How much longer will the show last

[CaptainHulk]

20 hours ago, hapitoby said:

Agreed. The best we can hope for is if she makes an appearance when Alf eventually leaves...maybe he goes with her. I know Ray and Kate would be on board and maybe they can convince TPTB.

I did enjoy Irene's exit but was disappointed we didn't get her kids (Damien's actor said prior to her exit, he'd come back) or anyone else. The flashbacks were good though.

I always thought Tina/Fin would be back bc she's the child she's Irene's closest to (her boys live overseas, and interstate respectively).

[Irishbraxton]

If anymore of the long term mainstays depart we will be left with a show that changes cast every three years.

[adam436]

On 13/01/2026 at 22:25, Irishbraxton said:

yes any characters we do see again should any of them ever return will be characters from 2011 onwards

I've no doubt the show would love to bring back the likes of Heath, Brax and Ricky full-time, and maybe even Dean and Ziggy, but otherwise I can't see them wanting anyone else. Heath seems obvious, since Darcy would slot right into the twentysomething landscape now.

The characters from the last 5 years or so have been so interchangeable they've pretty much been forgotten as soon as they've left.

Another maybe could be Sophie Simpson, since Rebekah was one of the most popular stars on Neighbours, and Sophie's children are the age of the current cast demographic.

If the show does lose another long-termer, it's in a reasonably good place in terms of succession planning. Aside from Alf, Marilyn, John, Leah and Roo, we've also now got Justin who's up to 10 years, and Mackenzie and Tane who are approaching 7 and 6 years respectively. Are they strong enough to be the next generation of mainstays is another thing though.

[James Martin]

As I've said before, the show's clearly coped without Irene, but there does need to be a succession plan for the day Ray hangs up his fishing rod.

When Sally left, Miles kind of took the baton on, but that didn't work because he himself was so new despite the retcons to enable the backstory.

Whoever's going to take on the patriarchy of Summer Bay needs to be well established themselves and that's not easy when the majority of the cast are on a 3 year rotation.

I can't see James going anytime soon; also how do you write Justin out without giving Leah another grief story arc so soon after the character's third major bereavement? (Although you can argue Pippa also had 3 in the space of 6/7 years.)

Given he and Ada are together in real life, he's probably in it for the long haul now too.

[adam436]

2 hours ago, James Martin said:

Whoever's going to take on the patriarchy of Summer Bay needs to be well established themselves and that's not easy when the majority of the cast are on a 3 year rotation.

I guess with replacing Alf is more about being the "guardian" or "spirit" of Summer Bay, for lack of a better term, than a patriarchy. Roo has the Stewart surname (and Georgie is a well-known face on Australian name) to pass the baton onto to, whereas Marilyn and Leah have history in H&A's early years.

John is a good patriarch figure, but absent for the first 20 years of the show. 

[Homeandawayfan.]

Alf Stewart, Ken Barlow, Patrick Trueman - 3 modern day soap elders that we need to enjoy while we can.