Home and Away will return to Australian lounge rooms next year with more of a family feel than it has in the past.

In the past few seasons there has been an abundance of criminals, kidnappings, gunmen, stalkers and violence dominating the plot and has slowly become the new Blue Heelers of the TV world.

However, next year the producers of the drama are set to change this trend, ad ensure it goes back to its family, PG rated roots of its early days.

According to the series stalwart, Ray Meagher, who plays Alf, the next year will see a shift form the darker plots seen in recent times.

“We’ve had too many guns and balaclavas and bank robberies and that sort of thing,” he said.

“We’re going back to a family show. We’ll still have teenage angst. What I’ve been agitating for is to have a good belly laugh or at least a nice warm smile each quarter hour in there.”

Cameron Welsh, the series producer, confirmed the return of a female character to Summer Bay, who moves in with Alf and Miles.

Welsh feels the new character will help facilitate the shift.

The move comes amid off screen stories involving actors that are as racy as some of the fictional storylines.

The show has also seen a slip in ratings since the departure of Kate Ritchie (Sally), though it remains more than competitive in its 7pm time slot.