What kind of message are they sending across to the public? that they’d rather accommodate their homophobic viewers instead? is that what Channel 7 are for? because that’s what it obviously looks like.
In the year 2009 i never thought such a minor issue with a tv show would become such a big mess! I understand they have ratings they want to hit, but like i said before, “editing” things and “censoring” things is just a big spit in the face to the thousands of people who watch it and have no problem with it.
This is a simple kiss we are talking about here, it’s not a rape scene or violent gorey R rated slaughter scene. How utterly ridiculous!
How embarrassing on channel 7′s end, shame on yourselves.
Channel 7 – How weak can you get!
If channel 7 are going to censor the scene or any upcoming scenes for that matter – maybe they should play the uncensored version after 9pm for those that want to watch it – this will rate threw the roof, if thats all 7 are worried about!
People’s curiosity gets the better of them & they will tune in to be so they can be part of the water cooler talks the next day at work!
With all this publicity this is getting, 7 will be rubbing their hands with glee – I hope they do the right thing & show the scene or scenes uncensored!
what a wuss out, grow a spine 7 you whimps.
Gutless, That what seven is! Where are we heading when such censorship happens because of minority groups making a big fuss about it? Fasists!
I’m willing to bet if there was no fuss before the event, no one would have cared after the event, other than the usual suspects!
I’m certain if it was a boy-boy kiss on H&A, there’d be an even bigger uproar than the present one.
Pleasantly surprised to see Brothers & Sisters not shying away from a full-on, man-on-man kiss, even if it was at 10.30pm when it aired on Monday, and a briefer kiss in bed earlier in the episode at around 9.35pm.
TV is TV, nothing wrong with showing 2 girls kiss.
Breakers has lesbian kisses and was on at 4:30pm
Too true jed. Love is love but sadly some still don’t get it.
Let the sunshine in christian fundys before it’s too late.
The media do state that a ‘muted’ version of the kiss will still air.
The scene originally panned out where they share a tender kiss, pull away, and then go in for a passionate one. The edit cuts to the ad break after the first kiss – and this may well be the cut that the media have picked up on, however its certainly not a noticeable cut if you haven’t seen the full version.
the loss of 100,000 viewers was probably due to the pathetic storylines involving belle. two whole episodes of belle was enough to make me turn off the tele
Re BTTB article:
My sources indicate the kiss is indeed censored. That is, it will not air as it was originally delivered. Sources indicate it was toned down after the show got cold feet, and is not depicted with the same balance as it was shot or as depicted by straight couples.
If you click on the link the original article in The Australian indicates a kiss in some form is still due to air on Tuesday. But not in the way it was originally delivered.
TV Tonight stands by the claim it has been censored. We will have to wait and see exactly how much ends up on screen.
We seem to be going backwards nowdays…
Paull,
why are you so afraid of your kids watching it? Are you scared that they’ll ask questions?
Sheilding kids from this is only going to teach them that its something to be afraid of and we won’t get anywhere in life
This is going to define me.
Stokes, Leckie and co, better listen up.
Your vision of heartland Australia and my vision are completely different things.
The vision of roast chook, Holdens, Hills Hoists etc. that Stokes instilled at 7 is as outdated as 7 itself, lost in a new digital age, where tolerance is accepted.
My vision is of where people are moving to, to escape the “Western Sydney vision”, Queensland where the sun shines, outdoor activity is a all-year affair and we would have a BBQ rather than a roast on Sunday night. It’s where we walk hand in hand, no matter what creed, race, religion, sex or orientation. Tolerance or “Heartland”? I would take tolerance any day.
what next a lobby to campaign against any show that hasa church or minister for us souls that do not like churches ?
next up a lobby group to campaign against Alf selling alcohol or the teens stealing cars etc..
Seemslike lobby groups , however small have bigger voice than public.
Actually, according to someone at HAA fansite BTTB, they have not censored anything.
“Stories concerning Home and Away’s upcoming gay kiss between Charlie Buckton and Joey Collins are dominating the media today in Australia.
Several papers are claiming that conservative lobby groups have forced Seven into cutting shots which show Joey and Charlie in a passionate kiss.
However, BTTB can exclusively reveal that these articles are not true.
A 100% reliable source on the show contacted us today to set the record straight, that the articles are completely unfounded and that the kiss will be airing on Tuesday night as originally planned.
Tuesday’s episode will be the first time that the worried campaigners, fearing for the morals of youth of Australia, can see if they actually have got something to be worried about. We at BTTB can unequivocally state that they have nothing to fear but their fear.
