Those Antipodean Sunny Soaps

I'm still trying to adjust to this new life of leisure I find myself in.  Sure, in theory I'm merely between jobs and, technically, I'm a supply teacher, being on the books of several agencies, but I can't say that I'm doing much actively in the way of seeking new employment or taking up teaching opportunities.  I'm still in that limbo where, in truth, I still don't really know what I want to do with my new found freedom.  I suddenly have all this time on my hands, yet never seem to do anything with it - other than immerse myself in ever more pop culture.  Through the miracle of streaming TV channels, I've recently found myself watching a number of old Australian TV series aimed at kids and adolescents.  They are almost as good as the Australian soaps I have a less than secret liking for.  Actually, in cast terms, the three series I've been watching - Saddle Club, H2O: Just Add Water and Dance Academy - are very closely related to the soaps, all featuring younger versions of actors who would later appear in Neighbours or Home and Away.  They can also  be even more dramatic than the soaps with some of their storylines: I'm still emotionally traumatised from Sammy (the nice Jewish boy who was always confused about his sexuality) dying toward then of series two of Dance Academy.

The other thing theses series share with the soaps is their sense of optimism.  UK soaps are generally pretty depressing, with the characters we are meant to sympathise with are perpetual losers and anyone in any way successful is a complete bastard.  People's plans, in the UK soaps, always seem to end up dashed.  By contrast, the Australian soaps like to portray people as being inherently good - even if they star out as a loser or shady character, they ultimately redeem themselves, (if they become a regular as opposed to being a guest villain, that is).  Damn it, even Neighbours' Paul Robinson is allowed to have redeeming fetures, with his ruthlessness and pursuit of money being balanced by his love of his family.  The kids' series are even more so in this respect - there is no problem that can't be resolved by friendship and/or sheer determination and persistence.  As I get older, I find that I need to hear these kinds of uplifting stories more.  Increasingly, I need to find a way to counterbalance my natural cynicism and skepticism, to be reassured that maybe, just maybe, there might be some hope in this world.  Which isn't to say that I'm going to kick my habit for sleaze and schlock any time soon - believe me, I've been watching of that lately, as well, just to balance out all the hope and sunny optimism of those Aussie shows!