Five confirms 'Home and Away' 2010 hiatus

[Perdita]

Five's Home and Away is to take a five-week break over the summer, it has been confirmed.

While it's bad news for fans, programme chiefs in Australia are breathing a sigh of relief as the ongoing one-week delay between UK and Oz transmission will return to a more manageable six with this year's annual break.

Home and Away's final episode before its summer hiatus will air on Friday, July 30 (episode 5125). The show will return to screens on Monday, September 3.

Last year's mini-break lasted for a month.

:(

[Dazzle]

Five's Home and Away is to take a five-week break over the summer, it has been confirmed.

What will I do without my H&A fix for five weeks? :(

I hope Neighbours doesn't take a break too.

[Abigail]

Neighbours airs on Channel 10 in Australia and there's a three month gap between transmission times so I can't see Five having a break. It depends on the contract between Five and Channel 10 with regards to transmission times. The deal Five has with Seven Network says that the UK should be a minimum of four weeks behind Australia. It's the second time in two years that Five have been within a week or two of Australia so I'm guessing this is another enforced break.

Who knows, Five may decide to take a summer break with their soaps completely and show films throughout the summer, or show the Early Days.

[Abbie]

I hate these stupid long breaks! One summer It was driving me mad

[Perdita]

Later today, Home and Away fans in the UK will get their last new episode for a while because the show's about to be taken off air for its summer break.

As reported earlier in the month, the soap will be off our screens for five weeks before returning on Monday, September 6.

If you haven't already heard, Five's digital channel Fiver will be helping to tide fans over by airing classic episodes for the duration of the hiatus.

For the first two weeks of the break, there'll be a special 'Bad Girls' season featuring memorable moments from the likes of Nicole, Sam and Angie among others. The number of episodes shown for each one will vary, depending on how long it takes to tell one of their stories completely.

Meanwhile, the next two weeks - starting from August 16 - will allow us to relive some of the show's best ever cliffhangers.

Finally, the final week of classic eps will focus on Home and Away's 'Hottest Couple', and it's up to viewers to decide who that couple will be. There's currently a poll running on Five's Home and Away site which allows fans to choose between Aden & Belle, Angelo & Charlie, Flynn & Sally, Jack & Martha, Noah & Hayley and Ric & Matilda.

Although some fans may feel frustrated over the hiatus, I hear that bosses at Five are relieved to be extending the gap between Australian and UK transmission beyond the current one-week delay. A six-week gap makes it much easier for the broadcaster to secure advance press and publicity for major storylines, while fitting around the deadlines of our newspapers and magazines.

There's also the obvious issue that the show is taken off air in Australia for a few weeks over Christmas, so we have to take a break of our own at some point too.

Starting next week, two classic episodes will air on Fiver each weeknight from 6pm.

[Dazzle]

I'm going to really miss H&A for five weeks :(

[tammyy2j]

Its off for 4 weeks in Ireland

[adamantixx]

i'll have lost the thread in 5 weeks time!

i'm glad they're showing some classic stuff though and as for hottest couple...Aden & Belle!

[webspider]

hello friends,
It's a brilliant idea, I'm going travelling this summer so now I won't miss any episodes!!! Must remember to turn off series record as I expect they'll play old episodes in the place of normal ones and I don't want them filling up my V+ box!
thanks