It's In The Script!

Pop quiz everyone: what would be the best thing to do on Home and Away? Shine on camera (if only to rub shoulders with your fave hotties?). What about donning your best baseball cap and shouting ‘action’, ‘cut’ and ‘that’s a wrap!’ (if only to direct your fave hotties?). Or maybe you’re a sucker for storylines. You dig the show, but what really gets you, in week after week, are the twists and turns that fly quicker than you can say ‘Ohmigod-I-can’t-believe-they-just-did-that!’. If so, you’re an aspiring script producer: someone who helps shock, titillate and move audiences, all in a day’s work. So enter stage left, Home and Away’s current script producer extraordinaire, Sarah Walker.

Sarah’s career is a varied and colourful as a week in the life of the Bay – with less illicit love triangles and use of the phrase ‘flamin’ galahs’, of course! Starting as a “D-grade journalist” - her words! - at a publishing company while completing a BA Communications at UTS, Sarah finished her degree as a publisher at said company, with a novel on the go. “I started a book as part of my writing course and my teacher encouraged to finish it outside of uni,” she explained. “It was a teenage novel about a kid coming out. Because the subject matter was a bit risqué, I suggested to the publisher I write another one first that was a bit lighter, and I ended up with a two book deal.” Nice one!

From there Sarah wrote another couple of books, one of which attracted the attention of veteran television producer, Des Monaghan. “I’d written a summer fiction story and my bio said I was a teen author, and had a background as an actress and journo,” she recalls. “Des called me out of the blue - I’d never heard of him - he just said ‘We’re starting this little company and we wanna pitch some serial ideas to the networks - would you like to come over and work for us and do a pitch?’ He didn’t even read the book – he just read the bio!”

And just like that, Sarah found herself working on the short-lived Bondi-based Channel Ten serial Breakers. “It was ridiculous - I’d never worked in television before, and there I was plotting the show!”. After Breakers went belly-up, she popped into the paparazzi world for a spell (“very fun”) and turned her hand to sub-editing at glam-rag Vogue, before putting the call into Summer Bay to see if there were any jobs going. There was.

“I really loved it,” she says warmly. “Loved the show, loved the cast. Loved working on it.” A job opening as script producer at All Saints tempted her away for four years but the summery appeal of the Bay can never be ignored for too long, so now she’s back in the hotseat plotting and planning the outrageous antics of the Bay. “What I’ve tried to do is bring it back to naturalism, and go ‘Yes, of course soapie, dramatic things happen but let’s try and make it in the world of things that happen to all of us.”

We were curious to know how Sarah and the team come up with these soapie, dramatic ideas, week in, week out, for a show that’s been on the air almost 20 years. “I don’t think there are any new ideas,” she counters. “Everyone’s telling the same stories but you’re telling them with new characters and new combinations of dynamics between family members or friends. You just have to try and find the fresh elements within those relationships. You try to work against the expected development, without it looking like you’re doing that. Throw the twist in at the tail – but not a twist that comes out of nowhere - you want people to say, ‘Oh! Oh, OK, I actually didn’t see that coming – but it works!’”

When asked what makes good serial drama, Sarah is definite in her answer. “Romance, with an obstacle.” Damn straight! So, of course, we were dying to know what developments she had in store for our fave ex-married couple, Martha and Jack! “They’ve been my focus lately,” she reveals with a grin. “There’s a lot of material coming up for them. I hope that audiences will be groaning and cursing us but loving it! Let’s just say it’s not over…”

Should Martha and Jack get back together or should they just remain good friends? Email us and let us know on homeandaway@seven.com.au

Hala: i love home and away i have never missed an episode since 2001. is has been such a good show, well done producers. YES I BELIEVE JACK AND MARTHA SHOULD GET BACK TOGETHER, THEY ARE THE PERFECT COUPLE EVER ON HOME AND AWAY. i think they should renew their vows and be together for ever(with occasional fighting like all marriages) Also i LOVE mattie and ric being together i think they also should be together for a long time.

Kara: I think Jack and Martha should get back together. I mean look at the 2 characters and the 2 actor/actresses. Paul and Jodi and Jack and Martha have great chemistry. And I just have a strong gut feeling that they will find a way. If they are meant to be they will find a way back into each others arms. It might take weeks, it might take months or it might take years. Surely the Home and Away directors, script writers and Paul and Jodi must take into consideration all the heartbroken viewers. I don't think they were expecting everyone to be upset about their break up. They would have thought "They will just get over it and think it was a one off fling or something". But in my opinion Jack and Martha have been the best couple in Summer Bay. And that is because of their portrayers. Well done Jodi and Paul for your great acting and I have my fingers crossed that I will see Jack and Martha together soon. Dont make them get married straight away though, before I personally think the got married to quickly and to young.

Sarah: As a HUGE Jack and Martha fan, I think that they both should get back together. They are made for each other. Something needs to happen to Martha so that she realises that she is still deeply in love with Jack. Maybe somehow Jack has to rescue her from something and she kisses him to say thankyou, but while she is kissing him she feels that SPARK that they used to feel before they were married.

