When did Sally come into her own?

[adam436]

At what point did Sally come into her own and develop her own character? 

In the early days, she started off as just another run-of-the-mill 8 year old and Kate Ritchie, due to her age, didn't really add much to the role that another kid the same age couldn't... if that make sense!) Nothing against Kate Ritchie, but an 8 year old is very limited in terms of storylines and Kate's acting went from strength to strength as she grew up. 

 

I guess Sally grew up as Kate Ritchie grew up, but when did Kate really start make the role her own? I do recall an interview with Kate, around the time she left, where she did it was hard to know where Sally ends and Kate begins, which is fair enough given she'd played the role since she was 8 years old. 

 

I've only seen bits and pieces of late 1990 - mid/late 1996, so I don't know if the writers really gave her storylines to help define Sally's adult/teen personality or whether it was a gradual shift. 

[j.laur5]

2004 and also did anyone think Sally never gotten close to Alf til about 2004?. 

Also I never thought Sally was ever that close to Alisa as they only ever had screen time every so often.

In fact i think Leah and Alisa probably had more screens together in year they were  on show together  then 12 years Alisa and Sally were on show together. 

I definitely think Alisa was more closer to Leah then Sally.   

But i will admit i didit think Sally was most interesting character  in 90s and thats definitely not to  say i didit like her and she did have purpose on show as was good to have foster kid to stay with Pippa thought out her childhood and watch someone grow up on screen.    

[Red Ranger 1]

I kind of think there were two periods when Sally came into her own (well, four actually, 2004 being the last one, but two during that period!). It wasn't really a big moment either time, but I think the first one was around 1991.I remember during the 7Two repeats commenting around that time that she felt like less of "the kid" and more like the character Sally would become.I think it was partly because you now had Sophie and Haydn living there, who were closer in age to her, and all of the original teen characters had left or moved out, so suddenly Sally wasn't an afterthought anymore but one of the older kids.The second one was around 1995, when the generation gap closed again and you had Jack and Shannon, who were only slightly older, there and the other teen characters, which seemed to mark the point where Sally went from being a supporting character who had one storyline per year if she was lucky to being a proper part of the ensemble.

[Sally Keating]

Onscreen, Ailsa and Sally rarely had much to do with each other. Surprisingly little, actually.

Alf and Sally gradually became close over the 2000s, but what really cemented their friendship was her speech in episode 4000. As she said herself, it wasn't until she actually sat down to think about what to say in her speech, that she realised just how much Alf meant to her. It was only after this that their onscreen friendship really blossomed and became a focal point, and then with Flynn's death only a few months later.

[j.laur5]

8 minutes ago, Sally Keating said:

Onscreen, Ailsa and Sally rarely had much to do with each other. Surprisingly little, actually.

Alf and Sally gradually became close over the 2000s, but what really cemented their friendship was her speech in episode 4000. As she said herself, it wasn't until she actually sat down to think about what to say in her speech, that she realised just how much Alf meant to her. It was only after this that their onscreen friendship really blossomed and became a focal point, and then with Flynn's death only a few months later.

Also I find Alf and Leah more believable closer then Alf was with Sally as they were business partners for few years and Alf help Leah lot when VJ was deaf and Leah was at Alf bedside sooner then Sally after Alf near deaf experience and even thought I remember Sally saying to Flynn that Alf is person we turn to. 

[Sally Keating]

I don't find it less believable that Sally and Alf became close. It just happened in a different way than with Alf and Leah.

[Blaxland 89]

I think in 1998 was a turning point when Pippa had gone and she moved out of the caravan park standing on her own two feet. And also just before that as she was suddenly the oldest foster kid there ten years after being the youngest. 

Then in 2000 was pushed to the front of the show in the non wedding. 

Then in 2004 by moving back to the caravan park now as head of the house hold. 

All significant moment for her character. 

 

Having said that the time in between the non wedding and meeting Flynn. So late 2000 early 2001 was an odd time for her. She just floated for ages. It’s like they wasn’t sure where to go with her for a while. Getting engaged to that Luke guy, then that random moment with Harry and the pun Tom Nash. And then a fling with Brett Egan. Everything was so half hearted 

regarding sally and Alisa. Yes, it true that a lot of time during her teenage years we didn’t see them together much. But there’s a few lovely scenes of them in the very early years and I remember when Alisa was lost after the diner hold up they had a nice scene with Alisa visiting sally. 

 

[Sally Keating]

3 hours ago, Blaxland 89 said:

Having said that the time in between the non wedding and meeting Flynn. So late 2000 early 2001 was an odd time for her. She just floated for ages. It’s like they wasn’t sure where to go with her for a while. Getting engaged to that Luke guy, then that random moment with Harry and the pun Tom Nash. And then a fling with Brett Egan. Everything was so half hearted

I completely agree with this.

[Red Ranger 1]

For the record, I think 2001 was the third significant moment for the character.In the intervening years, she'd basically been written as just another young adult character.It was around then that Kate Ritchie ended up in the Gusiness Book of Records (alongside Ray Meagher and Norman Coburn) as long-served actor in an Australian drama, and the character suddenly became Sally Fletcher, Pillar of the Community.

[adam436]

23 hours ago, Blaxland 89 said:

regarding sally and Alisa. Yes, it true that a lot of time during her teenage years we didn’t see them together much. But there’s a few lovely scenes of them in the very early years and I remember when Alisa was lost after the diner hold up they had a nice scene with Alisa visiting sally.

And there was a great scene in 1989, when Sally ran away from home because she was upset about Dodge and met Ailsa at the diner. She didn't share many scenes with Alf during her teenage years either. She probably had a closer relationship with Donald in the late 90s - 2003 than she did with Alf actually. 

 

23 hours ago, Blaxland 89 said:

I think in 1998 was a turning point when Pippa had gone and she moved out of the caravan park standing on her own two feet. And also just before that as she was suddenly the oldest foster kid there ten years after being the youngest. 

 Then in 2000 was pushed to the front of the show in the non wedding. 

Then in 2004 by moving back to the caravan park now as head of the house hold. 

Agreed, after the departures of Jack and Shannon, she suddenly became the big sister to the newer foster kids like Sam, Tegan and Liam, so she really matured during that period. I think she had a few defining moments in the mid-late 90s that felt like turning points - missing after the raft accident was one, and her "first time" with Tim. 

 

17 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

It was around then that Kate Ritchie ended up in the Gusiness Book of Records (alongside Ray Meagher and Norman Coburn) as long-served actor in an Australian drama, and the character suddenly became Sally Fletcher, Pillar of the Community.

More than 10 years on an Australian soap (where characters' longevity seems much shorter than UK and US soaps!) is an incredible achievement, but it's hard to believe that so many actors have now surpassed the Guinness record held by Kate and Norman. On H&A alone, Lynne McGranger has surpassed Kate and Ada Nicodemou and Emily Symons have both surpassed Norman - in fact, by this time next year, Ada Nicodemou will have outlasted Kate Ritchie. 

Over on Neighbours, Jackie Woodburne, Alan Fletcher, Stefan Dennis, Ryan Molonley and Tom Oliver have now all done longer regular stints than Kate Ritchie and Ian Smith has stint has outlasted all done longer stints than Norman.