Home and Away

[claire_louise]

Totally agree with you Tabby (by the way, no one has been in it as long as Sally and Alf, they're the longest serving cast members). You forgot about Leah though, she's been in it for 5 or 6 years. And Irene and Colleen...did I miss anyone out? Still, that's not many.

I can see Beth staying long term *fingers crossed* and possibly Barry. But most of the 15-30 year olds stay for two or three years, then move on. It's understandable that they want to further their career and try new things. Maybe the reason Ada has stayed is because she'd already done a few other shows beforehand, so she didn't feel that need to move on.

I think what they need to concentrate on is creating strong, memorable younger characters, so that we don't forget them as soon as they go. Younger characters have never stayed around long-term and it's a good thing in a way, because there needs to be a turn-around to keep viewers interested, but if they make an impact on the show's history then it doesn't matter if they're only in it for a couple of years. I'm thinking of Shannon, Angel, Bobby etc...I mean, look at the response when someone asked if Selina was returning. I can't imagine the same response in a few years' time for someone like Kim or Cassie (however much I may like her).

[c120701]

I think Ailsa is the character I miss the most, I miss Pippa, but I like her occasional guest appearances, but I can't see her fitting it full time in the show today, unlike Ailsa would. I miss Donald too, but I think I feel the same about him as I do Pippa.

[ste]

I think what they need to concentrate on is creating strong, memorable younger characters, so that we don't forget them as soon as they go.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree, but I think the same is true for adult characters. Alf, Fisher, and Irene are all extremely memorable because they're so unique, and they had lots of little catch phrases and mannerisms. Unfortunately the same can't be said for the likes of Barry, Rhys, and the Holden father (I forget his name). They just don't write adult characters anymore with the thought in mind of "how will this character be memorable and remain a classic in ten years time?".

I also agree with TabbyCool... in many cases by the time you start relating to a character it's their final year or they're just about to leave. I'm not one of those fans who will just like whatever and whoever they see on screen at the time. This is why I think the current teen bunch is the best since the Shannon/Selina/Jack days. I almost instantly liked them, and that hasn't happened for a long time. Especially during the Sutherland era, it took me a long long to time to relate to any of the young characters around that period. With Dani, I didn't start to like her until it was almost time for her to leave. But with Ric, Cassie, etc I find their characters very likable.

[claire_louise]

I think the thing about the older characters is that because they tend to stick around for longer, they don't need to make such an impact straight away. For example, Dan hasn't done a whole lot and if he left now we wouldn't remember him, but over the years he is bound to develop and he has the potential to be a memorable character.

As for the current teen bunch, I just can't make my mind up. I like them as individual characters, but on the whole they seem a bit bland. Maybe it's because I've stopped identifying with the teens so much now I'm older, I don't know. I agree with you about the Jade/Kirsty/Seb/Nick bunch taking a while to warm to, but once I did I loved them. Hopefully the current group will grow on me.