Looking at what longstanding characters we have left

[Red Ranger 1]

It's absolutely shocking that Irene and Alf, who have rich histories and so much life experience, are no longer explored as characters and none of their family have been introduced or appeared for a very long time.

I do agree to a degree.

But what I find more shocking is that some new characters get a lot of storylines, while some come in with a great potential and then the writers suddenly think they aren't cool enough (or the actors aren't), so they put them on the sideline with no proper storylines for a few years until they eventually leaves.

Liam was a great example of this, such a great backstory was created for him, and then he was suddenly uninteresting for the writers and his only purpose was to be a non existent character.. like someone who wasn't important at all.

Chris had so much potential when he came in, and they are doing the same with him. His only purpose is to throw in some silly lines here and there.

Natalie, Tamara and other Braxton "fangirls" have also been just there to support the Braxtons and nothing else.

Elijah was dropped after several attempts to make him and Leah worked, there were a lot of other things he could do. But at least he got the Leah storyline.

At least the long stay characters have had their time with a plenty of character development and exciting storylines.

Don't forget Spencer, when he came in I really liked him and the bonding he was doing with Harvey. But ever since then they have decided he's not very important and have made him boring and lacking personality; he's had a couple of small storylines but they have just made a good effort of making him boring and less personable since when he first came in.

I agree about Spencer.I know a lot of people weren't impressed with the back story for him and Maddy but at least it was there and it gave him a purpose and those first few months the show seemed to be doing a good job integrating him with the other characters.Then out of nowhere he broke up with Maddy for arbitrary reasons and started dating Sasha (which seemed to be at least partly a plot device so she'd have a reason to stick around when her family left) and all the work gone into having him bond with Alf, Harvey and Roo was suddenly discarded when for no apparent reason he went to live with Irene, who he hasn't got nearly the same sort of close relationship with.(They have recently been using more of his sibling relationship with Chris but even then they spend more time at the Diner or the beach than at home so I'm not sure why they need to live together.)It didn't work and, after the desperation of the bipolar story to try and give the character a hook to hang on, he broke up with Sasha as abruptly as he got together with her and has spent this year basically reduced to a supporting character while Josh and Matt get all the screen time.

[Homeandawayfan.]

Alf and Irene are just left saying "strewth" or "enjoy your meal" or "Girlie" to customers and fellow residents. Seeing as they were once very central characters, the current producers just shove them into the background which annoys us longer term viewers while TPTB pander to the teens who blush over the Braxton and Barrett tedium. I did hear Ray has signed a new contract for the show, well while the current producers are at the helm he will carry on being a background character. And yes the bosses at Channel 7 want the show to rate well but as discussed in another thread, a lot of the style of the show is down to one person, the producer. And I stick by that.

[chels24]

I agree the current producers are rubbish they could do so much more with Irene, Alf and even Leah(most of her s/ls recently have centred around men, although I am really liking her with Zac apart from the school) as much as I loce John and Maz the whole wedding pre amble and misunderstandings just became farcical in the end they could have done more with that aswell more mentions of3rd time married for both of them,and Don etc Maddy and Spencer had so much more potential and look how thats turned out the current ptb need to spend more time across the board even though I love the Braxtons even they are becoming tedious and annoying at the moment.

[Homeandawayfan.]

Maybe Morag and Colleen might, just might return when The Braxton Show ends.