Ashleigh: I think that Jacka nd martha should definitely get back together. They are my favourite couple ever on this show and it's killing me that they're just acting as friends. It's so obvious that they are still in love with each other, so just get them back together. Please, please, please get them back together.

Natasha: I really do believe that Martha and Jack should get together. Home and Aways story line hasn't had very many "happy endings" for a while because every realtionship seems to have something going wrong: Kim and Rachel are having a sticky patch Brad has just lost his job...due to work complications and Matlida and Lucas whole family at the moment is mixing just as well as oil and water do... So "yes" I believe we do need a really happy ending and Martha and Jack are such beautiful characters who are a match made in reel heaven. So please get them back together because it would be nice to have a romantic story line happen again.

Lucy: I'm from nz and all the stuff on the website hasn't happened yet but i still go on it, i think martha and jack should stay together, jack's always looking out for her and there always having fun together they should be together for ever !!

Ainslie (12) I think Jack and Martha should get back together because they are such a sweet couple and they both need some love in there lives. They were a perfect couple when they were married. They are right for each other and if they don't get back together they should remain good friends.

Shuruthi: (New Zealand) I am a great fan of Home and Away. I most certainly think that Martha and Jack should get back together because they are the cutest couple and they match perfectly. It would be really nice if they got back together, they should be more than friends.

Ebru: I think martha and jack should get back together after a lot of close encounters to getting there.. they work well together. Also i think ric and matilda should stay together.

Becky: (UK) I think Jack and Martha should just put all fans out of their pain and misery and get back together. They both know the perfect for each other but are both to stubbon to admit it. There are the perfect couple!!!!! They are the only ones that can pull off a love hate relationship so well.

Wendy: Well, really to be honest i think martha and jack should get together and have a happy family ever since they both often have hard times.

Kerri: Just my opinion here, but I think Jack and Martha should get back together. They'll need to 'date' all over again, and they'll need to sort out the issues that split them up - Martha will need to accept that jacks Job is important, and work out some form of plan to not get depressed when he's out night after night. Too many relationships break-up and in real life many people do sort things out and try again. It would be good to see this on the show. But they don't have to be boring just because they are married.

Fiona: (Dublin) Jack and Martha HAVE 2 get back together, there's no question. They are such an amazing couple!! i live in Ireland and were at the part with Cam and everyone is going crazy because we can see that there still is a huge spark between Jack and Martha...please please put them back together.

Thomas: (Ireland) Yes they should!!they were meant to be!!!in 2005 they always took care of eachother!!and jack woudnt get married to some one and go out with some one else, unlike Ash, and Jack wouldn't go out with someone just to get buisness going good unlike Cam!!!im sayin they are honest with each other!!and jack makes a smile on Martha's face, that's why i think they should get back together.

Hannah:(nz) I think martha and jack should get back 2gether because they make the perfect couple!!!! i hope they do get back 2gether!!!

Amelia: Yes!!!! Jack and Martha should get back together....I had given up on them getting back together but if now there is a chance Definitly! All the fans want those two to be together, they were made for each other.

Lucy: (Perth) I moved to Australia from England last july and i used to watch home and away all the time in England. Then when i moved to Australia i still continued to watch it. when im older i would like to be an actress on home and away like jodi gordon. Anyway i went on the website and saw the page that was asking what people think should happen between martha and jack. Well i think they should get back together because they really suit eachother! I think the producers have alredy chosen what will happen and i really do hope they've choose to make them get back together!!

Millie & Jessie: Yes they should they are made for each other!!!!!Our favourite people are Mattie, Belle, Lily, Cassie, Ric is sooooooo hot so is Luc.

Sara: I think that Jack and Martha should get back together and so should amanda and peter if they aren't already (they are). Rachel should definitly have a baby!!! and you're going to have to get a new baddy soon. Maybe bring back Zoe??? I love this show so much i watch it every day!!! the writers should be very proud of the work that they are doing.

Jay: I love home and away and I think Jack and Martha should get back together....they make a fine couple really.

Danielle: Hi Paul O'Brien, I think you're really hot. I also think your character Jack should get back together with Martha because you two were the perfect couple. In the future I hope they get back together. Have fun acting.

Sera-Lyn: I'm a big fan of home and away, never miss an ep. anywayz i think martha and jack should get back together but taking it slowly because they dont want the relationship to back slide you know.

Sammy: JACK AND MARTHA SHOULD NOT GET BACK TOGETHER!!! Jack deserves so much better than Martha, she is so....i don't even know, but so... ANNOYING!!! i say LEAVE THE BAY MARTHA AND LEAVE JACK ALONE!!

Jessica: I think jack and martha should be close friends because what about sam? i think jack and sam should stay together and martha should fall in love with a new character.

Jessica P: I think that Martha and Jack where always meant to be together! I also thank the Lord that Belle and Drew FINALLY got together, they are meant to be 2gether 2!