Home and Away: An Eye for an Eye
| Company type | Streaming platform |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, streaming media |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Streaming television programs and movies |
| Website | presto |
Home and Away: An Eye for an Eye is a television movie and a spin-off from the Australian soap opera Home and Away. The screenplay was crafted by Sarah Walker and the direction was handled by Arnie Custo. It debuted on 9 December 2015 via the streaming platform Presto, airing immediately after the conclusion of the Home and Away season, marking Presto's inaugural domestic production. The special was created amid discussions of a collaboration between Presto and the Seven Network, with the network’s CEO aiming to maintain the audience engagement of Home and Away during its break and to draw new subscribers to Presto.
The storyline centers on the abduction of Ricky Sharpe (portrayed by Bonnie Sveen) and her partner Darryl Braxton's (Stephen Peacocke) baby son, Casey, by Brax’s adversary Trevor "Gunno" Gunson (Diarmid Heidenreich). Former cast members Dan Ewing and Lisa Gormley returned to their roles as Heath Braxton and Bianca Scott. Filming occurred at Seven Network studios in Eveleigh, as well as on location in Palm Beach, Blackheath, and various spots throughout the Blue Mountains. Additional production staff were employed to coordinate filming alongside ongoing Home and Away operations.
Prior to its release, Presto experienced a 300% increase in subscriber numbers within a week, necessitating server enhancements. An Eye for an Eye broke Presto’s record for most streams on its first day and garnered favorable reviews from critics. Stephen Downie of TV Week commended Sveen’s acting, while Inside Soap emphasized its compelling narrative. Due to its success, two more specials were commissioned and broadcast on Foxtel in 2016 and 2017.
Plot
Ricky Sharpe is taken aback when she discovers that her partner Darryl "Brax" Braxton, who had previously faked his death, is actually alive. Martin Ashford and Phoebe Nicholson reveal that Brax has been safeguarding Ricky and their son Casey from their foe Gunno. Robert Massey, an associate of Gunno, overhears this information and informs inmate Michael Tiat, who then passes it on to Gunno. Gunno is stabbed while in prison but manages to escape with assistance from nurse Virginia Eisak. Brax's brother Heath and his wife Bianca offer support to Ricky, who is avoiding calls from her fiancé Nate Cooper.
The following day, Ricky realizes Casey has disappeared and finds out that no one has seen him. Gunno demands a ransom of $50,000 by 5:00 pm for Casey’s safe return. Ash, Heath, and Kyle Braxton set out to track down Gunno while Bianca and Phoebe work together to gather the ransom money. Constable Katarina Chapman cautions Ricky about Gunno’s prison escape but becomes suspicious of Ricky’s conduct. Bianca borrows money from Irene Roberts; meanwhile, Ricky asks Nate for funds to settle a debt. Irene and Nate connect these financial requests and confront Bianca, who pleads for their trust.
Virginia notices Casey has developed a fever and drives off to obtain medication. Ash, Heath, and Kyle pursue her but lose track of her vehicle. Nate lends money to Ricky, who promises she will explain everything soon. The Braxtons question locals about Virginia’s whereabouts and Gunno’s movements; a pharmacist directs them toward Virginia’s location, but they find the shack deserted. Gunno advances the ransom deadline; Heath and Kyle return home while Ash remains behind.
Gunno meets with Ricky but escapes with Casey when the ransom falls short of his demand. Bianca uses her phone to track Gunno’s position. At the shack, he takes Ash hostage but discovers Bianca’s tracking phone, alerting Heath and Kyle. Heath pursues Gunno; Ash and Kyle manage to rescue Casey from Virginia’s care. On a cliffside, Heath confronts Gunno; during their fight, Gunno falls but survives after Heath releases him to protect his family. Ricky is finally reunited with Casey.
Cast
(As they appear)
- Bonnie Sveen portraying Ricky Sharpe
- Sebastian Sloan, Xavier Sloan, Phoenix Lumsden as Baby Casey
- Panda Likoudis in the role of Robert Massey
- Isabella Giovinazzo as Phoebe Nicholson
- George Mason playing Martin Ashford
- Lucas Connolly cast as Michael Tiat
- Diarmid Heidenreich taking on Trevor Gunson
- Nic Westaway as Kyle Braxton
- Leeanna Walsman portraying Virginia Eisak
- Brendan Clearkin in the role of Guard Parker
- Lynne McGranger as Irene Roberts
- Kyle Pryor playing Nate Cooper
- Dan Ewing as Heath Braxton
- Lisa Gormley in the role of Bianca Scott
- Pia Miller portraying Katarina Chapman
- Andrew Cutcliffe as Radio Newsreader
- James Lugton cast as Pharmacist
Concept and Development
On 19 August 2015, If Magazine announced that streaming platform Presto had commissioned its inaugural Australian production titled Home and Away: An Eye for an Eye, a spin-off from the well-established soap opera Home and Away. Brendan Moo, Presto's head of content and acquisitions, explained that the concept arose during discussions about a collaborative venture with the Seven Network, the broadcaster of Home and Away. Seven's CEO Tim Worner emphasized that the special was "specifically designed" to keep current fans engaged while also drawing new subscribers to Presto during the show's summer break.