We all know how the press likes to fill in the gaps, and this is one such instance. Seven have remained firm in their resolve to deliver storylines dealing with wide ranging issues. This is one storyline among many, a love story, which like all Home and Away love stories will have its tender moments and it’s heartbreaking ones.
We at BTTB fully support the actors, writers, producers and all connected with the show in standing up to outdated prejudices, which are attempting to sexualise what is, at heart, a very tender love story.
“
This just increases my dislike of conservative and anti-gay groups, they just can’t tolerate anything that is regarded as “not normal” on TV.
It’s not true! BTTB has claimed that this is a mere marketing stunt.
I am a 31 year old gay man and have always been quite comfortable with my sexuality and thankfully I avoided the trauma and homophobia a lot of young gay people suffer, personally, I dont care if these two kiss on screen or not, the reason why im quite angry with Channel 7 for this descion is that all the publicity this self censorship will get sends a really bad message to guys and girls that are growing up confused about their sexuality and by channel 7 doing this, they are effectively telling those young people (a lot of whom im sure watch H&A) that what they are feeling and perhaps doing with members of the same sex is wrong and shouldnt be seen by the general public. Seven must have known this storyline would cause somewhat of a backlash so im a bit confused why they proceeded with it if they werent going to stick to their guns no matter what. Ive been a regular H&A viewer for most of its 21 years but this decsion of sevens to censor this storyline, not the storyline itself, has me wondering if ill continue to watch.
I still dont get what all the fuss is about. Whats the difference between a guy-girl kiss and a girl-girl kiss?
Are christian lobby groups really that scary?
What are “family groups” talking about. Gay people are part of families too. And religious groups are just as pathetic. Christianity has a lot to answer for with what’s wrong in this world. We should be promoting any kind of relationship between two people. Love is love, no matter who the two people are and its a hell of a lot better than hating each other. It’s 2009 people. Stop living in the past. As a gay man, i really do pity those types of people.
Again, I’ll say it should not even be an issue in this day and age. If parents don’t like their children seeing it, then turn the show off.
Or, better still, try explaining to them what is going on so they don’t freak out one day when they see a same sex couple in real life.
Shame Shame Shame Channel 7 – this is dreadful.
One minute they are hyping this storyline to get publicity – due to a drop in ratings – now they have done a backflip due to some groups who are so removed from reality it’s scary!
What on earth does this tell our young people who may be struggling with their sexuality – Home & Away is going to get a huge backlash over this one, especially from the gay community.
Very disappointing!!
Aww what!! I’m find the amount of heterosexual kisses offensive, why not band them.
Seven is full of crap! I am straight and I have nothing against watch two guys or two girl kissing. Brothers and Sisters is shown on seven and the two main gay characters kiss. L word shown girls making out. If they are worried what it will do to the Family groups, then what about kids of same sex relationships. They are family and when did seven care about what people think. They stab people in the back to get ratings. In the older days it is a shame to show black people, now they are say it is a shame to show gay people on TV. As Whoopi Goldberg will say ‘What the hell?’
Would not watch the show in a fit,but this truely is one gutless effort from
Seven.Playing to the loud mouth minority again.
What a disappointing decision from Seven. It does sound like some of the publicity involved in this has backfired, but I still reckon everyone involved should have had the courage of their convictions and stuck with it.
I wonder if the UK will get the unedited version?
Enjoyed the well-researched article.
Seven is funded by advertising and can’t afford to lose viewers so they have been held to ransom by the ultra-conservative family groups and some anti-gay Christian groups. I think there are probably more viewers who would be offended by the removal of unobjectionable material relative to the behaviour of heterosexual couples in a PG timeslot and there could possibly be another viewer backlash from the socially liberal and tolerant viewers.
No matter what peoples views on this issue are, it was inappropriate to have something like that in a show that airs at 7pm, a time when most kids still haven’t gone to bed, and some kids (despite the show, in other ways being inappropriate) are probably watching it.
I’m glad seven finally had a bit of sense knocked into them and stopped before they went too far. Although, having a same-sex relationship in the show, i would consider to be going to far.
When i say that though, i say it acknowledging that home & away has gone too far, at times, in their portrayal of normal guy-girl relationships.
Unbelievable! “The L Word” featured lesbians kissing throughout each season, but Seven went ahead and screened only two seasons before they axed it due to complaints from Christian lobby groups, even when it was shown around 22:30 and then 00:00 at night. And now the same groups called on Seven to censor this “same-sex kiss” and they complied.
Further proof that television networks are scared of Christians. Esther Anderson will not be happy about this.
