Home and Away - Ch7 Upfronts 2023

[Pantherboy]

Channel 7 held its 'upfronts' for next year last night in Sydney:

"Seven Upfront 2023: Every Announcement

Channel Seven delivered a slate of new announcements at its 2023 upfront event on Tuesday, held at Sydney?s Entertainment Quarter.

The broadcaster revealed a raft of new and returning content announcements, a new channel, and new partnerships..."

https://www.mediaweek.com.au/seven-u...-announcement/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkIEWv6y...1-a06c7924f40e


The relevant part for H&A is:

"Home and Away
Next year promises to be another big year in Summer Bay, with the lives and loves of Australian TV?s most iconic beachside community thrown into turmoil in the wake of a tragedy. The season return will see new arrivals and surprise faces from the past set to shake things up. About one million Australians watch every episode of this series on broadcast and digital, a testament to its long-lasting appeal. Home and Away returns to Channel Seven and 7plus in 2023. Home and Away is a Seven Production."


Also:

https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-an...25-p5bskp.html

https://www.news.com.au/entertainmen...200cde2a5883b8

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/hom...23-storylines/



I think it has already been mentioned that this year's Aust finale will be Tane & Felicity's wedding (which was filmed at Blayney in Central West NSW a while back) & that a fan had taken photos of Leah's car in a crash on location. There were also photos of Ada/Leah with blood on her face & dress/stomach etc, so it is assumed that this has something to do with the 'tragedy' mentioned in the upfronts article...

[Pantherboy]

New H&A 2023 promo, which aired after tonight's finale in Aust. In the finale we didn't get to see the two car crashes, which have been previewed in earlier promos (ie Justin & Leah and then Eden & Felicity) - they will air in the new year's episodes.

H&A will return earlier than usual in Aust in 2023, on Monday 9th January (a week before the show's 35th anniversary on Tuesday 17th January).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYydoMcSu3Q

[Pantherboy]

DS article:


Home and Away cast photo gives away two more departing characters
They'll be joining Kawakawa Fox-Reo.

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/hom...t-photo-exits/

Home and Away appears to have confirmed two more departing characters.

Last month, it was revealed that Kawakawa Fox-Reo would be departing Summer Bay as Nikau Parata, and now it appears he will be joined by two others.

Star Lynne McGranger posted a photo that teases the cast for the next season, with actors Sophie Dillman and Patrick O'Connor notably absent from the picture ? thus confirming that Ziggy Astoni and Dean Thompson will be leaving.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Clw46K_h...9-009c591d7da3

Lynne later said in the comments that the pair filmed their last scenes in "July, August", much to the sadness of fans.

"Heartbroken that dean & ziggy have left," one wrote, while another added: "Sad to see the characters of Ziggy and Dean leaving."

Elsewhere, former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo has discussed a possible return to the show as Chris Harrington after his departure in 2016.

"I?d love to go back on Home and Away [and] spend some more time with Irene [Roberts]," he told Yahoo.

"We had a great relationship on [the show] and we still have a great relationship out of Home and Away, Lynne and I. We are really good friends."

Speaking about how he could come back, Johnny added: "[I'd] just waltz in, like not tell anyone, just waltz on in and order a coffee. And Lynne ? I mean Irene ? would be like?Chris!"

Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5 and 6pm on 5STAR. First-look screenings air at 6.30pm on 5STAR and the show also streams on My5.

In Australia, the show airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7pm on Channel 7 and streams on 7plus.



And:

Home and Away star Sophie Dillman discusses Patrick O'Connor's hair transformation
?He loves it and I love it."

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/hom...ransformation/

[Pantherboy]

Latest 90 second H&A promo for 2023, with new detail on the car crashes:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCG2dd2W1LA

[Pantherboy]

New promo for H&A's Aust return on Jan 9, including new character Mali Hudson & also a first look at Ziggy & Dean's baby:



Home and Away reveals a first look at Ziggy and Dean's baby
A new arrival for a new year.

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/hom...ggy-dean-baby/

Home and Away spoilers follow.

Home and Away has released a first look at Ziggy and Dean's baby.

The heartwarming sneak peek comes in the soap's official 2023 teaser, where viewers get a look at the lead-up to Ziggy Astoni giving birth? under some stressful situations.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cmppo...5-20a7ff6e1731

"Hello, pregnant woman in labour," Ziggy announces at one point.

It looks like all ends well for the couple as Ziggy is later shown cradling their newborn baby, as Dean coos: "I love you."

The new year doesn't look nearly as promising for Eden Fowler and Felicity Newman, as they gets involved in a brutal car crash that could claim their lives.

In the winter finale, viewers saw a mysterious man fiddling with the brakes on the ute because they assumed Cash would be the one driving it to Tane and Felicity's wedding.

An oblivious Cash offered to let Eden use the ute to drive Felicity to the wedding instead, unknowingly putting their lives at risk.

In new footage, Felicity and Eden's loved ones rush to the scene but it may be too late as flames erupt around the car before the bride can get out.

The soap has dropped hints that the wedding day sabotage revisits the biker gang storyline where Tane worked undercover to take down Tex's goons.

Cash Newman subsequently worked out that Tex was planning to arrange a hit on him as payback for taking down the gang's former leader Marty in a tense standoff this past September.

As a new life enters Summer Bay this new year, will this gangland vendetta claim lives too? The new series kicks off on Channel 7 and 7plus in Australia beginning Monday, January 9.

Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5 and 6pm on 5STAR. First-look screenings air at 6.30pm on 5STAR and the show also streams on My5.

In Australia, the show airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7pm on Channel 7 and streams on 7plus.

[Pantherboy]

DS article:


Home and Away's Australian network explains 35th anniversary snub
It's bad manners to ask a soap its age.

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/hom...iversary-snub/

Home and Away turned 35 this year!

This might be news to you, as the soap's network, Seven, opted not to make too much of a song and dance about the milestone other than airing some classic episodes.

Now, Seven has explained their decision not to show any special anniversary content ? extra episodes, specials, or celebrations ? and it turns out that they just don't want the soap's age to show.

Proving that soaps, like wine and cheese, really do get better with age, Home and Away got off to a flying start for its 35th year. Brook Hall, head of scheduling for Seven explained (via TV Tonight) that when it came back at the beginning of January: "The first week had it's highest streamed episode ever, the total is currently 1 million viewers, and it's just so encouraging seeing that show."

So, why not mark the birthday? You might remember that other soaps have previously gone all out to celebrate the big years.

Neighbours, for example, turned 35 in 2020, and didn't hold back in its anniversary spirit. The soap aired extra primetime episodes all week with mega plotlines, while the episodes at the normal time earlier in the day featured one wedding each, including some nostalgic throwbacks.

Hall explained that it was a purposeful move not to follow the same theme: "It's one of our most important shows, and it is often discussed.

"The tricky thing is, and maybe we're reading this wrong, it's that fine balance between going: 'This is a really important legacy brand ? and highlighting its age'. Maybe that's overthinking it, but people become so fickle now, wanting 'shiny and new'? so there is a nervousness about saying it is 35."

Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5 and 6pm on 5STAR. First-look screenings air at 6.30pm on 5STAR and the show also streams on My5.

In Australia, the show airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7pm on Channel 7 and streams on 7plus.