Home and Away is set in the fictional town of Summer Bay, a coastal town in New South Wales, and follows the personal and professional lives of the people living in the area. The show initially focused on the Fletcher family, Pippa and Tom Fletcher and their five foster children Frank Morgan, Carly Morris, Steven Matheson, Lynn Davenport and Sally Keating, who would go on to become one of the show's longest-running characters. The show also originally and currently focuses on the Stewart family. Home and Away had proved popular when it premiered in 1988 and had risen to become a hit in Australia, and after only a few weeks, the show tackled its first major and disturbing storyline, the rape of Carly Morris; it was one of the first shows to feature such storylines during the early timeslot. H&A has tackled many adult-themed and controversial storylines; something rarely found in its restricted timeslot.

The story of Hugh Knight, a rising heart surgeon who is gifted, charming and infallible. He is a hedonist who, due to his sheer talent, believes he can live outside the rules. His "work hard, play harder" philosophy is about to come back and bite him.

Cat Chambers is a thief-turned-fixer for the governor of a stunning and seductive Pacific Island paradise. Impulsive, reckless, and irresistible, Cat's less-than-perfect past gives her an instinctive gift for understanding crime and criminals as she becomes enmeshed in fast-paced, high-octane adventures and island intrigue.

Five different people at different times of their lives bond at a wedding after being seated together at the singles table. After a few too many drinks, the solution to all of their problems seems to be buying a five-bedroom house together.

Nathan's love life takes a wild turn when he ignites a passionate yet short-lived affair with an older man named Coop. Determined to move on, he meets Tray and falls into a new relationship.