Did the True Early Years end when Bobby Lett?

[BobbyFridge]

I think they did. I have never really thought of 1994 onwards as truly part of the early years, although considering we are now in 2017 i guess it was so long ago it does count as the early years now hehe. Also i know that the Bayside diner is iconic as part of the 90s and it does feel like the end of an era when the original diner closes for good. But i still feel like the true early years were the Bobby years. The show did change a lot after 1993 and Bobby was such an important character that it was always going to be different without her there. 

[Blaxland 89]

I get where your coming from with this. Especially as the pilot revolved around her. 

[CaptainHulk]

1994 still had an early years feel about it. Small town, a number of comedic storylines. It was just going in a new direction.

[KKB]

2000 I think because it was when Pippa said goodbye to the caravan park, we said goodbye to the theme song and the old opening titles and the show headed in a new direction

[James Martin]

Everyone has their own BC/AD point.

Mine is actually much, much later - the 2004 season finale.  After 2005 it became a substantially different show.

[jakeyy.]

19 hours ago, James Martin said:

Everyone has their own BC/AD point.

Mine is actually much, much later - the 2004 season finale.  After 2005 it became a substantially different show.

I agree. I think my idea of the early years finishing was 2003, when fisher left 

[Homeandawayfan.]

1993 was for me the end of the Early Years when Bobby died as she was the linchpin and her death was a huge blow for the show. 1994 was a very comedic year, the calm before the storm as 1995 got darker and the tone became grittier.

[Si-Co]

On 05/09/2017 at 5:42 PM, James Martin said:

Everyone has their own BC/AD point.

Mine is actually much, much later - the 2004 season finale.  After 2005 it became a substantially different show.

That was definitely another end-of-era, with most of the Sutherlands leaving in late 2004 too. I wouldn't class it as the end of the early years though - maybe the end of a second "earlyish" era. 

[AussieTVFAN]

For me the end of the early years was once both Tom Fletcher (Roger Oakley) and Pippa Fletcher (Vanessa Downing) left the series. Michael and Pippa had a totally different feel to them and so did the show. That is not to say that everything in that era or any era since was all bad, just new chapters.

[harrietjames]

I think there were several evolutions - things changed but it also remained true to itself many times in the early years. It's only later that they've lost some of the true Home and Away - now it's the exception rather than the rule. I've said before that if they introduced Sally as a new character later in the show they probably wouldn't have cast Kate Ritchie.