'Home and Away' boss explains show's tone change

Home and Away's series producer Cameron Welsh has confirmed that the soap's team have been aiming for a change of tone in recent months, bringing relationships back to the forefront of the programme.

The showrunner told TV Tonight that he believes the serial has cut down on darker storylines this year following previous plots about killers and stalkers.

In an interview with the website, Welsh described "the heart of the show" as "youth and teenagers who are growing up in what is an uncertain world and they seek the guidance of the people around them".

Discussing some of the soap's more recent seasons, he continued: "It did get particularly dark. All that I have described was going on but it was probably taking a bit of a back seat to some darker storytelling.

"But last year and definitely this year we looked to turn that around, and we got the focus back on to characters and relationships and pulled back on that stuff.

"This season has seen a lot of the River Boys and yes they are a bunch of rogues, but it's a different tone to the crazed gunmen and stalkers. They still provide a sense of danger and can be antagonists but not at the same tonal level."

Welsh also hinted that another disaster storyline could be on the way as a special week of episodes airing later this year will see "a major storm" hit Summer Bay.

> Read a full spoiler for tonight's episode of Home and Away on Channel 5
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