I was looking forward to that scene! I wish they aired it! Nothing like a bit of controversy.
Seven have a lot to answer for here! They have deliberately stirred up the ignorant bigots of the so called “family” groups by promoting the storyline as controversial and running stories on Today Tonight giving airtiime to these loons etc. The News Limited rags have also been pushing their own homophobic badwagon as usual!
When Neighbours ran the Sky/Lana storyline back in 2004 there was a brief initial flurry of outrage (again before the storyline had aired) and then once ithe storyline started almost nothing was heard. Thats because Ten didnt deliberately try and milk it for all it was worth! That storyline featured two same-sex kisses. I might add that Neighbours ratings during that period were higher than they had been for years and they have never reached the same height since (although I put that down more to the quality of the storylines at the time, including the Karl/Izzy baby story, than any titilation from the lesbian romance).
Neighbours has had two subsequent same-sex kisses, one between Chris (Peppers mum) and her girlfriend Carole and one between Pepper and Rosie. Neither attracted much comment because they werent publicized as “controversial”. Same goes for Out of the Blue I imagine.
Sadly thanks to this debacle I imagine we will now have to wait another 5 years before either show attempts another gay romance!
This is a ‘family’ show?
It is a scary thought that this soapy with its convoluted story’s of betrayal, deceit, nastiness, cheating, murderers etc could in anyway be considered to be a ‘family’ show.
Cheers,
Teddy Bär
These so called Family Groups are a bunch on wankers! They can’t help but find fault in anything and everything they consider to be too ‘progressive’. What a bunch of conservative prudes.
So Home and Away can have serial killers, stalkers, but no gay and lesbian couples?
I’d much rather my kids be afraid or stalkers then homosexual couples
How pathetic. When will this country grow up? Never, while the opinions of a dangerously reactionary minority are given more credence than that of normal people.
Craig Hardie it’s usually down this time of year due to the competition, TBL etc.
And of course there’s no one in any so-called family groups who’s ever had an extra-marital affair, or had homosexual experimentation, or watched pornography, or parked illegally, or even coveted their neighbour’s donkey or whatever it is they’re not supposed to do…
By censoring the kiss while keeping the lesbian characters in the storyline. Seven is contradicting itself while also totally misreading its audience.
The fact is that the majority of the audience finds homosexual relationships acceptable.
Are they going to lose ratings because if two girls kissing? No.
Would more males watch H&A if two hot lesbians were kissing? Yes. (sorry, but it’s true)
Would the younger demographic groups switch off because of two girls? No.
Would the older demographic groups switch off? Some might (the ones too busy coveting donkeys) but in general, no.
Do the majority of Australians find this offensive and intolerable? We all know the answer to that one.
And, speaking on behalf of M35-45, Let the hot chicks kiss dammit!
This it pathetic… To all the TV network, Advertisers, lobby groups etc… WAKE UP !!!!!!
So Seven is happy giving into religious extremists from these family groups?
What’s more important…helping young people who may be gay come to terms with it, or making them feel bad because christian extremists want them to?
Shame Channel 7.
I thought Ch10 had news at 5.30pm – what is this Out Of The Blue?
I know this is a ‘family’ show but OMG it’s 2009 don’t they think there are gay and lesbian relationships going on in the real world every day?
ITA it more a rating fear than anything else.
Its just a case of bad timing id say, H&A is a mess at the moment, its down about 200K viewers year on year, i dont think anything to do with the gay storyline and id say this decsion is to avoid any further drop in ratings, our soaps in this country lag so for behind those of overseas countries its just a joke, all three big UK sops have high profile gay character, and have for year, Emmerdale even has a gay couple (shock, horror) even kiwi’s are ahead of us, Shortland Street has had gay characters for years, this is a poor decsion on the part of channel 7..
This is getting ridiculous!!! It’s 2009 and these so called ‘family’ groups in Australia are still stuck in the 1950′s in terms of their knowledge of homosexuality.
I really hoped that Home and Away would finally have the courage to have a long time gay character/s on the show but sadly once again the bigots have the final say.
It’s a real shame as I feel that GLBT characters/storylines are important and should be included in all current Australian TV shows. I don’t remember ‘Water Rats” having this problem but that could be that it was on a different time slot. I have been watching ‘G.P.’ for the last few months and let me tell you, it was great to see a openly gay doctor (Dr. Martin Dempsey – played by Damian Rice) as well as storylines based on GLBT issues including homophobic violence, young teens coming out and HIV.
One day I hope these people will finally realise that being different isn’t something to be ashamed of and GLBT people can be who they are without any problems!