Soap headlines full of suds

More on that story earlier this week in which one-time Home and Away actor Bryan Wiseman gave red-hot comments of behind-the-scenes culture in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph.

According to today’s Sydney Morning Herald, he now claims he was ‘‘railroaded’’ into a story by the newspaper. ‘‘It makes it look like the present tense,’’ he said.

‘‘I was on the show between 1998 and 2003. I don’t know the current cast and, of course, they don’t know me.’’

Wiseman reckons he had been led to believe he would be one of four actors, including three still on the show, commenting in a positive warning about drug abuse.

But Sunday Tele editor, Neil Breen, points out Wiseman agreed to pose for a photo. Wiseman contends he had no reason to believe he would be made to look like a ‘‘patsy.”

It was really all too, too tawdry to begin with. Networks know they have a duty of care for younger actors, which extends to as much as it realistically can past the gates of the network property. Newspapers have their own agenda and this year has seen several headlines at Home and Away’s expense, probably only half of which warranted actual news. But when you’re a 21 year old success story, it’s reasonable to assume you’re not always going to attract perfect press. ‘Fair’ is the key word.

But there are signs bashing of the soap are shifting. Yesterday’s Herald Sun decided to make a point of running a positive story on the Seven soap. A profile piece on Todd Lasance noted, “Home and Away needs a good-news story.”

Source: Sydney Morning Herald