If you had to pick a different original to still be in the show today

[project90]

If you had pick a different original character to still be around INSTEAD of Alf who would you choose?

[joany208121]

Don Fisher… I think he proved he could work with and without family. He was incredibly nuanced, especially as the years went on and his complex relationships with Bobby, Sam, Maz, Bec and even Sally were explored. 

[j.laur5]

Ailsa Stewart as she would no doubt be running Diner.

I considered Pippa but I think sbe pretty much be background character now if she was still on show. 

[CaptainHulk]

Don. He was the closest thing Alf had to a brother and even though they clashed they always thought highly of each other.

[hapitoby]

As others have said Don. Otherwise Sally. Or Ailsa.

[Homeandawayfan.]

Don Fisher. 

Or Bobby, Sally or Frank. 

Edited 8 hours ago by Homeandawayfan.

[adam436]

Assuming Alf was not around if the below characters had gone the distance instead: 

Donald Fisher was always my favourite original character, but he'd have well and truly retired from teaching now. I can also see him giving advice and having memorable friendships/unofficial mentorships with subsequent principals like Maggie and Zac. In terms of family, we'd have likely met Rebecca's children by now and he'd probably have had at least one child he never knew about come out of the woodwork by now. Would he and Marilyn have reunited when she returned in 2010?

Bobby would be an interesting one - we saw Sally's journey from foster kid to the head of Summer Bay House with her own foster family, so that would have likely been Bobby's destiny had she stayed 40 years too, probably when Pippa left. She was also biologically a Stewart, which probably would have given her some longevity too. I imagine by the 2010s she'd have pretty much assumed Roo's role though with the fostering element etc and married Harvey etc, since Roo would likely not have been recast without Alf. 

Tom Fletcher - the original Summer Bay patriarch, so he'd probably have had a similar journey to Alf too. Not as memorable, but it would have kept some continunity/stability in Summer Bay House throughout the late 90s/early 2000s.