Lucy Addario, the series producer, likened producing this telefilm to creating three additional episodes, necessitating an expanded crew. Unlike the typical multi-threaded storylines of the main series, this special concentrated on a singular narrative to maintain continuous pacing. Although streaming platforms are not bound by Home and Away’s usual PG rating, the production team opted to uphold PG standards to honor the show's brand identity and audience expectations. Moo confirmed that this special would remain exclusive to Presto and would not be broadcast on Seven. Actor Nic Westaway, who plays Kyle Braxton, noted that events depicted in An Eye for an Eye would not influence ongoing story arcs in the main series.
Plot information released in November 2015 revealed that the storyline centers on the abduction of Ricky Sharpe (Bonnie Sveen) and Darryl "Brax" Braxton's (Steve Peacocke) infant son Casey by Brax's adversary Trevor "Gunno" Gunson (Diarmid Heidenreich). The search for Casey involves Kyle, Heath Braxton (Dan Ewing), and Martin Ashford (George Mason), while Ricky, Bianca Scott (Lisa Gormley), and Phoebe Nicholson (Isabella Giovinazzo) collaborate to gather ransom funds. Sveen described her role as "an actor’s dream," likening her lead position to being "the CEO of a business."
Casting
After announcing An Eye for an Eye, former Home and Away cast members Dan Ewing and Lisa Gormley returned as Heath Braxton and Bianca Scott respectively. Ewing, already well-acquainted with his character, prepared by shedding weight and called the project "really innovative," citing it as a major factor in his decision to come back. Gormley was approached following a Sydney theatre production and found it effortless to resume her character.
The telefilm also included regular cast members such as Nic Westaway, Bonnie Sveen, George Mason, Isabella Giovinazzo, Kyle Pryor (Nate Cooper), Pia Miller (Kat Chapman), and Lynne McGranger (Irene Roberts). Diarmid Heidenreich reprised his role as Trevor "Gunno" Gunson, a criminal figure connected to Ricky’s storyline, while Leeanna Walsman was cast as Gunno’s partner-in-crime Virginia Eisak. The role of Ricky’s son Casey was shared by one-year-old twins Sebastian and Xavier Sloan.
Filming
The production took place at Channel Seven’s Eveleigh studios, as well as on location in Palm Beach, Sydney, and various sites throughout the Blue Mountains. The cast dedicated an entire week to filming in the Blue Mountains, including scenes shot in Blackheath. Westaway mentioned that this was the longest continuous filming period for the project. Coordinating the schedule proved difficult since the actors had to manage their commitments to the regular Home and Away series simultaneously.
Created by Seven Productions, the telefilm was captured in 4K ultra-high-definition quality. Westaway emphasized that An Eye for an Eye involved a more complex setup and a lengthier shooting timeline compared to standard episodes. Both Ewing and Gormley noted that the telefilm featured a quicker tempo and a more intense atmosphere than the main series. Sveen added that the use of diverse filters and camera angles contributed to a unique visual identity distinct from typical episodes.
Broadcast
Home and Away: An Eye for an Eye debuted on Presto on 9 December 2015 at 8:30 pm. It aired following thirty episodes of Home and Away, highlighting the most popular births, deaths, and marriages as chosen by viewers. The spin-off was also broadcast in New Zealand on TV2, and in the United Kingdom on digital channel 5Star and Channel 5 on 17 and 21 March respectively. In Ireland, it was presented as three separate 30-minute segments on RTÉ One and RTÉ2.
Ratings
In the week leading up to its release, Presto experienced a 300% increase in subscriber numbers, necessitating server enhancements. During its initial airing, An Eye for an Eye accounted for more than 55% of Presto’s streaming activity between 8:30 pm and midnight, setting new records for first-day streaming on the platform. Michael Bodey from The Australian reported that the telefilm attracted over 1.6 million views. Across the UK, its broadcast on 5Star drew an audience of 490,000 viewers, ranking it as the sixth most-watched program on that channel during the week.
Critical response
Stephen Downie of TV Week offered a favorable critique of the spin-off, emphasizing that it was "far more than just an extended episode." He pointed out its darker narrative tone and commended Sveen’s portrayal as her finest performance as Ricky. Downie described An Eye for an Eye as an "exciting, heart-pounding chase" likely to captivate fans.
Thomas Woodgate, also writing for TV Week, addressed opinions labeling the episode a "clever marketing strategy" by Presto aimed at boosting subscriptions but argued that Presto needed to compete with streaming giants like Netflix and Stan, which also invest heavily in local productions. He highlighted the episode’s grittier style and self-contained storyline as key differentiators.
An Inside Soap columnist referred to the spin-off as "highly anticipated" ahead of its UK premiere, forecasting it would keep audiences "glued to their screens." Sue Yeap from The West Australian praised Home and Away for breaking "new ground" with this telefilm. Fiona Flynn of entertainment.ie selected it as her TV Highlight of the week, expressing enthusiasm about Heath’s return and ongoing plot developments. Ellen Moorhead from The Spinoff noted that following a decline in viewership earlier in the year, this spin-off represented a strategic effort to maintain audience interest throughout summer—and she welcomed this approach enthusiastically.
Sequels and literary adaptations
After the positive reception of Home and Away: An Eye for An Eye, two additional feature-length specials were commissioned, with the announcement made on 6 May 2016. These follow-ups, titled Home and Away: Revenge and Home and Away: All or Nothing, premiered on Foxtel—following the shutdown of Presto—on 19 December 2016 and 26 January 2017, respectively. Both Ewing and Gormley returned to their original characters for these episodes. Furthermore, Hachette Australia published two novels, one of which is directly connected to An Eye for an Eye.