Writing out long standing characters

[Ross]

I was just thinking about Kate Ritchie and Ray Meagher being the two longest standing cast members of the show, and it got me thinking to if they ever decided to leave, how would it be done?

I was reading another topic, and somebody said that if they ever left, they hoped it would be a pleasant ending, but it got me thinking, would this be possible?

With Don, it made sense for him to leave - yes, he had been a part of the community for a long time, but he found happiness with June, and was ready to retire, and he didn't seem to have the emotional attachment to the town that Alf and Sally do. There is always so much emphasis put on Alf and Sally's devotion to Summer Bay, that I really don't see how it was be plausable for either of them to just leave. So surely the only option would be for their characters to be killed off? Or should H&A come up with a really interesting storyline that leads to them wanting to leave?

What does everyone else think?

[Taz]

If ray were ever to leave I think they would have to kill him off, but if say Ric or Martha left and Alf got ill or frail and wanted to be with them he could move to them and retire or something.

I think if kate left she could be written out a bit like Debra Lawrence was(Pippa) and she could leave with a guy and go off on an adventure, or she could get a job opportunity of a lifetime and take that huge leap and leave her comfort zone.

[princess.sparkle]

^^^Yeah I agree, that seems to be pretty much the only way those characters could be written out without being killed off.

[chatter box]

In terms of audience satisfaction Sally could only leave if she was going off to be happy somewhere, I think the audience would be mortified if she were killed off. It would also leave the door open for return visits.

As for Alf, that is a tricky one, he is so much part of Summer Bay that it is hard to see him leaving, so he would have to be killed off. It is not going to happen any time soon though as Ray Meagher has signed on for another five years.

[loobieloo]

In terms of audience satisfaction Sally could only leave if she was going off to be happy somewhere, I think the audience would be mortified if she were killed off. It would also leave the door open for return visits.

As for Alf, that is a tricky one, he is so much part of Summer Bay that it is hard to see him leaving, so he would have to be killed off. It is not going to happen any time soon though as Ray Meagher has signed on for another five years.

It is a tricky question, but I don't think they would ever kill Sally off. I agree she would probably have a plesant exit.

Alf on thwe other hand I think would have to be killed off. He has too many "connections" with the bay that it wouldnt be right for him to just leave and go to live somplace else.

[Eli]

I agree with all of you.

Sally is the kind of character everything that possible could happen have happened to, but still she seems so normal.

I don't think they could have killed her, because as you said the audience wouldn't want her to leave unless they knew she was happy.

[Guevara01]

I agree with you, but since watching the finale, i remembered the interview that was posted here about Kate Ritchie recently, where she said now she would feel confident in doing something other than H&A.

xxx

[Guest]

If Ray ever leaves one day I would want Alf to be killed off or leave summer bay!! If Kate leaves I would want Sally to have a two hour final ep ever and leave the same way as Debra (Pippa) or maybe leaving without anyone knowing she left!!

[PeterK2006]

Ever since Summer Bay was discovered, there has always been a Stewart living there and seeing as Alf is very protective of the town, I can't see him leaving Summer Bay and it seems like killing off is the easiest way out.

But leaving is possible if a 'passing of the torch' moment was done to the latest generation of Stewarts, it's Ric and Martha.

As for Sally, I can't really see her being killed off, if she was to leave, it would be accepting an job offer as Principal of another school seeing how she is often held back at Summer Bay High as others has beaten her to the job and I'm sure Sally would love to be Principal.

[Eli]

As for Sally, I can't really see her being killed off, if she was to leave, it would be accepting an job offer as Principal of another school seeing how she is often held back at Summer Bay High as others has beaten her to the job and I'm sure Sally would love to be Principal.

I had to laugh when I read that, because that's exactly what I made happen to her in my fanfic!